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Origins of the Žižić family
Zizic's are a Montenegrin family, known for high personal integrity, selflessness and dedication in striving to achieve greater good. The family gave many brave men who lost their lives in wars, as well as strong and intelligent women.
Over the centuries the family members received numerous military and peacetime decorations, including gold and silver medals Obilić, Black George and white Eagle medals.
Vule Zizic was described by the Montenegran national poet Njegoš.
Zizic family members were war heroes, as well as prominent and successful people. The aim of this collection is to keep alive our ancestors and transfer the family memories to our new generations.
We are grateful to Milovan Zizic (1921-2004) who persevered over many decades in his dedicated work discovering, collecting and organising a huge amount of information on the ancestors and family members.
The origin of the Zizic surname
There are a several theories on origin of the family surname. According to confirmed historical sources surname Zizic existed since the sixteenth century. Our written genealogy begins around 1600, and becomes more precise around 1700. Assuming the origin in the old Montenegro (Čevo), we can reasonably assume that under the onslaught of the Ottoman invaders our oldest ancestors moved in two directions - towards the Montenegro Highlands and towards Dalmatia.
Origins in the Old Montenegro
The family still preserves a sacred memory of the old family origins from Čevo, Old Montenegro. Our patron day St. Archangel Michael is celebrated by other families from Čevo. The family legend tells that the ancestor Elijah moved to Rovca, where he married a girl from the brotherhood Đurišić, called Žiža. They had seven sons.
The alternative legend
This legend was written down in 1930's. The family forbearer, hero and warrior Trivko Burišević had seven sons and one daughter. He lived in Rovca, deep in the Montenegro Highlands, in the period from 1680 to 1733.
Deep in the Rovca region lived Trivko Burišević. He had seven sons and a daughter. He was rich and brave. Certain Turkish chiftain arrived from the town of Kolasin with twelve soldiers to pillage and rob. Arriving at the Moraca monastery they robbed it. The monks there cursed them to meet Trivko Burišević and his seven sons. They went on to meet and rob him. Trivko in turn agrees with her sons to kill them. Trivko then fled to Srem (app. 1733) with five sons, whilst two stayed in Niksic. His daugter Ziza remained in Rovca where she married and had herself seven sons, which began to be called Zizic. Trivko Burisevic is thought to be the grand-grand father of Black George.
Family name day
Zizic family from Montenegro and Serbia are Christians who celebrate St. Michael Archangel as a patron saint (Aranđelov dan), on 21st November of each year.
