Od junaka do divljaka: Albanci u srpskom herojskom i nacionalnom diskursu od sredine osamnaestog do početka dvadesetog veka
From Heroes to Savages: the Albanians in Serbian Heroic and National Discourse from the Mid-Eighteenth to Early Twentieth century

Author(s): Aleksandar Pavlović
Subject(s): Cultural history, Oral history, 18th Century, 19th Century, Pre-WW I & WW I (1900 -1919), Inter-Ethnic Relations, Politics and Identity
Published by: KPZ Beton
Keywords: Hostility; Oral Epic Tradition; Marko Kraljević; Marko Miljanov; “Albanism”;
Summary/Abstract: This paper argues that the proper origin of Serbian-Albanian hostility had been established in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In the first part, the paper offers examples of positive mutual perceptions between Serbs and Albanians in the oral tradition, early Balkan ethnography and historiography from mid-eighteenth to mid-nineteenth century. It is contended that the appreciation for Albanian heroes found in Serbian/Montenegrin folk oral songs and narratives stems from a similar social background and shared patriarchal values among the two ethnic groups. In the second part, the paper follows the change in their perceptions from the later part of the nineteenth century onwards, influenced by the Eastern Crisis of 1875-1878, formation of the Albanian national movement, weakening of the Ottoman rule and territorial disputes over the present-day Kosovo and Northern Albania. It is argued that these tendencies gradually led to the establishment of Serbian-Albanian hostility, which became cemented on the eve of the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. In the last instance, the article focuses on positive examples of Serbian intellectuals who contested such approach and advocates for the re-affirmation of these narratives that emphasize similarities and promote friendship between Serbs and Albanians.

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