Vojsava Tripalda

Princess of the Kastrioti Principality
Donika Kastrioti
Prince Gjon Kastrioti
Issue
Gjergj Kastrioti
Full name
Voisava Kastrioti Tripalda
Born Polog (?)
Religion Christianity

Vojsava Tripalda (Latin: Voisavæ, also Voisava) was a 15th century princess from a family in Polog, according to some authors.[1] [2][3][4]

She is best known as the wife of Gjon Kastrioti and mother of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg.[5] She also had three other sons– Stanisha Kastrioti, Reposh, and Konstantin[6] – and five daughters – Mara (married to Stefan I Crnojević), Angelina (married to Vladan Araniti, brother of Gjergj Arianiti), Jella (married to Gjin Muzaka),[7] Vlaika (married to Stefan Stres Balsha), and Mamica (married to Muzakë Thopia in 1445).[8]

Ethnicity and genealogy

The first medieval works providing some information on Vojsava's origins are:

In his biography of Skanderbeg, Fan Noli adopted the view that Vojsava came from the Muzaka family.[12][13] Harry Hodgkinson, too, considers her a member of the Muzaka family.[14]
Boban Petrovski, an associate professor of history in the University of Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia, has suggested that Vojsava was ethnically Serbian, coming from the House of Brankovic, although he considers it doubtful because there are no medieval sources connecting the Kastrioti and the Brankovic families.[15] This view was also supported by Prof. Oliver Schmitt of the University of Vienna.[16] According to the Academician from BAS Strashimir Dimitrov, Vojsava was a daughter of a local Bulgarian boyar from Macedonia.[17]

References

  1. ^ L'Anomyme de Venise (1545), ch. I, p.1: «La madre di Scanderbeg chiamata Voisava fu figlia del Signore di Pollogo che è una parte della Macedonia et Bulgaria ». [1]
  2. ^ Hopf, Chroniques, p. 295, (Giovanni Mussachi): «padre del signor Scanderbego hebbe per moglie la signora Voisava Tripalda e venne da bona parte».
  3. ^ Noli, Fan Stylian, George Castroiti Scanderbeg (1405–1468), (International Universities Press, 1947), 21.
  4. ^ Camille Paganel, 1855, "Histoire de Scanderbeg, ou Turcs et Chrétiens du XVe siècle"
  5. ^ Marin Barleti, 1508, Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis
  6. ^ George Castroiti Scanderbeg (1405-1468) Author Fan Stylian Noli Publisher International Universities Press, 1947 p. 21-22
  7. ^ Fan Stylian Noli: Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, 1405-1468. "Naim Frashëri, 1967", Page 123. [2]
  8. ^ George Castroiti Scanderbeg (1405-1468) Author Fan Stylian Noli Publisher International Universities Press, 1947 p. 189 note 35.
  9. ^ Barletius, l. I, fo 2: «uxori Voisavae nomen erat non indignam eo viro tum pater nobilissimus Triballorum princeps, tum forma...» [3]
  10. ^ Barletius, l. V, fo. 62: tum similitudine morum contingens, Bulgari sive Triballi habitant, ferox in armis gens [4]
  11. ^ Accio sappiate, in che modo c'era parente il Signor marchese della Tripalda, ve dico, che l'e per parte de donna... (Know that the Marquis of Tripalda is related to us by a female line); Giovanni Musachi: "Chroniques gréco-romanes inédites ou peu connues", p. 301. [5]
  12. ^ Fan Noli p. 189, note 33.
  13. ^ Babinger, Franz (1992). Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time. Princeton University Press. p. 53. ISBN 9780691010786. http://books.google.com/books?id=PPxC6rO7vvsC&pg=PA53&dq=Fan+Noli+%2B+Skanderbeg&hl=en&ei=_pjbTd3TCdCgOqDtrJQP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=The%20standard%20modern%20biography%20in%20English%20of%20the%20Albanian%20national%20hero&f=false. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
  14. ^ Hodgkinson, Harry. Scanderbeg: From Ottoman Captive to Albanian Hero. I. B. Tauris. p. 240. ISBN 978-1850439417. 
  15. ^ Petrovski, Boban Воисава Трибалда (Voisava Tribalda) http://www.makedonika.org/whatsnew/nikolazezov/Petrovski,%20B.%20-%20Voisava%20Tribalda.pdf ""Доколку ја прифатиме оваа варијанта, според која Бранковиките биле господари на/во Полог до почетког на последната деценија од XIV век, во тој случај произлегува дека Воисава била керка на Гргур или пак, можеби на Вук Бранковик."" 
  16. ^ Schmitt, Oliver Jens, Kosovo: kurze Geschichte einer zentralbalkanischen Landschaft, http://books.google.com/books?id=h16vmlMd2RcC&pg=PA62&dq=mutter+skanderbeg+inauthor:oliver+inauthor:jens+inauthor:schmitt&hl=en&ei=lvCcTZP8FY_FswaMsfm2Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=mutter%20skanderbeg%20inauthor%3Aoliver%20inauthor%3Ajens%20inauthor%3Aschmitt&f=false, "Ein Teil seiner Familie floh zu Skanderbeg, der selbst mit den Brankovići verwandt war. Einen ethnischen Gegensatz zwischen Serben und Albanern kann man in der Elite im Mittelalter nicht feststellen – die engen Verbindungen des serbischen und albanischen orthodoxen Adels allein schon standen dem entgegen: Skanderbegs Mutter war wohl eine Branković, und sein Sohn Ivan heiratete eine Branković (Irene)." 
  17. ^ Димитров, Страшимир: Георги Кастриоти-Скендербег и неговата освободителна борба, В: Г. Кастриоти Скендербег 1468-1968 г. София, сп. “Балкани”, БАН, No2, 1970, стр. 11.