Ethnographic group of North Macedonia
Gali?nik Wedding Festival
.
Girls in Mijak dress.
Mijaks
(
Macedonian
:
Ми?аци
,
romanized
:
Mijaci
) are an ethnographic group of
Macedonians
who live in the
Lower Reka
[
mk
]
region which is also known as
Mija?ija
(
Macedonian
:
Ми?ачи?а
), along the
Radika
river, in western
North Macedonia
, numbering 30,000?60,000 people. The Mijaks practise predominantly
animal husbandry
, and are known for their ecclesiastical architecture,
woodworking
,
iconography
, and other rich traditions, as well as their characteristic
Gali?nik dialect
of
Macedonian
. The main settlement of the Mijaks is
Gali?nik
.
Settlements
[
edit
]
Mijak architecture.
The Mijaks have traditionally occupied the Mala Reka region along with the
Torbe?
, Macedonian-speaking Muslims. The area including the
Bistra mountain
and
Radika region
has been termed
Mija?ija
(
Ми?ачи?а
). To the east is the ethnographic region of the
Brsjaks
.
The Mijaks traditionally inhabited the villages of
Gali?nik
,
Lazaropole
,
Treson?e
,
Selce
,
Rosoki
,
Su?ica
,
Gari
and
Osoj
. However, the majority of Mijak villages are uninhabited as most of the inhabitants left during the 20th century. The villages
Ore?e
,
Papradi?te
,
Gorno Vranovci
and
Melnica
in the
Veles
region were populated by Mijaci during
Ottoman
rule in Macedonia.
[1]
The village of
Smilevo
, in the Bitola region, is also considered to be a Mijak village, in regards to its architecture and history.
[2]
The north-western quarter of
Kru?evo
was populated by Mijaks.
[3]
History
[
edit
]
Historical flag of the Mijaks
Middle Ages?18th century
[
edit
]
Their
ethnonym
is unclear.
[
full citation needed
]
There is a theory that the Mijaks were the first to permanently settle this area; they found mostly
Vlachs
, who seem to have not been permanently settled; the Mijaks pushed the Vlachs out of the pasture lands, some of whom they assimilated.
[5]
According to another theory the Mijaks are the remains of an old Slavic tribe that inhabited the area of the
Salonica
field and was engaged mostly in the cattle breeding.
[6]
This theory is also confirmed by the legends for the founding of the one of the most significant Mijak settlements as
Gali?nik
.
[7]
The
Brsjaks
and Mijaks did not live geographically scattered prior to the Ottoman conquest.
[8]
A proportion of Mijaks converted to Islam during the 16th and 17th centuries, and they are known by the name
Torbe?i
.
In the 18th century, the Mijaks had an armed conflict with the Islamized population regarding pasture lands.
[10]
19th century
[
edit
]
The Islamized population of Galicnik was re-Christianized in 1843.
[
full citation needed
]
Georgi Pulevski
was born in 1817. He published a three-language dictionary promoting the Macedonian language and nation as a separate and different from the neighbors.
In 1822, an unpublished lexicographical work by Panajot Ginovski, "Mija?ki re?nik po na?em govoru", was written, containing 20,000 words.
[11]
In the summer of 1875, referendum was held on the church affiliation of the Christians in Debar county (kaza). The majority supported the accession to the
Bulgarian Exarchate
. Only 2 villages and 20 houses in Debar supported the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
, perceived by local Bulgarians as Greek church.
[12]
This was made after the
Principality of Bulgaria
received most of the Macedonia region by the
Ottoman Empire
, and the earlier establishment and expansion of the
Bulgarian Exarchate
(February 28, 1870; in 1874, Skopje and Ohrid voted in favour of the Exarchate).
20th century
[
edit
]
During the
Ilinden uprising
in
Kru?evo
(August 2?3, 1903), a known Mijak involved was
Veljo Pecan
.
[13]
[
full citation needed
]
During the guerilla period, the Mijaks were divided into those that identified with Serbia and those that did with Bulgaria; one Serbian vojvoda was
Doksim Mihailovi?
from Gali?nik, while the Bulgarian vojvods were under Maksim N. Bogoja. Tale Krastev, Ivan Pendarovski, Rade Yankulovski, Kiro Simonovski, Yanaki Tomov,
[14]
Apostol Frachkovski etc. One of the leaders and founders of
IMARO
,
Damyan Gruev
is also a Mijak (from
Smilevo
).
Culture
[
edit
]
Intricate Mijak woodcarving in
Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery
.
The Mijaks are well known for the extent to which old customs are preserved in their everyday life. The
pe?alba
(seasonal work) was a deeply entrenched tradition of the Mijaks; males in their 20s would often leave the village for months, or even years, at a time, in order to work in more prosperous regions and create wealth for the family ? this has contributed to the dispersion of Mijak families, with villages now deserted or sparsely populated.
Mijaks had mastered the craft of woodcarving, and for many years a wood carving school operated in the Mala Reka region. They were responsible for the intricate wood carving which is found inside the
Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery
, which is considered to be the best in
North Macedonia
.
The
Gali?nik Wedding Festival
(Галичка свадба) is the name of a traditional wedding and its characteristic ceremony, which is annually held on
Petrovden
(St. Peter feast day, 12 July), in which a couple is chosen to receive the wedding and be shown on national television. The
Te?koto
oro
(lit. "the hard one"), a
shepherd
folk dance of the Mijaks, is one of the national dances of North Macedonia.
Some Mijaks believe that
Skanderbeg
, the Albanian military commander and national hero, hailed from Mija?ija.
[15]
[
page needed
]
Architecture
[
edit
]
Mijak architecture has become a defining factor in the culture of the Mijaks. The Mijaks were among the most skilled masons
[16]
and they helped wealthy
Aromanians
develop
Kru?evo
into a large, prosperous and beautiful city in the 18th century. Apart from some masons from the
Kriva Palanka
region, they were the most proficient in all Macedonia and the Balkans. The
Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery
is built in the Mijak style.
Language
[
edit
]
The Mijaks traditionally speak the
Gali?nik dialect
and
Reka dialect
. Typical characteristics of the "Mija?ki govor" (
Macedonian
:
Ми?ачки говор
), Mijak speech, include:
Mijak speech
|
Standard Macedonian
|
English
|
Notes
|
?amija
|
d?amija
|
mosque
|
reduced use of the phenome "d?" to only "?"
|
roka
|
raka
|
hand
|
the
Big Yus
is pronounced as a "o" and not an "a" as in
Standard Macedonian
|
tu?da/tu?a
|
tugja
|
foreign
|
use of the phenome "?" or "?d" in place of the standard Macedonian "gj"
|
trebuvad/trebit
|
treba
|
need
|
use of the suffix "-t" or "-d" for third person singular
|
stavajed
|
stavaat
|
they place
|
use of the suffix "-ajed" for third person singular
|
glagolj
|
zbor
|
word
|
from
Proto-Slavic
*glagoliti
("to speak"); cf.
Glagolitic alphabet
|
Their speech include peculiarities (in relation to standard Macedonian), such as
ovde
,
onde
,
kode
,
koga
,
za?to
,
dojdi
, etc.
[17]
Ethnography
[
edit
]
Mijaks have been subject to ethnographic studies by Macedonian, Bulgarian and Serbian scholars. According to the 2002 census, in the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostu?a there were 4,349 Macedonians (50.46%), 2,680 Turks (31,10%), 1,483 Albanians (17.21%), and smaller numbers of Bosniaks (0.36%), Roma (0.12%), Serbs (0.07%) and others (0.68%); In the Municipality of Debar there were a total of 19,542 inhabitants, of which 11,348 Albanians, 3,911 Macedonians, 2,684 Turks, 1,080 Roma, 22 Serbs, 3 Bosniaks, 2 Vlachs and 492 others.
[18]
- In their works from the beginning of the 20th century, Bulgarian ethnographers Vasil Kanchov and Dimitar Michev describe the local Mijak population as Bulgarian.
[19]
[20]
The researcher Georgi Traychev from
Prilep
also describes the Mijaks as part of the Bulgarian people, different from the other, neighboring ethnographic Bulgarian groups as the Brsjaks.
[21]
Genetic Studies
[
edit
]
Zupan et al. (2020) examined samples from 44 Mijak males from Gali?nik. In terms of Y-dna, Mijaks are located under haplogroups R1a-M458 (56.8%) and R1b-U106 (25%). Other haplogroups include G2a-P15 (11.4%) and E-M215 (4.5%). The high percentage of R1a-M458 among Mijaks associates them more closely with west Slavic groups who have a high frequency of R1a-M458, in particular Poles.
Anthropology
[
edit
]
- Families
- Kargovci
- Kauriovci
- Babalijovci
- Bo?kovci
- Gur?ovski
- Gugulevci
- Gulovci
- Kuculovci
- Kutrevci
- Tortevci
- Tulevci
- Ka?evci
- Damkovci,
- ?al?evci
- ?aparovci
- ?udulovci
- Cergovci
- Cincarevci
- ?antevci
- Pulevci (
sing.
Pulevski),
- Ramnina and Stepanci,
- Popovci
- Fr?kovci
- Alautovci
- Kolovci
- Kostovci
- Kokosovci
- Sekovski
- Trajkovi
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Dimitrija ?upovski
(1878?1940) textbook writer and lexicographer
- Ljubomir Fr?koski
(born 12 December 1957, Skopje) politician, family from Gali?nik
- Dame Gruev
(1871?1906), revolutionary, one of the founders of the IMRO, born in Smilevo
- Golub Jani?
(1853?1918), politician, born in Mavrovo, family from Lazaropole
- Lazar Li?enoski
(1901?1964) Macedonian painter, born in Gali?nik
- Isaija Ma?ovski
(1852?1926), painter and writer, born in Lazaropole
- Doksim Mihailovi?
(1883?1912), Chetnik, born in Gali?nik
- Josif Mihajlovi? Jurukovski
(1887?1941), mayor of Skopje, born in Treson?e
- Risto Ognjanovikj-Lonoski
(1870?1941), writer
- Georgi Pulevski
(1817?1895), writer and revolutionary, born in Gali?nik
- Aleksandar Sarievski
(1922?2002), traditional singer, born in Gali?nik
- Toma Smiljani?-Bradina
(1888?1969), ethnographer, philologist, dramatist and publicist, born in Treson?e
- Damjan Stojanovski
(born 1987, Skopje) basketball player, family from Rosoki
- Vojdan Stojanovski
(born 1987, Skopje) basketball player, family from Rosoki
- Di?o Zograf
(1819-1872), Icon painter, born in Treson?e
- Parteniy Zografski
(1818?1876), cleric, born in Gali?nik
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"THE MULTICULTURAL AND ETHNIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR VILLAGES IN THE VELES REGION - REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, Aneta SVETIEVA"
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-07-22
. Retrieved
2009-05-27
.
- ^
100 Years Ilinden Uprising - Smilevo, Monument of Culture
Archived
2011-07-27 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Brown, Keith (2003).
The past in question: modern Macedonia and the uncertainties of nation
. Princeton University Press. p. 85.
ISBN
0-691-09995-2
.
- ^
Georgi Stardelov (1996).
Jazicite na po?vata na Makedonija: prilozi za istra?uvanjeto na istorijata na kulturata na po?vata na Makedonija
. Makedonska akademija na naukite i umetnostite.
ISBN
9789989649202
.
Како изглсда, у овоме кра?у Ми?аци су први створнлн стална насе?а. Затскли су староседеоцс. нарочито Куцовлахе. ко?и изглсда нису имали сталннх нассл.а. Ми?аци су староседсоце потиснулн са пашк>ака, а неке привукли к ...
- ^
Трайчев, Георги. Книга за мияците (Историко-географски очерк), София, 1941, с. 10.
(Traychev, Georgi. Book for the Miyaks (Historical and Geographical Sketch), Sofia, 1941, p. 10.) И така, мияците са малоброен остатък от старо-славяно-българско колено, което населявало Солунско с пастирски поминък, който поминък ги заставил да търсят удобни прибежища и пасбища за многобройните си стада от овце и коне...
- ^
Тодоровски, Глигор. Малореканскиот предел. Општествено-економски и просветни прилики во 80-те години на XIX век до кра?от на Првата светска во?на, Скоп?е 1970, с. 14. (Todorovski, Gligor. The area of Mala Reka. Socio-economic and educational opportunities from the 1880s to the end of the First World War, Skopje, 1970, p. 14.)
- ^
Simpozijum seoski dani Sretena Vukosavljevi?a
. Op?tinska zajednica obrazovanja. 1974. p. 35.
Сретен Вукосав- л>еви? ?е посветио извесну паж?у старим познатим Брс?ацима и Ми?ацима. Говоре?и о ?има, он истиче: Брс?аци и Ми?аци нису били разби?ени пре турског осва?а?а.
- ^
др Слободан Зечеви?.
Гласник Етнографског музе?а у Београду к?. 30: Bulletin du Musee Ethnographique de Belgrade
. Etnografski muzej u Beogradu. pp. 23?. GGKEY:U1JY3YFUSNS.
У XVIII веку Ми?аци су водили борбу са Турцима Помацима због паш?ака. Тома Сми?ани? ?е нашао у заоставштини свога оца два ?у?ета" из XVIII века у ко?има се поми?е борба Ми?ака и Помака.
- ^
"Macedonian review, Vol 1?2", 1971, p. 307
- ^
Маркова, Зина. Българската екзархия 1870-1879, София, 1989, стр. 97. (Markova, Zina. The Bulgarian Exarchate 1870-1879, Sofia, Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1989, p. 97.) На 9 май 1875 г. екзарх Антим препраща на братя Робеви в Битоля правителствената заповед до вилаетското началство за провеждане на истилями в деборска епархия. Те се провеждат през летните месеци. Според информацията за техния ход в Дебърската каза само две села и 20 къщи в града са се изказали за гръцката църква. Въз основа на резултатите Дебърската община моли за отстраняването на гръцкия митрополит и за назначаването на екзархийски наместник.
- ^
Keith Brown, "The past in question: modern Macedonia and the uncertainties of nation" (2003), p. 82
- ^
Николов, Борис Й. Вътрешна македоно-одринска революционна организация . Войводи и ръководители (1893 ? 1934). Биографично-библиографски справочник. София, 2001, стр. 86, 126, 168, 151, 196. (Nikolov, Boris Y. Internal Macedonian-Odrin Revolutionary Organization. Vojvods and leaders (1893 - 1934). Biographical-Bibliographic Reference Book. Sofia, 2001, p. 86, 126, 151, 168, 196.)
- ^
Петар Поповски (2005).
Георги?а Кастриот-Искендер: крал на Епир и Македони?а и втор Александар Македонски : (660 години од ра?а?ето)
. Аз-Буки.
ISBN
978-9989-151-28-6
.
- ^
Brown, Keith (2003).
The past in question: modern Macedonia and the uncertainties of nation
. Princeton University Press. p. 262.
ISBN
0-691-09995-2
.
- ^
Bla?e Ristovski (1978).
Dimitrija ?upovski (1878-1940) i Makedonskoto nau?no-literaturno drugarstvo vo Petrograd: prilozi kon prou?vanjeto na makedonsko-ruskite vrski i razvitokot na makedonskata nacionalna misla
. Vol. 1. Kultura. p. 54.
Жителите на селото се наречуваат Ми?аци. Тие се разликуваат од Брс?аците, Курките, Торбешите, Улу- фите, Пол?аните во Македони?а. Нивниот ?озик е отсебен7 Тие зборуваат вака: овде, онде, коде, кога, зашто, до?ди; по?ди ...
- ^
Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in North Macedonia, 2002
- ^
Kanchov, Vasil
(1900),
Македония. Етнография и статистика
[
Macedonia. Ethnography and statistics
] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Българско книжовно дружествово, p. 32
- ^
Brancoff, D.M. (1905),
La Macedoine et sa Population Chretienne
[
Macedonia and its Christian population
] (in French), Paris: Plon-Nourrit, pp. 118?119, 184?185,
ISBN
978-1141777464
- ^
Трайчев, Георги. Книга за мияците (Историко-географски очерк), София, 1941, с. 1, 10-11, 93.
(Traychev, Georgi. Book for the Miyaks (Historical and Geographical Sketch), Sofia, 1941, p. 1, 10-11, 93.)
Sources
[
edit
]
- Books
- Bernath, Mathias; Nehring, Karl (1988).
Osmanisches Reich, Makedonien, Albanien
. Munchen.
CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- Brkovski, Meletije (2009).
Ми?аци: приказна од западната страна
. Vol. 1?3. Zdru?enie Prijateli na Gali?nik ?or?i Puleski.
ISBN
978-9989-9749-7-7
.
- Bu?aroski, Risto (1976).
Gali?ka povest
. Na?a kniga.
- Ог?анови?-Лоноски, Риста; ?ашар-Настева, Оливера (2004).
Галичник и Ми?аците
. Македонска академи?а на науките и уметностите.
ISBN
978-9989-101-36-6
.
- Todorovski, Gligor (1970).
Malorekanskiot predel
[
Mala Reka area
].
- Трайчев, Георги
(1940).
Книга за мияците
[
A Book about Mijaks
].
- Naselja i poreklo stanovnistva
. Vol. 20.
- Zupan, A; Matja?i?, A; Grubelnik, G; Tasi?, V (2020).
"Mutations in Collagen Genes in the Context of an Isolated Population"
.
Genes (Basel)
.
11
(11): 1377.
doi
:
10.3390/genes11111377
.
PMC
7699876
.
PMID
33233744
.
- Journal
- Hoddinott, R. F. (September 1954). "The Tradition of Wood Carving in Macedonia".
The Burlington Magazine
.
96
(618): 278?283.