Malësia

Malësia (or, more formally, Malësia e Madhe) is a geographical region in Montenegro. It consists of the large area of land that stretches from the southeast of Podgorica to northern shores of Lake Scutari, and includes much of the Malësi e Madhe District of Albania.

Name

Malësia e Madhe is the region's official name (or, alternately, Malcía, pronounced Maltsia) which may be translated as "Great Highlands." In the Middle Ages, the region was recorded as Pultí, though the earliest extant source in which the name "Malësia" is mentioned dates back to 1400 AD. Due to variations in the pre-standardized Albanian alphabet, the region may also be spelled as as Malesia, Malcia, Malesi, Malesija and Maltsia.

Population

Malësia has a population of about 10,000 people and is mostly inhabited by ethnic Albanians.

The largest settlement in the area is the town of Tuzi, which has a population of about 4,000 people (over half of which are ethnic Albanians).

The Seven Tribes

The region consists of a congregation of seven tribes—Hoti, Gruda, Kelmendi, Kastrati, Shkreli, Trieshi, and Koja e Kuçit—the first five of which are documented to have lived together since at least the Middle Ages. Each tribe is said to be descended from the ancient Illyrians, though it is more likely, given the colorful cultural history of the region, that their ancestry is a mixture of native Albanian (Illyrian) and Slavic.

Tribal genealogies (both historical and anecdotal) suggest that, in the past (probably in the fifteenth century), there was some interbreeding and assimilation between native highlanders (who, by most accounts spoke Albanian and probably were in fact the descendants of the ancient Illyrians) and a large congregation of Albanian-speaking peoples pushed southward by either the expanding Slavs or, more probably, the Ottoman conquest.

The histories of the respective tribes (and hence the whole region) are amalgamations of both historical events and genealogies passed along by oral transmission.

Hoti is the head tribe of Malësia, an honor it has earned by being central to the Ottoman resistance of the late nineteenth century (before 1857 Kelmendi was considered the "first seat" amonst the seven tribes). Hoti is a Catholic Albanian tribe that is the brother tribe of Trieshi. Geographically, Hoti lies the border separating Albania and Montenegro, on the north shore of Lake Scutari

Gruda is a tribe of Malësia that, along with Hoti was instrumental during the Ottoman resistance. The mountain of Dechiq (Dečić), where the famed battle against the Ottoman conquerers took place, is located here, as is Tuzi, the de facto "capital" of Malësia. Gruda is mostly Roman Catholic but with a sizeable Muslim minority (20-30%). The Church of Gruda, known as Prifti, is the oldest church in the region, and it is not only an Albanian landmark, but it, having been built in 1528, provides the most concrete date for tracing back ancestry.

Kelmendi is located in the northern-most region of Albania (on the eastern shores of Lake Scutari is also the largest of the ethnic Albanian tribes in Malësia. The tribe is mostly Roman Catholic although there are some sizable Muslim populations on the outskirts of Kelmendi, such as in Rugova (located in Kosovo) or in the Vuthaj and Martinaj regions (located in Montenegro)

Kastrati, the oldest of the Albanian tribes in Malësia, lies entirely within the political borders of Montenegro. It traces its descent from the famous fighting stock, Drekalović of Kuči, which in turn derives from Berisha, by tradition one of the oldest of all Albanian surnames. The people of Kastrati are all either Catholic or Muslim; and though they retain their Slavic names (most notably Popović) it is generally accepted that they are of Albanian origin.

Shkreli

Triesh is commonly considered the "younger brother" of Hoti, as they share a common ancestor, Keq Preka of Herzegovina. The people of Triesh were, along with their Hoti brethren, known for their role during the Ottoman resistance. Specifically, they are said never to have given in to political or religious suppression by the Ottomans; and, as a result, they not only retained an overwhelmingly Catholic population, but they never willingly paid any taxes or tribute to the Ottoman [[[pasha|pashas]]. (It should be stated that there were some houses in Thiesh that converted to Islam during the Ottoman occupation, though they were either exiled or left willingly shortly thereafter).

Koja e Kuçit, is a Catholic Albanian tribe near the Montenegrin Kuči tribe. The people of Koja have been praised for their resistance to the Slavic expansion (having been surrounded by the Slavic tribe of Kuči for centuries). Further, it is noted among the people of Malësia that few, if any, houses in Koja were converted to Islam.

History

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 Royal 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.

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.

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.

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.

Detsits

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.

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.

Malesia under Communism

The people of Malesia, as they were relatively rich and relatively patriotic, were declared "Enemies of the People" by the communist government. They dared, however, to start the first revolt against the communist rule. 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.

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".

Modern Trends

Westernization

It is perceived in the region that Malesia is slowly being transformed into a "suburb" of Shkoder. The ever-present loss of Malesia's distinctive dialect (in favor of the urban slang of Shkoder) coupled with the increasing incidence of Western architecture in the region (particularly in newly-built churches) point to a large overarching trend of Westernization that disturbs those seeking to preserve their distinctive culture.

"Going West"

Albania was a communist country from 1944 to 1990. From 1967 to 1990, the Communist Party of Albania outlawed the practice of religion. Both in 1944 (upon the introduction of Communism) and in 1967 (upon the banning of religious practices), large waves of Albanian immigrants left the country. The people of Malesia, though not necessarily facing the same pressure, also emigrated to Western countries. The three largest foreign communities of ethnic Albanians are New York, Detroit, and London.

Religion/Mythology

While Malësia is predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Muslims, there are a few communities, such as Rugova, Vuthai, and Martinai, in which Muslims form the majority.

Illyrian Religious Practices

[[[The Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but pledged allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority of his envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and reaffirmed their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as the kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern Albania]]]

Before the rise of Christianity in the region, the ancient Illyrians (held by historical consensus to to have been modern Albanians' most likely ancestors) practiced some sort of animistic polytheism based around tribal cults organized to worship natural forces.

For instance, there were seasonal summer and winter festivals during the solstices and the spring and autumn festivals during the equinoxes. Human sacrifice also played a role Illyrian culture. The ancient historian Arrian records the Illyrian chieftain Kleitus sacrificing three boys, three girls and three rams just before his battle with Alexander the Great. It is also believed that the Iron-Age Illyrians practiced a form of mound burial, according to which the dead were buried with their belongings (weapons, ornaments, garments, etc) so that they might be equipped for the afterlife.

Modern scholarship has classified two prominent strands of Illyrian mythology, namely the Cult of the Sun and the Cult of the Snake. Some trace, pagan elements of the former religion have endured to the present day, specifically in Malësia, where superstition is commonly interspersed with a Catholic or Muslim belief structure. For instance, it is common for Northern Albanians to swear upon the sun ("Pasha njate rreze diellit"; lit. "I swear upon that sunbeam"). When mentioning the deceased, the people of Malësia say "Pastë dritë" ("may he/she have light").

Another holdover from Illyrian mythology is the highland pantheon of Oras and Zanas

An Ora is a demi-god/spirit of bravery, wisdom and life. Ora does not exist as a corporeal deity such as Christ, but rather as something ethereal and beyond human senses. Oras may be understood as the functional equivalents of the guardian angels of Catholic dogma, although Oras are said to protect not only people, but places, inanimate objects, and entities as well. For example, not only does the individual have his/her Ora, but Kelmendi has an ora. As does Malesia and Albania, and trees and rocks. They are one's life essence; thus, to hear the words "Te ndihmofte Ora" ("may your Ora help you") is a welcome blessing.

A Zana is the goddess of art, aesthetics, beauty, imagination and dreams. She is what the ancient Norse and Celtic religions would refer to as a fairy. Somewhat of a cross between muse (who inspires beauty) and a nymph (who heightens one's appreciation of beauty), it is the lucidity of her mind and the nobility of her feelings that are held to inspire one's senses

Te Lumet (The Blessed), . Also known as Shtoi-zo-vallet, the Blesseds are quite similar to traditional fairies. They are young and beautiful girls that have magic and evil powers, who exist to celebrate existence and nature's fertility through singing, dancing, and eating. It is said that a plentiful harvest/feast is the work of nearby Blesseds; however, according to legend, if a human unknowingly steps on any of the Blesseds' possessions, he or she will be crippled, turned mad or caused to have great misfortunes in his life.

The Spread of Christianity

Christianity was first brought to the Balkans in the first century A.D. by St. Paul during his journey through the Roman State of Illyricum. In 313 A.D. the emperor Constantine (who was of Illyrian blood) declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. The perpetuation of Catholicism in Illyria (from where, by this time, many Praetorian guards were conscripted) was, from that point on, quite rapid. The majority of Albanians stayed Christian until the invasion of the Ottoman Empire when they were forced to join Islam.

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 develope a micro-culture that resembles the heritage of a whole nation. The phenomenon of Albanian folk iso-polyphony is proclaimed by UNESCO as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible heritage of Humanity".

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.

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 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)

Anthropology

Due to its rich culture, the highland region has attracted more attention from anthropologists, artists, writers and scholars than any other region in Greater Albania. It is Malesia that has produced what has been considered the national epic of the Albanian people, Lahuta e Malcis (The Highland Lute). Author and Franciscan monk Gjergj Fishta spent 35 years composing this epic poem, in which is chronicled the whole range of the ethnic Albainan cultural experience (e.g. weddings, funerals, historical battles, mythology, genealogy, and tribal law). It is as interesting to modern readers as an anthropological document as it is a magnificent poem.

Anton Harapi, Albania's most distinguished Christian philosopher, dedicated his masterpiece "Andrra e Pretashit" (Pretash's Dream), initially called “The Wise Men along Cemi River” to the people of Malcia. It is a great anthropological novel written in the same spirit as “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. (It should be noted that both Fishta and Harapi were declared public enemies during the Communist period, their images having been redacted from history and their works banned).

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.

In 1908, anthropologist Edith Durham visited the Malesia region and catalogued her findings in her ethnographic work "High Albania," which was, for nearly a century, the most trusted source of information about the Albanian highlanders.

Albanian anthropologist Kole Berisha wrote, among other books, the four-volumes ethnography entitled "Malcia e Madhe" written between 1900 and 1945

The Highland Lute, 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 Kotor. Kotor is the name for a nearby Montenegrin 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”.

Prominent Figures

• Ded Gjo Luli
• Nora of Kelmendi
• Tringa Smail Martini

See also

• Greater Albania
• Prokletije
• Roman Catholicism in Albania
• Albanians in Montenegro
• Albanians in Kosovo