ALBANIANS

[s. 31] : A people chiefly found in European Turkey, whose subordinate political existence, lack of literature, and tendency to wander abroad have arrested their national development — and obscured their origin and racial affinities. Groups of Albanians are found in Sicily, in Calabria, in Greece, and in some islands of the Greek Archipelago. Traces of the Albanian language or of a tongue closely allied to it are also found in Southern Italy. These and other considerations have led some to conclude that the existence of isolated groups of Albanians points to their being the remnants of a people originally inhabiting Greece and Southern Italy, and retaining to this day their distinct language and racial peculiarities. According to this view the Albanians are of one stock with the ancient Pelasgi. However this may be, they cling with an intense nationality to their language and their tribal organizaand the wild diversities of physical sur which belong to Albania. Their strong clan feeling has prevented anything like cohesion to maintain a national unity. But their modern history offers instances of a temporary union of the clans to resist a common enemy. Such a general union took place in resisting the Bulgarian invasion of Albania in 517-550, and again under Prince George Castriotes in resisting tion roundings the Turkish invasion in 1443-78. The military ability shown by Albanians in these episodes of their history and in such a case as that of Ali Pasha of Jannina, is a quality by which the Turks still profit. The flower of the Turkish army is composed of Albanians; and of the great Albanians who have risen to distinction in the service of the Sultan, it is only nece ary to recall the name of Me hemmed Ali Pasha, the renovator of Egypt and founder of the present Khedival house, to see that Turkey does well to seek Albanians for positions requiring initiative and courage. The Albanians are called “Arnaouts” by the Turks. They call themselves, however, “Skipetar,” They are divided the Eagle People. into clans so sharply separated as to introduce Their clan feeling dialects into the language. the Turkish Government has used with skill to foment jealousies that shall prevent the Albanians from uniting to throw off a hated yoke. Since the conquest of Albania by Turkey in 1478 the Albanians have been alternately hara ed and tempted by appeals to their love for a military life, and about one-half of their — number have become Mohammedans, still clinging to their own language, however, and not regarded as thoroughly orthodox in belief because still admitting the ties of race. Of the Albanians who have refused to accept Mohammedanism, those living in the southern part of Albania belong to the Greek Church, and those in the northern part, including the semi-independent In each case the Mirdites, are Roman Catholics. ineradicable love of the Albanians for their language has tended to keep the ma es of the people in dense ignorance. The Roman Catholic Albanians are taught to read in Italian or in Servian. The Greek Church follows its usual policy, insisting that schools and churches among Albanian adherents shall use the Greek its language. As to the Mohammedan Albanians, their schools are conducted in Turkish, and their religious worship in.Arabic. Whatever their religious connection, worship is an unintelligible pantomime, and education, an opportunity for culture in a foreign tongue from which a few may and do profit, but from which the ma es derive little benefit because the women are wholly illiterate and the “bookle Albanian” is the sole language of the home-life. Races of European Turkey, Clark (E. L.), New York. 1878; Turkey in Europe, by Ody eus, London, 1900; Albania and the Albanians in 1898, Callan (H.), Scottish Geog. Mag., Vol. 1.5, pp. 337-330, Edinburgh, 1899; Roman Catholic Albania, Nyon (R.), Blackwood’s Magazine, Vol. 173 pp. 476-487, London, 1903. 31