Rastoder
Rastoder or Hrastoder is a Slavic surname. The bearers are predominantly Bosniaks of Montenegro and ethnic Muslims originating from Bihor, a region in northern Montenegro (Sandžak), which encompasses parts of the municipalities of Berane and Bijelo Polje.
Earlier, the letter R was preceded by the letter H, which was lost over time. One of the legends says that the surname was obtained from an oak tree, of which there are many in the area where this surname originated. One of the oral traditions and legends also says that the Rastoderi originated from the village of Dupilo in Crmnica, municipality of Bar, and that earlier, before accepting Islam, their last name was Petrovići.Residents with the surname Rastoder are from the village of Petnjica, Radmanci,Savin Bor municipality of Berane in Montenegro.
Sandžak region was originally the smallest administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire, later part of the province - vilayet. The Turkish ( Sancağı ), word sandzak means "flag". Is geographical area administratively divided between Serbia and Montenegro .
History
According to a legend, the ancestors of the Rastoder family were from Kuči. These ancestors emigrated from Kuči either in the 17th or 18th century. One part of the family went to Dupilo in Crmnica, and the other to the mountains of Plav, of which the Medunjani descend from. The family in Dupilo, because of a blood revenge (krvna osveta, or gjakmarrje), emigrated north, but a part of the family (known as the Petrović at that time) decided to stay. The descendants of these Petrovićs claim that the Metropolitan of Cetinje told them that they couldn't be known as Petrović any longer, so they instead adopted the name Hrstoderi (later Hrastoderi) because they avenged and hung a man on an oak tree (hrast), hence their surname.
Another saying, not too different from the previous one, says that the ancestors of the Rastoders emigrated to Radmanci and converted to Islam. They didn't have enough food when they arrived in Radmanci, so they peeled off the bark of oak trees (hrastovi) in order to enlarge the amount of flour for bread. It is not excluded that by that only oak valley came the surname Hrastoder.
A third story, more of a legend, says that before the coming of the Turks, there lived some Rasodijeri, however, it is not certain whether if they were Bogomils or others, maybe even Pagans, but later converted to Islam. They were recorded in books in mosques as Hrastoderi rather than Rasodijeri.
The surname without the H (Rastoder) was realised during and after the period of the Kingdom of Montenegro, in the registers, instead of being located in mosques, were located in local town and the Hrastoderi were recorded as Rastoderi as the registrars were Montenegrins and even today, the phoneme H isn't pronounced by Montenegrins and wasn't either at that time.
Some descendants of Rastoder families of Bihor have changed their surnames, such as the Kršić and Nurković in Rožaje, as well as Medunjanin.
People
- Osman Rastoder, (1882–1946) Montenegrin Bosniak religious leader and pro-Nazi collaborator. He commanded the Muslim militia in upper Bihor during the World War II occupation of Sandžak.
- Rifat Rastoder, Montenegrin Bosniak politician and deputy speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro
- Šerbo Rastoder, Montenegrin Bosniak historian and activist for Bosniak rights in Montenegro.
- Izet Rastoder, is known as the “Banana King”, as he is the biggest banana trader in the region and the sixth globally. His Rastoder Group sells bananas and other exotic fruits under the popular DERBY brand all over the world.