(Continuation from the last issue of ART)
Marko Miljanov barely became literate at the age of fifty. (His handwriting was as if taken from a clay tablet before Christ. It was as if he wrote with a sword and not with a pen. He drew letters similar to hieroglyphs. The first Ljubomir Kovačević, the publisher of Mark's first "Examples of Manhood and Heroism", knew how to decipher Mark's shaky handwriting.) Mark's "anti-heroic" stories were created. These are stories about examples of heroism in heroism and heroism in heroism. He writes about examples of individuals in "their" struggle for freedom as well as in proving the achieved high level of individual Montenegrin virtue - agon. Marko Miljanov's heroes are "ordinary" people, people from the people. Their feats and examples are for everyone to admire. And that means the Sovereign as well nikoli. Marko Miljanov did not write about Prince Nikola with a single "example" nor does he mention him in his "examples". Well, look. It was too small for him.
Every government was invisible and disgusting to Marko Miljanov. Even Montenegrin. He wrote very little about the people who were with the government. Marko Miljanov mockingly referred to the ruling establishment around Prince Nikola as "heads". He mentioned the "leaders" only as much as he had to and as much as was necessary to describe what kind of example "from the people". (The same methodology is used by Milovan Djilas in the description Tito's "new classes".)
Dynasty Petrović was, like every modern state-making dynasty, out of a clear ruling desire for its power very consciously and forcibly stifled it. It was destroying the "life form" (Mr. Gezeman) about which Marko Miljanov writes. Therefore, the conflict between Marko Miljanov and Prince Nikola was inevitable and unfortunately natural. It couldn't be avoided. And the "winner" was known in advance: the state, the force, the power, the plumes - Prince Nikola.
So, Marko Miljanov wrote down the experiences of Montenegrin character and heroism, leaving a magnificent mark on himself, on others, on the strange Montenegrin society and the unusual Montenegrin man. Choosing stories about bravery not only in Montenegrin, Marko Miljanov spoke about a higher moral order that is contrary to the laws of the time, but also to contemporary licentiousness and state extremism. Looking deeper, Marko Miljanov wrote about the survival of the human species, which every extremism and moral dullness carries and biologically endangers. Therefore, Marko Miljanov and his morality is today Montenegrin's most significant political and cultural ticket to modern European society.
The rarity and exceptionality of Marko Miljanov is in his choice of examples, whether of humanity or heroism, and in their unity. Marko chose rare, atypical examples. He chose examples "in person or by telling" (MM). Someone calculated that there were only 71 "examples of heroism". Enough for the Montenegrin heroism to be above man and even the times of that time.
His "examples" are examples of defensive heroism and morality that only spring from such and such heroism. There were not many "examples" of heroic and moral feat of an individual in Montenegro at that time. On the contrary. If there were many "examples" of bravery in Montenegrin heroism, probably Marko Miljanov would not have noticed those examples and would not have left us a civilizational trace of great value. Each of Mark's "examples" is a squeezed-out event to which nothing can be added or subtracted. On the deeper side, his descriptions are so short as if he wanted to save the paper he writes on. Without a single redundant word or the need to add, subtract or clarify anything. His writing is clear to everyone.
"Examples" are (in)direct criticism of the authorities of the Montenegrin Sovereign. Direct criticism of Prince Nikola would be unthinkable, unproductive. And stupid. Knowing Prince Nikola's rule from the inside, Marko Miljanov tightened the criticism of his "dissident streak" exactly as much as possible. Prince Nikola cannot liquidate the "string".
Mark's "examples" are told sketches about a rare man without any rhetoric, broad descriptions and redundancy. The flow of Mark's chosen example is not the fact itself, but the character (morality of the hero) is the cornerstone that radiates from the event. But on the other hand, the heroic event seems to be looking for and choosing its hero. The event is the legacy, the property, the fame of the person from the "example". Today, they would say that the personalities from the "example" are people who have some kind of "copyright" on their work. Character in heroism is an unconditional "testamentary" property of a certain personality. At the same time, Mark's "examples" introduced Montenegrin society to a higher moral order, the political reputation of brotherhood and tribe.
"Examples of bravery and heroism" by Marko Miljanov are examples of firm attachment to reality and spring from it. They are a strong reminder of the then and every government and its "heads" (elite) for responsibility and moral social life. Marko Miljanov was not a man of imagination and surrealism. He was deeply rooted in reality and grew out of it. "Examples" are the closest to the Montenegrin myth and its basis. Marko Miljanov was the resultant and result of Montenegrin tribal history.
Let's conclude.
Marko Miljanov did not recognize any higher state, national, tribal, brotherhood, power-holding or material interests in the name of which individuals should lie or commit injustice. He is an indomitable, brave and incorruptible hero and interpreter of his time. Just as he writes about elected Montenegrins and their "examples", he writes with equal fervor about women, Albanians, Turks and other people. (He lamented the slavery of "his Czechs".) These are the fundamental legal values of today's Europe. It may be immodest, but Mark's power of understanding the existence is - let's repeat once more - even beyond today's understanding of official modern law and its practice. Because modern law is externally imposed. (In Mark, it is the opposite.) In many cases, modern law is powerless to justly solve many problems today. Therefore, Marko in his "examples" and other writings calls for a higher internal order and individual self-control. And the self-criticism of each person, naturally. And that is already today's European ideal.
Marko Miljanov felt that moral corruption (primarily glory) is the most dangerous form of corruption that the government inflicts on its opponents. Mark's "examples" are primarily essays on the high morals of the Montenegrin tribal man.
Marko Miljanov was not a man of vision nor did he write anything about social vision. (Today it would be said of him that he was a weak ideologist.) And yet - perceiving the future of Montenegrin society, Marko Miljanov wrote about his Kuči that "only the worst Kuči go to the market". Thus, he saw with contempt the modern consumer society and the future modern mercantile civilization.
Short.
Today's mercantile societies are the reverse, the twilight of Mark's dissident vision, social history and his harsh criticism. Giants are so rare, unique and original. Njegos would (perhaps) say "head elected" for MM.
Bonus video:
