Trauma and heroism

THE FORGING OF THE NARRATIVE FOR THE HISTORY OF KOSOVO

The article is aimed to study the basic strongholds of the narrative about history of Kosovo. Two main tendencies could be outlined. The first is the pursuit for equalization of the Kosovo “Grand narrative” with a group of historical narratives in the Balkan region. The second is the trend to establish and increase the distance between it and other group of historical narratives. Not all the elements of the new-forged Kosovo narrative are built in accordance with the logical expectations.

The opening subject is the classical myth for ethno genesis, claiming that Kosovo Albanians are descendants of the Ancient Dardanians – a more précised version, comparing to the Illyrian theory, built in Tirana. Next is the emblematic Kosovo battle (1389). There is a certain tendency to put on question and to disprove the battle’s status of historical fact.

The last episodes of the Kosovo “Grand narrative” are dedicated to the struggle for independence of Kosovo Albanians and the role of intervention of the USA – a set of questions, liable to analysis in the paradigm of the classical psychoanalysis as well.

Through the prism of Kosovo narrative a vast variety of details with conceptual importance could be viewed. They are tied to the problems of the imaginary geography of the Balkan region, of the relative hierarchies of prestige and dynamics of them, of the history and localizations of the key notions, defining the identity of the new-born Kosovo nation and new nations in general, of the processes, constructing the national canon.