By Qazim Namani, Elona Gjata, Emin Sallahu
Namani, Gjata, Sallahu: Pagan festival at the ‘Guri i Schenjimit’ in the village of Zatriq, municipality of Rahavec.
Zatriq, a village in central Kosovo, occupies the highest position in the highlands between Rahavec and Malisheva. The territory of this village is known as an area of several caves, a castle and a stone with carved symbols from early historical periods. This stone with cult symbols is located on the southern side of the hill of the village of Zatriq, in the direction of the village of Dranoc. This stone, in addition to the symbols, has also become known because of the superstitions and pagan festivals that are held once a year on August 8.
The celebration begins on the evening of August 8th, and lasts until dawn on August 9th.
At the Marking Stone in the evening, residents of the Rahavec district and other more distant places gather. The celebration begins with folk songs and dances, which are accompanied by drinking and eating traditional foods and the fruits of the year that were prepared for eating, such as grapes, corn, pumpkin pies, summer pears and other foods, all night long.
According to Sheqajdin Dërguti (1945), a resident of Rahavec, this holiday is called the Feast of the Sign, because it marks the beginning of the ripening of many agricultural products, which are celebrated that night with folk songs and dances. Beqë Latif Makshana from the village of Dranoc claims that his village was full of summer pears, which were collected and sent to be eaten during the holiday. He remembers from the villagers that this holiday is also called the Pumpkin Festival, because fresh pumpkin pies were usually prepared for this holiday.
The Stone of Mark is formed from two rocks with a gap in the middle, which has a small space through which a human body can pass with considerable difficulty.
Since ancient times, the symbols of the cult on this stone, and the space of separation, have been transformed into a sacred place to perform ancient pagan rituals and prayers for a prosperous and healthy life. Although Makshana claims that to cross the space between these two stones, residents from other cities have also come, who believed that they would find healing or even the happiness of life. To cross this space on the stones, young couples also came, who believed that their desire to have children would be fulfilled.
The organization of this celebration was done by the residents of the district, and an influential person was appointed as responsible, who had the duty to oversee the activities and maintain order so that the pagan feasts, rites, and prayers were carried out as best as possible.
To make their faith stronger, some of the visitors traveled barefoot to the “Stone of Mark” as a sacrifice for the acceptance of prayers.
According to Beqë Makshana’s stories, participants in this celebration donate “Nezra” (gifts), food, clothing, but also money to the poor, which were then distributed to every poor family.
Based on the sources mentioned above and the old Arbër calendar, we think that this holiday is an ancient pagan holiday, which is celebrated on the first night of the summer solstice. The old Arbër calendar inherited until now by the Albanian population of Kosovo is evidence of the autochthonous nature of this population. This calendar shows different periods and marks certain dates throughout a calendar year.
From popular tradition we understand that the division of the seasons into two parts according to the calendar was also widespread among the Albanian population of Kosovo.
According to the old Arbër calendar, this celebration, held on August 8, begins on the first night of the month of “Djegagur”, during the heat of the summer and the beginning of eating many fruits and agricultural products, which begin to ripen during this period of summer, such as: Grapes, Pumpkin, Corn, Pears, etc.
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