ABSTRACT
This chapter examines key elements and images in Serbian history. It outlines the main components of Serbian historical memory and the way it has been formed, acted upon, and passed down through the generations. The use and abuse of historical memory was what prepared the Serbs for war in 1991, but this fact alone could not begin a war. In the Middle Ages Kosovo and the region known as Sandzak or Raska formed the core of the Serbian lands and kingdoms. Whereas in the early medieval period the Serbs had been ruled by various warring chieftains, it was the era of the Nemanjic monarchs that was to irrevocably shape the Serbian destiny. By 1389 the Serbian lands were again ruled by a collection of rival noblemen, and the most powerful was Lazar Hrebeljanovic. Refusing to submit and become a Turkish vassal, Lazar and his allies met the Turks in battle at Kosovo Polje.
