Four tribes of Albanians

[Flintlocke]

Christopher Perraivaios was a fighter in the Greek War of Independence, he fought in the areas of Thesprotia and Preveza and met a lot of Albanians whom he categorized into four tribes.

The Chams inhabit the old Thesprotia area, now called Parakalamon, their area begins from Suli and ends at Dodona (Bistrica) river. They are religious, arrogant, and more furious than the rest during wars, but if one withstands their first charge, he can easily rout them because they are by nature unstable. They don’t keep promises and obligations too much, but are renowned as great dancers and like beatifications, they are tall and handsome, and although they naturally speak Albanian, they also speak Greek excellently, both men and women, especially those who dwell near Paramythia.

After the Chams come the Liabs, their area begins beyond the Dodona river, they reside the old Chaonia and Acroceraunian mountains, including Chimara, They have Vlora and the Ionian coast and part of the Adriatic gulf, an important part of the Mediterranean. They are gallant in wars, nervous, hospitable, excellent night thieves, and enjoy physical hardships, they don’t keep their clothes clean because it helps them in their thefts so they are not recognized. They are generally short and ugly, but tenacious. They don’t mind if they are killed or wounded during a raid, stealing sheep, goats, or whatever but they reply “a head for a head.” They speak Albanian and very few know Greek, and they speak it very badly.

After the Liabs in the midlands come the Tosks. A gallant people, warlike, hospitable, daring and tenacious in danger and loyal to their friends. They are not as furious as the Chams but you cannot rout them easily. They are of average stature and broad shouldered, big and round heads, they are second in enduring hardships after the Liabs but they speak the same dialect as them.

From the midlands and up in the northwest reside the Ghegs. A more gallant people than the aforementioned three, furious and persistent in danger, however if they are routed they can be easily destroyed by the enemy, because they are neither quick enough to avoid danger nor smart enough to defend themselves strategically, however if they have an experienced leader, they are very hard to defeat. They are tall and broad, honest, keep their promises, but not very sharp. Their dialect is the Illyrian mixed with Albanian, they don’t know the Greek language at all.

Οι φυλές των Αλβανών
Στα Πολεμικά Απομνημονεύματα του Περραιβού, ο οποίος συναναστράφηκε και συμπολέμησε με τους Σουλιώτες ερχόμενος σε επαφή με τους Αλβανούς, δίνεται μια περιγραφή των 4 φυλών τους.

Οι Τσάμηδες κατοικούσι την παλαιάν Θεσπρωτίαν, νυν δε λεγομένην Παρακάλαμον, η κατοικία των αρχίζει από το Σούλιον και τελειώνει εις τον Δώδωνα (Μπίστριτζα) ποταμόν, είναι θρήσκοι, αλαζόνες και ορμητικότεροι από τους άλλους εις τους πολέμους, όστις όμως ανθέξη την πρώτην ορμήν των, εύκολα τους τρέπει έπειτα εις φυγήν, επειδή είναι καθ΄ υπερβολήν αμφιρρεπείς` δεν φυλάττουσι τόσον τας συμφωνίας και υποσχέσεις, ευφημίζονται δε παρά πάντων ως επιτηδειότεροι χορευταί, και τοις αρέσκει ο πολύτιμος ιματισμός` είναι εύρωστοι και εύσχημοι` και μολονότι ομιλούσι την αλβανικήν διάλεκτον, ως φυσικήν αλλά και μετά την απλοελληνικήν, εκφράζονται όμως ορθώς άνδρες τε και γυναίκες και μάλιστα όσοι κατοικούν τα πέριξ της Παραμυθίας.
Μετά τους Τσάμηδες έπονται οι Λιάπηδες, των οποίων οι κατοικία αρχίζει από το πέρας του Δώδωνα ποταμού, και κατοικούντες την Χαονίαν και Ακροκεραύνια όρη εν οις συμπεριλαμβάνεται και η Χειμάρρα, εκτείνονται έως την Αυλώνα έχοντες τα παράλια του Ιονικού πελάγους και μέρος του Αδριατικού κόλπου και ικανήν έκταση της μεσογείου` είναι ανδρείοι εις τους πολέμους, αγχίνοες, φιλόξενοι, επιτηδειότατοι νυκτοκλέπται και ευχαριστούνται πολύ εις την σωματικήν κακοπάθειαν και κατ’ εξοχήν εις την γυμνότητα και ρυπαρότητα των φορεμάτων, η οποία τοις χρησιμεύει εις την νυκτοκλεψίαν, δια να μη γνωρίζονται` ως επί το πλείστον δε είναι μικρόσωμοι, δύσμορφοι, αλλ’ ακούραστοι` δεν λυπείται ένας Λιάπης αν φονευθεί, ή πληγωθή κλέπτον πρόβατον, αίγα ή άλλο τι είδος, αλλά η απόκρισις του προς τον ερωτήσοντα είναι η εξής. «Κόκκα περ κόκκα», δηλαδή κεφαλήν δια κεφαλήν` όλοι εν γένει ομιλούν την αλβανικήν διάλεκτον, πολλά ολίγοι εξ αυτών γνωρίζουν την ελληνικήν, και αυτήν βαρβαρικώτατα.
Μετά τους Λιάπηδες κατά την μεσόγαιον, γειτονεύουν οι Τόσκηδες` έθνος ανδρείον, πολεμικόν, φιλόξενον, επίμονον εις τους κινδύνους και πιστόν εις τους φίλους` ούτοι δεν είναι τόσον ορμητικοί εις τους πολέμους ως οι Τσάμηδες, δυσκόλως όμως δύναται τις να τους τρέψη εις φυγήν` έχουσι μέτριον ανάστημα σώματος και εύρωστον, κεφαλάς μεγάλας και σφαιροειδείς, φέρουσι δε τα δευτερεία εις την κακοπάθειαν μετά τους Λιαπηδες` η διάλεκτος των όμως είναι η αυτή, ως των Λιάπηδων.
Εις την μεσόγειον και κατά το δυτικοβόρειον μέρος γειτονεύουν οι Γκέγκηδες, έθνος ανδρειότερο από τα ρηθέντα τρία, ορμητικόν και επίμονον εις τους κινδύνους` όταν όμως καταντήσει εις αταξίαν, φθείρεται από τον εχθρόν, επειδή ούτε ταχύπουν είναι δια να αποφύγη τον κίνδυνον, ούτε στρατηγιματικόν να υπερασπίσει την ύπαρξιν του` αν τύχη όμως εμπειροπόλεμου αρχηγού, τότε δυσκόλως νικάται` είναι μεγαλόσωμοι ειλικρινείς, πιστοί εις τας υποσχέσεις των, αλλά αμβλύνοες` η διάλεκτος των είναι η ιλλυρική, μεμιγμένη όμως με την αλβανικήν, την δε ελληνικήν διόλου αγνοούσιν.

[dralos]

let the discussion begins and people be civilized

[safinator]

Christopher Perraivaios was a fighter in the Greek War of Independence, he fought in the areas of Thesprotia and Preveza and met a lot of Albanians whom he categorized into four tribes.

The Chams inhabit the old Thesprotia area, now called Parakalamon, their area begins from Suli and ends at Dodona (Bistrica) river. They are religious, arrogant, and more furious than the rest during wars, but if one withstands their first charge, he can easily rout them because they are by nature unstable. They don’t keep promises and obligations too much, but are renowned as great dancers and like beatifications, they are tall and handsome, and although they naturally speak Albanian, they also speak Greek excellently, both men and women, especially those who dwell near Paramythia.

After the Chams come the Liabs, their area begins beyond the Dodona river, they reside the old Chaonia and Acroceraunian mountains, including Chimara, They have Vlora and the Ionian coast and part of the Adriatic gulf, an important part of the Mediterranean. They are gallant in wars, nervous, hospitable, excellent night thieves, and enjoy physical hardships, they don’t keep their clothes clean because it helps them in their thefts so they are not recognized. They are generally short and ugly, but tenacious. They don’t mind if they are killed or wounded during a raid, stealing sheep, goats, or whatever but they reply “a head for a head.” They speak Albanian and very few know Greek, and they speak it very badly.

After the Liabs in the midlands come the Tosks. A gallant people, warlike, hospitable, daring and tenacious in danger and loyal to their friends. They are not as furious as the Chams but you cannot rout them easily. They are of average stature and broad shouldered, big and round heads, they are second in enduring hardships after the Liabs but they speak the same dialect as them.

From the midlands and up in the northwest reside the Ghegs. A more gallant people than the aforementioned three, furious and persistent in danger, however if they are routed they can be easily destroyed by the enemy, because they are neither quick enough to avoid danger nor smart enough to defend themselves strategically, however if they have an experienced leader, they are very hard to defeat. They are tall and broad, honest, keep their promises, but not very sharp. Their dialect is the Illyrian mixed with Albanian, they don’t know the Greek language at all.

Lol, I'm a Lab but also a Tosk.

[Kanuni]

Spoiler!

Christopher Perraivaios was a fighter in the Greek War of Independence, he fought in the areas of Thesprotia and Preveza and met a lot of Albanians whom he categorized into four tribes.

The Chams inhabit the old Thesprotia area, now called Parakalamon, their area begins from Suli and ends at Dodona (Bistrica) river. They are religious, arrogant, and more furious than the rest during wars, but if one withstands their first charge, he can easily rout them because they are by nature unstable. They don’t keep promises and obligations too much, but are renowned as great dancers and like beatifications, they are tall and handsome, and although they naturally speak Albanian, they also speak Greek excellently, both men and women, especially those who dwell near Paramythia.

After the Chams come the Liabs, their area begins beyond the Dodona river, they reside the old Chaonia and Acroceraunian mountains, including Chimara, They have Vlora and the Ionian coast and part of the Adriatic gulf, an important part of the Mediterranean. They are gallant in wars, nervous, hospitable, excellent night thieves, and enjoy physical hardships, they don’t keep their clothes clean because it helps them in their thefts so they are not recognized. They are generally short and ugly, but tenacious. They don’t mind if they are killed or wounded during a raid, stealing sheep, goats, or whatever but they reply “a head for a head.” They speak Albanian and very few know Greek, and they speak it very badly.

After the Liabs in the midlands come the Tosks. A gallant people, warlike, hospitable, daring and tenacious in danger and loyal to their friends. They are not as furious as the Chams but you cannot rout them easily. They are of average stature and broad shouldered, big and round heads, they are second in enduring hardships after the Liabs but they speak the same dialect as them.

From the midlands and up in the northwest reside the Ghegs. A more gallant people than the aforementioned three, furious and persistent in danger, however if they are routed they can be easily destroyed by the enemy, because they are neither quick enough to avoid danger nor smart enough to defend themselves strategically, however if they have an experienced leader, they are very hard to defeat. They are tall and broad, honest, keep their promises, but not very sharp. Their dialect is the Illyrian mixed with Albanian, they don’t know the Greek language at all.

LOL innacurate as it comes.

[safinator]

We are a bunch of criminals

[Kanuni]

We are a bunch of criminals

Is it me or it reads like it was written from that poster Hellas.

[Flintlocke]

It was written by a Greek in early 1800's so judge it according to both those facts.

[dralos]

i'm one of those dumb ghegs

[пустиняк]

Albos what do you think for Marko Botsari ?
Do you regard him as hero ?

[Flintlocke]

Here's what I mean. The fact is that C. Perraivaios was an outsider who'd come to the area to assist the Suliots in their wars. Although Gheg and Tosk are the main subdivisions in the Albanian nation, him being an outsider and in the south, he saw things differently that's why he claimed the Chams and Labs are different tribes when linguistically and culturally they are Tosks, the Ghegs just seemed a people too far off and he couldn't tell the difference between subtribes. He calls Tosks the people north of Vlora, that's Fier, Lushnje, Skrapar, etc. We in the South do use such subdivisions to refer to people as I'm sure most of you Kosovars do as well.

Also you must judge the text by the time it was written. Unlike today where the morality of Christianity has triumphed in the form of liberalism, how ironic, back then things were not judged by today's ideas of "right" and "wrong" but by the concept of Glory, even though people were more religious in a metaphysical sense, their ethos was very heathen, very masculine and conflictorial. So when he says the Labs are excellent night thieves, it is actually a praise, like saying today someone is an excellent painter, musician, engineer, whatever. I don't think he's trying to present a negative image, since there are many values that he praises. And 200 years ago most people were indeed stupid katunars that's why he describes them as such.