The islamisation of the Meglen Vlachs (Megleno-Romanians): The village of Nânti (Nótia) and the “Nântinets” in present-day Turkey

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Notes

1. For a report on the project see Thede Kahl, “Feldforschungen zur Ethnizität von Aromunen und meglenitischen Vlachen,” Berliner Geographische Arbeiten, Vol. 91, 2001, pp. 65–72.

2. Petar Atanasov, “Meglenoromâna,” in: Consiliul Culturii şi Educaţiei Socialiste: Tratat de dialectologie românească (Craiova, Scrisul românesc 1984), pp. 476–550; Nikólaos A. Katsánis]: Oι Bλα´χoι τoυ Πα´ικoυ τoυ Bυζαντινoυ´ Θϵ´ματoς των Moγλϵνω´ν (Thessaloniki, 2001); Petar Atanasov, Meglenoromâna astăzi (Bucharest: Editura Academiei Române, 2002).

3. Wolfgang Dahmen, “Rumänisch: Areallinguistik III. Meglenorumänisch,” in: Günter Holtus, Michael Metzeltin and Christian Schmitt, eds, Lexikon der Romanistischen Linguistik, Vol. 3 (Tübingen, Germany, 1989), pp. 436–447; Gottfried Schramm, “Frühe Schicksale der Rumänen: Acht Thesen zur Lokalisierung der lateinischen Kontinuität in Südosteuropa,” in: Gottfried Schramm: “Ein Damm bricht: die römische Donaugrenze und die Invasionen des 5.–7. Jahrhunderts im Lichte von Namen und Wörtern,” Südosteuropäische Arbeiten, Vol. 100, 1997, pp. 275–343.

4. Gustav Weigand, Vlacho-Meglen. Eine ethnographisch-philologische Untersuchung (Leipzig, 1892), pp. 53–55.

5. Pericle N. Papahagi, “Megleno-Românii. Studiu etnografico-filologic,” Analele Academiei Române, Series II, No. 25, 1903, pp. 7–9.

6. Constantin J. Jireček, “Über die Wlachen von Moglena,” Archiv für Slavische Philologie, No. 15, 1893, pp. 97.

7. Tilémachos M. Katsugiánnis, Πϵρι´ των Bλα´χων των ϵλληνικω´ν χωρω´ν, Vol. 1, (Thessaloniki, 1964), pp. 34–36.

8. Peter Alford Andrews, “Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey,” Supplement to Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients, Vol. B 60, 1989, p. 103; Peter Atanasov, “Le mégléno-roumain de nos jours. Une approche linguistique,” Balkan-Archiv, New Series, Supplement, Vol. 7, 1990; Theodor Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” Meglenoromânii, Vol. 1, 1925, p. 15; Wolfgang Dahmen and Johannes Kramer, “Das Meglenorumänische,” in Günther Holtus and Edgar Radtke, eds, Rumänistik in der Diskussion. (Tübingen, Germany, 1986), pp. 266; Beate Wild, “Meglenorumänischer Sprachatlas,” Balkan-Archiv, New Series, Supplement, Vol. 2, 1983, p. 11.

9. Dahmen, “Rumänisch: Areallinguistik III. Meglenorumänisch,”, pp. 436–447.

10. Thede Kahl, “Ethnizität und räumliche Verbreitung der Aromunen in Südosteuropa,” Münstersche Geographische Arbeiten, Vol. 43, 1999, p. 186; Astérios Kukúdis, Oι Oυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´ (Thessaloniki, 2001), p. 404.

11. The most significant information was obtained from the following (the year of birth is only given for the eldest): in Kalamış: Ramazan Kara (b. 1914 in Nânti), Hüseyin Karakoç (b. 1937), Murat Yörük, Ayşe Yörük, Ismail Yörük, Mustafa Dimida, Aydar Körpe, Cemile Körpe (b. 1926), Meryem Arslantaş, Ayşe Arslantaş, Şeker Körpe; in Şarköy: Hasan Ocak (b. 1917 in Demirköy/Samakov), Ali Karanfil (b. 1910 in Trstenik/Thyriópetra), Hasan Karanfil (b. 1912 in Trstenik/Thyriópetra), Hüseyin Bayır (b. 1917), Vişo Yaşar, Yaşar Yavuz, Gültekin Ergun, Ayşe Karakoç; in Hoşköy: Recep Yaşar (b. 1914 in Nânti), Mustafa Akgün; in Göszüzköy: Murat I˙şcan, Ali Arap (b. 1930 in Göszüzköy), Hüseyin Berdikaya (b. 1929), Süleyman Ibrahim Çavuş (b. 1923), Mustafa Karahasan; in Gönence: Hüseyin Karahasan, Mustafa Poto (b. 1930) and others, who wish to remain anonymous. I am indebted to them and to the hoca of the village of Kalamış, Kazım Gülmez, as well as to the musicians of Osman Evin (Mürefte) and my hosts Hüseyin und Haldun Keresteci for their helpfulness, patience and hospitality. I also interviewed inhabitants of the Meglen region who, although originating from Nânti families, had not emigrated to Turkey. Some are descendants of Slavic-speaking Christian Roma, who must have had their own quarter in Nânti but today live in S'bocko/Aridéa and Fuştan/Fústani (most important contact: Vangélis Siderás); others are the Slavic-speaking inhabitants of Tuşim/Aetochóri, who are also thought to originate from Nânti (most important contact: Riste Voču = Chrístos Vótsis).

12. Vasile Arvinte, “Die Rumänen. Ursprung, Volks- und Landesnamen,” Tübinger Beiträge zur Linguistik, Vol. 114, 1980, p. 37.

13. Papahagi, “Megleno-Românii. Studiu etnografico-filologic,”, pp. 5; Gustav Weigand, “Die Aromunen. Ethnographisch-philologisch-historische Untersuchungen über das Volk der sogenannten Makedo-Romanen oder Zinzaren,” Vol. 2, (Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1895), p. 26.

14. Weigand, Vlacho-Meglen. Eine ethnographisch-philologische Untersuchung, p. XIV.

15. Spiridon Gopčević, Makedonien und Alt-Serbien (Vienna, 1889), p. 403.

16. Pericle N. Papahagi, “Megleno-Românii. Studiu etnografico-filologic,” Analele Academiei Române, Seriies II, No. 25, 1903, p. 21.

17. Vasil Kănčov, Избрани произвeдeния, Vol. 1–2 (Sofia, 1970), reprint.

18. Anastase N. Hâciu, Aromânii. Comerţ, industrie, arte, expansiune, civilizaţie (Focşani, Romania, 1936), pp. 234–243.

19. Lázaros A. Méllios; O ϵξισλαμισμóς τoυ μητρoπoλι´τη Moγλϵνω´ν-Πϵ´λλης, (Aridaia, 1986), 'Eκδoση της Iϵρα´ς Moνη´ς τoυ Aρχαγγϵ´λoυ Mιχαη´λ Aριδαι´ας αρ. (Publisher of the Monestery of Archangel Michael) 2, p. 37.

20. Kole Rošev]: Макeдонскитe војводи низ собитијата и народнитe пeсни во Водeнско и Мeглeнско (Skopje, 1997), p. 70.

21. Ibid., p. 22 (Muslims were granted taxation privileges).

22. Weigand, Vlacho-Meglen. Eine ethnographisch-philologische Untersuchung, pp. XIV–XV.

23. Nikólaos Siókis, “H βλα´χικη γλω´σσα και η διατη´ρηση´ της,” Eλιμιακα´, Vol. 21, No. 48, Kozani (Greece) pp. 39–57, 2002.

24. Weigand, Vlacho-Meglen. Eine ethnographisch-philologische Untersuchung, p. XXVI.

25. Kukúdis]: Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´, p. 252.

26. Nijazi Limanoski, “Исламизацијата на областа Мeглeн,” in Gjurovski, Stojan, Risto Nikolovski & Trajko Ognenovski, ed, Folklorot i etnologijata na Mariovo i Meglen (Prilep, Bitola 1994), pp. 267–273; Kukúdis, Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλαχoι και τα Bλα´χoμoγλϵνα´, pp. 283–286; Méllios, O ϵξισλαμισμo´ς τoυ μητρoπoλι´τη Moγλϵνω´ν-Πϵ´λλης, pp. 24–37; Pétros N. Papageorgíu, “O ϵξισλαμισμo´ς τoυ μακϵδoνικoυ´ χωριoυ´ Noτι´ων,” Mακϵδoνικó Hμϵρoλóγιo [Makedoniko Imerologio], 1909, pp. 91–95.

27. Interview, Father Serafím, Archángelos (Greece1999).

28. Interview, Hasan Ocak, Şarköy (Turkey 1997).

29. Johann G. von Hahn, Reise durch die Gebiete des Drin und Wardar (Vienna, 1863), p. 262.

30. Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” pp. 17–18.

31. Kukúdis, Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´, p. 283.

32. Rošev, Макeдонскитe војводи низ собитијата и народнитe пeсни во ВодeНско и Мeглeнско, p. 70.

33. Vasdravéllis, 1952, p. 261, quoted in Kukúdis, Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´, p. 284.

34. Hüseyin Karakoç, Hasan Ocak and Ramadan Kara.

35. Méllios, O ϵξισλαμισμóς τoυ μητρoπoλι´τη Moγλϵνω´ν-Πϵ´λλης; Papageorgíu, “O ϵξισλαμισμóς τoυ μακϵδoνικoυ´ χωριoυ´ Noτι´ων,” pp. 91.

36. Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” pp. 15–16.

37. Ibid., p.18.

38. Kukúdis, Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´, pp. 283–285.

39. Hâciu, Aromânii. Comerţ, industrie, arte, expansiune, civilizaţie, pp. 109, 238; Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” p. 17; Ioan Neniţescu, De la românii din Turcia Europeană. Studiu etnic şi statistic asupra armânilor (Bucharest, 1895), p. 377.

40. Papageorgíu, “To χωριó Xω´στιανϵς τoυ θϵ´ματoς Moγλϵνω´ν,” p. 55.

41. Kukúdis, Oι Oλυ´μπιoι Bλα´χoι και τα Bλαχoμoγλϵνα´, p. 290.

42. Atanasov, “Le mégléno-roumain de nos jours. Une approche linguistique,” p. 6.

43. Hâciu, Aromânii. Comerţ, industrie, arte, expansiune, civilizaţie, pp. 239–240.

44. Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” p. 11.

45. Atanasov, “Le mégléno-roumain de nos jours. Une approche linguistique,” introduction.

46. Andrews, “Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey,” pp. 101, 103.

47. For the Greek settlements in the area see Ángelos Germídis, “Tα Γανoχω´ρια της Aνατoλικη´ς Θρα´κης,” Θρακικα´, No. 46, 1972, p. 136.

48. Weigand, Die Aromunen. Ethnographisch-philologisch-historische Untersuchungen über das Volk der sogenannten Makedo-Romanen oder Zinzaren, pp. 27–28.

49. Capidan, “Istoria şi graiul lor,” p. 12.

50. Ibid., pp. 12, 19.

51. Dominique Belkis, “Comment peut-on être Mégléno-roumain? La construction historique d'une identité ethnique,” Martor. Revue d'Anthropologie du Musée du Paysan Roumain, No. 1, 1996, pp. 205–237; Thede Kahl, “Ethnizität und räumliche Verbreitung der Aromunen in Südosteuropa,” Münstersche Geographische Arbeiten, Vol. 43, 1999, p. 186.