Year XI, January – June 2026, 1-2

On the history of the censorship of book production in the Albanian language (16th-17th centuries)

Keywords: Censorship, Index, Church Book, Church Literature.

The identification of the most important samples of works of Old
Albanian literature remains an essential element in the entire study panorama related to the history of each work and data which serve to understand that specific details can be traced on each one, just like the respective content of the compilation itself.
“Indexes of Prohibited Books” inevitably included books of Christian liturgy and the practice of its knowledge, a fact underscored by the examination of some of them, particularly registers compiled during the 16th century, in the years of the Council of Trent, but also after its conclusion. Spread over time and in specific geo-cultural contexts, the above-mentioned indexes are also a rich source of data on works, books, volumes in various fields of knowledge, complete versions of the Bible which required revision or rewriting, as well as separate parts from the Old and New Testaments.
The role of Church censorship is evident in different ways in specific areas of the culture of of book circulation such as literature, philosophy, humanities, etc.

Manifestation of Christian humanism in the biblical texts from the «Missal» by Gjon Buzuku (part II)

Keywords: The ‘Missal’ by Johannes Buzuku, Early Albanian Literacy, Humanism and Catholicism, Missale Romanum Mediolanum, Novum Instrumentum omne, Textus Receptus.

Conceived as a continuation of a previous study published in
“Shêjzat” 1-2 [2024] 3-42, this study pursues the same objectives and
methods. It supplements the existing comparative material with information from an additional pre-Tridentine text source: the Missale Romanum Mediolani (1474). As a missal, it has much in common with the Buzuku’s “Missal” in terms of content and structural organization (§§1.-1.2). Additionally, three new text passages have been added to the intertextual comparison (§§2.-2.2.), which have since been identified during the work on the large-scale project, “Digital Philological-Etymological Dictionary of Old Albanian (15th–18th Centuries).” The following section (§§3.-3.4.) provides an in-depth analysis of most of the anomalies collected and identified by Çabej (1968, II) from the philological perspective in the transliteration of Buzuku’s ‘Missal’. The results obtained in this second part do not contradict in any way those achieved in the first (Demiraj 2024); on the contrary, they complement them. Furthermore, expanding the intertextual comparison to a new dimension (MRM) fully supports the study’s new perspective, which aims at an in-depth understanding of the ‘Missal’. The inclusion in the analysis of the useful contributions of Eqrem Çabej (1968 I, II) not only confirmed such conclusions, but also highlighted the natural flow that runs like a magic thread through the various stages of the theological-intellectual humanistic formation of author Don Gjon Buzuku, thus conveying shape and meaning to our entire undertaking.

Between Two Worlds in Two Eras:
Representations of Albanians in the Travel Narratives of Foreign Authors

Keywords: Albanians, Travelogue, Evliya Çelebi, Lady Blunt, Cultural Identity.

This study examines the representations of Albanians in the works
of two travel writers from distinct historical periods and cultural contexts: Evliya Çelebi, a 17th-century Ottoman traveller, and Fanny Janet Sandison Blunt, a 19th-century British writer and traveller. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate how these two authors construct and depict Albanian identity, social structures, and cultural practices, while highlighting the similarities and differences that emerge as a result of their respective historical, cultural, and geographical frameworks. Çelebi’s narrative, shaped by Ottoman intellectual traditions and the Balkan context of his time, offers
an internal portrayal of Albanian society. In contrast, Blunt’s account, influenced by Victorian-era Western sensibilities and orientalist perspectives, reflects a more external and interpretive gaze.
The central research question addresses the way the Albanians were
perceived by each author, and to what extent such perceptions converge or diverge. Through a close, comparative analysis of these travel accounts, the paper contributes to a broader understanding of how external narratives have shaped and influenced the construction of national and social imaginaries of the Albanian people. Moreover, by drawing on two culturally and temporally distinct viewpoints, the study emphasizes the complexity of foreign representations of Albanians and considers the role of historical and cultural narratives in both reinforcing stereotypes and shaping cultural identities.

Death-relating words in Albanian. A linguistic and cultural study on euphemisms

Keywords: Euphemism, Death, Language devices, Cultural context, Albanian language.

Studies on taboos maintain that there is a tendency to avoid
notions which convey emotional weight for people. One of the taboo concepts is death. Its communication in private and public activates a series of discourse strategies, which on the linguistic level generate a multitude of lexical and phraseological variants. The commitment to resisting the direct mention of such terrible event propels an alternative discourse fuelled by the anguish of death. In fact, euphemisms constitute a form of re-creative communication: they are not simply about lexical substitutions but also about linguistic devices that produce cultural units. They reflect the way a society, a certain community, reacts to death. Unlike what happens with
certain topics which until lately were taboos, but not anymore now, there persists a lot of reluctance to include death among the human conditions.
Narratives about death are conditioned not only by the linguistic system but also by beliefs, rituals and the imagination of speakers. This article explores the linguistic aspect along with the inevitable connotations of the cultural nature of euphemistic expressions acting as mitigating, evasive or regulating mechanisms of such a phenomenon. As in many other languages, in Albanian there is a wide use of euphemisms related to the semantic field of death. In
this paper, the authors aim to analyse the structural-formal and semantic aspect of these units.

Metamorphosis of literary discourse after the year 1945.
The domination of ideologic terminology and the impoverishing critical discourse

Keywords: Critical thought, Literary discourse, Ideological discourse, Cultural field, Pierre Bourdieu, Louis Althusser.

This paper focuses on the metamorphosis of literary discourse in
Albania after 1945, a shift which becomes even more evident when compared with the terminology employed in the literary discussions of the 1930s and 1940s. The study highlights how debates, reviews, and criticism of the period were reshaped through the installation of an ideological vocabulary that gradually supplanted literary terminology, thus resulting in dominance of theoretical and critical literary thought. Political tools became criteria of literary evaluation; subversive methods were employed to set authors against authors, works against works, and literary streams against one another. The literary system was emptied of names and models that had
previously established paradigms, leading to an impoverishment of literary debate and its reduction to deeply ideological and authoritative discourses, thus institutionalizing the new course that literature would take.
Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the cultural field and Louis Althusser’s notion of the ideological state apparatuses, this study examines how political power intervened in the Albanian literary field. Drawing on periodicals and reviews of the time, the study also demonstrates how censorship and selfcensorship functioned as mechanisms of internal discipline, transforming the writer into an ideological functionary and literary-critical discourse into a tightly controlled form of expression.

Patterns of distortions of aesthetic values over the Communist era

Keywords: Socialist Realism, Deformed Literary Canon, Censorship and Ideology, History of Albanian Literature, Albanian Educational System.

The paper examines the distortions of literary aesthetic value
during the communist period in Albania, analysing the ideological interventions of the totalitarian state on literary history, the canon, and translations, whose consequences are still evident in the educational system. Among the key events stands out the Third Conference of the Writers’ League (1949), which institutionalized socialist realism as both a creative method and literary critique, overturning previous achievements and establishing a strict demarcation between “progressive” and “reactionary” literature. The
analysis highlights the deformations of literary historiography of this period, especially in the History of Albanian Literature (1983), where authors such as Gj. Fishta, F. Konica, and E. Koliqi were excluded or stigmatized, while other authors such as De Rada, Z. Serembe, N. Mjeda, M. Kuteli, Migjeni, and L. Poradeci etc., were misinterpreted according to ideological schemes.
Likewise, translations from world literature were reduced to a narrow repertoire, politically controlled, serving as a tool of indoctrination rather than an aesthetic and cultural resource. The study argues that such a process led to the loss of creative subjectivity and critical objectivity, turning literature into a mouthpiece of propaganda.
In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the need to correct the inherited
distortions in literary historiography and the Albanian educational system, in order to restore the aesthetic dimension of Albanian literature as part of the broader movement of European literature ‒ this being the only way through which Albanian literature can be displayed in its entirety.

Onomatopoeia in Albanian literature.

Keywords: Onomatopoeia, Albanian Literature, Stylistic Figures, Sound Symbolism.

This paper examines onomatopoeia as one of the most expressive
sound figures in Albanian literary discourse, analysing it from both
phonological and semantic perspectives. Although often regarded as a peripheral element within linguistic systems, onomatopoeia in literature fulfils multiple functions. It creates atmosphere, evokes sensory experiences, enhances rhythm, increases musicality, and enriches textual expressiveness.
Relying on both classical and contemporary theories of imitation and
sound symbolism, the study explores the artistic potential of onomatopoeia through the analysis of selected Albanian literary works, including the poetry of Lasgush Poradeci, the short story “Klithma” by Anton Pashku, and the novel “The Dead River” (Lumi i vdekur) by Jakov Xoxa. These literary works demonstrate the role of onomatopoeia in depicting emotional states, portraying settings, and intensifying the reader’s aesthetic experience. Particularly noteworthy is Xoxa’s creative and vivid use of onomatopoeia, where it appears as an integrated stylistic element with rhythmic and semantic functions. The study also highlights the blurred boundary between onomatopoeia and interjection, as well as the importance of context in determining their meaning and function. Onomatopoeia, a present from children’s literature to magical and socialist realism, confirms that the imitation of sound is a powerful source of vitality and figurative strength in literary texts.

Keywords: Albania, American Red Cross, famine, League of Nations, United States, Mamuras.

This article examines the humanitarian crisis in northern Albania
in 1924, focusing on the American Red Cross’s relief efforts and the broader social and political conditions of the period. It investigates the United States government’s assessment of Albania’s social and economic situation in the mid-1920s; it analyses the underlying causes of widespread poverty, evaluates the legitimacy of famine claims made by Albanian authorities, and considers the scope and challenges of American humanitarian intervention within a context of structural vulnerability and limited administrative capacity.
The article argues that, unlike the acute famine, chronic and severe poverty has been a longstanding condition in Albania. In such circumstances, the Albanian government’s claims carried a strong element of propaganda arguably influenced by systemic corruption within the local administration and the commercial interests of local merchants. The administration of the American humanitarian aid funds in Albania required strict accountability from American officials, specifically Minister Grant-Smith and Fultz, who were liable to the American public. In this regard, the financial department in Albania lacked the necessary reliability and credibility for effective
humanitarian aid distribution, highlighting the practical and political
challenges of early twentieth-century international relief.
The Mamurras incident, involving two prominent American citizens,
highlighted the risks which the U.S. personnel was confronted with and exposed the vulnerabilities of diplomatic operations in Albania. The event prompted a more cautious approach in the USA involving governmental engagement, directly influencing the management and timing of humanitarian aid, while also shaping broader U.S. political policy and bilateral relations with Albania. Drawing on United States diplomatic archival sources, the study employs analytical and interpretive methods to examine the interplay between American relief efforts, the League of Nations, local political dynamics, and socio-economic conditions. It demonstrates how U.S. humanitarian
intervention navigated the tension between critical basic needs and broader structural constraints, offering insights into the complexities of post-war humanitarian aid and governance challenges in post-war Albania.

Why was the Istanbul alphabet abandoned?

Keywords: Istanbul Alphabet, Canonical Variant, Literary and Cultural Circle, Latin Letters, Greek Letters, Slavic Letters. 

In this article the author examines carefully three canonical variants of the Istanbul Alphabet of Albanian. Such an approach has made it possible for him to realise its unquestionable Latin origin. In fact, its Latin letters make up about two-thirds of it. This was not the result of an accident, but a deliberate choice of its authors, particularly Sami Frashëri. Consequently, the author concludes that the ‘oriental character’ attributed to it by its opponents is, in fact, an undeserved stigma. Furthermore, author Doka has had the opportunity to observe that its solutions, despite the technical difficulties they presented in printing, were scientifically correct. In its canonical variants, there is an absence of fluctuations or polyvalence in the graphemes used. Regarding the reasons for its abandonment, Doka believes that, besides technical issues, human vanity and the pressure exerted by the Young Turks played a significant role. In actual fact, immediately after the Congress of Manastir, they began attempting to impose the Turkish-Arabic alphabet on the Albanians.

Narrative levels in the novel «One Love and Seven Guilts», by Rexhep Qosja

Keywords: Rexhep Qosja, Narrative Levels, Narration, Narrator, Focalizer.

A novel characterized by a complex and multilayered narrative,
this study examines the narrative levels in the “One Love and Seven Guilts” by Rexhep Qosja. The aim of the paper is to analyse the structure of the novel by focusing on its narrative levels, such as the narrator, narrative comments, narrator and focalizer. The study relies on the method of narratological analysis and the basic concepts of contemporary narrativity. By analysing such facets of communication, it is clear that the novel is built on a complex
system of narrative levels, where the real author, fictional authors and different narrators interact, creating a complex narrative architecture. Also, the use of narrative comments, narrator and focalizer contributes to building a dynamic relationship between the narrative and the reader.
The study concludes that the organization of narrative levels constitutes one of the main mechanisms through which this novel embodies the features of postmodern poetics and produces multiple meanings.