Joža Batalekov

“In all cases, people who diminish the influence of smaller nations should remember that Croats have us all by the neck.” – is a well-known quote by the distinguished British historian and holder of high honors of Great Britain, Norman Davies. In this way, he vividly described what we encounter every day and what is globally recognisable, but often forgotten that it is the Croats who are responsible for it.

It is, of course, about a tie. A tie is an article of clothing, an indispensable part of the wardrobe for all official and formal occasions. The tie is a Croatian invention because it is the Croats who fought in the French army in the seventeenth century.

The invention of the tie, that is. the specific way of tying scarves around the neck, specific to Croats, we cannot attribute with certainty to a specific person, but many sources mention Joža Batalekov, an officer in the French royal army, as the inventor of the tie.

By the way, throughout history, Croats were extremely valued as exceptionally brave, honorable and fearless warriors, and many wanted Croats in their ranks, and they left deep traces in the French army.

After one battle, Napoleon Bonaparte said to the surviving Croats: “Yesterday I could see with my own eyes your courage and loyalty.” You have gained immortal fame and veneration, and I rank you among my best troops. “, while other historical sources state that he declared that he had never had braver and better soldiers.

The Croats, the best and bravest soldiers in the French army, were recognized precisely by their neckties.

The origin of the name tie itself is also interesting. At first glance, the similarity between the words Croat and “kravata” (croatian name for a tie) is obvious, which further reinforces the fact that it is a Croatian invention, even though the name of the tie comes from the French language.

We cannot say with certainty how the name “kravata” originated. Some sources state that the tie got its name from the description of how to tie that scarf. It was said that these were scarves tied “in the Croatian way” (fr. “a la Croate”), from which the French word “cravate” was born.

Other sources state that the name of the tie was actually given by a misunderstanding. Namely, the French king, according to this theory, asked a Croatian officer the name of the scarf he wears around his neck. The Croatian officer misheard the French king and replied “Cravats”, thinking that the king was asking him for the name of the unit, not the scarf, and that is how the name has remained to this day.

The tie, as a fashion accessory, quickly spread from France to the rest of Europe, and even the world. Ties soon became a symbol of progress in France, and during the French Revolution, black ties were worn as a protest against backward ideas.

Ties soon became popular in England at the time, and eventually spread to the rest of the world and gained particular popularity in the United States of America.

Today, a tie is an indispensable fashion detail of every man, there are numerous variations of the tie, as well as ways of tying it. There are countless tie colors, and some colors have a special symbolic meaning.

It is also interesting that in Croatia, specifically in Pula, on the 18th October 2003 10. 2003. a Guinness record was set for the largest and longest tie in the world. An 800-kilogram tie, for which ten kilometers of canvas and an incredible 120 kilometers of thread was used, was tied around the Pula arena, and the author of this unique installation was professor Marijan Bušić.