The Kushneni or Kuzhneni tribe are an

Albanian tribe The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defini ...

and one of the traditional bajraks of the

Mirdita Mirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name. Etymology The name Mirdita derives from a legendary ancestor named Mir Diti from whom the tribe claims descent. Other a ...

region in northern central

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. The Kushneni tribe were one of the three traditional bajraks of Mirdita, which has now increased to five.

Geography

Kushneni tribal territory is situated in the

Mirditë Mirditë ( sq-definite, Mirdita) is a municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Fan, Mirditë, Fan, Kaçinar, Kthellë, Orosh, Rrëshen, Rubik, Albania, Rubik and Selitë, ...

municipality, County of Lezhë, north central

. It is centred along the basin of the Greater Fan River and extends southwards to the Lesser Fan River. It is bordered by Kthella to the south,

Oroshi is the Japanese term for a wind blowing strong down the slope of a mountain, occasionally as strong gusts of wind which can cause damage. ''Oroshi'' is a strong local wind across the Kanto Plain on the Pacific Ocean side of central Honshu. This ...

to the southeast,

Spaçi The Spaçi or Spaqi tribe is an Albanian tribe and one of the bajraks of the ethnographic Mirdita region in northern central Albania. The Spaçi tribe were one of the three traditional bajraks of Mirdita, which has now increased to five. Geograp ...

to the north and east, and

Dibrri The Dibrri tribe is an Albanian tribe and one of the five bajraks of the ethnographic Mirdita region in northern central Albania. Geography Dibrri tribal territory stretches across the counties of Lezhë and Shkodër. The northern portion occup ...

to the west. The main Kushneni settlements are Ndërfana, Gëziq, Blinisht, Pëshqesh and

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

. Kushneni tribal territory consists of the central part of the Fan i Gojanit and Shperlasa valleys, as well as the right bank of the Fan i Fandit.

Origins

The ancestral father of the Kushneni tribe was Gjin Biba, brother to Mark Biba and Dodë Biba, the ancestral fathers of

and

tribes respectfully. These three tribes formed the three original bajraks of Mirdita and therefore do not marry with each other due to their blood relations. Gjin and his two brothers are the sons of Bib Kola, and all three sons hailed from the

Pashtrik Pashtrik (, ; sr-Cyrl, Паштрик) is a mountain located in Albania and Kosovo. Its highest peak is located on their mutual border. It is high. The White Drin river passes along by it. Mount Pashtrik is the site of annual pilgrimages of resi ...

region near

Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakov ...

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

, from where they migrated to what is now Oroshi tribal territory in Mirdita.

History

Kushneni was first mentioned in a 1795 report as ''Cuscnen'', again as ''Cusneni'' in 1866 and as ''Cusceni'' and ''Cusneni'' 1928. In 1881, it numbered to 3,600-4,000 inhabitants, and was already a bajrak by this point. In 1918, there were 318 households with 2,430 inhabitants in Kushneni territory. Their traditional meeting place is in Sh'Pal (the ancient abbey of

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

), which is also the main meeting place for Mirdita in its entirety. The bajraktar (flagbearer, chieftain) of the Kushneni tribe in 1931 was Ndrekë Bajraktari, and in 1956 it was Ndue Bajraktari.

Religion

The Kushneni are traditionally an exclusively Catholic tribe, and their patron saint is

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

Relation with other tribes

Due to being blood related to the Oroshi and Spaçi tribes, with whom they form the three original bajraks of Mirdita, marriage is not permitted between members of these tribes. Additionally, they hold themselves to be related to the

Shala Shala (Šala) was a Mesopotamian goddess of weather and grain and the wife of the weather god Adad. It is assumed that she originated in northern Mesopotamia and that her name might have Hurrian origin. She was worshiped especially in Karka ...

and Shoshi tribes and therefore do not intermarry with these tribes either. The Kushneni would regularly marry with the

tribe.

References

{{reflist Tribes of Albania