A Fantastic People and Its Enemies: An Analysis of an Emerging Albanian Mythology

C-REX affilliated researcher Cecilie Endresen has written the chapter in the Handbook of Conspiracy Theory and Contemporary Religion

This chapter explores some versions of a popular and religiously flexible conspiracy theory that is popular among ethnic Albanians in the Balkans and in the diaspora, which combines speculations about religion, society, politics and cosmos in intricate ways.

A tenet is that a proto-Albanian people in antiquity, a superior race that created civilisation and everything valuable. However, the story goes, other nations have appropriated everything valuable, denied the Albanians their rights and suppressed the Truth, namely that the key to social justice and perennial wisdom has been preserved in Albanian language, blood and culture.

Such fringe theories give old nationalist myths a new metaphysical twist and provide a framework for the reinterpretation of religious pluralism in a post-totalitarian, fragmented and globalised context.

Published Dec. 5, 2018 12:00 PM - Last modified Dec. 5, 2018 12:00 PM