Arvanites: Encyclopedia II - Arvanites - Arvanitic culture and history

Arvanites - Arvanitic culture and history

The Arvanites, like the Vlachs in Greece, have gradually developed a Greek national consciousness and identify themselves as Greeks. Some have argued that Arvanites are descended from early inhabitants of Greece (Pelasgians). They are linguistically related to Albanians.

Arvanites - Origin and history of the name

We first learn of the ancestors of the modern Albanians, as the Arbanites of Arbanon, in Anna Comnena's account (Alexiad, IV). The account discusses about the troubles in the region of Arbanon caused by the Normans during the reign of her father, Emperor Alexius I Comnenus (1081-1118). In the History, written in 1079/1080 A.D., Byzantine historian Michael Attaliates was the first to refer to the Albanoi as having taken part in a revolt against Constantinople in 1043 A.D. and to the Arbanitai as subjects of the Duke of Dyrrachium.

The terms Arvanitika and Arvanitic derive from the word Arvanitai (Αρβανίται); the etymology according to Yannis Koulakis' dictionary (ISBN 960-239-135-9) of the Greek adjective Arvanitika is from the root Arvanit- of the term Arvanitis.

According to one theory, the word "Arvanitis" is cognate with the word "Albanian"; the Greek consonant β has changed in pronunciation from [b] to [v]. For the "l/r" conversion (rhotacism). See also the history of the toponym Albania.

According to Kollias, some Arvanites of the northwestern Greek region of Epirus traditionally also use the word Shqiptár (Σ̈κ̇ιπτάρ) to identify themselves, without claiming an Albanian national consciousness. The word Shqiptár is used as well in a few villages of Thrace, where Arvanites migrated from the mountains of Pindos during the 19th century. On the other hand, this word is totally unknown among the main body of the Arvanites in southern Greece.

Arvanites - Trivia

• Arvanitissa is the feminine of Arvanitis in Greek.
  • A church in Chios is dedicated to "Panagia Arvanitissa".
• Arvanites refer to their place of origin as Arvanitia (today southern Albania and NW Greece). Sometimes they apply this term to the whole of Albania and/or Epirus.
  • Arvanitia is also an alternate name for Akronafplia, Nafplion's Acropolis.
• Arvanites of Epirus named the north wind Arvanitis.
• Ouzo Plomari, Isidoros Arvanitis, 1894 (Ούζο Πλωμαρίου, Ισιδώρου Αρβανίτου, 1894) (note: Plomari is a town of Lesvos).

Arvanites - Phara

Phara (φάρα) is a descent model, similar to Scottish clans. Arvanites were organised in phares (φάρες) mostly during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The apex was a warlord and the phara was named after him (i.e. Botsaris' phara). In an Arvanitic village each phara was responsible to keep genealogical records (see also registry offices), that are preserved until today as historical documents in local libraries. Usually there were more than one phares in an Arvanitic village and sometimes they were organised in phratries that had conflict of interests. Those phratries didn't last long, because each leader of a phara desired to be the leader of the phratry and would not be lead by another.

Arvanites - Arvanitic songs

Although they are almost fully assimilated into Greek society, some distinct Arvanitic cultural characteristics are still identifiable.

There are 4 music CDs featuring Arvanitic songs although the lyrics are often in Greek. There are no mass media in Arvanitic, although some local radio stations have occasionally broadcast Arvanitic songs. During the last decades there have been made some attempts to document Arvanitic songs, the most recent by Thanasis Moraitis (Thanas Moraiti).

Arvanitic songs share similarities with Arbëresh, Albanian and Greek Epirote music.

Arvanites - Ancient Greek inscriptions

Two archaeological discoveries, and in particular a Corinthian chrism from the 7th century BC and a clay wine-pitcher dating back to 725 BC, have been interpreted by the author Nikos Stylos^[2] as Arvanitic inscriptions.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Arvanitic culture and history", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki