02.06.2021 – 19:32
“Kagimllëku vagabond-modern (Albanian) curves his lips on the golden simplicity of our national mythology” – would write the great Gjergj Fishta, about mythology and deities.
Apart from modernity, every nation has its own history. Even culture, and myths, and deities
But how much do Albanians know the Gods, the names of deities who are basically Pelasgian-Illyrian, and who in the course of history are violently dressed in Greek and Roman “clothes”? Do we have gods and do we doubt our myth, of the founding of the Illyrian-Albanians?
Even the researcher Tonin Çobani, who has dealt with Albanian mythology over the years, finds it difficult to answer the question “do we Albanians have God”?
But, yes! He says that there is a myth that is related only to the Illyrian-Albanians and is the myth of Kadmi.
“Before talking about Illyrians or Illyrian tribes, before marking Illyria or the lands of the Illyrians on maps, the myth of Illyrians circulated in the Mediterranean. Illyrian is the son of Kadmi. Cadmus himself is the son of King Agenor (with mother Telfasa). And the great-grandson of Zeus of Dodona. The myth of the Illyrian-Albanians began when Zeus robbed Kadmi’s sister, Europe. “Kadmi and Harmonia gave birth to a child and named him Ilir”, says Çobani.
Based on this myth, according to the legend, the Illyrian Kingdom was created.
“Legend has it that Cadmus and Harmony turned into two serpents / dragons and settled forever in the Plains of Eliza. Illyrian inherited the kingdom of his father, who gave him his name: Illyrian. He rejoiced with many children (boys and girls), whose names were left to the early Illyrian tribes. The Illyrian tribe of Enkelej is also mentioned in this myth. Some think that the Dardanian tribe also took the name of one of the sons (or daughters) of Illyria. However, the myth of Dardanus, known before and after the Trojan War, is of the same time.
Dardani is the founder of Illyrian Dardania.
But a Dardan is also the founder of Troy. It is thought to be the same “, – Çobani explained, for the newspaperSi ”.
According to the scholar Çobani, Zeus, who is historically known as the Greeks, is also a Pelasgian-Illyrian-Albanian.
“Even Zeus is not the Zeus of the Greeks. Zeus is the archangel of Olympus, but before he was the archangel of Dodona and the culture of Dodona is not Hellenic or Greek, the culture of Dodona is Pelasgian-Illyrian and Zeus found in those ruins is Pelasgian-Illyrian-Albanian he emphasizes.
But, as it seems, there were doubts among Albanians about the existence of myths.
“No one doubts that Romulus and Romans were fed on the milk of a werewolf and they founded Rome. “Why do we doubt our myth, that of the founding of the Illyrian-Albanians, why do we doubt?”, – says Çobani.
While asking the question, “why do not we teach children in school, as the Romans teach their children, to this day, or are we afraid of falling into the hands of the Greeks?”
At a time when this part of mythology does not exist in any textbook or university textbook, he says that perhaps “the ‘roofs’ of Fishta (modern vagabonds) are in the Ministry, in the Academy, and in other institutions”.
Going back in time, to the history of how the gods have been treated over the years in our country and in the Greco-Roman-Illyrian relationship, he singles out problems.
“In the time of monism there are two problems: the first problem is that there is no God at all. The second is that, here there is a problem of expansion, powerful states, empires have always sought to be dominant, have dominated in writing, in culture, in weapons, in wealth and the Romans have admitted that they have taken Greek culture, the Greeks do not admit that take the Pelasgian-Illyrian-Albanian culture “, he continues.
According to Çoban, “mythology can not solve the problems that history, in turn, has not yet satisfactorily closed. “Mythology only provokes possible solutions, so the history of the deities does not receive a definite and direct answer.”
Regarding the importance of knowing mythology for today’s Albanians, he concludes that these are important, as much as culture is important to man.