Stećci – între profan și filozofic
Stećci – between the profane and the philosophical

Summary/Abstract: The intention of this article was to present an unique cultural phenomenon of the western and central Balkan Peninsula during the late Middle Ages, more precisely between the 11th and 16th centuries. Although the mysterious tombstones, the so‐called ”stecci”, have been capturing the attention of scholars for the past 150 years, many questions still arise also due to the fact, that the enigma of their existence has been exploited in order to justify historical rights or even territorial claims. Leaving behind the contemporary perspective of analyzing the heritage and without trying to find a legitimate "heir" among one of the modern nations , this study represents an attempt to present a general framework, the main characteristics and an inventory of the most common motifs that appear on these mysterious tombstones. The only conclusions, which can be assumed beyond doubt, are few ‐ we can only claim with certainty that the stecci belong to a wealthy class, who could afford them. It is very unlikely, that any particular ethnic or religious group was of any substantial significance in its make‐up. It is far more likely, that it was a heterogeneous group of successive generations of Slavs and Vlachs, who were catholic, orthodox or bogumils alike. Another undoubted feature of this phenomenon, is the intrinsic artistic value of the tombstones, which has been a source of inspiration in literature, painting and music.

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