Malësia
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Malësia or Malcia e Shkodres is a geographical region covering parts of Eastern Montenegro and North Albania.
[edit] Origins – The Ontology of Malcia Being
Malësi e Madhe is the official name. The real, “unbrutalized” name, is Malcia (pronounced Maltsia) e Madhe. Some translate it as Great Highland . The region is made up of a congregation of five ancient Illyrian Tribes: Hoti, Gruda, Kelmendi, Koja e Kuçit, and Trieshi, documented to have lived together since, at least, the Middle Ages. The first time the name has been recorded on paper is 1,400. In the middle ages, the region has been recorded as Pulti. One of the Nobles who lead the region for a time was called Peter Shpani. The congregation is not to be understood as a social or political contract, but as five tribes that share the same genes. Hence, it would make sense to think of Maltsia as five tribes derived from five brothers. Most of research shows the traces of the five tribes coming from today’s Croatia. Considering that during certain times the five tribes used to cover an extremely large area in the European maps, especially the Kelmendi region, it could be said that the tribes were probably a very large congregation pushed southward by the expanding Slavs. The push back itself should not be seen as having been always hostile. At times the people of Maltsia and Slavs collaborated against the same enemy, for example the Ottoman Empire.
While being pushed back, the Slavs and Maltsia tribes have exchanged their customs, experiences, culture and eventually their genes. Today there is a great similarity in between the five tribes and the Slavs, especially Montenegrins.
[edit] “The Magnificent Seven” -- Two More Tribes Added
Two other ancient tribes of similar background, Kastrati and Shkreli have been squeezed for centuries in between the Maltsia and Montenegrin tribes. Having no way to expand either way, the two smaller tribes have been assimilated into the Maltsia tribes. Therefore, the Great Five Tribes have now become “The Magnificent Seven”.
[edit] Geography
Geography is only one way to describe one people. Living for a long time in the same region, a people can form a unique perspective about the world. But there are many ways to describe the identity of a people that can be greater, wider and deeper than geography. For example, history, customs, laws, art, and of course genes, or as Maltsia people call it “blood relations”. Maltsia has been by far the region that has expanded itself the most throughout Albanian land, especially in the Northwestern part of Ethnic Albanian lands. Their expansion resembles the expansion of the settlers in North America in two aspects:
1. They tamed the wilderness. There are villages that used to be nothing but swamps, forests, and dry hills which the local inhabitants did not exploit. There, Maltsia people saw an opportunity (through very hard work) to expand their territory. Some examples are Tarovítsa, Malí Kolaí, Velipovía, Gurez, Gaíush, etc., which all lay along the Adriatic Shore.
2. They formed ethnic villages, bringing their culture with them and forming an “cultural ozone” in a desert of a foreign culture.
The culture preserved by Albanians, especially in the north, is considered the greatest and the last example of the Balkan culture stretching from the time of the ancient Greeks to today. The lack of anthropological research in the Albanian regions result in the loss of many local cultures without ever being recorded. One example is the Tosk region of Albania, which had some of the most unique Balkan cultures, in the region of Vlora and Gjirokastra.
When speaking of Maltsia people, one might think of the Alpine regions in the northmost Albania and the eastern part of Shkodra Lake that lays at the foot of the Albanian Alps. This happens because the scholars for the last 150 years have written so much about their unique and great customs, but this has not been true for the last few centuries.
Maltsia people stretch from north of Durres City to south of Tivar City. Most of the villages are settlements, and are either near a swamp, Shkodra Lake or by the Adriatic Sea. The most prominent settlings, starting from southmost part of settlements are
[edit] Maltsia (Malcia) of Mati
Villages like Shenkoll (St. Nicholas), Gaíush, Gurez, Patok, etc.
[edit] Maltsia of Lezha
Shengjini (St. Gjini), Balldre, Kakarriq, Tarovice, etc.
[edit] Maltsia of Velipoía
Velipoja Beach, Malí Kolaí (Mt. Khol), Mali Jushit, Mali Gjymtit, etc.
[edit] Maltsia at Shkodra Suburbs
North and northeast of Shkodra city lay its suburbs. Hotí í Rí (New Hotí), Gruda e Re (New Gruda), Grude-fushe, (Plains of Gruda), Shtoí í Rí (New Shtoí), Shtoí í Víeter (Old Shtoí). These three settlements and others used to be Shkodra’s best suburbs to live in, but now they are all part of the Shkodra city. In fact belt by Shkodra Lake, from Shkodra to Podgorica City, is composed all with villages and towns inhabited by Maltsia people, with the exception of a few Muslim villages in between Porgorica and the town of Tuz. And that is not all. Soon, from Shkodra City to Hani i Hotit (Hotí Inn), the point that separates Albania and Montenegro will one large city. It already is, as there are no empty lots to build even a tiny village. Today most of Maltsia has been turned into a Suburb of Shkodra. They are changing their manners, losing their unique and great dialect and adapting the slang of Shkodra city. In a way that is great, because Shkodra city is the only city in Ethnic Albania that instead of a dialect has adapted the Official Standard of Gheg Language. The bad side of it, is the loss of Maltsia’s own linguistic heritage.
[edit] Maltsia of Rugova
Maltsia of Rugova is a fairly large region. It is the only settlement of Maltsia people that has in fact turned into a region itself. All other regions are located nearby each other, but have failed to gain a distinguished name for the whole region, because traditionally they kept two houses, one in Maltsia Proper (at the Alps) and another in the shores of Adriatic Sea and the Shkodra Lake. Having failed to give the region a name is helping today in their loss of identity. Rugova, on the other hand, along with Vuthaj, Martinaj, etc., kept only the home where they moved to. In addition to that, they converted to from Catholic to Islam about 100 years ago. The geographical separation and the embracing of a different religion has not had the effect it had in most of the world’s cultures because for Maltsia People the most important connection is the genes. Today one could say that Kelmedi and Rugova are identical twins, split at birth, each having a distinct identity, but at the same time retained the essence and depth of their sameness. They both have the same dialect (which is being lost so fast, it is mindboggling). The dialect has been retained in the first Albanian Book, 456 years ago “Meshari”, by Gjon (John) Buzuku. Lately, it has been immortalized by the great Rugova writer, Azem Shkreli in his book Eve’s Eyes (alb. Syte e Eves).
There are a few “lonely” villages in around Kelmendi and Rugova, like Vuthaj, Martinaj and other villages around the Plave and Gucia area.
[edit] Economy
Sykai (Sykaj) Family Tsokai (Cokaj) Family
[edit] History
[edit] Balshai Dynasty
According to Marin Sirdani, the founder of Albanian Historical Discourse, after the fall of the Serbian Empire, Malcia people followed the Balshais, a noble Albanian Family and occupied the city of Shkodra. That was the beginning of an expansion, lead by the Balshai Dynasty, which created an Albanian State along the borders of the Ancient Illyrian Kingdom. One of the daughters of Balshai family became the wife of Gjon Kastrioti, the father of the Albanian National hero, Gjergj Kastrioti - Skanderbeg. The Balshais were an Albanian family leaving somewhere in Malcia Settlements who had converted to Eastern Orthodox (as many Albanian nobles did) under the rule of the Serbian King. As soon as they could free themselves from the Serbians they converted back to Catholic, and lead Maltsors on a conquest of what’s today Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and parts of Northern Greece.
[edit] Gjergj (George) Kastrioti or George Kastratí
In Defense of the Legend of George Kastratí (Gjergj Kastrati) The national hero of Albania is named Gjergj (George) Kastrioti. There are no valid documents that show his origin. However, many have claimed Him as their own. Among others he is said to be from Mati, Kruja, Dibra, Kukesi, Mirdita, Kosovo, even Serbia and Greece. Malcia people, not wanting to be left behind I guess, have claimed him as their own too. And they might have every good reason. His name, Kastrioti, rings very close to the name “Kastrati”, one of the original five-tribes of Malcía. Further, the association of Malcía people with the Balshai Dynasty and the Balshais themselves being of Maltsia Origins leads one to think that there might be a connection of Maltcia and Kastrioti family.
There is one rule in Maltsia – you must marry only within Maltsia’s tribes (there is another rule: you must not marry from your own village or anyone with the same last name as your family – even if they might be 10s of generations apart). The Marriage of Gjon (John) Kastrioti, Gjergj’s father with Vojsava, a Balshai Lady, indicates the possibility of an affinity with the families, although it might have been nobles marrying each-other to keep and share their properties.
There is another reason why Kastrioti Family might have been from Malcía. The shores of Mati River have been settled by Maltsia people for centuries. The best families from Maltsia worked on the swamps along Mati River, draining all the swamps and turning the unusable land in rich soil.
The religion of both families indicates a pattern found in most of Albania’s Noble families – they converted to the religion of the conqueror, being that the Romans, Slavs, or the Ottomans. The conversion should not be seen in the same way as in some countries where the religion is the identity. Albanians are a very western people. Their identity has always been defined by genes, culture, and national interests.
If we look back at the names of some of the most prominent Albanians of that time, they did not have such distinct Albanian names as we have today. For example, Dhimiter Frangu, from Drishti, was a humanist and prominent historian during Renaissance Time. Dhimiter (dimitris) is no longer used by the Catholics in Albania. If we did not know for sure that he was a Catholic, he too will be claimed as orthodox by associating his name with the slaves/orthodox religion. The same thing could be said for the Blashai and Kastrioti Families. Nobody knows what religion their ancestors were, but it has been documented very clearly that they themselves were devote Catholics. It is only the names of some of them and the association of the family with the Serbian kingdom that makes some conclude that they were initially Serbs, but then through marriage and by converting to Catholic became Albanians. In fact one of the villages of Kelmendi, Vukli comes from a name no longer used by Catholic Albanians, but very common with Slavs – Vuk. The same thing could be said for Gruda. However, these do not indicate that these places were inhabited by Slavs more than Latin toponyms in Scotland indicate that British isles were inhabited by Latins. Just as British Isles were taken by Romans, so was Albania taken by Slavs. Both conquerors left their marks in the country they pillaged and exploited.
It’s who possesses the information and who has the power to spread it that decides what is authentic and what is inauthentic. The conquering slaves had the power. They decided how the name of Blashai and Kastrioti were perceived, how they were written on paper and where their ancestors were from.
On the other hand nobody claims the Dukagjini Family to be their own. Why? There is nothing slavic or Greek in their name. If the name was not Dukagjini but “Vukagjini”, Serbs will be the first to say that the man who collected and wrote the Canon of Albania was a Serb. A single letter could have changed all of that. Luckily, it did not.
For the curious: Kastrioti, Balshai, and Dukagjini are the Big Three noble families of middle ages and renaissance Albania.
I say let the historians debate because they get paid for it, and maybe a couple of centuries later they will come an inch closer to the truth. For now, let’s make ourselves believe that it is more likely that both, the Balshai and Kastrioti families were from Malcía e Madhe than from any other place on earth. And then again, they might have been from China. Hey, you never know.
Another clue that might indicate the Kastrioti’s origin from Kastrati of Malcia is the helmet of Kastrioti Family. It is the head of a goat. The goat is a major “character” in Maltsia Mythology. It is said that the Three Fairies (Tri Zanat) who inspire art, beauty, and learning receive their power from three Wild Goats with golden horns.
In one of the “Knight Tales” of Maltsia, a Slavic warrior captures the three Goats and the three fairies loose their power. Gjeto (a version of Jack) Basho Muíí, the superhero of Albanian Mythological Warriors, who had gotten his power by drinking the milk of those fairies when he was a teenager, releases the goats from the Slavic warrior and returns the power to the three Fairies.
The goat has a very special place in Maltsia Mythology because it cannot be overtaken by the powers of the Evil. They are thought to, literally, be immune from devil’s powers.
Knowing that the Arabs were known in the middle ages for “black magic”, which at that time was associated wit the devil, it makes sense that a Malcia Family to use the powers of the Goats to fend the black magic of the Turkish armies away. And it worked!
That is where the origin of the Kastrioti Emblem, the straight-horned goat, should be sought.
The last clue about the Origin of Kastrioti Family It has been established that before moving into the Town of Kruía, the Kastrioti family lived in the Mati Region. Putting together the resemblance of the Kastrioty Symbols and the Kastrioti Name with the Malcia People and Malcia Mythology & the fact that Malcia People have settled for centuries in the Mati Region, it is cogent to conclude that nobody comes nearly as close as the Malcia in claiming to have a connection with the Kastrioti family.
[edit] Culture | Heritage | Canon
Malcia has, arguably, the richest heritage amongst the Albanian regions. Probably the most distinguishable feature of Malcia people is their tendency to develop a micro-culture that resembles the heritage of a whole nation.
They adapted the Canon of Lek Dukagjini into the Canon of Mountains. The Canon worked in a way similar to a constitution. If two parties could not resolve a conflict, they had to pay for the “Elders” to interpret the Canon of Mountains. The Elders has nothing to do with age, neither is it a title one inherits. Instead, the Elders were intelligent, usually middle-aged, men who knew how to interpret the Canon and got paid for it--- Lawyers!
In cases when vendetta was involved, the people who interpreted the canon could conclude that the victim had wronged the killer too much, hence a vendetta would be unjust. The victim’s family had to abide by that decision just like by a decision of the Court. If the family refused to abide by the final resolution of the Canon Interpreters, the region would find what in Albanian is called “dorezane”. It means that the strongest families would guarantee that the vendetta would not happen. And if it did, it would be them, “the dorzane” that would avenge the family who committed a wrong avenge. The body that guaranteed was usually comprised of 12 families (12 dorezane).
The stupidity of some people, including Albanians, but also foreigners who claim to know the canon (Albanologists) , is that they think the avenger can decide when they can avenge. It is up to them to grab a riffle and shoot someone. Stupid! Only one word describes this attitude. Stupid! Well, stupid is the person. The attitude is called stupidity! It is a way of being. Being stupid could be an adjective too, but it can also be an adverb. Further it can be both. Stupidity can be the quality of the stupid person who thinks he can just kill someone because he, himself, in spite of what canon says, thinks he can shoot someone. Stupidity, then would be a mode of existence – hence an adverb. Kapisch! It’s stupid to kill. Anyway you see it.
The canon also provided for the punishment, even Lynching of the wrongdoers. If someone had done evil things to the village or the villagers, Bajraktar (Flagbearer) and Vojvode (his deputies and the leaders of each family in the village) would take all his flock, cut all his trees, burn the house, even kill the man (women and children are immune to killing in the Canon of Mountains)
Canon and the Church One specific rule of the canon is that nobody can hit, shoot, or harm anyone under the shadow of the church. That means literally the shadow (in addition to church property of course). Hence, killing someone on Sunday’s mass was the ultimate crime against the community that could get the killer lynched, his house burned, his flock taken, his trees cut and his family thrown out of the village. If that happened, the priest would have to go through all the rituals of blessing the church again, as if it was constructed new. It is called Cleansing it from the Evil. This shows the power of Canon over the Church because in this case, although it appears to be something that church wants, the paragraph is not in church books, but in the Book of Canon of Mountains and the priest has to abide by it.
Logu (alb. plain field) The Church Zone being the forbidden place to break the law of the canon, made it a safe place for people to gather after the Sunday mass at a leveled plain where they sang and danced. It was a safe place and a holy place at the same time, so people had to be in their best behavior. The mood was that of a weekly festival. Maltcia people, like the ancient Greeks in their amphitheatres, gathered to play, sing, dance, socialize, and most definitely to display their artistic and aesthetic talents. It could be said that Logu represents what Nietzsche calls ‘Living your life as an Aesthetic Phenomenon’. It was all about art and beauty, but as Nietzsche would have it, there was a lot of Dionysius in the Log too. The human drives were graciously accepted and integrated into the festivities of the Logu. When the Logu gathering had ended, the beauty of women, the great warrior songs sang by man, the great dances, and the greatest dressed people were what was most remembered, shadowing the memories left by Sunday mass. Although there was no voting, the people at the Log, almost always agreed on a few things, who was the sexiest woman, the sexiest man, the greatest singer, the greatest dancer. That is Dionysus right there, but you will have to be there to feel it.
One very specific feature of Logu was that women, especially the newly married brides dressed not only with their best clothes, but dressed specifically to compete. The competition was only for beauty and style since the women were already married. Some brides from the rich families used to embroider their clothes [insert picture] with gold and silver that an expression come to be: “she was frozen in gold” or “she was frozen in sliver”. Those are the origins of the beauty competition for the Albanians, long before any Ms. Whatever existed. But now, as the great noble spirits of Maltcia would want it to be, the Maltcia women do not compete in beauty competition with passion. The reason is that the competition today is not about aesthetics, style, art, and intelligence, but about having the roundest, hardest butt and the most politically correct mind. Truly a caricature of the beauty competition held in Maltcia’s Logu.
But not all is lost my friend. Malcia still holds those competitions once a year where they dress just like their ancestors did. That is truly a culture saved. Truly authentic.
Anthropology The region has attracted the attention of anthropologists, artists, writers and scholars more than any other region in Albania. The "Lute of Malcia" is as irreplaceable for the Albanian Culture as "Iliad" is for the ancient Greek Epics. It took father Fishta 35 years to write the book. Anton Harapi, Albania's most distinguished Christian philosopher, dedicated his masterpiece "Andrra e Pretashit" (Pretash's Dream), initially called “The Wise Men along Tzemi River” to the people of Malcia. It is a great anthropological novel written in the same spirit as “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, only 20 years before the African writer. Few people know his book of course because he was the enemy#2 of the communist government. (by the way, Fishta was the #1 enemy of the Albanian communists)
Foreigners from Edith Durham in 19th century to today's scholars have studied the region, written books and made movies about the region. The oldest book of modern Albania was written by a Maltsia Priest, four and a half centuries ago. He, Gjon (John) Buzuku, was a Catholic priest, who in the tradition of Martin Luther had decided to bring Reformation to Albania. The only copy of the book, written in the dialect of Kelmendi Rugova, and Kastrati, that survives has a few pages missing.
Soon after the book was published, Albanian culture, beliefs, myth, history and everything of any human value was crushed by the Ottoman empire – or the Anadollacks, as the Malcia people call them. 90% of Albania is Muslim today. Buzuku’s Protestant Initiative never materialized.
One good thing about Buzuku is that he wrote his book in Albanian, so the Serbs could not claim him as their own.
[edit] The Albanian National Epic
In addition to legends, and monster tales, and songs for “Brave Men”, the great imagination of Malcia people has created what is known as the Albanian Epic,. The main heroes of the songs accompanied by a one-string lute are called Gjeto Basho Muji, Sokol Halili, Gjergj Elez Alia, Zuku Bajraktar, Aikuna, Omeri, etc. The events in the Epic involve Albanians, Slavs, and Hungarians. There is only one mention of the Ottoman rulers who were present in the Balkans for five centuries. The character that always comes from the sea and is huge, ugly, and has no morals. He usually challenges ancient warriors to either fight him or give him their women, domestic animals and the land. The most famous song about the Sea Monster is called Gjergj Elez Alia. He fought the Monster of the Sea (Balozi i Detit in Albanian)
The songs are so well crafted that hold their own against the "Lute of Malcia", Albania's most irreplaceable book written by Gjergj Fishta, a Franciscan priest, whom some believe to be Albania's National Poet. In fact, Fishta did what all the greatest writers do, he “stole” a lot from the Albanian Epic. Sometimes without digesting it enough. But Father Fishta as thief should be seen as Prometheus. Prometheus stole the fire from the gods and gave it to the people. Fishta “stole” the great myths of Malcia and gave them to the world. The songs intended for enjoyment as well as for the education of the children are filled with themes and symbols of the Albanian Canon, history, morals, concerns and heritage
The name of the imaginary region where the Mythical Heroes live is called Jutbina (pronounced Yútbinah). The region itself is split in valleys called Lugjet e Verdha (the Yellow Valleys). Jutbina relates to Yellow Valleys like Maltsia relates to its Five Tribes. There are no names for the Valleys. In Maltsia slang makes much more sense to call them the Yellow Valleys than to mention their names. The five tribes of Maltsia are often referred as the Five Mountains too. Maltsors take great pride in being Alpine People. They would proudly say, “I am Malcor” as if saying “I am Roman” in ancient times.
Maltsia’s Most Famous Two Gangs They two main “gangs”of the mystic region of Yútbinah are the one lead by Gjeto Basho Muji and the other lead by the elder Dizdar Osman Aga. The warriors come from those Valleys and they do not fight each other. They are all from Jutbina.
Accursed Highlands (Bjeshket e Namuna) Some people translate Bjeshket e Namuna as “Accursed Mountains”, but it does not make sense because the word “bjeshke” in Albanian means pastorals high up above the inhabited valleys – hence not a mountain. The word for “mountain” in Albanian is “mal” not “bjeshke”. The Accursed Highlands are called such because someone died of thirst while passing though the Dry Mountain (Mali i Thate), which is part of the Accursed Highlands. That of course appears to complicate the meaning, but it in fact explains it. “Bjeshke” in Albanian is all the Highland that is usable for the flock, hence excluding the rocky areas, and of course the actual peaks of the mountains.
Maltsia people were relatively independent from the Ottoman empire, meaning they did not pay taxes, did not give them solders and did not acknowledge their law. Hence, their enemy was the one that had been their “enemy” for a millennium before the appearance of the ottomans – namely Slavs. For this reason the majority of the confrontations in the “Knight Songs” happen among the Albanians and the Slavs.
The songs have been preserved as an authentic cultural heritage against musical heritage introduced by the Turkish occupying army in the low lands. The Turkish music is accompanied by “çiftelia”, a two string musical instrument in rural areas, and “aheng” a small gypsy orchestra in urban areas. In the Kosovo region developed another kind of music which also was brought into Balkans by the occupying Turks. The music is accompanied by an instrument with many strings, called “shargia”. It sounds like the classical Persian music of Iran.
There have been very few changes in the way the Albanian Lute is used. The main drive was to save themselves from “trukization” through “çiftelia” “shargia” and “aheng” music.
A lot of information has been lost too, but there are a few names that affirm the authenticity of the epic as having been developed in Maltsia/Rugova region. The city of the Slavs is the New Kotorr. Kotorr is the name for a nearby Montenegran city by the Adriatic sea. Accursed Highlands stretch from Maltsia to Rugova. The smiths/horse-shoe makers are from the city of Shkodra.
Another clue that connects the Myths of Maltsia with the Albanian culture is the relation of the Wild Goats with golden horns who empower the Mountain Fairies and the emblem of Kastrioti Family, which is the head of a wild goat.
Yet another clue is the milk that supposedly pours out of the wall in Rozafati Castle and the milk that Gjeto Basho Muii drinks from the mountains – the relation is the magic power of milk. Power as life.
Further, the Warrior songs retain the para-turkik tradition of Balkans. The fairies (Zana) and goddesses of life and fate (Ora) as well as the Light, banshee, and the evil fairies (Shtoi-zo-vallet) are present in the Knight Songs (Albanian Epic)
Robert Elsie has translated the “Lute of Malcia” in English (he titled it the Highland Lute??!!) and about 30 songs from the “Albanian Epic”. He mistitled the Albanian Epic too. His translations are so bad that should better be called a TRANSFIGURATION than a translation. In this enterprise of his, he has shown to be extremely untalented as a translator. His word by word translations could very well have been done using some free, cheap, translating software program from the web.
[edit] Ottoman Occupation
After the establishment of Albania as part of the Ottoman Empire, the Maltsia people sided with the Montenegrins for many centuries to come, fighting the Ottomans. However, when the famous Albanian Nobles, called Bushatli, ran northern Albania, the Malcia people gave up their alliance with the Montenegrins and allied with the Bushatli as they were of Albanian blood and heritage, although officials of the Ottoman Empire. Genes (or as Albanians call it, blood) is the most important component for Maltsia people. During the Ottoman occupation, Maltsia people have had the most rights among many peoples of the Balkans. Most of the time they have refused to pay taxes, give solders to the Ottoman Army, and accept the laws of the Ottoman Empire.
[edit] Nora of Kelmendi
Nora of Kelmendi can be called the Helen of Albania, for one of the biggest wars was "caused" by her beauty. But she can also be called the Albanian Brunhilde too, for she herself was the greatest woman warrior in the history of Albania and further. There are two versions of Nora and both versions end with Nora killing the Pasha (a Bosnian man ) who has been documented to have been the leader of the Ottoman Army and who had taken a Public Oath to turn the whole Malcia into ashes if Nora did not become his wife.
The events happened around The Year of the Lord 1620. Nora’s father, a Noble Fighter wanted a son to help him fight against the Ottoman empire. When Nora, a girl was born, he took her to an orphanage in Shkodra city and left her there. His sister, knowing the doings of her brother, took Nora back and raised her as a boy. Nora's biological father, having the desire to train some young man to become a fighter, decided to train the adapted “son” of his sister. Hence, unknowingly, he trained his own daughter to become a fighter. But there is no way in fighting biology, so when Nora grew up, she become Maltsia’s most beautiful girl. It is said that she was as pretty as a true Zane (mountain fairy). Her fame spread through the whole country. Pasha who resided at the Rozafati Castle in Shkodra City, heard of her too. One day Nora came down to the city with her parents. Pasha came out of Castle and saw her. He fell in love.
Initially, he wanted to marry her by the laws of the Albanian Canon, which meant he would send a trusted man to Nora’s house and ask for her hand. The Pasha himself had grown up in a similar tradition since is he was from Balkans too. However, Nora's family replied that the Albanian Canon did not allow for marriages with non-Albanians. Pasha was not used to be refused by his high ranked officers, and he had a harem full of women from all over the world. Hence, the Bosnian Dude went mad. "I'll burn all of Maltsia to ashes he said, or Nora will become my wife".
That was not the first or the last time for Maltsia to be burned to the ground, so nobody got really scared. It was bound to happen either for taxes, solders or the refusal to recognize the Ottoman legal system, anyway. So “f’u” Pasha. But the Pasha was serious. He lead his huge army and besieged Maltsia.
Nora had proved to be a warrior. As a young woman she had proved to be the noblest and the most beautiful girl of all. But life had thrown yet another challenge at her. She had to prove that she was wise too, for wisdom is the thing most appreciated by the Maltsia people. So she devised the plan how to kill the mad Bosnian Pasha.
This is what happened. Nora pretended to want to marry the Pasha without the permission of her family. Dressed with the djubletah, she went to Pasha's tent. Seeing her, the Pasha fell on his knees and began to pray to the divinities believing she was a true gift from heaven as a reward by the almighty Allah for his services to Him. Pasha ordered his troops to rest and prepare to go back to Shkodra city. The solders were happy to lay down their spears and get their noses into their bags of hashash (a kind of drug). It sounds like the Trojan Horse, doesn’t it? But of course, it’s Balkans. Isn’t it?
While everything was quiet around the Pasha's tent, Nora pulled a dagger that her father had given to her, which he had gotten as a gift from his own father, who had gotten it as a gift from his own father and the genealogy of Nora’s Knife stretches who knows how far back. Point being, however, the dagger was in the family longer than anyone could remember. It was used strictly in wars, that is to say, the dagger was used only to kill people, or enemies as they called them to make themselves feel better. Most importantly, it was believed the dagger had magic powers, for no one who had carried it had died from enemy’s wounds. Now that was unusual at that time for a warrior family like that of Nora.
This time, though, it turned out to be a regular dagger, made of steel, by a smith in the Middle Ages. She stabbed the Pasha a few times, kicked him around the back of his head, and choked him a little so he would not scream. The Pasha fell on his Persian rug.
At that point Nora could no longer stab him for he was laying on the floor. As the Albanian customs go, you cannot hit a man that is not standing and further, cannot hit a man that does not fight back. Nora ran. As planned, at this time the Maltsia army attacked the Ottomans army and destroyed them for god knows which time. But they always came back with more ready meat for the Maltcia swords.
Pasha survived the stabs. He got his own special unit and followed Nora to her home.
There comes in the second legend. After this second version, Nora never went to the tent, but as the men were fighting on one side and the Ottomans had sneaked a part of their army to attack the villages, she led an army of 300 women against the Ottomans who had decided to burn, rob and rape. It is said that Nora had a duel with Pasha and she killed him.
In both versions, Nora kills the Pasha in a fair duel. And in both stories he is from Bosnia and is called Vutsi Pasha.
It is proven historically that around 1620, the Bosnian Pasha, Vutsi Pasha, lead an expedition against the Maltsia people and there are documents that say that a woman was one of the most distinguished warriors. Anyhow, both stories are interesting. They are both legends. The whole history of Maltsia people is a legend, mythological tales they created about themselves. They seem to prefer to live life as an aesthetical phenomenon in a true Nietzschean sense because the sing and write songs about the good as well as the evil, but always the story’s attitude is “beyond good and evil”.
[edit] The League of Prizren
The People of Malcia participated actively in the League of Prizren, which was an alliance among the Albanians as a result of weakening of the Turks and raising new powers in the Balkans, namely the Serbs and the Greeks. The League was called by Ali Pasha of Gucia, a region culturally and ethnically belonging to that of the Malcia e Madhe region. The League chose its leader from the city Dibra, his name was Iljaz Pash Dibra. The League was divided into two main fractions, that of those who wanted Albania to remain under the Ottoman Empire, like Abdul Frasheri and Ali Pasha of Gucia, and those who sought total independence from both the Ottomans and the Slavs, like Marash Lula from the Dukagjini Region. Malcia sided with those who sought full independence. Later, as the Ottoman Empire betrayed Albanians by making a deal with the Slavs and Greeks to split Albanian into four of five pieces, all leaders of the League of Prizren fought against the Turks. Ali Pasha of Gucia became one of the most distinguished anti-Ottoman leaders.
[edit] The Gertsche Memorandum
In the Selca Village of Kelmendi, the Heads of Malcia along with the intellectuals and social and political activists from the city of Shkodër drafted a memorandum through which they requested the independence of Albania from the Ottomans. This was the first and the boldest kind of request during the 434 years of Ottoman Occupation. The meeting was considered so important that leaders from all over ethnic Albania participated. Some of the participants did not sign the memorandum out of fear of persecution.
[edit] Detsits -- After 442 Years, the Albanian Flag is Raised for the First Time
The Young Turks played a nasty trick on Albanians. They promised to them independence and freedom as long as the Albanians gave up their weapons. Thinking the Turks was going to implement a western style government, Albanians trusted them and for the first time ever, they handed their weapons to the Ottoman Army. But as soon as the Albanians were disarmed, the Ottomans began oppressing them more than ever before. That caused the Maltsia People, under the Leadership of Ded Gjo Luli and many others to raise in a war against the Ottoman Empire. The main war happened in Koplik Town where the people of Malcia faced thousands of Janissers, lead by the infamous, Turgut Pasha. While the war went on, the women and the children of Malcia, as usual, migrated to Montenegro, where they were given food and shelter and treated with great respect. Turks were not able to crush the Malcia fighters, but having enough solders, they send part of their army into the abandoned villages of Malcia and burned all the houses.
However, when the war was over, the Ottomans paid in gold for all the damages since the great powers of Europe interfered and found the Ottomans to have broken the rules of combat engagement.
On April 6, 1911, the Malcia fighters reached the top of the strategic high hill of Dechich. Many of them died that day, but they were able to crush the Ottoman resistance and raise the Albanian Flag after 442 years of occupation. This was the first time Albanians raised their Flag since the Castle of Shkodër had fallen in 1469. About a year and a half later, with the help of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Albanian Flag was risen officially in the southern town of Vlona.
The New, Modern, Albanian Identity Started i Maltcia e Madhe
The War of Maltcia in the year 1911, continued to gather attention throughout Europe at that time. With the exception of the time of the Communist Dictatorship in Albania, that attention has been growing ever since. It was not war. It was not bloodshed. It was birth. It was Will to Power. The Maltsia people had redefined the Albanian Identity. Rather,they had awaken that identity which had been the Dream of Kastrioti and the Soul of Dukagjini. To be Albanian or not to be Albanian was not a question for Maltsors. To live like Albanians or to die like Heroes was their question. And their Orah helped them. Out of that war, the New, Modern Albanian Identity was born.
That is one of the most proud moments of the Maltsia History. That war has been celebratd eversince, everywhere in the western world where the Maltsia People live and work. In New York City Maltsia and Rugova people celebrate the raising of the flag.
How did Maltsors do it?
Maltcia’s alliance with the Shkodra Intelegencia, the wisdom of Maltsors themselves, the support from Montenegro and very importantly, Maltcia being the richest region in Northern Albania, had made it possible for them to remain, "Yours, Truly Albanian".
The intellectuals, artists and writers of northwestern Albania, who were mostly of Catholic and Muslim religion, clerics and seculars as well, mostly educated in Shkodra City and later in European universities, flocked into Maltsia Region in the second half of 19th century and early 20th century and recorded that great culture that had survived 500 years of Anadollach (that's how Turks were called in Maltsia)oppression, right under the nose of the enemy.
Not hidden in the mountains, forests, jungles, or deserts, but stretched along the Adriatic sea, Shkodra Lake and Shkodra suburbs Maltsia had faced the oppression and had survided. That is why it was such a great survival. Anyone can survive by hiding, but few can survive 500 years of oppression by facing it. It was not the stubbornness of of Maltcia people, but the superiority of their culture and heritage to what Turks offered that had made the survival possible.
The newspapers of Europe echoed the Maltcia War. Visitors came and saw the place. There were books written, movies made and research done. For 500 years Albanians had been lost into the deserts of the Ottoman Identity. With the uprising of Maltsia, they rose above it and the world began once again to speak of Albanians-as-Albanians, a people belonging to one of the oldest and greatest civilizations of Europe. 3500 hundred years of recorded history. 3500 hundred years at the heart of Western Civilization – Right in the middle of Rome and Athens that is where Albania has survived. And, yes, they did give many Emperors and Prime ministers to Rome, Byzantium, and the Ottoman Empire. Hence, Mother Teresa was not the Exception. She was the rule.
Tringa Smaili
A girl from Gruda, according to "Lute of Malcia" was caring for her wounded brother when Montenegrins attacked the small village. She fought and defended her brother until she herself was shot dead. Although too late, the Montenegrin solders who attacked her house were all killed by the Malcia Solders.
Rebuilding after Post-colonialism. Father Harapi’s book “Pretash’s Dream” pays tribute the Maltsia people having created and maintained an authentic Albanian society in spite of the Ottoman obscurantism that befell Albania for 5 centuries. However, Maltsia was split in two. Half remained under Montenegrins and the other half under the Albanians. In the first decades of 20th century Maltsia saw its greatest economic boom. Keeping their houses and properties in the Alps and around the Shodra lake they expanded throughout the shores of Adriatic Sea freely without the fear Ottoman army, drained swamps and built solid communities, while sending their children to schools in Albania and Abroad.
[edit] Political Division
In 1913 when the European Powers established the borders of the Balkans, they split Malcia in two parts. Gruda, Trieshi, Koja, Rugova, Vuthaj, Martinaj, part of Hoti and many villages around Shkodër Lake and the Adriatic Sea that were descendants of Malcia, were given to Montenegro, while the rest of Malcia remained within the Albanian border.
First Raising Against Eastern Block Communism. After the communists took hold of Eastern Europe, Albania fell under the Russian influence (from Turks to Russians). Malcia, as they were relatively rich and relatively patriotic, were declared "Enemies of the People" by the proletarian, internationalist, and the Stalinist government. They dared, however, to raise in the first Eastern European uprising against the communists. The uprising was crushed. The leaders either escaped to Montenegro, died in jail, or were executed. Prenk Cali, the most distinguishable leader along with Llesh Marashi, are today held as heroes that dared to fight the Albanian puppies of the big Russian Dogs.
[edit] Religion
Malësia e Madhe Proper is predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Muslims. Rugova, Vuthai, and Martinai, on the other hand are predominantly Muslim with a Catholic minority. Both religions, however, were brought to Maltsia by invaders, first Romans, then Ottomans. The true religion of Maltsia is what is know as “The Faith of Light”, or in the popular slang “The Religion of Ora and Zana” (alb. Feja e Oreve e Zanave”
There are many traces of the Ancient Illyrian Religion in Malsia, “The Faith of Light”.
The Sun, being the most important deity, is worshiped and feared by the people of Malcia. To this day, they swear on the sun ("Pasha njate rreze diellit") - "I swear on that ray of sunshine". The Sun seems to have been the most powerful god and probably known as the God of Light. When mentioning the deceased, the people of Malcia say "Past Dritë" ("May he/she Have Light"). There are many curses related to the light too, for example, "Mos te errte nata" ("May the dark find you not"), or "Most dalesh ne dritë" ("May you not see the dawn"). Day and Light are closely related in Albanian Language
"Ditë" - "Day", "Dritë" - "Light"
ORA (pronounced Orah) Ora is the god of bravery, wisdom and life. Ora does not exist as a deity similar to Christ, but as some being beyond human senses. His presence, however, is felt in a way that is similar to the existence itself. Ora helps one in all endeavors. He does not protect you, instead he encourages you to protect yourself. He does not take you by the hand, he encourages your to be wise. He does not give you life, he encourages you to utilize the life and the energy given to you by the Being. If you are a loser, than it is said that Your Ora is Dead, but in a figurative way. For Ora to be dead in the real sense, then the person is dead too. For Ora and the Person are one and the same.
Ora can be seen in a striking resemblance to Martin Heidegger's Da-sein (Being). Everyone has an Ora (a being), but every entity too has a being (Ora). For example, Kelmendi has her ora, so does Malcia, so does Albania, so does Europe, so does Julia and Jim, so do the rocks and the trees. The best blessing is to say to someone "Te Ndihmofte Ora" (May Ora help You). Young people nowadays believe more in Eminem than Ora. That makes sense.
Zana is the goddess of art, aesthetics, beauty, imagination and dreams. She is what Norse and Celtic ancient religions would refer to as a fairy, but her main qualities are not beauty and sensuality, although they are as beautiful and as white as light itself. It is the lucidity of her mind and the nobility of her feelings that makes her different from a traditional fairy. She inspires the sense of beauty and aesthetics in an almost physical way.
Te Lumet (The Blessed), (aka shto-zo-vallet). Closer to traditional fairies, they are young and beautiful girls that have magic and evil powers (more like a real beautiful girl). They celebrate existence and nature's fertility, by singing, dancing, and eating. Their food is similar to ancient Greek Gods, meaning it comes from the essence of flowers and honey. There is always a table with food near where they live. If a human, unknowingly, (humans can neither see them nor their possessions) steps on any of their possessions, especially their table, he or she will be crippled, turned mad or caused to have great misfortunes in his life. Philosophically, they represent that domain and those powers, which humans can neither know, nor possess.
To understand Ora, Zana, and Shtoi-zo-vallet, it is helpful to understand Nietzsche’s notion of Apollo and Dionysus. The Ora is closer to Dionysus, but is much too noble, too worried about the success. The Zana is closer to Apollo. It is all about beauty and perfection. But it lacks life. Shtoi-zo-vallet have too much vulgarity in them. In short, Ora is the nobleness of the Being Zana is the perfection of the mind Shtoi-zo-vallet are the vulgarity of the body
One has to find a balance among these three entities because nobility (Ora) for its own sake becomes vain, mind (Zana) for the sake of mind’s games becomes sterile, gratifications of the body (Shtoi-zo-Vallet) kill the nobility of the soul and the greatness of the mind.
[edit] Life in a Dictatorship
Here is a list of Malcia priests, who contributed to the Albanian Culture before the Stalinist government of 1945 declared them enemies of the people, exiled them or imprisoned them -- that is if they were lucky. Many of the intellectuals, artists and priests of Malcia were murdered by the communists. Marin Sirdani - the foremost Political Historian and one of the founders of post-colonialism. His masterpiece is "The Legend of Gjergj Kastrioti". Khol Berisha - Anthropologist. Among other books, the four volumes of anthropological research titled "Malcia e Madhe" written between 1900 and 1945 Alexander Sirdani, Anthropologis Nichol Radovani
[edit] Famous Malcors
- Ibrahim Rugova, Spiritual and Political Leader of the Kosovo Movement. The truest, the most original and authentic leader Albanians have seen in the modern times.
- Rexhep Qosja – Probably the greatest Albanian thinker since Lek Dukagjini
- Kol Berisha, Speaker of the House of Kosovo Government
- Angjelin Perljoca, choreograph and founder of Preljocaj Ballet
- The Malotas - Malcia's own Hollywood Family
- Azem Shkreli from the Shkreli Village of Rugova is one of the greatest writers to ever write in Albanian language and one of the few to be deeply grounded into the Albanian perspectives, from the ancient to the new.
- Gjovalin Shkurtaj - a distinguished Albanian linguist, although he supports the socio-linguistics of comunist dictatorship
- Gjeke Marinaj, who wrote the poem "The Horses" which marked the open "war" of the Albanian writers and artists against the communist dictatorship. Currently he is the President and the founder of Albanian American Writers.
- Nua Sinishtaj
- Anton Gojcaj
Albania's most distinguished (maybe the greatest) tenor Luk Kachai spent most of 45 years of Stalinist dictatorship in maximum security prison. The reason is currently unknown.
The following list needs updates
Historical Figures
- Nik Leka
- Ded Gjo Luli
- Ali Kelmendi
- Prenk Cali
- Llesh Marashi
- Llesh Nik Daka
- Dasho Shkreli
- Nora of Kelmendi
- Nora of Hoti
- Tringa of Gruda
- Peter Shpani
Politics
- Ibrahim Rugova
- Kol Berisha
Social Discourse
- Rexhep Qosja
- Marin Sirdani
Literature
- Gjon Buzuku
- Rexhep Qosja
- Zef Pellumbi
- Azem Shkreli
- Nua Sinishtaj
- Esat Mekuli
- Gjeke Marinaj
- Anton Gojcaj
Film
- Peter Malota
- Isa Qosja
- Malota Family
- Boin Productions
Television
- Boin
- Teuta
- Malsia
- Kopliku
Anthropology
- Alexander Sirdani
- Khol Berisha
Linguistics
- Gjovalin Shkurtaj
- Ledi Shkreli
Art
- Gjelosh Gjokaj
Theatre
- Angjelin Prelocaj [[1]]
