Helen of Bosnia
Helen of Bosnia | |
---|---|
Dabiša, King of Bosnia | |
House | Nikolić (by birth) Kotromanić (by marriage) |
Helen (
Family
Nothing is known for certain about Helen's origin. She was most likely a member of the Nikolić noble family from Zachlumia.[1]
A charter dated 17 July 1392 is the earliest extant source naming Helen as queen and wife of
Rise
In 1394, Helen agreed to Dabiša's decision to designate
Historians have debated Queen Helen's role. Krunoslav Draganović emphasised in 1942 that she was a queen regnant rather than a regent. Sima Ćirković refuted this in 1964 and argued that the period of Helen's rule was actually an interregnum, a compromise meant to appease both Sigismund, who wanted to assert his rights to the throne but was unable to at the time, and the noblemen of Bosnia, who wanted to avoid honoring their pledge to Sigismund.[4] Sigismund consented to Helen's assumption of power, and was asked by Ragusan officials to intercede with the Queen on their behalf. Ragusa eventually accepted that Helen would not confirm the charters granted by Bosnian monarchs to the Republic, apparently because she was not entitled to do so.[5]
Rule
After the Battle of Nicopolis annihilated much of the Hungarian army, a pretender to the Bosnian throne staked his claim against Queen Helen. One of the nobleman supporting King Ladislaus of Naples's claim to Hungary, from the Slavonian town of Požega, started calling himself King of Bosnia.[5] By mid-December 1395, Helen had successfully consolidated her grasp on the throne,[2] and the pretender was killed by Sigismund's supporters in 1396, never having seriously threatened the Queen.[5] Helen's rule stands out as the period during which Bosnian support for Ladislaus briefly waned.[5]
Whatever Queen Helen's official role was meant to be, she functioned as a mere
The
Deposition and aftermath
The Ottoman defeat did not mean Helen's triumph; by March 1398, Bosnia was beset by an internal strife.
During King Ostoja's reign, Helen resumed the name Gruba (likely her "folk name", as opposed to one from the
References
- ^ a b c Fine 1994, p. 458.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ćošković 2005.
- ^ Ćošković 2009.
- ^ Ćirković 1964, p. 175-176.
- ^ a b c d Ćirković 1964, p. 176.
- ^ a b c d Fine 1994, p. 459.
- ^ Ćirković 1964, p. 177.
- ^ a b c Ćirković 1964, p. 184.
- ^ a b Ćirković 1964, p. 185.
Sources
- Ćirković, Sima (1964). Историја средњовековне босанске државе (in Serbo-Croatian). Srpska književna zadruga.
- Ćošković, Pejo (2005), "Jelena", Kotromanići (in Serbo-Croatian), Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography
- Ćošković, Pejo (2009), Kotromanići (in Serbo-Croatian), Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography
- ISBN 0-472-08260-4.