New Kosovo Battle Book ‘Doesn’t Change History’

Belgrade | 03 July 2009 |

Serbs Celebrating Vidovdan - Image by Fonet

The author of a new book on the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 has told a Belgrade daily that her intention was not to change history or claim that legendary Serbian knight Milos Obilic, was actually Albanian.

The new book, The Battle of Kosovo 1389: An Albanian Epic, is published by MacMillan and is set to be released on July 7.

Reviews point out that the book rewrites the way the Serbian medieval hero, Milos Obilic, is depicted, portraying him as an “Albanian knight.”

Obilic has gained infamy as the legendary assassin of the Ottoman Sultan Murad I during the battle.

The author of the book Anna di Lellio, a journalist and a psychologist from Italy, told Belgrade Daily

Vecernje novosti on Thursday that she had no intention to change history and doubts the book will be used in political purposes.

“In case it happened I wouldn’t be responsible, my conscience is clear,” she added.

“I have only collected poems sang by Kosovo Albanians and translated them into English so that the world can see the other view on the Kosovo myth which has a strong influence on Balkan countries,“ di Lellio told the newspaper.

The book is marketed on the publisher’s website as claiming to show "that Millosh Kopiliq is more often presented from the Serbian perspective, which extols particularly the valour of the Serb knight Milos Obilic”, while this work will reveal a “better nuanced story for understanding this strong myth of nationalism and belonging”.

The timing of the book's release comes just days after the Serbian holy day of St Vitus’s Day, or Vidovdan, which was celebrated last Sunday. The day marks the martyrdom of the Serbs who lost their lives at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.

Di Lellio, is described as a guest lecturer on a masters degree program for international cooperation at the New School University, based in New York, and also working for the Kosovo Institute for Journalism and Communication based in Pristina.

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Comments:

2009-07-02 14:19:45

Pathetic!

2009-07-02 15:46:59

I don't think the book claimed that. It just said that Albanians and Bosniaks had songs about him. But very little is known of Kopilic. Karadjordje is different, two Serbian writers wrote a while back that his grandfather was Gjin Marash Kelmendi (Äin MaraÅ¡ Klimenta). For obvious reasons he said he is Vasojevici, which happened to be just next to the Kelmendi (Klimeneta). The french in 1810 said he is from Climenta, and the Karadjordje also celebrated Sv Climenta until the changed it to something different. Google "Äin MaraÅ¡ Klimenta" and you will see it isn't the Albanians

Stealing
2009-07-02 16:37:48

Albanians stole Serbian land. Albanians stole Serbian Orthodox monasteries, churches and heritage from 12th and 13th century AD. And now they are trying to steal Serbian history. It is so shameful that one could only stay speechless. I just wander is it possible that any of Albanian intellectuals is not ready to stand up to this historical and civilization thefts? Very shameful and very disgraceful.

Funny claims
2009-07-02 17:24:13

"Albanians stole Serbian land." "Serbian land"? Did you bring that with you from Russia??? The land is for the people that live in it, and we know Albanians live in there now and have been living there for much longer than you. "Albanians stole Serbian Orthodox monasteries, churches and heritage from 12th and 13th century AD." No one is stealing anything, they are still there. By the way: Go to the Serbian Church's site and see what they say about Gracanica. It was built on top of a 6th century Church. Peace and love but don't make ridiculous claims.

hawk
2009-07-02 17:35:33

dear hawk Serbians as sllavic people came from siberi and settled in ballkans, read the history, what other countries say, when you came in ballkans albanians(ilirians) were in their country and wllcomed sllavic people. be patient and read what other historian say, do not read only albanian or serb version cheers dario

The TRUTH
2009-07-02 17:47:14

Know that the Albanians have a vioce that can not be silenced by there oppressors. The truth will finally flow free in the Balkans! An maybe with these vioces there can be a little less nationalizom and more understanding. The Albanian people are tired and are in need of some vindecation and some regconition. I beleve that once there is a suttabul amount of these two things, then the Albanians & Serbian can start to work to understand one another with out the nationalistic power hungry leaders interfearing. This is a region of the world that has been the cage for battles that go's back thousends of years. Great worriers of Illyrian,Roman,Greek, an Slav have fought. This we know an this we should apprecate.

2009-07-02 18:19:57

Albanians have a 3000 year history my friends but it has been stolen by countries that had nothing to do with it, like Serbia, and Greece. Time to get back what is lawfully ours, God bless Albanian heroes like Gjergj Kastrioti and Millosh Kopiliqi

can anyone see future from the past?
2009-07-02 19:33:50

strange that no one took this book as interesting base for different and comparative view into history of balkans and issues of nationalism and identity, which are usual abused in here. such a books does not claim the right to absolute truth about the event, but gives a different angle about one issue. but people react so furiously that one watching from outside can almost get impression that every contemporary serb or albanian was eye-witness of kosovo battle. why can't we have open debates in balkans instead of just accusing each others of attempts to steal history, identity and pride of each other? is there an end to living into mythological past and beginning of future in balkan? i'm not optimist...

tanjamatic@gmail.com

2009-07-02 21:18:53

slavs came to balkan, from russia, year 600 a.k at that time there were albanians living there... so who took whos land? this is just facts...and true..

Shkijes stole Albanian land
2009-07-02 23:36:46

The Albanians did not steele nothing from you. We dont need your Orthodox monasteries cause we are muslims, we have our own mosques and churches. We dont care about your history of children massacres and house bournings, we have our own history of fighting your dirty nationalism and your dirty propagandas. The truth will allways come out someday, and this is one part of the truuth. Even other people outside the Balkans, now find your lying and discovering your propaganda. The unjust will allways loose. 6 stars shining bright waiting to unite

2009-07-03 00:17:49

The Serbian pathetique claims Srbija do Tokija. So, anything that doesn't go well with their gusto is lies, anti-Serb propaganda, this and that. The entire world but the Serbs know that the battle of Kosova was not only a Serb enterprise but one of the entire peoples of the Balkans against the invading Ottomans. So, to say that Milos Kopiliq was Albanian is to shake that very puffy cushion filled with air that Serb nationalists call history. But it matters not. Those that are smart and well read know better. Those that keep their eyes closed even when you shine a lasser beam in their face will remain blind forever more. Knowledge, new facts, and new research are only for those that keep an open mind. Look at the reactions over here and then ask the question: How can one react to an unread volume? It is an old Albanian proverb that says - and I ask for your pardon here over the rough translation - the tongue goes to the tooth that hurts.

ad. Stealing
2009-07-03 01:47:04

ad. Stealing

Milos
2009-07-03 03:02:03

History, do you claim or deny that Milos Obilic was Albanian? You are not very clear. History cannot be changed no matter how much one disagrees with it. Albanians will only look stupid if they continue to claim Serbian history as their own. Their claims can so easily be dismissed. Stealing territory is one thing (many have taken land by force) but stealing history is just pathetic. Not even US would go as far as backing you on this for they have historians who would deny their claim. Give up. Admit you don't have much of history and start to make some, but with dignity.

stealing...
2009-07-03 04:36:17

serbs came from ussr slavic lands and settled in balkans late. Albanians lived in the balkans area way earlier than serbs came from slavic lands there. Therefore, serbs stole Albanian lands.

Serbs stole Albanian land
2009-07-03 06:47:37

Serbs came from Rusia to Albanian lands and now they want to take everything, as if they don't have enough. Hawk you need to read more real history, and stop reading fake serbian history. All Catholic Albanian churches in Kosovo were turned to Serbian Orthodox churches trying to fake that Kosovo is Serbian land, this is very shmeful and very disgraceful. Kosovo will always be Abanian land.

Pathetic
2009-07-03 07:34:56

Hawk, this is the exact kind of stupidity Hellas has to deal with from FYROM. In which case it is patently obvious with nations such as FYROM and Albania who have contributed nothing but regional instability will do anything to create a history for themselves at the expense of angering their neighbours.

what a JOKE!!!
2009-07-03 11:19:47

serbian brothers - this is a FARCE!!!!!!!!!! hang in there - now u realise what us Hellenes have been going thru..... memo to the world - leave history alone! STOP PERSECUTING THE SERBIAN PEOPLE!!! E N O U G H !!!!!!!!!

Correcting* History
2009-07-03 12:49:51

I dont think the author is rewriting history she is correcting it. Serbian myth has long influenced history and its time for that to change. Hawk those 12th to 13th century churches and monastery were actually built in th 4th to 6th century by Illyrians the ancestors of Albanians. And they were either enlarged or reconstructed due to damage caused by time in the 14th century. They were then converted to Serbian Orthodox churchs e.g. Gracanica Monastery, Shen Premte (Shen Maria Levishka) or as Serbians call it Bogorodica Ljeviska.

Truth
2009-07-06 06:01:02

This is so bad it makes me want to throw up. This Italian women should be ashamed of herself. This book is a lie. I hope God has mercy on her soul. Pathetic.

Segregation of Duties?
2009-07-06 12:47:14

Do you call your mechanic when you have health concerns? Or your plumber for legal advice? Or your lawyer for computer help? How about we leave history to the historians, opportunistic sensationalism to the journalists (like Ms di Lellio) and Balkan politics to the people of the Balkans?!

2009-07-06 14:48:38

Ferytaile's dont hurt me much. Someone who dont have his own history must try to steal from someone who has...

Intervention
2009-07-06 15:53:25

InterventionIntervention Well Serbs, this is your intervention. I'm sure you know you have a problum. An that's good, it's the first steps to recovery. I know that your history was cut from the finest batch of lies and menipulation. The high must have been incredubul! For some of you makeing it out of the darkness will be realy hard, hawk, Peggy,ect.. Truly when your dealer and pusher " mom dad"keep feeding you this highly potiant drug you call your identity and history! Be strong and say "No More" and take the vactine of truth and start to recover. Do for all those who befor you were taken by this drug. You have the power to stop this sick cycle. DO IT!!!

Stolen Hisotry
2009-07-06 16:00:11

Chris, one question only. Can you prove anything you say? Don't start with Serbian history books. Open any history book besides Albanian fairy tales and you will see the truth.

2009-07-06 16:46:16

Alexander the Great is not Hellenic!

2009-07-06 16:51:48

The whole Serbian myth was a political tool to conquer lands of Illyrian people. Serbs had a more important battle of Maritsa in present day Bulgaria where they lost aswell. How come they don't claim Bulgarian lands as theirs?! And for your information, Serbia in 1918 gained Voivodina during the Traian pact from Austro-Hungary even though it had only a small serbian population. It was a gift for shooting the archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo!

2009-07-06 23:30:56

After reading quit a few comments in this website, I have come to the conclusion that, for some readers like Peggy you could, as a matter of fact, manipulate the conversation as such to have him or her come around and deny what she had written previously, or vice versa. Peggy is an example, and I'm sure she will excuse me here as I used her here to emphasize something larger - the conventional Serb thinking. Whoever, as a non-Serb views the Serbs as enemies, their best allies are, truly, the Serbs themselves. Who has done, and continues to do, more damage to themselves by being completely closed-minded, one way thinking folks (that is the vocal voices, of course) in Europe, and perhaps the world in the recent history, than the Serb nation? It truly is remarkable. What a wealth of material for sociologists!

Serbs are not genetically Slavs
2009-07-07 03:25:00

will the albanians stop going on about the arrival of Serb people from here there and everywhere! Serbs are not Slavs genetically. they are a mixture of the native people of the balkans with Slavs. this is the albanian propaganda machine at work again. trying to support some claim to the balkan lands. albanian DNA is closer to turkish!

Re: Stolen History
2009-07-07 03:33:00

Peggy, You should read Noel Malcolm's "Kosovo: A short history" . Even he questions Oblic/Kopilic's nationality. It is Serbian nationalism that is disgusting, not this book. No wonder you are left out.

Balkan Fever
2009-07-07 05:45:53

@BalkanFever If all of the junkies and addicts said "no" to the dealers and pushers, then what woulk the local Albanian economy (remember the UCK?) be based on? Perhaps the pushing of "historical" books will become the engine of this new economy? Or do you view funding from NGOs for the conduct of "institution building" (what our parents' generation called propaganda and subversion) as a valid platform for long term economic prosperity?

Funny...
2009-07-07 09:56:45

All you guys are so funny... with your pathetic nationalist comments (BOTH Albanian and Serbian, even Greek) you exactly show what the problems in the Balkans are all about... How ridiculous is it to fight on some mere publication and how ridiculous is it to discuss on events that happened (or maybe even did not happen) centuries ago... The Balkans were mixed and will always be mixed. Claiming ANY exclusive right to anything is, again, pathetic and ridiculous... Tone down...

2009-07-07 15:19:31

@MaSch; Sir it's not funny when they kick your parents out of job, close the albanian university and gather 1 million people in Gazimestan at the side of Kosovo battle threatening with new wars! We had to endure all of that and much more just because of falsified history where serbs had all the glory and albanians were reduced to making pastries! You might say, it was only Milosevic but it's not true, since the serbs entered Kosovo in 1912 they treated albanians like intruders even though Illyrians were masters of these lands for centuries when there were no slavs in sight!

Peggy
2009-07-07 15:47:28

Peggy, This book about Obilic is written by an american scholar! But there is another one, "Gray Falcon Black Lamb" written by an englishwoman. It shows why it took only one battle, that of Kosovo, and for the serbian kingdom to dissolve so swiftly. Because it was a religious kingship that ruled over many different clans and ethnic groups and as such it had no connections to modern notion of nation-states and nationalism. Christians united because they believed in christ. In recent history we have a French king ruling over Mexico and it took May 5 Puebla revolt to kick him out! How come French don't claim Mexico as theirs! Anna de Lellio's book will shed some light in this period so let's read it!

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New Kosovo Battle Book ‘Doesn’t Change History’