university of nova gorica graduate school contested spaces and ...

Considering the names such as Lek, Gjon, Gjike as pure Albanian is not correct,
admitted even from Albanian scientists (see Androkli Kostallarin) that define these
names as adapted and with Christian origin. Perhaps we should remind that
Illyrian/Albanian names are such as Bardhyl, Teuta, Dardan, ect. I have an impression
that Mr. Frashëri has been too fast coming to these conclusions [sic.] (ibid.).
Unlike Frashëri and Jorgji who argue about the national belonging of the names inscribed on
church walls, the British historian Winnifrith notes:
Greek records are scanty, and this is unfortunate if we are interested in the survival of
Greek speaking communities in such areas as Himarë, Pogoni and the district near
Sarandë. Here there is evidence in the shape of oral tradition and interesting old
churches with Greek inscriptions, but neither form of evidence is entirely reliable in
proving what seems probable, that in scattered and remote parts of Southern Albania
Greek held on after the double disaster of the Albanian invasion of the fourteenth
century and the Ottoman occupation in the fifteenth (Winnifrith 2002: 102).
Along with language and belonging, the place names and personal names also represent a
subject of dispute amongst scholars defending ether local or national positions. From the
sections above – Trading Overseas and Roman and Byzantine Empire – one can clearly see
that behind the contestations about Himarë/Himara people’s belonging there are continuous
economic, political, demographic and geomorphologic changes which ensued with people’s
movements, various incursions of different tribes or groups (such as Normans, Bulgarians and
Ottomans), tectonic movements, changes of administrative and political divisions of people
and places that happened in the area of today’s Himarë/Himara. But the continuity of these
movements is often not discussed by the scholars who instead of movements put forth their
nationalist or local perceptions within which they talk about on the nation-state or locality
building issues.
2.4.4. Construction of National Hero Skanderbeg
In the 15 th century the movements of people from Himarë/Himara area and elsewhere
continued along with the spread of the Ottoman power and islamisation of non-Muslim
population living in South Eastern Europe. In spite of ongoing incursions of the Ottoman
army in places of today’s Skodra, Lezha, Durrës, Vlorë, Himarë/Himara and Sarandë people
kept trading relations with the Venetian Republic. Some of them were professional soldiers of
the Venetian army, joining forces in resistance against the Ottoman power (Jacques 1995:
172).
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