Divljana (Serbian: Дивљана) is a village in the municipality of Bela Palanka, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 141 people.[1] Divljana Monastery is one of the landmarks in Divljana.
Divljana | |
|---|---|
Village | |
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  Divljana | |
| Coordinates: 43°10′38″N 22°18′16″E / 43.17722°N 22.30444°E | |
| Country |  Serbia |
| District | Pirot |
| Municipality | Bela Palanka |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 141 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Zapis oak
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There is a large old oak tree in Divljana that is a zapis ("inscription"), a village tree considered sacred. In a custom originating in pre-Christian Slavic mythology, a large tree, usually an oak, would have a cross carved into its bark, and would serve as a temple. Oak trees were sanctified in the settlements which had no church of their own. Experts from the Niš Institute for the natural protection estimated that it sprouted in c. 1400.[2]
The trunk is completely open and hollow on one side. Inside, eight adults can fit, or a table and chairs. The tree, a durmast oak, is under state protection as a natural monument. Circumference of the Divljana oak trunk (as of 2017) is 6.35 m (20.8 ft), diameter is 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in), while the diameter of the crown is 23.13 m (75.9 ft). The tree is 13.43 m (44.1 ft) tall.[2]
References
edit- ^ Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naseljima. Republika Srbija, Republički zavod za statistiku Beograd 2003. ISBN 86-84433-00-9
- ^ a b Zoran Stojanović (27 November 2017), "Ima li leka za hrast u selu Divljana" [Is there a remedy for the oak in the village of Divljana], Politika (in Serbian), p. 23
