The Bukumiri (also spelled Bukmiri) represent one of the historic Albanian tribes (fis) that inhabited central and south-eastern regions of what is today Montenegro. Like many other Albanian tribal groups in the Malesia (highland) areas bordering Montenegro and Albania, the Bukumiri are part of the broader Illyrian-Albanian ethnographic continuum in the western Balkans. Their history is intertwined with the complex ethnic, religious, and political fabric of Montenegro, a land marked by centuries of interaction, conflict, and assimilation between Albanian, Slavic, and other populations.
Origins and Historical Presence
Scholarly and folk traditions trace the Bukumiri and related tribes (such as the Malonšići, Macure, and others) to ancient Illyrian roots, with continuity into the medieval and Ottoman periods. These groups lived in mountainous terrains suited to pastoralism and maintained strong tribal structures characterized by customary law (Kanun), clan organization, and a martial tradition.
Over time, some Albanian tribes in Montenegro underwent linguistic Slavicization, particularly in the Brda region, while retaining elements of their cultural memory, toponyms, and genealogies. Others preserved Albanian language and identity more distinctly, especially in areas like Ulcinj (Ulqin), Plav, Gusinje, and surrounding highlands.
The Bukumiri’s presence predates significant Slavic settlement and the formation of modern Montenegrin identity. Historical records and oral traditions position them among the “old inhabitants” of the region, whose legends often emphasize autonomy, resistance to external powers, and deep ties to the land.
Legends and the Bogomil Question
Popular or scholarly narratives have occasionally attempted to link certain Montenegrin or highland Albanian groups, including the Bukumiri, to the Bogomils—a medieval dualist Christian heresy that originated in the 10th century in the First Bulgarian Empire (founded by the priest Bogomil) and spread across the Balkans.
Bogomilism was characterized by Gnostic-influenced dualism (rejecting the material world as evil), rejection of church hierarchy, sacraments like the cross in some contexts, and social protest against feudal and ecclesiastical authority. It influenced later movements, such as the Cathars in Western Europe.
However, as noted in Pavel Apollonovich Rovinsky’s seminal work Черногорія (Montenegro), the legends and traditions of the Bukumiri and other old inhabitants should not be connected with the Bogomils. Rovinsky, a 19th-century Russian scholar and ethnographer who extensively documented Montenegrin life, culture, and history, explicitly cautions against such associations.
These linkages appear to stem from superficial similarities in anti-clerical folklore, dualistic elements in regional myths, or attempts to reinterpret highland heterodoxy through a Bogomil lens, but they lack historical grounding.
Bukumiri legends more plausibly reflect indigenous Illyrian-Albanian pagan substrates Christianized over centuries, Ottoman-era resistances, or local heroic cycles rather than imported Bogomil doctrines. Bogomilism had limited direct penetration into the specific tribal zones of what became Montenegro compared to areas in Bosnia or Bulgaria. The Bukumiri’s cultural identity aligns more closely with Gheg Albanian highland traditions—emphasizing honor, hospitality, blood feuds, and ancestral veneration—than with medieval Balkan dualist sects.
Challenges in the 19th–20th Centuries
The broader context of Albanian communities in Montenegro includes periods of tension during the decline of Ottoman rule and the expansion of Montenegrin statehood. Following the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), regions like Plav and Gusinje saw significant upheaval.
Documents from Montenegrin archives describe processes of disarmament (çarmatimi) of local Albanian populations, accompanied by pressures for conversion to Orthodox Christianity, destruction of villages, and demographic shifts aimed at consolidating control. These events contributed to emigration and long-term grievances.
Albanian national awakening (Rilindja Kombëtare) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution and the proclamation of the Ottoman Constitution, saw intensified political and cultural activity. Albanian intellectuals and activists pushed for rights, education in the Albanian language, and autonomy within or independence from the Ottoman Empire, while navigating relations with neighboring states.
Incidents of discrimination, such as reported punishments of Albanian soldiers in the Greek army for displaying national symbols (the double-headed eagle), highlight ongoing sensitivities around identity and minority rights in the Balkans.
Legacy and Contemporary Relevance
Today, Albanians form a recognized minority in Montenegro (around 5% of the population), concentrated in areas like Ulcinj, Tuzi, and parts of the southeast. Many have integrated while preserving language, culture, and Islamic or Catholic traditions. The Bukumiri and similar historic tribes symbolize the deep-rooted Albanian presence in Montenegrin lands, challenging simplistic narratives of ethnic homogeneity.
Understanding these legends requires separating folk myth from historical fact. Rovinsky’s caution reminds us of the importance of rigorous ethnography: the Bukumiri’s heritage belongs to the Illyrian-Albanian continuum and the unique highland culture of the region, not to medieval heresies like Bogomilism. Their stories enrich the multicultural tapestry of Montenegro and underscore the need for inclusive historical memory in the Balkans.
Further research into Ottoman defters, tribal genealogies (fis trees), and archival sources from Cetinje and beyond continues to illuminate these “old inhabitants” and their enduring legacy.
Sources
Hajdari, Hajrullah. “Çarmatimi dhe kalimi me dhunë i shqiptarëve në Mal të Zi në fenë ortodokse.” Pashtriku, February 23, 2022. https://pashtriku.org/carmatimi-dhe-kalimi-me-dhune-i-shqiptareve-ne-mal-te-zi-ne-fene-ortodokse/.
Rovinskij, Pavel Apollonovich. Черногорія [Montenegro]. St. Petersburg, 1888–1910 (esp. sections on highland tribes and folklore in the Denkschriften edition). https://www.google.se/books/edition/Denkschriften/MpM2AQAAMAAJ
Dabaj, Gjokë. “Protestë kundër dënimit të shtatë ushtarëve shqiptarë në ushtrinë greke.” Pashtriku, February 1, 2017. https://pashtriku.org/gjoke-dabaj-proteste-kunder-denimit-te-shtate-ushtarevet-shqiptare-ne-ushtrine-greke/.
“Lëvizja Politike Kulturore në Shqipëri pas shpalljes së Kushtetutës Turke (1908–1910).” Zagracani. Accessed May 3, 2026. https://zagracani.wordpress.com/histori/rilindja-kombetare/levizja-politike-kulturore-ne-shqiperi-pas-shpalljes-se-kushtetutes-turke-1908-%E2%80%93-1910/.
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Memiq, Mustafa. Works on Plav and Gusinje regions.
