The Battle of Kosovo 1389: An Albanian Epic

The Battle of Kosovo of 1389 holds enormous significance in the formation of modern Balkan nation states, especially among South Slav and Serbian nationalist circles. What has given this single battle such resonance, even more than six centuries later, and what does it reveal about the complex tangle of identity in the contemporary Balkans. Robert Elsie’s beautiful new translation brings a little-known Albanian epic account of the battle between the Ottoman Sultan Murat I and a coalition of Balkan forces brilliantly to life. The fantastic tale of Murat’s campaign in Kosovo and his assassination by the Albanian knight Millosh Kopiliq is more often presented from the Serb perspective, which extols particularly the valor of the Serbian knight Milos Obilic. By proposing an alternative narrative, ＂The Battle of Kosovo 1389＂ offers a more nuanced understanding of this powerful myth of nationalism and belonging.
Anna Di Lellio’s sensitive commentary explores the significance of this epic poem and of the battle more generally in post-war Kosovo in reinforcing a collective identity that emphasizes resistance against foreign oppression and identifies strongly with a European, predominantly Christian culture. ＂The Battle of Kosovo 1389＂ is an important addition to our understanding of the past, present and future of this complex Balkan nation as well as the broader issues of national memory and identity.

Anna Di Lellio is visiting Professor at the Graduate Program in International Relations at the New School University in New York and at the Kosovo Institute of Journalism and Communication in Prishtina. She is the editor of The Case for Kosova: A Passage to Independence. A sociologist, journalist and policy analyst who has worked in and on Kosovo for the past ten years, she holds a PhD in Sociology from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. Robert Elsie is a writer, translator, interpreter and specialist in Albanian studies. He has worked on Albanian culture and history for thirty years. Among his numerous publications, the translation of the Albanian classic, Gjergj Fishta’s The Highland Lute (I.B. Tauris), represents perhaps the most remarkable achievement.