Filip Višnjić | Origin of Street Names

Filip Višnjić (1767 - 1834) was a Serbian guslar and poet who composed and wrote a large number of heroic folk songs, earning him a permanent place in the anthology of Serbian folk poetry and literature.

He was born in the village of Gornja Trnova, in Bosnia, as Filip Vilić. Since he lost his father early on and his mother, Višnja, remarried, he took his mother's surname.

Born as a healthy child, he fell ill with smallpox in early childhood, which left lasting effects on his vision. From the age of eight until the end of his life, Filip Višnjić was blind.

The tragic childhood did not end there. In turbulent times under Turkish occupation, after the murder of two Turks, the Vilić family was almost exterminated. Soon after losing his mother as well, the blind boy became an orphan and a beggar.

Having learned to play the gusle, the traditional and most popular musical instrument among the Serbs of that time, Filip Višnjić spent years wandering the villages and towns of Bosnia and Herzegovina, surviving through his songs and gusle playing. He sang to both Christians and Muslims, getting to know these people, their traditions, customs, and habits. They all showed compassion towards the blind poet, who initially mostly adapted old folk songs, whether Serbian or Turkish.

His poetic talent came to light in his mature years when, inspired by the liberating spirit of the Serbian rebels, he crossed into Serbia and began creating his own epic and heroic songs. Among them are legendary pieces such as "The Beginning of the Uprising Against the Dahis," "The Battle on Mišar," "The Battle on Čokešina," "The Battle on Salaš," "The Death of Prince Marko," and others. Being close to the leaders of the First Serbian Uprising, including Karađorđe himself, Filip Višnjić often witnessed the events he depicted in his songs.

After the collapse of the First Uprising, Filip Višnjić, like most rebels, moved to Hungary and settled in the village of Grk near Šid. Despite his blindness, he was remarkably tall, striking, and proud. He traveled through Serbian villages, playing the gusle and singing heroic songs about the uprising and liberation. On one occasion, he met Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, who recorded these songs and thanks to whom countless generations of Serbian students have been familiar with the works of the "Serbian Homer" for the past two centuries.

Filip Višnjić spent the rest of his life in the village of Grk, which, after World War I, was renamed Višnjićevo in his honor. His grave and a monument erected in the late 19th century can be found in this village. The site where the blind poet is buried is now a culturally significant monument.

In honor of the "Serbian Homer," a large number of schools and streets in cities throughout Serbia and the Republic of Srpska bear the name of Filip Višnjić.