Many mountains and mountain peaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina bear strange names that are linked by legends and stories of their origin. We bring you stories about the names of several mountain peaks that can still be heard from older residents who live in their vicinity.
Tušnica/Tusnica
Tusnica is a mountain in southwestern Bosnia that extends into the municipalities of Livno and Tomislavgrad. It is known for its rich deposits of brown coal. Vitrenik is at 1697 meters above sea level the highest peak of Tušnica.
One interesting legend relates to how the Tusnica Mountain got its name. It is said that the name originated from the time immediately after the arrival of Croats in the present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Legend has it that, at the time of the great migration of the people, the Croats were led by five brothers and two sisters – the brothers were called Klukas, Lobel, Muhlo, Kosjenc and Croat, and the sisters were called Tuga and Buga.
It is further said that Duvno and the mountain belonged to Tugi, by which the mountain was named Tušnica, while the other sister Bugi belonged to the field from the southwest side of the mountain all the way to Livno.
This field is now known as Busko Blato and all the villages around Buško Blato are called by the local population by the collective name Bužani.
Vran Mountain
Between Čvrsnica and Ljubuša, above Duvanj and Dugi polje, Raven rose. It is a mountain mentioned in the distant past, especially during the Turkish rule in this region. In the time immediately after World War II, many trails ran through Vran to carry tobacco from Herzegovina.
Many legends and stories have been woven around Crows. The name of the mountain is associated with its dark appearance when viewed from the field at the foot of the mountain. However, shepherds who spend their days and nights on Vrana with their herds say that the name is due to crows that once inhabited the foothills of this mountain in large flocks.
Another interesting legend that binds to Vran Mountain is the legend of Diva Grabovcheva. They say that in the seventeenth century, a Catholic girl named Diva Grabovcheva lived in the area.
Young Tahir-beg Kopcic from Kupres stared at the beautiful Diva and wanted to marry her. When she was 20, Tahir-beg proposed to Diva. She refused the apparent escape. Young Tahir did not give up.
He then sent his assistants to ask her out, but she was firm in her decision. She knew that the escape would not give up on her, so she fled to Vran Mountain to hide. Tahir-beg found, attacked and killed her with a knife. She is a diva and is buried on Vran Mountain.
Visočica
Many mountains also have peaks whose names are associated with religion. One of the most visited such peaks is the one on Visočica known as the Mosque.
The story is preserved at the top of the mosques and is preserved by the people, according to which the cattlemen who came from the south found so many grazing lands in Visočica that, in gratitude, they made a mosque on top of the cheese.
Another story is that the name was created by a small artificial plateau at the very top that allowed a group of people to pray together.
Krvavac-Bjelašnica
It is the second highest peak of Bjelasnica. Because of such a name, many who choose to go for it cannot help but wonder why they call it that.
The beautiful scenery and the climb that is not too demanding do not fit the name it bears. Experienced mountaineers will say that the name was created a long time ago, when this Bjelasnica peak served as an observation post.
At the time of the conquest, the onlookers forced their horses to reach the top at such a speed that blood would flow to their noses. That’s why they called him Bloody.
Trebević Mountain
The exact origin of the name of the mountain Trebevic is not known, but it is assumed that in the area of this mountain there used to be an altar dedicated to one of the Slavic gods, probably Perun, and thus the word “trebevište” (of tribe) remained.