Customer Reviews

The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe)

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1 star:		(7)

 

 

Wilkes' book about the Illyrian peoples in the Balkan peninsula, from their prehistoric origins until the arrival of the Slavs, suffers from lack of broader scholarship. The simple fact is that we don't know very much about the Illyrians, especially in the pre-Christian periods. The result is that the first 180 pages of this chronological survey are extremely thin on sociology, politics, organization, religion, etc... in short all of the things we wish to learn from a history. Instead, the text is an overly detailed log of dig sites and types of implements found there, without any broader analysis. This is not Wilkes' fault, there simply hasn't been enough scholarship, or enough breakthroughs in understanding the Illyrians to satisfactorily fill these pages.

The book becomes much more useful, and more interesting as we reach the Roman/Christian era, simply because there is enough historical evidence to fill in a few more of the gaps. Unfortunately, there still is not really enough grist. Perhaps the next tome on the Illyrians, in twenty years time, will reflect much more fieldwork and understanding of their society. Until then, this is a useful jumping-off point, but hardly a comprehensive review of Illyrian history.

For a nitpick: the maps are a disaster. The four maps in the introduction simply do not carry enough information to the reader. I found myself frequently flipping to these maps, scouring them in vain for a place name mentioned in the text, looking through a large atlas, wondering if the name itself had changed over time, and ultimately being frustrated that I couldn't locate events. Author and editor should design dozens more maps, relevant to nearby text, and sprinkle them liberally throughout the book.

The history of Illyrians is still covered with too many unknowns. The only way to write about them is to collect the excavated pieces and try to put them together in a timetable, which came out solid in this book. For the sake of rationality and impartiality it's extremely important to stay away from the temptation to write a 'story' of the people that we know so little or nothing about. It is obvious why many authors concentrate themselves more on the Roman-Illyrian times. We simply cannot ignore the written information's by Roman -and other authors, whatever we might think of them.
Reviews that speak of author's unfriendliness toward Albania and Albanian nation, same about the 'conspiracy', of all other nations in 'Illyrian' area, against the theory of Albanians as only 'surviving' Illyrians, are absurd and untrue. The excavated materials show undesired facts to their personal opinion of the matter, so it's a pure nationalism speaking. Until 19th century in parts of Istrian peninsula(Croatia) lived people that spoke a kind of dialect/language that was considered to be of Illyrian origins.

Wilkes is the foremost LIVING authority on the Illyrians. His is the LATEST comprehensive work on the Illyrian people. In his book, "The Illyrians", John Wilkes states on pg: 219:

"NOT MUCH RELIANCE SHOULD PERHAPS BE PLACED ON ATTEMPTS TO IDENTIFY AN ILLYRIAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL TYPE AS SHORT AND DARK SKINNED SIMMILAR TO MODERN ALBANIANS."

Wilkes has been proven CORRECT by science when the Human Genome Project's Y-chromosome study of European populations, confirmed that the vast majority of contemporary Albanians do not share an Illyrian or any Indo-European linneage - they are mostly a pre-IE Mediterranean population.

John Wilkes correctly puts Illyrian descendants among contemporary ex-Yugoslavs, centered around Montenegro and Bosnia and branching out into Dalmatia and south-western Serbia. Wilkes hints that ex-Yugoslavs are slavicized Illyrians and he leans on C.S Coon who insists that Albanians are of mixed Slavic, Thracian, Turkish, Armenoid and Illyrian origin.

This work was published in 1991 and based on the newest excavations undertaken in ex-Illyria. Wilkes brings out plenty of the most recent archaeological and anthropological evidence which other's in his field did not have access to.

Ten years after he published this work, the Human Genome Project's Y-chromosome study proved him correct. Modern science has dealt a huge blow to Albanian attempts to usurpe the Illyrian legacy. He was a decade ahead of his time. Because of his work, many academics within Albania have also come out in favour of accepting the new findings; namely: Kaplan Resuli, Fatos Lubonja, Ardian Qosi and Ardian Vebiu. They are joined by many international critics of the now debunked Albanian-Illyrian theory: Paul, Hirt, Weigand, Tomashek, Georgiev, Pushcariu and many others.

Read this book. Keep in mind that it is based on evidence older works did not have access to and keep in mind that science has proven Wilkes correct ten years after he published this long-overdue honest and objective, thorough analysis of the legacy of one of Europe's oldest civilizations. The Albanians can no longer unjustly monopolise a whole people as they have done in the past.

Do you live in an inverted fantasy world in which the founders of the ancient Mediterranean rim civilizations (Greeks, Romans, and Illyrians) were tall, blonde, and Nordic and the invading barbarians were short, swarthy, and fond of souvlaki? Do you read racist fantasies that Tolkien never intended into the Lord of the Rings ("The Orcs are black guys and Aragorn's a Teutonic Knight!")? When your high school drama club put on a production of "The Diary of Anne Frank", did the teacher have to kick you out of the auditorium for constantly screaming out, "She's in the attic, boys!"? Then this might be the book for you!

Sieg Heil `til your hoarse as Wilkes cranks out bizarre, inaccurate, and ahistorical gems likes these, "not much reliance should perhaps be placed on attempts to identify an Illyrian anthropological type as short and dark-skinned similar to modern Albanians". Of course not! Like all true civilized Mediterranean peoples, from Jesus of Nazareth to Pericles, they were tall, blonde scions of Atlantis, who unfortunately, late sullied their gene pool by mingling with the Untermenschen. And Slavs (who've historically been the great beneficiaries of such thought, right?) should rally around this tome as a cudgel with which to beat the Illyrian heritage out of any recalcitrant Albanians who insist upon clinging to a pre-Slavic Balkan heritage.

So yeah, if you subscribe to outmoded, inaccurate racialist theories en vogue in the 1930s, if you think that Germans are actually Aryans, if you come from Bizarro World and believe that Superman's job is to crush buildings, or if you just flat out hate Albanians, than this is really the book for you!

Enjoy the appendix on phrenology and the special pop-up section on Dinaric hyperbrachycephalic mesomorphs!

This book represents a remarkably heroic step into the world of an-almost-taboo subject on the Illyrians, a once great people of ancient Europe, and the last "thorn in the foot" of the Roman Empire. It is well researched and to an extent it makes for a view on the current state of affairs, that is distilled from Serbian and Croatian proprietary "history" over the history of Illyrians as something, it was claimed by these, way too mystical. As with any myths, which Serbian and Croatian schools are extremely fond of and well versed in, there is no mystery at all for the author of this small masterpiece encyclopedia on Illyrians.

The book builds on the hypothesis of continuity, which places the nucleus of Illyria in present-day Bosnia, and bases its premises upon the wealth of archeological findings that were brought to the light in the past three decades. The material is a work of knowledge, the language that of a master. The maps are excellent in detail, and precisely grouped for easier orientation. The reader indeed becomes easily attracted to the material which is dramatically presented, as it appears that many myths have been thorn apart by this text, including that of Albanians as the exclusive descendants of Illyrians. Clearly, the anthropology-driven account of facts denies the link between present-day Albanians (small, dark) and reconstructed skeletons found in west, central and east Bosnia and eastern Serbia inhabited by Bosniaks (tall, Caucasian).

This book thus reveals a two-fold drama that followed its release: one concerning the contents of an unquestionable scientific importance, and the other which can be described best as a wake-up call for the self-loving hard-liners among the south-Slavic (non Illyrian) peoples, e.g. Serbians and Croatians, in the midst of awaking of the new-old nation of the western Balkans - the Bosniaks (Illyrians?).

This book leaves much to desire in terms of scientific research. It drastically deviates from the established theories on the origin of Illyrians, a people inhabiting the Balkan Peninsula in the Roman times. Unlike some of the previous reviewers, I am not going to be concerned as much with his refusal to endorse the Albanians as the descendants of the Illyrians, but more with his methods of arriving to conclusions without much serious historical or scientific work. Not the most serious work on the Illyrians.

The Book was alright even though it did confuse some people from what i see.
I am truly sorry to dissapoint the Serbs-Bosnians-Croatians-Slovens and all other Slavic language speaking people but there is no way that you can be descendants of the Illyrians.

Almost all (over 95%) of these people speak the same language (called Bosnian or Serbo-Croatian), and come of the same European racial stock, descended from Slavic tribes that settled in the area in the early Middle Ages. The people of Bosnia are traditionally called Bosnians. For reasons having to do with recent history (and as much with 20th-century ideologies as with traditional religious allegiances), Bosnians whose ancestors were of the Catholic faith are now identified as Bosnian Croats (17%), while those of Eastern Orthodox background are now identified as Bosnian Serbs (31%). The largest group of the Bosnian population, however, are the Muslim Slavs (44% in the 1991 census), descendants of Christian Bosnians who accepted Islam some 500 years ago.

Like the rest of the Mediterranean region, Bosnia was part of the Roman Empire during the first centuries of the Christian era. After the fall of Rome, the area of Bosnia was contested between Byzantium and Rome's successors in the West. By the 7th century AD, Bosnia was settled by Slavs, who formed a number of counties and duchies. The 9th century saw the establishment of two neighboring kingdoms: Serbia (southeast of Bosnia), and Croatia (in the west).

I really dont understand why they are so ashamed of the fact that they come from Carpathia, slavic people are also a great people. But one thing is for sure they arent Illyrians.

Albanians(non-slavic) on the other hand are a different story.Data drawn from history and from linguistic, archaeological, and anthropological studies have led to the conclusion that Albanians are the direct descendants of the ancient Illyrians and that the latter were natives of the lands they inhabited. Similarly, the Albanian language derives from the language of the Illyrians, the transition from Illyrian to Albanian apparently occurring between the 4th and 6th centuries AD.
Even most historians believe the Albanian people are in large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like other Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The name Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arber, or Arbereshė, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrės. And than you have the Dardanians that are today known as the Kosovar-Albanians.

These are just some of the facts ...albanians still even have the same names, same old traditions and same old language. Just read some more about what historians have to say.

Remember Agroni(albanian name) the Illyrian king?
Remember Teuta (albanian name) the Illyrian Queen?

and you be the judge

Peace
and good luck

The "-us, -is, -os" suffixes are used by Greek for Greek names. Illyrians don't use the "-*s" suffix.

Bardyllis is wrong. The original name is Bardhyl. Bardyllis has been deformed to fit the Greek grammar.

Ballaios is wrong. The original name is Bala/Balla. Bala is a family name used by Albanians in Kosovo in Duka Gjini valley. Also the Bal is used to call the older brother in some Illyrian tribes where addressing the older brother directly by name was not polite. This is still used in by Kosovo Albanians.

Ok let me start with this.Shouldn't the head of "DEA" be on the cover of the book lol.That is the most famous Illyrian statue in Albania.

Well...since there's not that many books in English about Illyrians, no wonder we are obligated to read whatever book that has Illyria or Illyrians on the tittle, thinking... maybe it will be usefull.It's not the case with this book though... Who said there's little known of Illyrians? Have u ever gone to Albania? Ever visited tenths of ancient museums dedicated to Illyrians? We didn't just made them up lol. Have u ever heard of a sllav called Ilir or Teuta or Agron? lol Shoot! The author just forgott to mention that if there is a reason sllavics wanna be known as "Illyrians" is just to prove the Europe, that they're just as old as the rest of it is (U won't understand why that's so important, if you're not europian).
Anyway...if this author was so serious about Illyrians, he shouldnt have started his book with such a phrase as "...they spoke a language of which almost no trace has survived"
He should have known that different from the Bosnians, Serbians,Macedonians, etc whose languige is that of slavic, Albanians of TODAY do have a very unique language that is not spoken or related to any other language in the world today. Is one of the only seven languages in the world to do so. There is no doubt, Albanian language is so uniqe because has its origins in Illyrian language.

The reason why the Illyrian history is overshadowed, is because they lived between 3 great empires that constantly tried to "be" the world, while Illyrians and Albanians are known of, never occupying another territory, unless is for defense.

As the desctruction of Romans,Greeks and Macedonians was not enough, the Turkish empire destroied everything it could, while building NOTHIN', not even a freakin' mosque (in Albania). This didn't happen in Greece or Italy, at least not at this level.

If I'm coming up as a fanatic-patriotic-person lol I'm sorry, that's the last thing I wanna come up as. I just wanna see a work done properly.In my country writing a book doesn't mean dollars, means responsibility and importance.You can't write history or talk about other countries based in your beliefs, history is FACTS and facts are all over Balkan, which the author should have visited and lived in, before sendin his work for print.
Albanians are never known for SHOW-OFFS thats why we don't really care about sllavics or greek theories. We know who we are, it's them that desperately for centuries have tried to be us.
Such a shame!

This is a message to J.J.Wilkes. Dear friend, you are embarrasing yourself with this publication. Tell me how true is
your evidence that illyrian language is not transmitted to the Albanians? I am an Albanian. My name is Ilir Mollosiu. Let me translate that in english for you from the beautiful Illyro-albanian language: Ilir means "free" in english and Mollosiu comes from molla which means "apple" in english. Mollosians are an illyrian tribe and you can simply believe that based on their name that has a meaning only in Albanian. "Illyria" as well has a meaning only in Albanian ( the land of the free.) The same simple reasoning can be used when talking about the modern Kosovar-Albanians. They are descendants of the Illyrian tribe of Dardanians. Dardania has a meaning only in Albanian. It comes from the word (dardha) which in english is "pear." If I were to be more specific, I could talk about the names of the Illyrian leaders that are still alive in our beautiful indo-european language (the Albanian language,) which is one of the nine indo-european languages. The illyrian king Hyllus has a name that is still very popular in Albania (Ylli) that means "star" in english. The other illyrian king named Bardhyllus in Albania is a very popular name as well (Bardhyl) which in english stands for "white star." The same popularity have the names of the other illyrian leaders such as: Gent, Teuta and Pirro and so many others.
A note to everybody who is interested in the history of the Illyrians: Make yourself a big favor and do not buy this book that is most likely based on unreliable sources when talking about the history of the Illyrians (probably serbian.)
A note to the author: You should spend more time in Albania and Kosovo if you want to write a book about their past and history. There you will find plenty of information that will make you believe in the transformation from Illyrians to Albanians such as art, costumes, names, syncretic religions {(a form of paganism lives arm to arm with the christianity) an example of this is the honoring of the sun and the moon in the north Albania during the burial acts together with the christian rituals where the sun is the good male power and the moon is the female demonian power}
P.S. Please go and spend some time in albania and don't let us think of you as a LOUSY anthropologist and historian.
TUNGJATJETA
I just wished you a healthy and long life. Your Albanian reader that was horryfied while reading your book Ilir Mollosiu.