Serpent and Bird

As frustrating as it is to glean information of our own history from foreigners, that is the unfortunate truth of many aspects of Albanian culture, especially when it comes to parts of Shqiperia Etnike that we are not native to. One of the greatest Albanographers, Edith Durham, documented her travels across the Balkans and thankfully we have her observations and illustrations to look back on, today.

As with most accounts from non-Albanians in the early 20th century, these writings must be taken with a grain of salt; they tend to be rife with Orientalism, misunderstandings and as often is the case, a superiority complex. That being said, it is worth reading these books and essays and sifting through the judgment and culture shock to find the gems underneath. Photographs and sketches are a perfect example of this.

In her book, “Some Tribal Origins, Laws and Customs of The Balkans,” Edith recounts the hesitancy some people displayed at being photographed and even sketched. This was attributed to suspicion and even fear of “the evil eye,” and of course, as Albanians, we laugh and understand this because sooner or later someone will always attribute something negative to “syri i keq.”

The few instances where Edith was able to snap a consenting photo or draw out the symbols of a tattoo or clothing are a particularly special and a fantastic look into our past. One such sketch is the illustration she recorded of a serpent and bird design on a Scutari (Shkodran) woman’s cloak.

At first glance, the drawing seems simple and almost crude but keep in mind, this is a drawing of a textile design. These birds and serpents and flowers were painstakingly embroidered, over time, using different colored thread, each stitch a carefully placed prayer of protection against the evil eye for the young woman that would eventually wear it.

Veshje kombetare, or traditional Albanian clothing, is full of symbolism and culture. There are stories told in every vest, a history lesson in every belt and traditions passed down generation to generation in each article of clothing. Discovering these drawings and reading these accounts is bittersweet as an Albanian. Knowing our history and how much we’ve struggled with oppression and invaders, it does sting a bit relying on foreigners to relay this information to us, but that is salved by the fact that the information is not lost; it’s there for everyone. Our history and culture is resilient and accessible, and that is something to celebrate and take pride in.