Zarožje () is a village in the municipality of Bajina Bašta, in western Serbia. Located on the slopes of the Povlen mountain, Zarožje has abundance of forests and meadows, and developed agriculture and husbandry. The village, and one of its features, the watermill, are best known as the inspiration for Milovan Glišić's 1880 short story After ninety years. It featured Sava Savanović, the most famous vampire in Serbian folklore. The story was filmed in 1973 as one of the most popular Serbian horror films, Leptirica.
According to the 2011 census, the village had 629 inhabitants, and was depopulating for decades.
Location and geography
Zarožje is situated in the upper course of the Rogačica river, a right tributary to the Drina. It is located on the southern slopes of the Povlen, northeast from its municipal seat, Bajina Bašta. The Rogačica springs in the village area. It flows to the south, in the direction of Godečevo. East of Zarožje is Makovište and its hamlet of Crveni Breg. Both villages are in the Kosjerić municipality. Vujinovača, part of Valjevo, is to the north, while the Sokolina massif, high, is on the west.
Zarožje marks the extreme southeastern extension of the Azbukovica region, and in wider sense is between the Valjevo Mountains and Podrinje region. The surrounding area is a proper highland, which includes mountains and hills of Gnjila Priseka, Mali Povlen, Srednji Povlen, Veliki Povlen, Debelo Brdo, etc. The village itself spreads between the elevations of . The hamlet of Pašina Ravan is at an elevation of . The area is also dotted with numerous springs and wells, like Korita, Hladne Vode, and Bela Voda.
History
Zarožje was named after horn-shaped boulders in the area (Serbian for horn, Zarožje literally meaning "place behind horns"). The same geographical features were source for the name of the Rogačica river ("little horn stream"). The two major, especially protruding rocks were called Roge by the locals, or in modern times, Rožje. According to local stories, every spring, the bravest young men from the surrounding areas would climb the rocks. The best would reach Roge and stick a spear between the rocks. Next year, if another man reached the top, he would replace the spear with his own.
Several other stories later developed as the name origin of Zarožje. According to one, Saint Sava, in order to save people from terror, turned a local vampire into stone. The vampire was then buried, with only his teeth protruding out of the ground, as a warning to the sinners. Another story claims the origin of the name came from the word , meaning disheveled, after townspeople from Užice were teasing peasants from Zarožje because of the way they dressed.
Original settlement on the location of modern village was the old town of Petrc. It was located in the locality of Rožajska Stena, which was also known as Petrina Stena. Present Zarožje was founded in the 18th century.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Zarožje was depopulating settlement, with 629 inhabitants. Population reached historical high in the 1961 census, when there were 1,583 denizens. Since then, the population has been constantly declining.
Population is predominantly Serbian. Two main traditional slavas, celebrated by the families, are Saint John and Saint Nicholas, including the traditional annual summer fair on a Sunday before the Dormition of the Mother of God. The oldest settlers were the Kosić and Vasić families, who migrated from the Crmnica and Piva regions in Montenegro. Later settlers migrated from Goražde, Osat and Mokra Gora.
Economy
Due to the lots of meadows on the Povlen's descent, the village used to be almost completely engaged in livestock breeding. By the 1990s it became a mixed agricultural-husbandry settlement, with 70,6% of inhabitants engaged in these two activities. There is an agricultural products collection center in the village, and a small, privately owned dairy which produced organic yoghurt. As tourism developed in Perućac and Tara, the road through the village, across Debelo Brdo pass, gained importance.
Main agricultural products are oats, rye and potatoes. Village area includes rich pastures and lush forests. By the 2020, raspberries became one of the dominant cultures, like in many parts of western Serbia, while production of potatoes also continued. There were large sheep herds, some with over 100 animals, but cattle and pigs are also kept. Fast and clear Rogačica river is a home to abundant trout population.