Cham issue in the optics of today’s historians

Notes about the book “Zeus” of the historian Rasim Bebo

1.
Many historical theses during the communist historiography period had created a kind of taboo, so they were untouchable and unchangeable, although historians could bring abundant factual material, argued with scientific objectivity, in reverse of their existence. It is understood that this historiography had its iron frame, which, for the sake of truth, he could not break them easily. Based on the ideological axis and the guidelines that were given from above, the communist historiography in most of the time, was made spokeswoman of orders and options that dictated the policy and the party ideology, as everywhere, even on historical issues.
With the collapse of communism there were created spaces that scientific conclusions to be unfold as it came out from the research and in depth study of facts and historical documents. Therefore, during these years of democracy, inter alia, has taken vigorous development even the study of the Cham problem, which is inseparably linked to historical origin of the Albanian people during the centuries.
This issue, especially in recent years, is focused on optics of many current historians. Dozens of scientists, Albanian and foreign, in their studies, bringing abundant facts and arguments, have tried and are trying that this issue, with significant historical importance, give a more accurate and argued solution to point out that even Cham territories in Greece are populated from thousands of years by a nation, who is a descendant of Ilir, that these have derived from the ancient Pelasgians. This thesis that naturally waits to be proved even better with factual material and other arguments from different fields of historiography, which will be revealed and gathered with devotion by the future historians, no doubt that it will conclude the resolution of Cham issue and will audit the conclusions of Greek historiography, that by manipulating the facts and historical documents, requires to wine itself in the history of ancient and modern Greece, calling cham “immigrants” in their homes, a population without identity, that has unjustly occupied the Greece. Here is the place to mention the words of the father of the Greek historiography, Herodotus, who said that “in the territories of Greece a very old people that called Pelasgian have lived before the ancient Hellenes”. These people at that time had a stretch in Europe and beyond.
2.
One of the Albanian authors and scholars, that in his historical books, aims to prove the ancient authenticity of Cham population in Greece is even Mr. Rasim Bebo. Although at an advance age, he has never had and doesn’t have lack of energy and commitment to carry through to the end the authenticity of the origin of Cham population, which is entirely Albanian, as from the language and even from the traditions, customs and habits. In his new book “Zeus”, (Zeusi) Rasim Bebo sinks in the ancient depths of the history to point out his historical conclusions. He has made them subject in scholarly books that has written. However, it is not only this the goal of the author of “Zeus” (Zeusi). He, thank to a scrupulous study of tens and tens of works of the Albanian and foreign authors, which he quoted in abundance in his book, argue with Greek historians and those who support them, reminding that today’s Greek in the territories where historically live, are much younger than the Albanian Chams in their homes. Even these Greeks have a history as descendants of the old Helen, but the arrival of many of them in Greece from other countries has occured, at least, about 1200 years ago, a very young date if we compare with the stories and deeds that the greatest poet of evolution, Homer, describes in his famous works “Iliad” and “Odysseus”.
Influenced by the book’s material, the author has organized its construction according to particular chapters, starting from the ancient history to end in nowadays. Thus in the first chapter is talked about Pelasgians and their origins, for Zeus and the birth of a deity, and create a picture for this nation so ancient, which is the forerunner of many other nations, among which even Illyrians. Further in the book it comes to the symbols of Zeus, for paganism, pre-helen heritage etc.
In the third chapter, deepening in the ancient history of Greece, the author mentions the plated Mikena, Knosi, legends of Tezeu and the Trojan War. His conclusion is that all these that mentions are related to the origin of the ancient Pelasgians. One of the roads that Mr. Bebo uses to prove the thesis of the Pelasgian origin of Ilir, of the Albanians, is that he cites many authors, in conclusion of which, especially in their linguistic research, he finds similarities between the words and the old labels with the today’s Albanian language. Thus, according to him and the authors that cites, the word Zeus comes from the word za-ze. The name of the goddess Aferdita, recalls the albanian words “the day came”, the name of the Greek capital, Athina, from albanian- said, the Dodona name, from the roar of the bell-don, don, don, the Odhise name, from the Albanian word, leader and so on. Even for the old Etruscan population, Mr. Bebo, says that it is related with Pelasgians.
The book continues with other chapters and interesting writings, which are always associated with an abundant documentary material, that the author has collected from many books of different historians. Thus in the loops of the book chapters it even speaks about Pyrros of Epirus, for the Trojan war, for the Pelasgian civilization, for the Odyssey return in the hometown, in Ithaca, for the legend of Oedipus, for the War of Thermopylae, it is given a long list of Arvanites villages in Greece and a picture of ancient Epirus. Of interest in the book are even the loops of Chapter X, Illyrian kingdoms, the Roman conquest and conquest of Greece.
In chapter XI is made a description of Roman empires, Byzantine and Ottoman, in chapter XII the author speaks of the origin of Christianity and makes a short portrait to the Illyrian emperors. Chapter XIII deals with the Slavic invasion, mentions in it a special stitch the Arabs and are described the Crusaders of that time. In the two loops of the Chapter XV are portrayed the proudest figures of Albanians, Scanderbeg and Mother Teresa, while Chapter XVII has a stitch with a title as impressive and significant, which can be considered as the main basis for historical conclusion of the new book of the researcher Rasim Bebo. The title of this stitch is: “Chameria of Dodona and Zeus”.
Chapter XVIII and closing of the book includes some loops and sub-headings that speaks about the history of our people since 1945 till in our days.
No doubt with this book the researcher Rasim Bebo gives a new assistance to the lighting of some earlier historical periods, not studied in depth, reaching in his own conclusions and many of today’s researchers for the Albanian origin and especially of Chams’, aiming to put the origin of our people in very ancient historical foundation to come in the major conclusion that the Albanians, descendants of the Illyrians of these ancient Pelasgians, are indigenous in their lands, and for more as people are among the oldest, if not the oldest in the Balkans. And today in the world, many Albanian and foreign historians have brought this conclusion in their works, and now they see the studies that are being made for this problem in a new optic.

Sokol Jakova
Writer