Toplica Milan (Serbian Cyrillic:Топлица Милан) orMilan Toplica (Serbian Cyrillic:Милан Топлица), also known asMilan from Toplica (Serbian:Милан из Топлице,romanized: Milan iz Toplice), was a legendary Serbian knight who was allied toPrince Lazar and died during the historical 1389Battle of Kosovo, according toSerbian epic poems.[1]
A fictitious character from theKosovo Myth, he is described inSerbian epic poetry as a knight born in theToplica region, asworn brother (Serbian:побратим,romanized: pobratim) toMiloš Obilić andIvan Kosančić, and promised to a girl known as theKosovo Maiden. After theBattle of Kosovo, the latter discovered Milan's death when she foundPavle Orlović, who told her the fate of Milan and his sworn brothers during the battle, according to a Serbian epic poem recorded and published in the early 19th century byVuk Karadžić. The honours and titles attributed to him differ from area to area, with folk songs recorded by Karadžić referring to him as a duke.[2] In thecycle of Marko Kraljević, he is known as abajraktar, while Obilić appears as avoivode and Kosančić as aprivenac (e.g. a support).[3] In folk traditions, the character is usually portrayed as an expert marksman and the most skilled archer in the army ofPrince Lazar, thus he is often visually depicted as carrying a bow and arrows. He is also often characterised as being exceptionally tall.[4] Milan Toplica's legend is modeled after the historical group of 12 unnamed Christian knights who penetrated the Turkish camp and killed theOttoman sultanMurad during the Battle of Kosovo, on 28 June 1389. Some legends depict him as a knight who entered Murad's tent along with Obilić, thus participating in the slaughter of the sultan's suite, under the shock of the assassination. Other legends portray him as standing guard outside the tent in the company of Kosančić. The epic poems says that in the aftermath, the trio attempts to escape in vain, wreaking havoc among the Turkish forces in the process. Toplica is described as so mighty that along the path where he forces his way,...a chariot can pass afterwards. However, he is the first of the three to fall to the enemy blades.[5][6]
MedievalBerkovac, nearValjevo, is commonly calledZamak Toplice Milana (Serbian Cyrillic:Замак Топлице Милана).[7]
TheTopličin venac street in Belgrade is named after Milan Toplica.[8]