Customer Reviews

A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture

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This is a phenomenal resource. It is the first attempt, that I know of at least, to try and catalogue the mythology of a culture that at worst was a contemporary of the ancient Greeks. I'll be honest and say that I'm biased in regards to anything Albanian (I'm from Kosova) but I got a huge kick out of this. I flipped through with my mother and was able to find entries for monsters and tales she had told me while I was growing up codified by genuine certified academic types!

Much if not most Albanian folklore is handed down via an oral tradition that extends back to before Christ. It is a beautiful thing but being oral it dies if no one remembers it, that is exactly what I am afraid is going to happen. As someone who has been to the region many, many times I think it imperative that the knowledge of the oldest generations be recorded before they pass on. If not then all you'll be left with is people like myself, who have but a pale echo of that tradition of myth and legend.

The only downside to this fantastic book is that it is so very limited. It is obvious that material exists for a much more in depth examination of this amazing trove. Some doctoral candidates out there have enough raw materials for 100 theses. Get hopping!