Vuk was son of
Grgur Branković, and a grandson of despot
Đurađ Branković. His father Grgur was blinded by the Ottomans in 1441. His mother may have been a woman named Jelisaveta, who later sources give as Grgur's wife, but he may also have been their illegitimate son, or the son of an unknown woman. After the fall of the Serbian Despotate in 1459, Vuk Grgurević was first an Ottoman vassal, but in 1465, he entered into the service of
Matthias Corvinus and became the commander of Serbian military units in
Syrmia. Vuk gained a reputation for bravery and was nicknamed "Zmaj Ognjeni", which translates as "Fiery Dragon". His name "Vuk" means "wolf" in Serbian, so his nickname "Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk" actually means "Fiery Dragon Wolf". He is the hero of many Serbian epic songs. He fought for the Hungarians against the Czechs, Poles, Austrians and Turks. In 1471 he was given the title of Despot of
Serbia. He gained large possessions in what is now
Vojvodina, which had previously belonged to the Despot Đurađ Branković. Among his possessions were
Slankamen,
Kupinovo,
Zrenjanin,
Berkasovo,
Irig, and
Vršac. ==Possessions==