Glossary and
Historical Background

Akincis: Ottoman irregular light cavalry, often serving as scouts or a vanguard to the regular army.

Bey: Originally a term for a Turkish tribal chieftain but also used as an Ottoman title for a local representative of the sultan’s authority.

Boukellaton: A dense, ring-shaped loaf of bread baked twice and dried to give it a long shelf life. Normally eaten after being soaked in oil or wine.

Byzantine Empire: The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the Roman Empire, though contemporaries did not use the term. The Byzantines referred to themselves as Romans, and their neighbors often referred to them as Greeks. Their capital was Constantinople. For centuries, the Byzantine Empire controlled the Mediterranean world, but by the 1370s, their borders had shrunk significantly. The empire still included much of Thrace, the Peloponnese, and lands around Thessaloniki. Though their military and political power was on the wane, their cultural influence remained strong. Their religion was Orthodox Christian.

Caravansary: An inn with a central courtyard, rooms, and an outer wall to shelter travelers, merchants, and their goods and animals. Normally situated along trade routes.

Corselet: A piece of armor meant to protect the torso. It was normally hip length, with or without sleeves. Often made of lamellar in this novel’s setting.

Courser: A warhorse known for strength and speed.

Dalmatica: A garment with wide, three-quarters-length sleeves and a roughly knee-length skirt, generally layered over a tunic. Could be worn by men or women.

Dama: Term of respect for a Serbian noblewoman.

Desetnik: Commander over a military unit of ten men.

Destrier: The most valuable type of warhorse, trained for battle and tournaments.

Dinar: A silver coin minted in Serbia and used there for several centuries. Originally, its value was roughly equal to the Venetian grosso, or one-eighth of a Byzantine hyperpyron, but at the time of this book, its relative value was decreasing.

Ducat: A gold coin primarily minted in Venice at the time of this book, worth roughly one florin, three hyperpyra, twenty-four grossi, or twenty-four dinars.

Florin: A gold coin minted in Florence, worth roughly one ducat, three hyperpyra, twenty-four grossi, or twenty-four dinars.

Ghazi: For the purposes of this novel, the term refers to an Ottoman raider who depended on plunder for his pay. The word has a more expansive definition outside the setting of the fourteenth-century Balkan Peninsula, but the more limited definition is used for clarity and accuracy in this book’s historical setting. 

Grad: A fortified Slavic town.

Great Mortality: The term contemporary people used to refer to the plague now known as the Black Death, which swept through Europe and peaked in the late 1340s and early 1350s.

Grody: A fortified area of a town or village.

Grosso: A silver coin minted in Venice, one-eighth the value of a hyperpyron or one-twenty-fourth the value of a ducat or florin. (plural grossi)

Gusle: A single-stringed musical instrument held in the lap and played with a bow.

Hauberk: A shirt of mail armor, usually with sleeves and reaching to the midthigh.

Hyperpyron: A gold coin minted by the Byzantine Empire, worth roughly eight grossi or dinars or one-third of a ducat or florin. (plural hyperpyra)

Karamanid: A Turkish emirate in south-central Anatolia. At the time of this novel, they were rivals to the Ottomans. They were Muslims.

Kephale: Leader with civic and military responsibilities in Byzantine or former Byzantine lands.

Kontarion: A type of cavalry lance with a wooden shaft and iron blade, normally eight to twelve feet in length.

Kral: Serbian term for king.

Lamellar: A type of body armor made from laced plates of leather, horn, or metal.

Meroph: A serf. Merophs owed labor and/or tribute to their feudal lord and to the church.

Narthex: The entrance area, antechamber, or court of an Orthodox church.

Nave: The main part of an Orthodox church between the narthex and the sanctuary.

Ottoman Empire: A Turkish empire that was established in Asia Minor, then expanded into Europe. Murad I, the founder’s grandson, is sultan during this story. By the 1370s, many Balkan Christian rulers were vassals to the Ottomans, but Turkish control was not yet complete, nor were their rival Turkish tribes in Anatolia vanquished. The Ottomans were Muslims. They saw Europe as a new frontier—a land of opportunity and destiny.

Palfrey: A horse valued for its smooth gait, ideal for riding long distances.

Pasha: Ottoman title for a high-ranking military or civic leader.

Protovastar: A Serb official with financial duties.

Satnik: Serbian official, subordinate to the župan, with military and civil responsibilities.

Scimitar: A sword with a curved blade.

Serbian Empire: The Medieval Serbian Empire reached its zenith in the middle of the fourteenth century and included much of the Balkan Peninsula. It suffered serious setbacks with the death of Emperor Stefan Dušan in 1355 and a devastating loss at the Battle of Maritsa in 1371. The Serb religion was largely Christian Orthodox, and their culture was heavily affected by both Byzantine and Italian influences.

Sipahi: Ottoman cavalryman, compensated by salary or land grant.

Spathion: Type of sword common in the late Byzantine era, about three feet long with a double-edged blade.

Surcoat: A long, loose outer garment worn over armor.

Vila: Women of legend who play a prominent role in Serb song and stories in guardian-angel-type roles. Their qualities include beauty and speed.

Župa: A geographic area ruled by a župan.

Župan: Serb lord, comparable to a count.

*Relative values of coinage are included for curious readers, but it should be noted that values fluctuated with time and location, and sources often disagree on precise values.