Milan Toplica

In Serbian epic poetry, Toplica Milan (Serbian Cyrillic: Топлица Милан; or Milan Toplica, Serbian Cyrillic: Милан Топлица), also known as Milan from Toplica (Serbian: Милан из Топлице / Milan iz Toplice), was a Serbian knight who died during the historical Battle of Kosovo in 1389.[1]

According to folk songs, he was born in the Toplica region and was a sworn brother (in Serbian: побратим / pobratim) to Miloš Obilić and Ivan Kosančić, and had before the battle promised himself to a girl, the Kosovo Maiden. After the battle, she found Pavle Orlović and heard about the fate of Milan and his sworn brothers, according to a Serbian epic poem recorded and published in the early 19th century by Vuk Karadžić. Honours and titles attributed to him, differ from area to area, with the folk songs recorded by Karadžić calling him a duke.[2] In the cycle of Marko Kraljević he is known to hold the title of bajraktar, while Obilić is a vojvode and Kosančić a privenac.[3] In folklore, the character is usually portrayed as an expert marksman and the most skilled archer in the army of Prince Lazar, thus he is often visually depicted as carrying a bow and arrows. He is also often characterised as being exceptionally tall.[4]

Medieval Berkovac, near Valjevo, is commonly called Zamak Toplice Milana (Serbian Cyrillic: Замак Топлице Милана).[5]

The Topličin Venac Crescent in Belgrade is named after Milan Toplica.