View source for Dukljan

{{Other uses|Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja}}

'''Dukljan''' or '''Dukljanin''' ({{lang-sr-cyr|Дукљан}} or {{lang|sr|Дукљанин}}) is a figure in [[Serbian mythology]]<ref name=SMR>{{cite book
 |author=Š. Kulišić
 |author2=P. Ž. Petrović |author3=N. Pantelić
  |script-title=sr:Српски митолошки речник
 |year=1970
 |publisher=[[Nolit]]
 |location=Belgrade
 |language=sr
 |pages=111–112
 |chapter=Дукљан(ин)
}}</ref> that is a [[reflection (mythology)|reflection]] of the [[Roman emperor]] [[Diocletian]].<ref name=SMR/> He is presented as the [[devil|adversary]] of [[God]],<ref name=SMR/> possibly because of the real [[Diocletianic Persecution|Diocletian's persecution of Christians]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rastko.org.rs/rastko/delo/11001 |title=О називу Диоклeје пре Немањића |author=Đorđe Janković |author-link=Đorđe Janković |access-date=2008-08-16 |date=2007-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172046/http://www.rastko.org.rs/rastko/delo/11001 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Legends attribute to him building of the town of [[Duklja (town)|Duklja]],<ref name=SMR/> [[Dukljan's border]],<ref name=SMR/> and the [[Roman road#Milestones|Roman milestones]] near [[Tuzi]] (according to a folktale, he was throwing them at his brother and sister as they were fleeing to [[Zahumlje|Hum]]).<ref name=SMR/>

A Serbian folk song about Dukljan says that he once removed the [[The Sun in human culture|Sun]] from the sky and brought it to the Earth.<ref name=SMR/> [[John the Baptist|Saint John]] managed to trick him and restore the Sun, but afterwards, while chasing him, Dukljan grabbed at him and tore a piece of flesh from John's foot, which explains why humans have [[arches of the foot]].<ref name=SMR/>

Several variants of a story that he is still alive exist; according to them he is chained in the [[Morača]] river near [[Duklja (town)|Duklja]] (the [[Vizier's bridge]]).<ref name=SMR/> In some of them, he constantly gnaws at his chains, and each year around [[Christmas]] (or around [[Đurđevdan]]) nearly manages to break free and destroy the world, when four [[Romani people|Gypsy]] [[blacksmith]]s reforge the chains.<ref name=SMR/>

==See also==
{{wikisource|Translation:Tsar Dukljan|Tsar Dukljan}}
* [[Kjárr]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Slavic mythology}}

[[Category:Slavic mythology]]
[[Category:Serbian folklore]]
[[Category:John the Baptist]]
[[Category:Diocletian]]
[[Category:Slavic folklore characters]]



{{Europe-myth-stub}}