Apr
Moikom Zeqo
Panteoni ilir, Tirana: Globus R, 1995
Civilizations over the world have developed and perpetuated myths as a means of explaining natural phenomena and the mysteries of life and death itself. Though widely unknown, Albanian Mythology holds an intriguing blend of tales and legends, most dating back to the pagan beliefs of Ancient Illyria. Others have incorporated more blends of fictional beings addressing the many complexities of morality, good, and evil. At the beginning reside the Illyrian divinities of nature, constructed by our ancestors as a means of comprehending the world which surrounded them. Many pan-cultural influences can be noted in some Albanian mythological characters.
Apr
Only 100 years ago Epirus was a predominantly Albanian inhabited area and its small Greek element was considered a product of colonies, established during the early part of the 1st millenium, and to a lesser degree, of cultural assimilation. But during the 19th century, as Ottoman Empire was weakening daily, Greeks to back their expansionist policies, made claims that were totally in contradiction to historical facts. On the bases of this view Epirus had always been Greek, and the Albanian population was considered to have intruded in the area. And what about the facts? They were just ignored! The only “Greek” in Epirus was the fact that the colonists used Greek language in their subtitles.
Apr
Written by: mhb
©albter.com
The ethnogenesis of today’s Serbia begins with the emergence of the Slavic settlements south of Danube River. Historians in general have stayed from the subject as to what followed with Slavic settlements. The simple, idealistic Serbian view is that they came, established empires, and every subject relating to life under these empires relates exclusively to them. As to what happened to the original population of the area, is said nothing, and one is lead to assume that there never was such a population. There is no basis to assume that the area was not populated or that the original inhabitants left the area after Slavs came. At least for the case of Kosovo, knowledge that has come to light after WWII testifies that “original” population survived the Slavic onslaught and continued to inhabit the area throughout the middle ages. Here is what well known Yugoslav historians have noted about the survival of the pre-Slavic population of the area.
Mar
Albania, in the most extended acceptation of the name, is that long and lofty chain of mountains, intersected by deep valleys and by fertile basins, which ramifies from the summits of Epirus and the eternal snows of Pindus along to the extremity of the Gulf of Venice, where it comes to knot itself almost perpendicularly with the Germanic Alps. One of the flanks of this chain looks upon Turkey of Europe, the plains of Adrianople, the valleys of Bulgaria, the virgin forests of Servia, the plains of Hungary and of Transylvania ; the other flank, more steep and more calcined by the sun, looks upon the Adriatic, the Ionian Isles and the distant coasts of Italy. All this seaboard, from the Gulf of Lepanto to whore terminates Greece properly so called, is indented with creeks, with roadsteads, with ravines more or less deep, where the sea insinuates itself between precipitous cliffs.
Feb
The following article shed some light on the Greek atrocities towards innocent Muslim population, who used to live in what is now Greece. The article seem to be backed up by reliable evidences written by Phil-Hellenes themselves. They were either shocked and irked with the cruelty of Greeks, to whom they have glorified so much. The neo-Greeks were deceitfully portrayed as having the same human virtues as their supposed ancestors. Hence it was constructed the myth of ethnic continuity that lurks on the assumption that Greek people went undiluted through centuries But the truth was quite the contrary. With the drift of time, Greece of city-states was poured with new waves of ‘barbarians’, who had obliterate the Greek nation once forever. European supporters of Greek cause noticed that their beloved Greeks have swept away…’Most of the old Greek race has been swept away, and the country is now inhabited by persons of Slavonic descent. Indeed, there is a strong ground for the statement that there was more of the old heroic blood of Hellas in the Turkish army of Edhem Pasha than in the soldiers of King George, said once Mr. W. H. Ireland. Yet it was only the merit of phil-hellenes who managed to revive the Greeks of their imaginary vision and gave some Hellenic credentials to the people who had slight ties with the ancient past. As Matt Barrett justly indicated: “The Greek struggle is interpreted by many Europeans simplistically and romantically as a battle between the ideals of the ancient Greeks against the ruthless Turks who had been occupying and suppressing the descendents of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Many, including Lord Byron volunteer to fight and become leaders and heroes of the revolution, known as the Philhellenes (friends of the Greeks). Some sing the praises of the modern Greeks but many are completely disillusioned by the pettiness and greed of the Greek klefth leaders who seem to just want glory and riches. Though some of these warlords are elevated to the role of saviors and heroes in the national mythology, the reality is that many of them were just pirates and thieves looking out for their own self-interest”.
Feb
Originally taken from: http://albter.com/?page_id=536
© http://www.albter.com
Linear B tablets pertain to the pre 1100 BC period, spanning from 15th to 12th century. (Chronology of Linear B Documents, Jan Driessen, A Companion to Linear B, 2008, p. 76). Most tablets were found in Knosos (Crete), Pylos (Peloponesos) although traces of its usage have been found on approaches to Egean coast and as far north as Aiani. During the first half of the 20th century, the opinion of Sir Arthur Evens dominated the opinion that Linear B was not a form of written Greek. Michael Ventris as early as 1930’s commenced his effort to decipher the tablets and eventually would indicate progress. Ventris was joined later by John Chadwick who unlike Ventris knew Greek. In 1953 they laid out their thinking with a paper entitled ‘Evidence for Greek dialect in the Mycenaen Archives’.
Dec
Author: Marko Attila Hoare
Uploaded: Monday, 25 October, 2010
Effective demolition of the main argument put forward by Greece to justify blocking Macedonia’s path to integration into NATO and the EU.
