Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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The Maiden who was Promised to the Sun
Once upon a time there was a queen who had no children. She prayed to the sun and begged it to give her at least a daughter. She promised that when the child turned twelve, she would give it to the sun. Soon after this, the queen gave birth to a girl. One morning, as…
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The Snake Child
Once upon a time there was a king who had no children. But he employed a vizier who had three daughters. The wives of the two men were the best of friends. One day, they went into the garden to spend the day there and while they were eating and drinking together, the queen said…
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The Silver Tooth
Once upon a time, there was a prince who had three daughters of marriageable age. At that time there was a war between the king and another ruler. The king mustered his army and sent word to the father of the girls to join him and then set off for war. When the prince received…
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For the Love of a Dove
Once upon a time, there was a king who had only one daughter. She did nothing all day but knit. She had no female friends and never left the house. All she did was sit in her room and work. Her mother often said to her: “Listen, my child, why don’t you get married? We…
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Marigo of the Forty Dragons
Once upon a time there was king and a queen who had only one daughter, a girl who was the fairest child in the whole land. Every morning her mother washed her, combed her hair, dressed her in fine clothes, and when she was ready, sent her off to school. The teacher washed and adorned…
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Baba Tomor
Baba Tomor or Father Tomor is the personification of Mount Tomor, a mountain range which includes the highest peak in central Albania at an altitude of 2416 m. Mount Tomor is considered the home of the gods in central Albanian popular belief. The peasants of the region swear by Father Tomor, Alb. “për Baba Tomor,”…
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Sari Salltëk
Bektashi holy man and legendary figure, Sari Salltëk, known in Turkish as Sari Saltuk, is said to have been either a dervish at the court of Sultan Orhan (1326-1360) or a direct disciple of Haji Bektash Veli, founder of the Bektashi order. It is more likely, however, that he was a figure of early Balkan…
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Aga Ymeri of Ulqin
Aga Ymeri is a well-known legendary figure of northern Albanian oral literature, known in southern Albania as Ymer Ago, among the Italo-Albanians as Konstandini i Vogëlith ‘Little Constantine’ and in Greek Akritic verse as Konstantinos o Mikros ‘Little Constantine.’ Aga Ymeri of the Muslim tradition and Little Constantine of the Byzantine-Greek tradition evince the motif…
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Gjergj Elez Alia
The legend of Gjergj Elez Alia is one of the most popular in Albanian folklore. This is a prose rendition, taken from Mitrush Kuteli (1907-1967), of the original recording in the form of epic verse. Gjergj Elez Alia had always been the greatest of heroes. For years he had been the strongest in the land…
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Legends of Mujo and Halili
The following texts are prose renditions of the Cycle of Mujo and Halili, which was originally recorded in the form of epic verse as part of the Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Këngë Kreshnikësh). The prose versions here are taken from Mitrush Kuteli (1907-1967). Mujo’s Strength Many years ago there lived a mountain man in…
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