This article contains quotes and citations from various authors writing on Albanian related history, from the 17th century. There is also information on various small Albanian tribes that may have been forgotten, published in 1917.
Forgotten tribes.
Bishkash
This clan inhabits the slopes of the mountains called Mali Bishkashit running down to the river Mat. The Lunyeva and Traya streams flow through the district. It is bounded on the N. by Matia, on the W. and S.W. by the Mali Bishkashit, and on the E. and S.E. by the river Karitses. Its villages are: Stoyan, Bishkash, Brinyäi (with church), Hotäi, Bas (Bazya) (with church), Shtog, Kakerdoku. It has 150 houses and 2,800 persons, 900 of whom are Moslems and 1,900 Catholics. The Moslems live only in Bas. The villages of Karitza, Grmaït, and Mitha, which formerly belonged to Bishkash, now belong to Matia. Bishkash forms one bairak. Bishkash with Selita and Kthela are locally called the three bairaks of Okri Vogel. This clan is one of the poorest clans in Albania. There is little cultivation. Accordingly they prefer to steal from the plains.
Bulgjeri
This clan, a bairak of the Malzia Leshës, occupies the left bank of the River Fan from the junction of both arms to where it flows into the Mat, and also the right bank of the Fan from the Rubig stream to a short way down the Mat. On the right bank is the village of Rasfiku and Berzana (Murzan); on the left lie Kula Bulgjeri and Fangu. The church at Bulgjeri is at the edge of the district on the right bank of the Rubig. Bulgjeri has 110 houses.
Buzaytit
This clan is situated in the angle between the Licheni Kastratit and the Lake of Scutari on the S.W. and extends across the lower part of the Proni That. It is bounded by the Kastrati clan to the N.E. and by the Kopliku clan to the S.E. The numbers are variously estimated between 800 and 960; nearly two-thirds being Catholic and one-third Mohammedan, a few Orthodox. There are three small villages, forming one bairak: Jubitza, Flaka, Kamnitsa. This clan comes from the Podgorica district and is Albanian-speaking.
Chereti
This clan, a bairak of Dukajin, occupies the slopes of Mt. Leya. It has 1,450 persons, of whom 1,210 are Catholics and 240 are Moslems. The villages are: Dushi, Kehira, Chereti eper, in the Gömische valley; and Komani and Chereti poshter in the Drin valley.
Kochãi
This clan is situated E. of Podgorica and N. of Triepshi, and extends between Orahovo, Triepshi, Fundina, and Medun. Its numbers are variously estimated from 450 to 700. It is included in Montenegro.
There are three villages-Nutzuli, Marti, Gorvog with 50 houses. The Kochai are Catholic and bilingual, and say they originally came from the Klementi clan. They are shepherds. Their district is too stony for cultivation. In the summer they feed their flocks on the eastern slopes of the Zijovo mountain in Montenegro. They own the shepherds’ huts at Brak i Samatorit, between Radeca Velja and Kostica.
Kthela (Thkela).
This clan lies on the left bank of the lower Fan river and the right bank of the Mat river. It occupies the valleys of the Zali Shebyes and the Lusya Lisit. It is bounded on the N. by the bairak of Oroshi; on the E. by Selita; on the W. by the Fan river; on the S. by the Mat river and the mountain Kulm Dervenit.
This ridge forms the frontier between Kthela and Mirdita. It includes the three valleys of the rivers Zmiya e Vogel, Zmiya e Mathe, and Shtreza. Its principal villages are: Kthela eper, Kamets (with church), Shtana (Tenna), Rshein (Rsheni) (with church), Shebe (Shebya), Malai, Proseku, Perlatai (church Terasi Lurthi Yezuli. The three largest are Perlatāi Kamets and Rshein. There are 2,700 persons in this clan in 300 houses. The clan is Catholic.
Selita Bshkash and Kthela are collectively described locally as the three bairaks of Okri Vogel There is little pasture land and in summer part of the flocks is pastured outside the district on the Mali Sheynt and Kunora Maize is the chief crop but some tobacco is grown Many of the Kthelans under the pressure of hunger plunder the coast plain).
The Albanian tribes of Shilopi and Logoreci
“Shilopi, a surname probably of Albanian origin; Alb. shil, shili n.m. “desire”, “vivid desire”. F. Cordignano, Diz, Albanian-Ital., n.v. shil. 596 Gurić, patron surname, of direct derivation “son of Gurić”; etymology uncertain; perhaps of Albanian origin
The same applies to those of Albanian origin (it is very likely that the Albanians were the Logoreci and Shilopi, who were eventually “nationalized”)”.1
18th century Albanians Arbanas Gurakuqi, Lukë Palabardhi and Andre Gurakuqi in 1735
“… Arbanas (Gorakući), Luka Bjelopavlić in 1728, and Andrija Arbanas (Gorakući) in 1735. went to Korčula by gaeta to take over their new tartans. From another source we learn that Duro Sarabaća went in 1729 to get the trabakula, and Nikola …”2
Alberto Albanese, Pal Buzezia, Marco Albanese of Shkodër and Nisa Astana in the 17th century
“Alberto Albanese. In this case, it cannot be claimed that this is a person who immigrated from Albanian territory, but only of probable Albanian origin!
In the house of Messer Simon Fagnat in mid-May 1665, Messer Paulo Buzezia died, who is said to have been an Albanian by nation, and otherwise a lieutenant.
Mrs. Giulia, wife (!) of Mr. Marco Albanese from Scutari, a soldier on horseback in the Company of Crouati of Captain Niccolò Milovichi, passed away at the age of approximately 58, premonition of the sacraments of the Church, buried in the Cathedral Church of this City in a grave of Sant’Antonio, the one towards the Altar of the Royal Veronese of the Most Holy Rosary.
Donna Maria, son of the late Alberto Albanese, living in this city (LC 1631)
Sir Paulo Buzezia of the Albanian nation, reformed lieutenant of the Captain Niccolò Bubich (LM 1665)
Given the form of her name and surname, Nisa Astana, who died in Pula at the end of September 1671, was probably of Albanian origin. Her husband was Giovanni Battista Marcello, a soldier in Colonel Volpi’s company. It is recorded that she received all the sacraments and was buried in the cemetery of St. Francis.”3
The Albanian Arbanas Pepe (Pepaj) mentioned in 1607 in Kotor
“Kotor 31 March 1607: Hearing in Kotor before the Kotor governor Arbanas Pepe, who carried letters from Lezhë to Venice about his journey, about the ships before Lezhe and especially about Antoni Petković, who was said to be on a Spanish ship on 31 March 1607.
Having appeared before the Third Lord Provr in his usual audience chamber, Pepa Albanese, who had come from Alessio to this city, and asked him when he had arrived and what business he had to do here, he replied: I arrived in this city today about the 15th hour, and I have brought some letters, going to Venice, which I received from Domenego Duke Albanese.
When asked how much was missing from Alessio, he replied: Three days. When asked if he had seen any vessels of any kind there in Alessio, and what kind of vessels were nearby, he replied: There were many vessels from Perast and Budua to load freight, and also a Berton, who they said had come from Spain, and is very well armed, who gave word of loading freight, but did not load any and was awaiting the rescue of two Turks and two Turkish women from Durazzo.
When asked if he had been to the said Berthon, he replied: “Sir, no, but I was very close to him and saw many people there.” When asked if he knew any of those who were at the said Berthon, he replied: “I knew one Antonio Pitcovich from Budva.” When asked what kind and quality of man that Antonio Pitcovich is, he replied: “This Antonio is a tall man with a black beard and is starting to grow gray, whom I know very well because I have seen him several times in Budva.”
When asked if he had spoken with that Antonio there in Alessio or in those surroundings and what they spoke about together, he replied: “Yes, sir, we spoke together and he, Antonio, told me he came there to see his house but that he is troubled, because the Venetian Saints are persecuting him and he was suspicious of the Venetian Saints’ galleries.”4
The Albanian Juraj Armani of 1622 settle in Valkarin near Porec
“On October 21, 1622, the parish priest Juraj Arman, an “Albanian”, brought eight families who settled in Valkarin near Poreč, with the obligation to build a village. At the same time, 12 Albanian families arrived in Jasenovica near Fuškulin (immigrants from Šibenik had already settled in Fuškulin in 1605).5
Erödi believes that the Albanians have Pelasgian origin
“Erödi believes that today’s (i.e. from the end of the 19th century, ed. M. A.) Albanians represent the most interesting ethnic group on the Balkan Peninsula… who, like other Balkan peoples, have Pelasgian origins.”6
Sources
- https://www.google.se/books/edition/Regesti_marittimi_croati/r6lIAAAAYAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=albanese+di+perast&dq=albanese+di+perast&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
- https://books.google.se/books?id=BFw7AQAAIAAJ&q=Andrija+Arbanas&dq=Andrija+Arbanas&hl=sv&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEv4jot8eQAxVwGhAIHc1bO2wQ6AF6BAgJEAM ↩︎
- https://www.google.se/books/edition/Anali_Zavoda_za_povijesne_znanosti_Hrvat/q2VpAAAAMAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=albanese+di+risan&dq=albanese+di+risan&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
- https://www.google.se/books/edition/Gra%C4%91a_za_istoriju_pokreta_na_Balkanu_pr/XH0vAQAAMAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&dq=albanese+perasto&pg=PA427&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
- https://www.google.se/books/edition/Istarski_zapisi/XxK2AAAAIAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=albanci+%C5%A0ibenik&dq=albanci+%C5%A0ibenik&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
- https://www.google.se/books/edition/Simpoziumi_per_Skenderbeun/nDQBAAAAMAAJ?hl=sv&gbpv=1&bsq=albanci+Dubrovnik&dq=albanci+Dubrovnik&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
Balkan Academia 