Testimonies to the Migrations of the Population from Kosova into Mirdite
Testimonies to the Migrations of the Population from Kosova into Mirdite

Summary/Abstract: In the highlands of Upper Albania, but even in Kosova, are preserved in the memory of the people until the present oral traditions originating from the Middle Ages about the origin in general of die populations of the regions, villages, particular tribes. Since several years we have much investigated in the field about these folk oral traditions and have collected a considerable material. But it should be put in evidence that oral traditions of this type are published in not a small quantity by various authors from the past century onwards, in general as an ethnological and folkloric material. This fund of oral traditions constituted in the past an important part of the "popular history" and was transmitted orally from generation to generation. Being very old oral traditions or legends they show themselves in a misty wrapping; and sometimes in our days they are transformed in entertaining tales. But, on the other side, it should be put in evidence that, the past, the oral traditions have been for the mentality and the folk practice even a moral code for the ties and assistance among die different Albanian regions in case of economic and social distress, need, in difficult life circumstances, in defensive wars against invaders, in demonstration of force by means of the inter-regional ties. They were a powerful expression of the ethnic inter-regional cohesion.

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