Mila Gojsalić | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mila Gojsalić byIvan Meštrović | |
| Born | |
| Died | 1530 (1531) |
| Cause of death | Suicide bombing |
| Monuments | Mila Gojsalić byIvan Meštrović |
| Other names | Mile Gojsalića |
| Era | Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War |
| Known for | Suicide attack of anOttoman camp |
| Relatives | Gojslav of Croatia (distant descendant) |
Mila Gojsalić (died 1530) is aCroatian legendaryfolk heroine from small region ofPoljica, situated betweenSplit andOmiš in present-day Croatia.
.jpg)
According to tradition, her origins are from the village ofKostanje in theDalmatian hinterland, and allegedly she was a distant descendant ofCroatiankingGojslav.[1] The legend started evolving around time of theOttoman wars in Croatia, and it is possibly modeled on that ofMarko Marulić's heroineJudita herself.[1] The basic narrative revolves around the legendary battle, placed in 1530, and the tale ofOttoman commander, AhmedPasha, who allegedly gathered an army of 10,000 men with a goal to conquer Poljica, while setting up a camp in a place calledPodgrac. Mila Gojsalić went on to lose her virginity to Ahmed Pasha in order to be able to infiltrate the Ottoman camp and blow up the munitions stockpile, killing Ahmed Pasha, numerous officers and soldiers, and herself.
Ivan Meštrović sculptured the statue of her, installed above the town ofOmiš, whileJakov Gotovac composed the opera to her honour.August Šenoa also wrote about her. In her birthplace, every summer there is a cultural manifestation called the Days of Mila Gojsalić. Her house is still in the village and is completely renewed.