A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture

Folklore, April, 2002 by Thornton B. Edwards

By Robert Elsie. London: C. Hurst and Co., 2001. 357 pp. 48.00 [pounds sterling]. ISBN 1-8506-5570-7

In view of this book's highly ambitious scope in covering not only religion, but mythology and folk culture in Albania, my excitement was mixed with some initial reservations. However, Elsie has done a splendid job and has compiled a wealth of hitherto inaccessible information in a single compact volume. The three principal areas of Albanian culture, religion, mythology and folk culture ("history" might also have been included in the title), are blended harmoniously and often inextricably linked. For instance, many entries on saints combine religious history with their legends, not to mention rituals attached to their festivals.

As well as a great shqiptarofil, or Albanophile, Elsie is a brilliant Albanologist and in many cases, his knowledge and erudition are unsurpassed. The publisher is also to be congratulated on producing such a work and for the meticulous care taken with the Albanian orthography. There are well over six hundred entries (about half of which are duplicated as cross-references in English--a great help in locating Albanian-word entries). Entries follow the English, rather than Albanian, alphabetical order. For instance, Gjishto is found before Grabofc and Shemra is before Syqenez (not after, as they would appear in an Albanian dictionary).

In addition to the standard Albanian terms (mostly similar to the Tosk dialect), Elsie often provides us with the variant forms of Gegerishte (the Gheg dialect of northern Albania). The regions of Albania are almost always acknowledged, as are entries that pertain to the culture of Albanian speakers from Kosovo and Macedonia. Many terms are also taken from Arberishte (the dialect of Albanians in southern Italy). However, the once rich culture of the Arvanites (Albanians who settled in various parts of Greece in previous centuries) is sadly neglected. Moreover, parallels are often observed from other Balkan peoples.

As regards the religious dimension of this book, it is interesting that the three main religions--Islam, Catholicism and Orthodoxy--have had a uniquely peaceful coexistence seldom seen elsewhere. Often, their folk worship seems to merge. For instance, on Aligjyni (Ali Day) in Kosovo on 2 August, both Muslims and Christians make a pilgrimage to Mount Pashtrik--Muslims in the morning and the Orthodox in the afternoon, when "at noon, Ali turned into Elias" (p. 7). Also, on St Nicholas's Day (6 December), both Christians and Muslims roast a pig or lamb and light candles for dead souls (p. 89). They also both practise ritual haircutting (p. 106).

Elsie's work is a real treasury of topics, including the evil eye, seasonal feasts, life cycle customs and fairy tales, as well as the gjakmarrje or distinct Albanian form of blood feuding. However, there is a problem with the disproportionate length given to certain entries. For instance, the entry on the Bektashis is nine pages long, while some fairytales and legends could have been told more succinctly. Likewise, the long entries on homosexuality and pederasty (the latter almost four pages) could have been limited to just one paragraph contained in the excellent entry on "marriage customs and sexual mores." Similarly, the valuable 86-page bibliography, showing the author's unimpeachable scholarship, could have been produced in smaller print to take fewer pages.

As a consequence of misusing some space, not enough is given to more directly pertinent entries. Even the rich collection of mythological/fairytale entries could have been increased. For instance, there is no mention of some characters like murgu i nates ("the monk of the night"), a nasty old man who bothers people at night. And while Elsie gives a highly detailed account of the kulshedra, a dragon-type monster, there is no reference to some similar monsters like the duhac (fire-breathing dragon) or the Hercules-like djepesor (baby who kills a dragon while still in his cradle).

Some interesting folklore entries seem too short and incomplete. In the entry on "rainmaking" (p. 215), the child dressed in leaves and soaked to precipitate rain is described as an orphan girl. Yet, in certain regions, this child (called a peperune) is a boy. In the fascinating entry on "haircutting" (p. 106), the author has forgotten to include the Albanian term, which is gershani (the word is also used as a synonym for "hair godparent" or kumbare flokesh). Moreover, the same entry could have alluded to the cutting of a widow's hair as a sign of mourning (which Elsie mentions on p. 96) and seems to refer to the leshkorre, or widow who shaved her hair as a vow not to remarry. There was even a similar custom of the bish(t)korre, or mare whose tail was cut on her master's death.

Similarly, the entry on the verore (red and white braided bracelet) is too hurried. Here lack of space means that the usual synonyms Elsie provides us with are absent (in this case, guduvere, marse, lares and manak). Again, the information is limited to just one regional form of the custom in which "at the end of the day" (that is, 1 March), girls would place the bracelets on a bush for birds to take (in which case they would be married within the year). However, no reference is given to the (more) common South Albanian custom of girls continuing to wear the verore bracelet for three weeks and then placing it on a (rose)bush on 21 March (i.e. the holiday of Nevruz, the entry for which is on page 187).