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 valour of the
Serbian knight Milos Obilic. By proposing an alternative narrative,
"The Battle of Kosovo" 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 emphasises resistance against foreign
oppression and identifies strongly with a European, predominantly
Christian culture. "The Battle of Kosovo" 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.
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