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By ROLAND QAFOKU
A myth, a strategist, a national hero, the most famous Albanian in history. This is Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg. Today, on 17 January, on the day that marks the 550th anniversary of his death, we have selected several sayings, comments and conclusions on his figure. Researchers, historians, military officers, writers, philosophers, journalists, Albanian and foreigners who live or who are dead, express their opinion on Skanderbeg. Two popes, Queen Elisabeth of England, Sultan Mehmet, French writer Voltaire, Aleks Buda, Artan Fuga, Ismail Kadare, Marin Barleti, Gjergj Zheji and Faik Konica. A journey not only in history, but also in what Albanian and world thinkers have to say on our national hero. Of course, among them there are also disagreements and debates
- Pope Callixtus III
“Like an unwavering feather, Gjergj Kastrioti stopped the fury of the Turkish attacks and prevented them from invading Christian Europe!”
- Pope Pious I
“Gjergj Kastrioti spend almost his entire life fighting the Christian cause. It’s hard to find a bigger crusader than him!”
- Queen of England, Elisabeth, in the book of prayers published in 1559
“17 January. Today marks the anniversary of the death of the good prince, Skanderbeg, king of Epirus who annihilated the Turks”.
- Sultan Mehmet II
“The world will never see a lion like him!”
- Voltaire, François-Marie Arouet, French writer
“Had Skanderbeg defended Constantinople, the Turks would not have invaded it in 1453”.
- G General James Wolf, hero of Quebec
“He (Skanderbeg) stands above all military officers, ancient and actual, in leading a small defense army!”
- Sir William Temple in his work “Heroic Virtue”
“Skanderbeg is among the seven uncrowned kings of Europe…”
- Thomas Townshend, British Secretary of War
“I have found Skanderbeg in the history of Turkey, but nowhere else”
- Milan Shuflaj, researcher of Albanian folklore from Croatia
“It’s pointless searching for documents on Skanderbeg in Albania, besides the ones written on the rocks, because everything that was written, was burned by the Turks!”
- Konstantin Jiricek, historian and researcher of Albanian folklore from the Czech Republic, in the book “History of Serbs
“The Venetians put 100 ducats on the head of Skanderbeg”.
- Marlin Barleti, writer, historian (History of Skanderbeg, page 491)
“When he heard them mourning him (Skanderbeg), Lek Dukagjini, the prince from Epirus, ran to the Bazaar and in state of sorrow, said pulling his beard and hair: Princes of Arberi, gather around! Today, they destroyed the doors of Epirus and Macedonia, today they destroyed our walls and fortresses, today, every hope that we had was gone along with this man!”
- Fan Noli, historian, researcher, writer, translator
(Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, 1405-1468, pages 11, 38)”
“Skanderbeg has successfully defended Kruja against three sieges organized by Murat II and Mehmet II, two of the most terrible invaders of the period, who led the strongest armies of the world”.
- Aleks Buda, historian, chairman of the Academy of Sciences of Albania
“Skanderbeg’s activity is not an ‘inflated balloon’ as it has been claimed, but a historical fact”.
- Faik Konica, journalist, researcher, diplomat (Albania, rocky garden of Southeast Europe, page 17)
“All those who have written on Skanderbeg, from Marin barleti to Eduard Giboni and bishop Noli, have spoken high of his fighting heroism, but little has been said about his ability to work with the people. A smaller man could not have achieved such thing”.
- Ismail Kadare, writer (The Disagreement, page 112)
“To unmythicize the figure of Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg means attacking the very concept of freedom. His unmythicization is one of the disgraces of disgraces of the Albanian nations!”
- Artan Fuga, academic (14 January 2018, Analysis on his Facebook page)
“The almighty and magic Skanderbeg, because he was driven by the idea and was a visionary, was not an ordinary sword man, who cut heads”.
- Pëllumb Xhufi, historian, researcher (In the TV political show “Debate” on Channel One on 11 January 2018)
“Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg is an emblematic figure in our history. The national Albanian conscience has been built around him. It’s like a magma that bonds Albanians from all regions, religions and political convictions”.
- Virgjil Kule, journalist (“Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, the last crusader”, pg. 516)
“Three years ago, Gjergj Kastrioti was on the verge of fulfilling his project, but every plan was ruined with the death of Pope Pious II. Now, the idea of the crusade was reviving”.
- Fatos Lubonja, analyst
“For me, Skanderbeg is a myth which has been taken and reconstructed more than one time”.
- Aurel Plasari, researcher, historian, translator of “Albania and Albanians in Pious II’s Europe”
“Without a doubt, a famous humanist and the first one who reconfirmed Europe’s spiritual unity by including in it the western and the eastern part, redefining the concept of Europe, providing it with a new political content!”
- Oliver Jens Schmitt, historian at the Institute of the History of Southeast Europe in Vienna, (Skanderbeg, pg. 533)
“History of Skanderbeg is as it’s been treated up until today in world and Albanian historiography, it has the features of a myth”.
- Ardian Klosi, analyst, researcher
“Skanderbeg’s father was called Ivan. John is a made up name.”
- Kristo Frashëri, historian, academic
“The Slav name Ivan, that he (Schmit) calls Skanderbeg’s father, has justly caused a bitter impression in the Albanian public opinion”.
- Sabri Godo, writer, politician
“Skanderbeg has turned into a legend and the legend turns into a myth, but there exists one big truth surrounding his figure. He dedicated his life to the fight against Turkish invasion and did everything he could to turn this war into a war of all the Balkan people and beyond. Had it not been for this big resistance, Albanians would have turned into an enslaved people”.
- Sandër Lleshi, general, author of the book “Skanderbeg or Schmitt’s mission impossible”
“The cited document is very unclear to have the value that Schmitt gives it”
- Ardian Ndreca, publicist, researcher (When Skanderbeg is not Skanderbeg’s history, pg. 1)
“It’s difficult, perhaps impossible to think that such an epic enterprise like the one of our national hero Skanderbeg, could be launched by non-Catholic leaders. The papal titles “Athleta Christi”, “dilecti fili”, “viri catholici” confirm such situation in that particular moment”.
- Ylli Polovina, journalist, researcher (“Skanderbeg’s forgotten half”, pg. 260
“Skanderbeg’s epopee was a heroic war, because it was intelligent”.
- Gjergj Zheji, (Skanderbeg’s Kruja), pg 62.
“It’s normal for the figure of a brave man like Skanderbeg’s to be hyperbolized in our legends. Today, we find many stories that speak of the strange force that Gjergj Kastrioti could yield with his arm, of the speed of his horse, who did not run, but flew”.
- Abas Ermenji, (The place occupied by Skanderbeg in the history of Albania, pg. 6)
“Skanderbeg is the central figure that binds the old history of Illyrians, of the Macedonian Epiriots and Arberesh. But, the figure of Skanderbeg has also played a major role in the later history of the Albanian nation. It has accompanied this history up until the present day”.
- Tajar Zavalani, BBC journalist, researcher, (History of Albania, pg. 128)
“Gjergj Kastrioti has dedicated himself to the freedom and wellbeing of his people. His scope was not only to stop the attacks of foreign enemies, but also to join an independent nation”.
