So Serbia was no longer a child, and she wore a royal crown. She even
had to be considered by the family of Nations when making plans. Some
members of the family, indeed, would like to have made all her plans for
Serbia, without intimating that in so doing they would profit
themselves. Serbia realized that there were things she could not do
without the consent of some, or even all of them; but she did not wonder
why--for Serbia herself had grown up, and it wasn't merely a physical
development. She understood a great many things that in her more
primitive days she could not have comprehended.
Sometimes they fought among themselves, with an occasional black eye for
one or the other, because they found it hard to decide, not what they
could do for Serbia--the youngest and most inexperienced--but what they
could get from her without her discovering their motives, without the
others objecting. They forgot that Serbia was no longer a child; they
did not know that she could spy self-interest in the proffers they made
her. So she was coldly distant with them at times, though she leaned
most toward the big, fur-clad Cousin from the North. He was closer of
kin, a double relation, and he seemed less mercenary than some of them.
But even he could not get her a home facing the sea. She longed so
ardently for this! Why did every one hinder her? The Imperial Cousin on
the West was determined to stop her. Had he not given refuge to her
exiled children in the days of darkness? Had he not let them win
victories for him when she had hardly a friend in the world? Was it
likely--as human nature goes--that he had done this without expecting a
reward? No, she must be reasonable and must let him have the first
choice of all that she had to sell, and at his own price. Should she
reach the sea, others would tempt her. She would find all sorts of
people there anxious to trade with her--new people whom she herself had
never yet had a chance to help. No! he, the Imperial Cousin, knew what
was best for her. The only trade route for her was the one through his
land. She must send her things that way and, after he had looked them
over, if there was anything he did not wish, she might sell it to some
one else. Moreover, of course, she must pay whatever he charged for
transportation and customs as she passed through his country.
But Serbia had grown more sophisticated. Her costume of red and gold
still followed the old lines; indeed, only a close observer could see
any changes in it. But the material was richer than formerly, and she
had thrown aside the little veil--symbol, as it seemed to her, of the
darkening oppression of the Ottoman. Her people were clamoring around
her. They assured her they were not lazy, though perhaps a little slower
than some of their neighbors. Their fields yielded abundantly. They
discovered that by digging they could get much wealth, not only from the
surface but from their rocks far below. They must be able to exchange
it--to send it readily where they wished. Why, why, since they were
willing to pay for it, could they not have a seaport of their own?
But there was another who was determined to hold Serbia back. She did
not know him well; for though he bore the Imperial eagle, he had
appropriated a title that belonged to the old house that for a time had
held the world in its grasp. She would not call him a parvenu--not
wholly a parvenu--yet why should he trouble her? She was not really in
his way. Could it be that he was trying to curry favor with the turbaned
Turk, and hoped to ingratiate himself the more thoroughly by tormenting
her? What had the Turk to give him? Ah! Serbia had now grown so worldly
that she suspected motives in every action, even in those sometimes that
were really guileless.
Serbia, in the same latitude as France and Italy, has a similar climate,
though with greater extremes of heat and cold; and its average of one
hundred rainy days yearly prevents its being called a land of sunshine.
With an area about equal to that of the State of New York, its
population of four millions is much smaller--nearer, indeed, that of
Massachusetts. About fifteen thousand of its nearly thirty-four thousand
square miles of area is territory added since the Balkan wars. The
rivers of Serbia flow toward the north into the Danube. Its boundary
rivers, the Danube, Save, Drina, and Timok are navigable, but of those
within Serbia, only the Morava is navigable, and that for but sixty
miles. Serbia is not only protected by the ranges on her boundaries, but
four-fifths of the surface is covered with mountains, a "chaos of
mountains," a fact both helping and hindering her progress through the
centuries. The general aspect of Serbia is one of beauty, with high and
rugged mountains, mysterious forests, and long narrow river valleys as
picturesque as fertile. Even the Sumadia, called the rallying point of
the Nation, is now well cultivated and enterprising. Many medieval
buildings add to the picturesqueness of the country, forts and churches
perched on rocky heights or half screened in the woods.
Serbian towns resemble one another, with their wide, clean streets, and
red-roofed houses built of stone, with suburbs that show many attractive
dwellings surrounded by shrubbery. Even if the churches are not very
graceful, there are many modern school buildings throughout the country.
The five largest towns have--or, alas! had--from fifteen thousand to
about one hundred thousand inhabitants each, from Passavowitz to
Belgrade; in order, Leskovatz, Kraguievatz, and Nish, but Belgrade is
by far the largest.
Although the original Serb type was probably blonde, the mingling of the
Slav with the other races in the Balkans has brought it about that most
Serbs are now dark-skinned and dark-haired and of only average stature.
The tall blonde peasant of the Sumadia is an exception to this type,
though the Serb generally has a clear gray eye.
The Serb is excitable and volatile. While holding to old things he is
ready to grasp new ideas, but his new ideas he cannot always make
practical. It is probably for this reason that Serbia is behind many
countries in agricultural and industrial development. The Serb is not of
a jealous disposition. He is ready to praise what others have done, and
though tenacious of purpose he is neither dogged nor blunt like his
neighbor the Bulgarian. The modern Serb desires to be well thought of.
He is anxious to be measured by Western standards, yet in his heart he
still cherishes many old customs. If he is less straightforward,
especially in politics, than one might wish, his love of strategy may be
ascribed to the many years when it took something besides physical
courage to save him from the brutality of the Turk. Even his enemies
admit his bravery. In general character, the Serb may be compared to the
Scotch Highlander, "brave in battle, with much canniness in prosecuting
material interests." All visitors to Serbia note the great hospitality
of the Serb, and he shows a marked courtesy in dealing with others. He
is fond of fun and laughter, as any one realizes who sees him at a
festival, dancing the national dance--the kolo--to the sound of the
flute and the bag-pipe, and often, afterwards, listening to the heroic
verse of the guslar as he accompanies them on the gusle.
The Serb's religion is almost the same as patriotism with him. The
Orthodox Church of Serbia to-day has a strong resemblance to the early
Christian Church of the eighth century. "Here we know the English very
well, and your Church is not unlike our own," said a Serb to an English
traveler recently. The independence of the Serbian Church is largely due
to the fact that the Turks did not interfere with the religious faith of
the Serbs in the long dark night of oppression. Though this may have
been merely from their contempt for the conquered and their Church, the
result was to the advantage of the Serb.
Many Serbian traditions are contrary to the spirit of the Christian
Church, but the Church early found that the only way to hold the Serb
was to be patient in the hope that Christianity would eventually modify
his Pagan beliefs. In few nations is there such a mingling of heathen
traditions and piety. The traditions, yes, even the superstitions of the
Serb helped him bear the hardships of the Turkish reign. While the Serb
has held fast to Christianity for more than a thousand years and while
bigotry and atheism are almost unknown in Serbia, the Serb does not
attend Church devotedly. He is, however, very faithful to religious
customs, though many of these originated in heathendom. The Saints are
very real to him and each one has duties, yet some of them are very like
the gods of mythology.
The Serb is a great observer of signs and they deeply affect his daily
life. His manner of getting up, of dressing, the person whom he first
meets in the day, the way the dog barks or the moon shines--all these
things have some influence on his actions. Many of his superstitions
naturally relate to birth, death, and marriage. Most youths and maidens
know just what to do to discover their future husband or wife.
There is poetry in many Serb beliefs about death, notably that death can
be foretold by the person himself or by some of his family. Very
beautiful is the idea that there is a star for every person, that
disappears when that person dies. The Serb has a strong faith in
immortality. He believes in both good and bad spirits, and in witches
and enchanters, as well as in the poetic Vili. He occasionally hunted
and killed witches in the olden times. Vampires, too, have had an
existence in his imagination. To protect himself from all these evil
things, the Serb of old had various superstitious practices, and it is
surprising sometimes to-day to find him cherishing primitive beliefs. As
cattle raising for example is certainly one of his chief occupations,
many superstitions exist and are put into practice for making the cattle
healthy and fat, and for protecting them from wild beasts. The Serb also
knows what charm to use to make his wheatfields grow, to prevent
droughts and other things that might injure his crops or his fruit
trees.
Among all their festivals, the Serbs celebrate Christmas the most
elaborately, with feasts and ceremonies, many of which come down from
Pagan days. After supper, on Christmas eve, seeds and crumbs are
scattered outside as a treat for the birds, which, they say, are also
God's creatures. A young oak or baidnak always plays a conspicuous part
in the Christmas festival and the ceremonies attending it are most
picturesque. The Slava is also a most important festival. It is a family
celebration and generally falls on the Feast Day of some great Saint.
After a man's death, the same Slava is kept by his son. In some regions,
people with the same Slava do not marry, for having the same Slava may
mean that they are of the same stock. Of all people the Serbs are most
scrupulous not to marry those who are nearly related to them.
While religion is so strongly a part of his daily life, the Serb is yet
disinclined to engage in abstract religious discussions. This is strange
since he is very fond of long political and historical arguments. An
English traveler came upon two men engaged in a fisticuff fight. When
he inquired the cause, he was told that the two had a disagreement about
something that had happened at the Battle of Kossovo, five hundred years
before.
Although there is less now than in former times of the unique and formal
swearing of brotherhood between Serb and Serb, the feeling of
brotherhood is still very strong. Travelers through the country
sometimes come upon rude stones erected to soldiers who have died "for
the glory and freedom of his brother Serbs."
What has been said about the men applies to a great extent to the women
of Serbia. It must be admitted, however, that in the interior of the
country woman is still reckoned inferior to man--the plaything of youth,
the nurse of old age. But the modern Serbian woman is coming to the
front. She is not strong-minded in the limited sense, not anxious, like
her Russian kinswoman, to mix in politics, yet she is deeply interested
in national affairs and in crises she is always ready to help. If she
does not work as hard as the Montenegrin woman she still performs much
heavy labor. The men of Serbia encourage her higher ambition. Of late
years, many Serb women have gone abroad for training as teachers, or to
engage in technical work. Not infrequently, their expenses have been
paid wholly or in part by some brother or cousin whose own earnings were
small.
To tell what Serb women have done in the many wars of their country
would be a long story. Not content with providing food and clothing for
the soldiers and nursing the wounded, time and again they have carried
guns and have fought by the side of the men of their families. This was
notably the case in the late war with Bulgaria, and in the present war
also many of them have served as soldiers.
The Serb woman is not willing to go out as a domestic. She prefers to
earn money, if she has to, as a teacher, secretary, or nurse, or in a
profession; but in her own home the Serb woman does no end of work. She
is the first to rise, the last to go to bed, and seems never to rest,
for she does all the housework. She spins, weaves, and embroiders;
cooks, washes, milks the cows, makes cheese; she takes care of the
children and the sick; she makes the family pottery and sometimes the
opanke or shoes.
But the condition of her country the past few years has to a great
extent destroyed the home life of the Serb women. Very remarkable was
the "League of Death" the women formed in the war before the present.
Young and old of all social conditions became good shots, and stood side
by side, rifles on their shoulders, like men. They made the men wear the
medal of the League. In that war women did not join the fighting troops,
as in the present. But they often accompanied them on the march,
carrying on notched sticks their heavy bundles with clothes and
domestic utensils, and set up their little households wherever the men
happened to halt.
In the present war, Serbia has a three-fold claim on Americans: Because
of the democracy of its institutions and people; because of the
simplicity of life as it is lived there; and because of its centuries of
struggle for political independence.
Serbia is one of the most democratic countries in the world. It has no
titles, except those of the King and his next of kin. All other Serbians
are "gospodin" and "gospoja," our "Mr." and "Mrs." The farmer is the
real aristocrat and eighty per cent of the Serbians are farmers.
The farmer has many things in his favor. Even the peasant has five acres
of land allotted him by the government; and in his home garden he raises
carrots and turnips and pumpkins and melons. The larger farmers raise
wheat and corn and sugar beets, oats and all the cereals; and cattle in
large numbers. They raise their own food and they are chiefly
vegetarians; and they carry their surplus in ox-teams to the nearest
market. Prices are regulated by the Agricultural Society. Every farmer
gives one or two days a year to the State and pays his taxes in kind.
When crops fail, the Cooperative Agricultural Society lends him money.
It also advances money for implements and buildings, and offers prizes
for cattle and improved stock.
Living a simple life, the average Serbian needs little money. One dollar
in Serbia is equal to five dollars here. If a farmer enters trade, he is
thought to be going down in the world. He may enter banking or life
insurance with no discredit, but the shopkeepers of the country are
largely foreigners. In all Serbia there are hardly two-score
millionaires. Serbian women are good housewives and do much of their own
work. Serbians, in general, are too independent to be servants; and the
latter are largely Austrians. Government employees in Serbia are
natives. Young Serbians also are educated for the church, the army, for
law, and for school teaching. Young men intended for the army generally
study in France, for scientific work in Germany, for the church in
Russia. Many young Serbians, too, have studied in Switzerland and in
Belgium. Thus, Serbian society as a whole is sympathetic with foreign
countries.
Of the four million inhabitants of Serbia proper, the larger number
belong to the Orthodox Greek Church, but there are also a good many
Roman Catholics and some Moslems. Though their life is in general very
simple, Serbians are not wholly untouched by modern progress. Many towns
have electric lights and telephones, and electric trams are by no means
unknown. Serbia has rich mineral resources, which the State is
undertaking to develop. Among their manufactures is a remarkable wool
carpet and a certain kind of coarse linen. Though they have a fairly
large output of silk, silk fabrics as well as finer textiles are
imported. A man who has a salary of three thousand dollars is an
exception, and considered very prosperous. Salaries of cabinet ministers
hardly exceed this sum, and court life does not tend to any
magnificence.
Serbians marry young. There is little illegitimacy in the country and
infrequent divorce. They have been called automatically eugenic--on
account of their strict marriage laws forbidding marriage under certain
degrees of relationship. The Serbians are a domestic people, devoted to
their children; hence, the present condition of the country is
especially tragic.
The people of Serbia have the greatest admiration for Americans, and for
the independence and political ideas of America.
The valorous struggle of little Serbia against Austria, its tireless
enemy, astonished the world at the beginning of the present war. It
accomplished hardly less for the cause of the Allies in the East than
the resistance of Belgium in the West. Yet, at first, the sufferings of
the more distant Serbians attracted less attention than the case
demanded. Their agony continues acute and terrible.