The name of Hvosno is derived from the Old
Slavic word hvost, meaning 'thick wood', probably due to dense forests that grow on the slopes of surrounding mountains.[b] Several of the oldest toponyms in the area have parallels as far away as in the
Czech Republic (Trebovitić–Třebovětice, Ljutoglav–
Litohlavy and Drsnik–
Drsník), showing that it was inhabited by Slavs.[1]
History
Hvosno, as Hosnos (
Greek: Χoσνoς,
romanized: Khosnos) was mentioned in three charters of Emperor
Basil II (r. 960–1025) as being under the jurisdiction of the
Eparchy of Prizren.[2] During 11th and 12th century, Eparchy of Prizren (including Hvosno) was under jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox
Archbishopric of Ohrid.
Serbian Grand Prince
Stefan Nemanja (r. 1169–1196) managed to gain full independence from the Byzantines and started to expand his domain, capturing Hvosno among other territories. Hvosno was mentioned in the Life of Saint Simeon,[3] written between 1201 and 1208 by his son and first Serbian archbishop
Saint Sava, as one of the districts that Serbian Grand župan Stefan Nemanja (Saint Simeon) conquered from the
Byzantine Empire between 1180 and 1190.[4] Archbishop Sava mentioned Hvosno as one of
Stefan Nemanja's "grandfather's land" which he recaptured[5] It appears that beside the župa (county) of Hvosno there was also a larger territory called zemlja (lit. "land") of Hvosno which encompassed the župa of Hvosno and some of the surrounding ones:
Kujavča,
Zatrnava,
Podrimlje and
Kostrc. The zemlja of Hvosno later corresponded to the territorial spread of the bishopric of Hvosno.[6] Nemanja gave the rule of Hvosno to his elder son
Vukan, who in 1195 is titled as "King of
Duklja,
Dalmatia,
Travunia,
Toplica and Hvosno" (Velcani, regis Diokle, Dalmatie, Tripunie, Toplize et Cosne).[7]
The name of Hvosno is derived from the Old
Slavic word hvost, meaning 'thick wood', probably due to dense forests that grow on the slopes of surrounding mountains.[8]
^И пошто је обновио очеву дедовину и још више утврдио Божјом помоћу и својом мудрошћу даном му од Бога, и подиже пропалу своју дедовину и придоби од поморске земље Зету са градовима, а од Рабна оба Пилота, а од грчке земље патково, све Хвосно и Подримље, Кострц, Дршковину, Ситницу, Лаб, Липљан, Глбочицу, Реке, Ушку и Поморавље, Загрлату, Левче, Белицу. То све мудрошћу и трудом својим све ово придоби што му је припадало од српске земље, а одузето му некада насиљем од своје дедовинеLife of Saint Simeon in: S.Hafner, Serbisches Mittelalter. Altserbische Herrscherbiographien, Graz 1962, pp. 35-36, 48-51.And after he had restored his father's patrimony and fortified it with God's help, and with his God given wisdom, he resurrected his grandfather's land and he conquered: from Littoral land:
Zeta with its cities, from Raban[Albania]: both districts of Pilot, and from the Greek land: Patkovo, all Hvosno and Podrimlje, Kostrc, Draškovina,
Sitnica,
Lab,
Lipljan, Glbočica, Reke, Uska and
Pomoravlje, Zagrlata, Levče, Belica. All that areas, which belonged to him in Serbian land and were taken by force from his patrimony, he recaptured with his wisdom and effort.