Gorani (ethnic group)
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The Gorani, meaning Highlanders, are a Torlakian Slavic ethnic group, which inhabit the Gora region, located between Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. Their autonym is "Našinci" which literally means "our people". They speak the Našinski language, otherwise known as Gorani. The Gora region comprises Dragaš municipality in Kosova and Shishtavec municipality in Albania. They are adherents to Islam and have a rich and varied folk culture. They have been claimed by Bulgarians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians, and Macedonians but the general view is that they should be treated as a distinct minority group, which is indeed their own view of themselves.[3][4] Part of these people are already albanised.[5] By the last censusses at the end of 20th century in Yugoslavia they have declared themselves to be Muslims by nationality.[6] In Republic of Macedonia their identity is also based mainly on their religion.[7]
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[edit] Etymology
The word Gora is the traditional term for the region which the Gorani inhabit, it means "Mountains" or "Highlands". In the Gorani language the "Mountain people" or "Highlanders" their autonym is Goranci, this is often transliterated into English simply as "Gorani."
[edit] History
Gora is the region inhabited by the Gorani, and also that which Slavic peoples (including Gorani themselves) and many Albanians use to identify the native people (Gorani). The region, Gora, is mentioned in 1348 in the edict of Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan, along with seven other Gorani-populated villages that were subsumed by the Monastery of Saint Archangel at Prizren at that time. The area called Gora was subsequently populated by Slavs during their migration in the 6th–7th centuries. Less than a century later the Bulgars invaded and subsequently settled in the area as well.
In 1455, Gora was conquered from the Serbian Despotate by the Ottoman Turks and became a part of the beylerbeylik of Rumelia, or specifically, the Sanjak of Prizren. The process of natural assimilation into Ottoman society henceforth began, mostly at the end of the 16th century. And following the trend of Balkan peoples, the conversion from Orthodox Christianity through the process of Islamization was rapid, with dozens of mosques springing up across the Gora region (many have had to be rebuilt, a result of the Serb invasions of the late 19th century, which destroyed many of the area's mosques, and also the oppressive conditions in Albania during Hoxha's regime). The Gorani continue to maintain a religious hybridity of sorts — while steadfast Muslims, they observe a number of Christian traditions and holidays, with observance of certain Saint's days and their acknowledging of the Bogomil.
Because of Gora's highly isolated location in and around Albania's mountainous northern region, the difficult terrain aided the Gorani in resisting first the Slavic and later the Ottoman invasions. Migrations to escape the Ottoman invasion did occur, as they did in Albania in the 14th century, when many Gorani from Albanian fled to Italy, Egypt, Syria and the Ukraine, they were later absorbed into the Albanian populations of Italy, losing their own language in the process. These migrations were repeated several centuries thenceforth when many Gorani, hemmed in by both Yugoslav and Albanian authoritarian regimes, fled the region. Many surfaced in America, where a significant diaspora has emerged (primarily in California). Migrations from Gora during the Ottoman era resulted in two significant waves: the first towards Prizren and Sirinić, and the other towards Tetovo. The latter populated the Macedonian settlements of Dolno, Palčište and Tearce. Their descendants still populate that part of the Republic of Macedonia. Gorani colonists have migrated and populated the colonies of Urvič and Jelovjane on the eastern side of the Šar Mountains.
In the First Balkan War in 1912 the Serbian Army seized Gora. A minor part of the Gorani population migrated to Turkey as a result. In the 1916–1918 First World War the Gora was conquered by the Central Powers and assigned to the Bulgarian (until May 1916)[8] and to the Austro-Hungarian (until October 1918) zone. After 1918 they were integrated into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The troubles during First World War, as well as the difficult period between 1919-20 were characterized by drought, causing famine and much poverty for the Gorani.[citation needed], This paradigm also incited migrations to Kosovo's larger city, Prizren and Tetovo in Republic of Macedonia. Disease and hunger in the post-communist era in Albania have caused a general downfall of the Gorani population, mostly due to in-migration out of villages for urban centers like Shkodra and Tirana.
By the decision of the League of Nations however, in 1925, the final border towards Albania was established. In it, over 15,000 Gorani remained in Albania's borders in their 9 villages: Borje, Zapod, Košarište, Novo Selo, Orgosta, Orešek, Pakiša, Crneljevo and Šištevac on demand of Fascist Italy, despite the local Gorani community's desire to remain together undivided.
In 1999 after the NATO bombing campaign on Yugoslavia, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) took over international administration of the Serbian province of Kosovo. Their own municipality was redrawn and Dragaš established, in which now Albanians are in majority. The Gora has received migrations of Albanians from Albania, and reports of killings and mistreatment of the Gorani by Albanian paramilitaries were subsequently recorded, though never verified. In 2007 the Kosovar provisional institutions opened a school in Gora to teach the Bosnian language, which sparked minor consternation amongst the Gorani population, added by the fact that the Principal declares as an Albanian. Many Gorani refuse to send their children to school for threats of assimilation and self-initially founded home schools for their young. In 1999 and over the years altogether, over 6,500 Gorani have fled to Serbia proper along with many Serb and Romani refugees.
[edit] Language
The Gorani people speak a local dialect known as "Našinski" or "Goranski", which is a Torlak dialect, the Torlak dialect and the close Shopian dialect are also spoken in Bulgaria, Serbia and part of Macedonia and Romania. The Torlak dialect is a transitional dialect of Bulgarian and Serbian whilst also sharing features with Macedonian, and as thus cannot be comfortably classed as belonging to any of them. While still remaining a Slavic based language there are numerous loan words in the language, the dialect has been greatly influenced by Turkish, Serbian, Albanian and Arabic and is very similar to the Bosnian language because of the numerous Turkish loanwords.
According to the last 1991 Yugoslav census, 54.8% of the inhabitants of the Gora municipality said that they spoke the Gorani language.[9] Goranian has also been classified sometimes as part of the Bulgarian dialect area, as by Bulgarian,[10] as well as by foreign anthropologists. Some Gorani scholars define their language as Bulgarian, similar to the Bulgarian dialects spoken in Northwest Macedonia.[11] Some linguists, including Vidoeski, Brozovic and Ivic, identify the Slavic-dialect of the Gora region as Macedonian [12]. According to some sources in 2003 the Kosovo government acquired Macedonian language and grammar books for Gorani school. [13]
[edit] Example
The following is a traditional Gorani song:
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- Verno libe
- Gledaj me gledja libe, abe verno libe,
- na gledajmise dur ti som ovde.
- Utre ke odim abe vrno libe dalek-dalek
- na pusti Gurbet.
- Racaj po racaj libe šo da ti kupim,
- ti da mi kupiš
- abe gledaniku cerna šamija, ja da ga nosim
- abe gledaniku I da ga želam.
- Racaj po racaj abe verno
- libe šo da ti pratim
- Ti da mi pratiš abe
- gledaniku šarena knjiga
- Ja da ga pujem abe
- gledaniku i da ga želam
[edit] Media and literature
Gorani scholar Nazif Dokle compiled the first Našinski–Albanian dictionary (with 43,000 words and phrases) in 2007, sponsored and printed by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.[11] In 2008 the first issue of a Macedonian language newspaper, Гороцвет (Gorocvet) was published in the Gorani language.[14]
[edit] Population
The Gorani population numbered some 16,000, in the Gora administrative division, according to the 1991 census. Gorani leaders today estimate that fewer than 10,000 are left in Gora, where large in-migrations to Albania's capital, Tirana, have occurred. Most Gorani state that the unstable situation and the economic issue drives them to leave Kosovo. There is also some mention of threats and discrimination.[15] The UN administration in Kosovo, UNMIK, has redrawn internal boundaries in the province in such a way that a Gorani-majority municipality no longer exists. The Gora was combined with the neighboring Albanian-populated region of Opolje (some 20,000 people) into a new subdivision named Dragaš, which again has an Albanian majority.
[edit] Settlements
Below is a list of the traditional Gorani settlements in the Šar Mountains region.
[edit] Gorani diaspora
The Gora is an underdeveloped region and for almost two centuries, its male inhabitants would go off to more distant regions in order to find work. Due to this, a true Gorani diaspora has come to life with many living in parts of Central Serbia (particularly Belgrade: 3,340), Vojvodina (606), Albania (primarily in Durres), the Republic of Macedonia (particularly the Western parts); Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Greece and Turkey; and following escape from communist Albania and socialist Yugoslavia in the late-1940s, the United States (particularly New York and Los Angeles).
[edit] Culture and religion
Like many Balkan peoples prior to the invasion of the Romans and the conversions to Christianity, the existence of many pantheistic sects and worship of the sun god existed. Following the conversion to the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, the Goran embraced Islam due to various external pressures while under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire and remain today exclusive followers of the Islamic faith. However, the Gorani still tangentially observe some Orthodox traditions, such as Slavas and Saint George's Day (Djurdjevdan).
Traditional Gorani folk music includes a two-beat dance called "Kolo" ('circle'), which is a circle dance focused on the foot movements: it always starts on the right foot and moves in an anti-clockwise direction. Kolo is usually accompanied by instrumental music made often with a Curle or Kaval and Tapan, kolos are less frequently accompanied by singing as they are in neighboring ethnic groups such as the Albanians and Serbians.
A particular form of men's oil wrestling called "Pehlivan" is popular amongst Gorani with regular tournaments being held in the outdoors to the accompaniment of Curle and Tapan with associated rituals.
[edit] Notable Gorani
- Fahrudin Jusufi, football player
- Miralem Sulejmani, football player
[edit] See also
- Torlaks
- Civic Initiative of Gora (political party)
[edit] Notes and references
Notes:
| a. | ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The Assembly of Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a move that is recognised by 64 of the 192 UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by other UN member states. Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. |
References:
- ^ http://www.vdi.com/browse_vidfeeders.php?tag=bajrak
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43lKmpmyvvk
- ^ Kosovo: the Bradt travel guide, Gail Warrander, Verena Knaus, Published by Bradt Travel Guides, 2007, ISBN 1841621994, p. 211.
- ^ Historical dictionary of Kosova, Robert Elsie, Scarecrow Press, 2004, ISBN 0810853094, p. 70.
- ^ Bulgarians in the region of Korcha and Mala Prespa (Albania) nowadays, Balkanistic Forum (1-3/2005), South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Pashova, Anastasija Nikolaeva; Issue: 1-3/2005, Page Range: 113-130.
- ^ Religion and the politics of identity in Kosovo by Gerlachlus Duijzings, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2000, ISBN 185065431, p. 27.
- ^ Who are the Macedonians? by Hugh Poulton, edition: 2, revised, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2000, ISBN 1850655340, p. 209.
- ^ България в Първата световна война, Германски дипломатически документи, т. ІІ, 1916-1918 г., София 2005, с. 70-71, Avramovski, Živko, Ratni ciljevi Bugarske i Centralne sile 1914-1918, Beograd 1985, s. 243-244.
- ^ Gorani speech by dr. Radivoje Mladenovic (Serbian)
- ^ Младенов, Стефан. Пътешествие из Македония и Поморавия, в: Научна експедиция в Македония и Поморавието 1916, София 1993, с. 184. (Mladenov, Stefan. Journey through Macedonia and Pomoraviya, in: Scientific expeditions in Macedonia and Pomoraviya 1916, Sofia 1993, p. 184) Асенова, Петя. Архаизми и балканизми в един изолиран български говор (Кукъска Гора, Албания), Балканистични четения, посветени на десетата годишнина на специалност “Балканистика” в СУ “Св. Климент Охридски”, ФСлФ, София, 17-19 май 2004 (Assenova, Petya. Archaisms and Balkanisms in an isolated Bulgarian dialect (Kukas Gora, Albania), Balkan studies readings on the tenth anniversary of the major Balkan studies in Sofia University, May 17-19, 2004)
- ^ a b Dokle, Nazif. Reçnik Goransko (Nashinski) - Albanski, Sofia 2007, Peçatnica Naukini akademiji "Prof. Marin Drinov", s. 5, 11, 19 (Nazif Dokle. Goranian (Nashinski) - Albanian Dictionary, Sofia 2007, Published by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, p. 5, 11, 19)
- ^ http://www.seelrc.org:8080/grammar/mainframe.jsp?nLanguageID=3 Macedonian by Victor Friedman, pg 4 (footnote)
- ^ Focus News (4th of July, 2003) Kosovo Government Acquires Macedonian language and grammar books for Gorani Minority Schools
- ^ [1]
- ^ Update on the Kosovo Roma, Ashkaelia, Egyptian, Serb, Bosniak, Gorani and Albanian communities in a minority situationPDF, UNHCR Kosovo, June 2004
- Нексхат Ибрахими, Първи контакти на исляма с Балканските нации
- Хюсеин Мехмед. Помаците и торбешите в Мизия, Тракия и Македония., С., 2007.
[edit] External links
- RadioGora.net "the original Gorani radio"
- NGlove.net "Gorani portal and social network"
- NezavisnaGora.com "Gorani web portal"
- Goranci.info "Gorani portals info - english version"
- Mp3Gora
- RadioGora
- Shishtavec
- Gora Cafe
- Website of Gorani people, self identifying as Bulgarian
- GORA-BROD, "link expired"
- Project Rastko - Gora, E-library of culture and tradition of Gora and Gorani people
- Gorani (Nasencite) (Bulgarian)
- A Travel among Goranis (Bosnian), "link expired"
- Gorani Fear Losing Identity, Adrian Kelmendi, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, 21 February 2001
- The minorities within the minority, The Economist, 2 November 2006
[edit] Video clips
- Clip of the Gorani film Ofčarče
- Photo presentation with traditional Gorani music
- Another photo presentation of Gorani villages with traditional music PART I
- PART II "Setnja kroz goranske sela"
- Naša Gora — A beautiful photo presentation
- "Snimak iz Brodska Svadba 2007. Ekiba Onlinebrod prestava sa svoje snimci" — A Gorani wedding in Brod
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