Zojz (deity)

Zojz[a] is a sky and lightning god in Albanian pagan mythology.[2]

Regarded as the chief god and the highest of all gods, traces of his
worship survived in northern Albania until the early 20th century, and
in some forms still continue today.[3]

In ancient times Zojz is considered to have been worshiped by Illyrians

as the ancestors of the Albanians.[4] Albanian Zojz is clearly the
equivalent and cognate of Messapic Zis and Ancient Greek Zeus (all
from Proto-Indo-European *Di̯ḗu̯s 'sky god').[5] The cult practiced by
the Albanians on Mount Tomorr in central Albania is considered as a The cult practiced by the Albanians
continuation of the ancient Indo-European sky-god worship.[6] on Mount Tomorr in central Albania
is considered as a continuation of
An epithet considered to be associated with the sky-god is "father", the ancient Indo-European sky-god
thought to be contained in the Albanian noun Zot ("Sky Father", from worship.
Proto-Albanian: *dźie̅u ̊ a(t)t-), used to refer to the Supreme Being.[7] In
Albanian the god who rules the sky is referred to as i Bukuri i Qiellit
("the Beauty of the Sky"), who is sometimes also associated with the Sun.[8] In some of his attributes, the
Albanian sky and lightning god could be related to the father god Baba Tomor, to the putative sky and
weather god Perëndi (another name for the Supreme Being), to the weather and storm god Shurdh, and to
the mythological demigod Drangue.

An Albanian mythical tale concerning the highest of the gods, who uses thunderbolts to defeat the sea-
storm god Talas, has been documented in the early 20th century from the Shala region in northern
Albania.[9]

Name

Etymology

Zojz is the Albanian continuation of *Di̯ḗu̯s, the name of the Proto-Indo-

European daylight-sky-god.[10][11][12] Cognates stemming from the noun
*Di̯ḗu̯s with a similar phonological development are the Messapic Zis
and Greek Zeus. In the Albanian Zoj-z, Messapic Zis, and Greek Ζεύς,
the original cluster *di̯of *di̯ḗu̯s underwent affrication to *dz.[12][11] In
Albanian it further assibilated into *z.[12] Other Indo-European
cognates are the Rigvedic Dyáuṣ and Latin Jovis. This root is thought to
be found also in the second element (dí/día/dei) of the name Perëndi, Daylight sky
used in Albanian to refer to the Supreme Being.[13][14]

Epithets

Sky Father
The zero grade radical of *di̯ḗu̯s and the epithet "father" are thought to be contained in an Albanian noun
for the Supreme Being, Zot. It is traditionally considered to be derived from Proto-Albanian *dźie̅u ̊ a(t)t-,
an old compound for 'heavenly father' stemming PIE *dyew- ('sky, heaven, bright') attached to *átta
('father'), thus a cognate to PIE *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr and with its various descendants: Illyrian Dei-pátrous,
Sanskrit द्यौष्पितृ (Dyáuṣ Pitṛ́), Proto-Italic *djous patēr (whence Latin Iuppiter), Ancient Greek Ζεῦ πάτερ
(Zeû páter).[15] Alternatively, some linguists have also proposed the Proto-Albanian etymology *dzwâpt
(from *w(i)tš- pati-, 'lord of the house'; ultimately from PIE *wiḱ-potis, 'leader of the clan').[16][17]

Beauty of the Sky

In Albanian the god/lord of the sky/heaven is also referred to as i Bukuri i Qiellit 'the Beauty of the Sky',
who, according to a modern interpretation of the ancient Albanian pantheon, might be seen as the
counterpart of e Bukura e Dheut 'the Beauty of the Earth' and e Bukura e Detit 'the Beauty of the Sea', who
also appear in Albanian folklore.[18]

Reflections

Albanian Zana "nymph, goddess", and Zonja "Goddess, Lady" (e.g. Zonja e Dheut or Zôja e Dheut and Zôja
Prende or Zôja e Bukuris) could be related to the Indo-European *di̯ḗu̯s.[19][20][21] Zónja (also Zónja të
Jáshtëme) is the Arbëreshë variant of the Albanian theonym Zana. Ancient Greek Dióne, parallel to Latin
Diāna, could be regarded as a feminine counterpart of the Sky-God.[22] The variant ζόνε Zonë appears in
Albanian oaths like περ τένε ζόνε, për tënë Zonë, "By our God/Lord",[22] and in Old Albanian texts for
Pater Noster (Tënëzonë, tënë-Zonë).[23] It is equivalent to the Albanian accusative Zótënë/Zótnë, obtained
through the assimilation of -tënë/-tnë into -në.[24] At the sanctuary of Dodona the Greek Sky-God Zeus is
paired with Dione, and the geographical coincidence of the Albanian case is remarkable.[22]

History of the cult

The confrontation between the belief systems of Pre-Indo-European populations—who favored 'Mother
Earth Cults' comprising earthly beliefs, female deities and priesthood—and of Indo-European populations
who favored 'Father Heaven Cults' comprising celestial beliefs, male deities and priesthood, might be
reflected in the dichotomy of matriarchy and patriarchy that emerges from the two types of female
warriors/active characters in Albanian epic poetry, in particular in the Kângë Kreshnikësh.[note 1][25] Also in
Albanian folk tales the victory of E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun", who
is described as the lightning of the sky[26]) over the kulshedra (often described as an earthly/chthonic deity
or demon) might symbolize the reflection of the supremacy of the deity of the sky over that of the
underworld.[27] On the other hand, the Albanian belief system has preserved also the importance of the cult
of the earth (Alb.: Dheu).[28][29]

In ancient times the sky and lighning god Zojz is considered to have been worshiped by Illyrians as the
ancestors of the Albanians.[4] Albanian Zojz is clearly the equivalent and cognate of Messapic Zis and
Ancient Greek Zeus, the continuations of the Proto-Indo-European *Di̯ḗu̯s 'sky god'.[11][30] In the pre-
Christian pagan period the term Zot was presumably used in Albanian to refer to the sky father/god/lord,
father-god, heavenly father (the Indo-European father daylight-sky-god).[23]

After the first access of the ancestors of the Albanians to the Christian religion in antiquity the term Zot has
been used for God, the Father and the Son (Christ).[23][31] The cult of the sky is preserved in Albanian oath
swearings, which are often taken by sky (e.g. për atë qiell, pasha qiellin!),[32] as well as expressly 'by Zojz',
Alb.: "Pasha Zojzin!".[33] A typical folk expression says: Beja me rrêna ka rrufenë! "Swearing with lies,
there is lightning!".[34] The worship and practices associated to the sky and lighning deity have been
preserved until the 20th century, and in some forms still continue today.[35][6][33]

Cult, practices and folk beliefs

Early evidence of the celestial cult in Illyria is provided by 6th century BCE plaques from Lake Shkodra,
which belonged to the Illyrian tribal area of what was referred in historical sources to as the Labeatae in
later times. Each of those plaques portray simultaneously sacred representations of the sky and the sun, and
symbolism of lighning and fire, as well as the sacred tree and birds (eagles). In those plaques there is a
mythological representation of the deity, who throws lightning into a fire altar, which is held by two men
(sometimes on two boats). This mythological representation is identical to the Albanian folk belief and
practice associated to the lightning deity: a traditional practice during thunderstorms was to bring outdoors
a fireplace (Albanian: vatër), in order to gain the favor of the deity so the thunders would not be harmful to
the human community.[35][note 2] Albanian folk beliefs regard the lightning as the "fire of the sky" (zjarri i
qiellit) and consider it as the "weapon of the deity" (arma/pushka e zotit/perëndisë). Indeed an Albanian
word to refer to the lightning is rrufeja, related to the Thracian rhomphaia, an ancient pole weapon.[36] In
those plaques, the Illyrian symbolism of the birds (eagles and two-headed eagle), finds correspondences to
the myth of the Eagle of Zeus. The sacred significance of the eagle as a celestial symbol has been
scrupulously preserved by Albanians, who have always considered it their animal totem.[35]

Role

Considered as the chief god and the highest of all gods, traces of Zojz'
worship survived in the Zadrima region in northern Albania until the
early 20th century. The local people used to swear "Pasha Zojzin!".
According to the elders, Zojzi lives among the clouds with a thunderbolt
in his hand. It was believed that he notices the deeds of the people, who
are frightened by his power because when he realises that people are
sinning, he brings them destruction hurling his thunderbolt on the trees
and the tall buildings, and burning and smashing the sinners. Local
Region of Zadrima, where traces of
Albanian mythology has it that Zojz has a son and a daughter. His son is
Zojz' worship survived until the early
called Plutoni (cf. the Ancient Greek Pluto), the god of fire and the
20th century
underworld. With the fire in his hand, he holds control of the center of
the Earth. Plutoni used to be worshiped as well. Zojz's daughter is the
goddess Prende, widely worshiped in northern Albania.[33]

The Albanian noun Zot, used to refer to the Supreme Being, is regarded as the Albanian equivalent of the
Indo-European sky-father-god.[23] The worship of the father god, being regarded as the father of gods and
humans, has survived in central Albanian mythology and folklore until today, associated with the cult of
Mount Tomorr.[37][38] In central Albanian folk beliefs the god associated with this mountain is
euphemistically referred to as "Him of Tomorr" and "the Holy One of Tomorr", and Albanian solemn oath
swearings are taken by him.[39] He is described as an old man with a long white beard flowing down to his
belt. He is accompanied by female eagles and the winds are his servants.[37] His consort is e Bukura e Dheut
("The Beauty of the Earth"), a chthonic/earth goddess. The sister of e Bukura e Dheut is e Bukura e Detit
("The Beauty of the Sea"), a sea-goddess.[38]

The god of the sky/heaven is regarded as the one who makes the sky cloudy or clears it up, and he is
referred to as "the Beauty of the Sky" (Albanian: i Bukuri i Qiellit).[40][41] According to a modern
interpretation, the ancestors of the Albanians presumably had in common with the Ancient Greek theogony
the tripartite division of the administration of the world into heaven, sea, and underworld, and in the same
functions as the Greek deities Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, they would have worshiped the deities referred to
as the Beauty of the Sky (i Bukuri i Qiellit), the Beauty of the Sea (e Bukura e Detit), and the Beauty of the
Earth (e Bukura e Dheut). The phrase "the Beauty of the Sky" continues to be used to refer to the
monotheistic God in Albanian, the Beauty of the Sea and the Beauty of the Earth are kept as figures of
Albanian folk beliefs and fairy tales.[41][42][43]

Mountain cult and sacrifices

According to Albanian folk beliefs, Zojz resides on the peak of mountains such as Mount Tomorr,[44][45] the
highest and most inaccessible mountain of central Albania, considered the home of the deities. This
tradition has been preserved in folk beliefs until recent times.[44][38][46] The enduring sanctity of the
mountain, the annual pilgrimage to its summit, and the solemn sacrifice of a white bull by the local people
provide abundant evidence that the ancient cult of the sky-god on Mount Tomorr continues through the
generations almost untouched by the course of political events and religious changes.[6]

Mount Tomorr certainly seems to have been the site of a pre-Christian cult, being worshiped still today by
the locals, both Christians and Muslims, as a mountain with a supernatural force—swearing solemn oaths
"By Him of Tomorr" and "By the Holy One of Tomorr", and practicing ritual sacrifices of animals—long
before the shrine of Abbas Ali was correlated with the sacred site.[47] The name of the village
Mbrakull/Vrakull at the foot of Mount Tomorr, which evolved through Albanian sound changes from Latin:
oraculum, suggests the existence of an oracle in the area during antiquity.[48]

Relation with the Sun

The Albanian oath taken "by the eye of the sun" (Albanian: për sy të diellit) or "by the star" (për atë hyll) is
related to the Sky-God worship.[49] The Sun is considered "the Beauty of the Sky" (i Bukuri i Qiellit) by the
Albanians.[50] Oaths taken "by the sky" (për atë qiell), "by the sun" (për atë diell), "by the ray of light" (për
këtë rreze drite) and "by the sunbeam" (për këtë rreze dielli) are often sworn by the Albanians.[51] During
the ceremonial ritual of celebration of the first day of spring (Albanian: Dita e Verës), "the Beauty of the
Sky" is the human who is dressed in yellow personifying the Sun, worshiped as the giver of life and the god
of light, who fade away the darkness of the world and melts the frost.[52] In an Arbëreshë folk song of
mythological nature, E Bija e Hënës dhe e Diellit ("the Daughter of the Moon and the Sun") is described as
the lightning of the sky (Albanian: pika e qiellit) which falls everywhere from heaven on the mountains and
the valleys and strikes pride and evil.[26][53] Described in some traditions with a star on her forehead and a
moon on her chest, her victory over the kulshedra might symbolize the supremacy of the deity of the sky
over that of the underworld.[54]

Sky and Earth pairing

The sky is often paired with the earth in Albanian oath swearings, e.g.: për qiell e dhé, pasha tokën e pasha
qiellin, etc.[55]

Mythical tale
An Albanian mythical tale concerning the highest of the gods, who uses thunderbolts to defeat the sea-
storm god Talas, has been documented in the early 20th century from the Shala region in northern
Albania.[56]

Synopsis

As the wife of the highest god was soaring over the seas to delight in the sight of the order which her
husband's wisdom had created, the god Talas noticed her. She was so beautiful that no other goddess could
match her. So the god Talas went after the wife of the highest god and as soon as he reached her, he raped
her through the use of brute force. Afterwards the wife of the highest god, despite being above all the other
goddesses, decided to take her own life due to the desecration she suffered,[note 3] but only after telling her
husband what she had been through. So she stepped before her husband, and immedatelly after reporting
what happened, she seized a weapon and stretched herself as a corpse before the highest of the gods.
Because of that horrible suicide, but more than that, because of the defilement which his wife had suffered
from the god Talas, the highest god swore an oath to take vengeance on the god who did that disgrace to
him. After some time the highest god accomplished his revenge by hitting Talas with one of his cruel
thunderbolts that tore him to pieces, after which his corpse would have emitted a stormy wind that no one
could approach, so his whole body was buried in the ground. The god Talas did not smell like humans, but
rather more pleasant. Hence the interpretation that he was the god of the sea-storm or the god of the storm
surge.[59]

In oral epic poetry

The Kângë Kreshnikësh – the traditional songs of the heroic legendary cycle of Albanian epic poetry –
always begin with a ritual praise to the supreme being: "Lum për ty o i lumi Zot!" ("Praise be to you, o
praised God!"). This introductory religious formula brings the audience into a distant world and a
primordial time. Including elements ranging from paganism to monotheism, the primeval religiosity of the
Albanian mountains and epic poetry is reflected by a supreme deity who is the god of the universe and who
is conceived through the belief in the fantastic and supernatural beings and things, resulting in an
extremely structured imaginative creation.[60][61] The components of Nature are animated, so the moon,
sun, stars, clouds, earth and mountains participate in the world of humans influencing their events. People
also address oaths or long curses to the animated elements of nature.[62][63][64] The supreme god allows the
existence of terrestrial female deities with their intervention in earthly events and interaction with
humans.[60][65] Indeed, in their life, the heroes can be assisted by zanas and oras, who symbolize the vital
energy and existential time of human beings respectively. The zana idealizes feminine energy, wild beauty,
eternal youth and the joy of nature. They appear as warlike nymphs capable of offering simple mortals a
part of their own psychophysical and divine power, giving humans strength comparable to that of the
drangue. The ora represent the "moment of the day" (Albanian: koha e ditës) and the flowing of human
destiny. As masters of time and place, they take care of humans (also of the zana and of some particular
animals) watching over their life, their house and their hidden treasures before sealing their destiny.[66][67]
Hence, the goddesses of fate "maintain the order of the universe and enforce its laws"[68] – "organising the
appearance of humankind."[69] However great his power, the supreme god holds an executive role as he
only carries out what has been already ordained by the fate goddesses.[68]

See also
Albanian mythology
Drangue
En (deity)
Perëndi
 Shurdh
Verbt

References

Notes
a. The indefinite Albanian forms of the theonym are Zojz or Zojs, the definite forms are Zojzi or Zojsi.[1]

1. In Albanian epics there are on the one hand female characters who play an active role in the quest and
the decisions that affect the whole tribe, on the other hand those who undergo a masculinization
process as a condition to be able to participate actively in the fights according to the principles of the
Kanun.[25]
2. A correspondence can be found in the Messapian cult of the sky and lightning god Zis Batas ("Zis the
Thunderer") in a cave on the other side of the Adriatic, where an altar and miniaturistic sacrifical vases
have been found, indicating that the deity was revered by sailors in order to assure good weather,
salvation in sea and good navigation.
3. Talas had attacked and desecrated her in a shameful manner, so that in future she could no longer be
seen among the others.[57] Note that besa and nderi (honour) are of major importance in Albanian
customary law as the cornerstone of personal and social conduct.[58]

Citations
1. Sedaj 1982, p. 75; Çabej 1966, p. 373; Xhuvani et al. 1943, p. 18; Feizi 1929, p. 82.
2. Dedvukaj 2023, p. 1; Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 232; Søborg 2020, p. 74; Berishaj 2004, p. 49; Sedaj
1982, p. 75; Çabej 1966, p. 373; Mann 1952, p. 32; Mann 1948, p. 583; Feizi 1929, p. 82; Lambertz
1922, pp. 47, 143–144, 146–148.
3. Brahaj 2007, pp. 16–18; Cook 2010, p. 1171; Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 143–144, 146–148.
4. Sedaj 1982, p. 75.
5. Søborg 2020, p. 74; Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 232; Dedvukaj 2023, p. 1.
6. Cook 2010, p. 1171.
7. Demiraj 2011, p. 70; Demiraj 2002, p. 34; Demiraj 1997, pp. 431–432; Mann 1977, p. 72; Treimer 1971,
p. 32; Curtis 2017, p. 1746; Kölligan 2017, p. 2254.
8. Lambertz 1949, p. 46; Fishta & Lambertz 1958, p. 284; Ushaku 1988, p. 101; Lurker 2005, p. 38.
9. Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 146–148
10. Mann 1952, p. 32.
11. Søborg 2020, p. 74.
12. Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 232
13. West 2007, pp. 167, 242–244.
14. Jakobson 1985, pp. 6, 19–21.
15. Demiraj 2011, p. 70; Demiraj 2002, p. 34; Demiraj 1997, pp. 431–432; Mann 1977, p. 72; Treimer 1971,
p. 32; Curtis 2017, p. 1746; Kölligan 2017, p. 2254.
16. Mallory & Adams 1997, p. 348.
17. Orel 1998, p. 526.
18. Lambertz 1949, p. 46; Fishta & Lambertz 1958, p. 284; Ushaku 1988, p. 101; Lurker 2005, p. 38.
19. Chelariu 2023, p. 359.
20. Mann 1977, pp. 71–72.
21. Mann 1948, pp. 583–584.
22. Cook 1964, pp. 162–163.
23. Demiraj 2011, p. 70.
24. Camaj & Fox 1984, p. 113.
25. Loria-Rivel 2020, pp. 47–48, 52.
26. Shuteriqi 1959, p. 66.
27. Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128.
28. Tirta 2004, pp. 189–190, 230.
29. Ushaku 1988, pp. 92, 95–97.
30. Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 232.
31. Demiraj 2002, p. 34.
32. Ushaku 1988, pp. 92, 95–97; Pipa 1993, p. 253; Elsie 2001, pp. 193, 244; Tirta 2004, pp. 42, 68, 439;
Hysi 2006, pp. 349–350.
33. Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 143–144, 146–148.
34. Fakaj 2022, p. 38.
35. Brahaj 2007, pp. 16–18.
36. Tirta 2004, pp. 82, 406.
37. Lurker 2005, p. 186.
38. Elsie 2001, pp. 252–254.
39. Elsie 2019, p. 169–170; Elsie 2000, p. 39; Hasluck 2015, p. 180; Bulo 1997, pp. 3–7; Clayer 2017,
pp. 139.
40. Lambertz 1949, p. 46.
41. Fishta & Lambertz 1958, p. 284.
42. Ushaku 1988, p. 101.
43. Lurker 2005, p. 38.
44. Feizi 1929, p. 82.
45. Mann 1948, p. 583.
46. West 2007, p. 151.
47. Elsie 2019, p. 169–170; Elsie 2000, p. 39; Hasluck 2015, p. 180; Bulo 1997, pp. 3–7; Clayer 2017,
pp. 139.
48. Çabej 1996, p. 212.
49. Cook 1964, p. 197.
50. Sokoli 2013, p. 181.
51. Elsie 2001, pp. 193, 244.
52. Sokoli 2000, p. 37.
53. Lambertz 1922, p. 77.
54. Tirta 2004, pp. 72, 128
55. Ushaku 1988, pp. 92, 95–97; Pipa 1993, p. 253; Elsie 2001, pp. 193; Hysi 2006, pp. 349–350.
56. Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 146–148
57. Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 146–148
58. Gawrych 2006, p. 115
59. Lambertz 1922, pp. 47, 146–148
60. Schirò 1959, p. 30–31.
61. Krasniqi 2019, p. 141.
62. Poghirc 1987, pp. 178–179.
63. Tirta 2004, pp. 68–82.
64. Elsie 2001, pp. 181, 244.
65. Doja 2005, pp. 456, 459.
66. Kondi 2017, p. 279.
67. Tirta 2004, pp. 63, 71, 112–117, 137–140, 163, 164, 191, 192.
68. Doja 2005, p. 459.
69. Doja 2005, p. 456.

Bibliography
Berishaj, Martin (2004). Skrita moč bese: Ženske v imaginariju albanskega tradicionalizma. Dodatek:
Skenderbegov kanon (https://books.google.com/books?id=iEgwEAAAQBAJ) (in Slovenian). Založba
ZRC. ISBN 9789616500746.
Brahaj, Jaho (2007). Flamuri i Kombit Shqiptar: origjina, lashtësia (https://books.google.com/books?id=y1R
pOwAACAAJ). Enti Botues "Gjergj Fishta". ISBN 9789994338849.
Bulo, Jorgo (1997). "Mali i shenjtë i Tomorrit. Nga kulti pagan te miti romantik". Perla, revistë shkencore-
kulturore tremujore. Tiranë (4): 3–7.
Çabej, Eqrem (1966). "Albanische Volkskunde". Südost-Forschungen (25): 333–387.
Çabej, Eqrem (1996). Studime etimologjike në fushë të shqipes (https://books.google.com/books?id=OK5iA
AAAMAAJ). Vol. 4. Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë, Instituti i Gjuhësisë dhe i Letërsisë.
Camaj, Martin; Fox, Leonard (January 1984). Albanian Grammar: With Exercises, Chrestomathy and
Glossaries (https://books.google.com/books?id=rPfRUAuevq4C). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.
ISBN 978-3-447-02467-9.
Chelariu, Ana R. (2023). Romanian Folklore and its Archaic Heritage: A cultural and Linguistic Comparative
Study (https://books.google.com/books?id=G9itEAAAQBAJ). Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-031-
04051-1.
Clayer, Nathalie (2017). "The pilgrimage to Mount Tomor in Albania: A changing sacred place in a changing
society". In Tsypylma, Darieva; Kahl, Thede; Tonchev, Svetoslava (eds.). Sakralität und Mobilität im
Kaukasus und in Südosteuropa. Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. pp. 125–142. ISBN 978-3-
7001-8099-9.
Cook, Arthur Bernard (1964) [1914]. Zeus: Zeus, god of the bright sky (https://books.google.com/books?id=
9F_XAAAAMAAJ). Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion. Vol. 1. Biblo and Tannen.
Cook, Arthur Bernard (2010) [1940]. Zeus: Zeus, God of the Dark Sky (earthquakes, clouds, wind, dew,
rain, meteorites) (https://books.google.com/books?id=gUZo7Qz6H5AC). Zeus: A Study in Ancient
Religion. Vol. 3 (Part 2). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108021234.
Curtis, Matthew C. (2017). "The phonology of Albanian". In Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz, Matthias
(eds.). Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=SuR8DwAAQBAJ). Vol. 3. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3110540369.
Dedvukaj, Lindon (2023). "Linguistic evidence for the Indo-European and Albanian origin of Aphrodite" (http
s://doi.org/10.3765%2Fplsa.v8i1.5500). Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America. Linguistic
Society of America. 8 (1): 5500. doi:10.3765/plsa.v8i1.5500 (https://doi.org/10.3765%2Fplsa.v8i1.55
00). S2CID 258381736 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:258381736).
Demiraj, Bardhyl (1997). Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz.
Leiden Studies in Indo-European (in German). Vol. 7. Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi.
Demiraj, Bardhyl (2002). "Einheitlichkeit und Spaltung im Laufe des Christianisierungsprozesses der
Albaner. Eine ethno-linguistische Fallstudie" (https://www.albanologie.uni-muenchen.de/downloads/
publikationen-demiraj/einheitlichkeit-und-spaltung.pdf) (PDF). Studime (in German). Academy of
Albanological Studies: 23–41.
Demiraj, Bardhyl (2011). "Rrënjë dhe degë të krishterimit ndër shqiptarë" (https://www.albanologie.uni-mue
nchen.de/downloads/publikationen-demiraj/rrenje-dhe-dege.pdf) (PDF). Hylli i Dritës (in Albanian).
Shkodër. 2: 58–78.
Doja, Albert (2005). "Mythology and Destiny" (http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/18364/1/18364.pdf) (PDF).
Anthropos. 100 (2): 449–462. doi:10.5771/0257-9774-2005-2-449 (https://doi.org/10.5771%2F0257-
9774-2005-2-449). JSTOR 40466549 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/40466549). S2CID 115147696 (ht
tps://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:115147696).
Elsie, Robert (2000). "The Christian Saints of Albania" (http://home.olemiss.edu/~mldyer/balk/article2.html).
Balkanistica. 13 (36): 35–57.
Elsie, Robert (2001). A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=ve4SAQAAIAAJ). London: Hurst & Company. ISBN 1-85065-570-7.
Elsie, Robert (2019). The Albanian Bektashi: History and Culture of a Dervish Order in the Balkans (https://
books.google.com/books?id=JRKiDwAAQBAJ). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781788315715.
Fakaj, Përparim (2022). "Diversity of Popular Expressions in Albanian Dialect Dictionaries". Buletini
Shkencor Reald. 7 (2): 24–41. ISSN 2411-5592 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2411-5592).
Feizi, Abidin (1929). Grammatica della lingua albanese (https://books.google.com/books?id=csLqAAAAMA
AJ). Pubblicazione del R. Istituto orientale di Napoli. Napoli: Achille Cimmaruta.
Fishta, Gjergj; Lambertz, Maximilian (1958). "Die Laute des Hochlandes (Lahuta e malcis)" (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=59rqAAAAMAAJ). Südosteuropäische Arbeiten. R. Oldenbourg. 51.
ISSN 0933-6850 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0933-6850).
Gawrych, George (2006). The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874–1913
(https://books.google.com/books?id=wPOtzk-unJgC). London: IB Tauris. p. 36.
ISBN 9781845112875.
Hasluck, Margaret (2015). The Unwritten Law in Albania (https://books.google.com/books?id=3FW2CgAAQ
BAJ). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107586932.
Hyllested, Adam; Joseph, Brian D. (2022). "Albanian" (https://books.google.com/books?id=xzKAEAAAQBA
J&pg=PA223). In Olander, Thomas (ed.). The Indo-European Language Family : A Phylogenetic
Perspective. Cambridge University Press. pp. 223–245. doi:10.1017/9781108758666 (https://doi.or
g/10.1017%2F9781108758666). ISBN 9781108758666. S2CID 161016819 (https://api.semanticsch
olar.org/CorpusID:161016819).
Hysi, Shyqyri (2006). "Kulte tradicionale shqiptare" (https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=275246)
[Albanian Traditional Cults]. Gjurmime Albanologjike - Folklor Dhe Etnologji (in Albanian). Instituti
Albanologjik i Prishtinës (36): 349–361.
Jakobson, Roman (1985). "Linguistic Evidence in Comparative Mythology". In Stephen Rudy (ed.). Roman
Jakobson: Selected Writings (https://books.google.com/books?id=gsucH7YYr7kC). Vol. VII:
Contributions to Comparative Mythology: Studies in Linguistics and Philology, 1972–1982. Walter de
Gruyter. ISBN 9783110855463.
Kölligan, Daniel (2017). "The lexicon of Proto-Indo-European". In Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz,
Matthias (eds.). Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=SuR8DwAAQBAJ). Vol. 3. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3110540369.
Kondi, Bledar (2017). "Un regard critique sur l'ethnographie de la mort en Albanie" (https://www.cairn.info/re
vue-ethnologie-francaise-2017-2-page-277.htm). Ethnologie française. 166 (2): 277–288.
doi:10.3917/ethn.172.0277 (https://doi.org/10.3917%2Fethn.172.0277).
Krasniqi, Nysret (2019). "Topofilia letrare" (https://www.ashak.org/repository/docs/Studime26_715855.pdf)
(PDF). STUDIME, Revistë për studime filologjike (in Albanian). Kosova Academy of Sciences and
Arts. 26: 129–138.
Lambertz, Maximilian (1922). Albanische Märchen (und andere Texte zur albanischen Volkskunde) (https://
books.google.com/books?id=0lxtzwEACAAJ). Wien: A. Hölder.
Lambertz, Maximilian (1949). Gjergj Fishta und das albanische Heldenepos Lahuta e Malcís, Laute des
Hochlandes: eine Einführung in die albanische Sagenwelt (https://books.google.com/books?id=t-rhA
AAAMAAJ). O. Harrassowitz.
Loria-Rivel, Gustavo Adolfo (2020). "Dede Korkut and its Parallelisms with Albanian Epic Traditions. Female
Warriors in Albanian and Turkic Epics" (https://books.google.com/books?id=zHjrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA
45). In Nikol Dziub, Greta Komur-Thilloy (ed.). Penser le multiculturalisme dans les marges de
l'Europe (https://books.google.com/books?id=zHjrDwAAQBAJ). Studies on South East Europe.
Vol. 26. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 45–53. ISBN 9783643912930.
Lurker, Manfred (2005). The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons (https://bo
oks.google.com/books?id=Vtj0wSsw1JcC). Routledge, Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-203-64351-8.
Mallory, James P.; Adams, Douglas Q. (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (https://books.googl
e.com/books?id=tzU3RIV2BWIC), London: Routledge, ISBN 978-1-884964-98-5
Mann, Stuart E. (1948). An Historical Albanian-English Dictionary (https://books.google.com/books?id=XdhI
tAEACAAJ). Vol. II, N–Z. Longmans, Green and Co., LTD.
Mann, Stuart E. (1952). "The Indo-European Consonants in Albanian". Language. Linguistic Society of
America. 28 (1): 31–40. doi:10.2307/409988 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F409988). JSTOR 409988
(https://www.jstor.org/stable/409988).
Mann, Stuart E (1977). An Albanian Historical Grammar (https://books.google.com/books?id=3LJiAAAAMA
AJ). Hamburg: Helmut Buske Verlag. ISBN 9783871182624.
Orel, Vladimir E. (1998). Albanian Etymological Dictionary (https://books.google.com/books?id=yJQYAQAA
IAAJ). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-11024-3.
Pipa, Arshi (1993). "The Mythology of Albania". In Bonnefoy, Yves (ed.). American, African, and Old
European mythologies (https://archive.org/details/americanafricano00bonn). University of Chicago
Press. ISBN 0-226-06457-3.
Poghirc, Cicerone (1987). "Albanian Religion". In Mircea Eliade (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 1.
New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. pp. 178–180.
Schirò, Giuseppe (1959). Storia della letteratura albanese (https://books.google.com/books?id=i7c_AAAAIA
AJ). Storia delle letterature di tutto il mondo (in Italian). Vol. 41. Nuova accademia.
Sedaj, Engjëll (1982). "Ngjashmëri të hyjnive homerike dhe atyre shqiptare" (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=a6niAAAAMAAJ). Gjurmime Albanologjike. Albanological Institute of Prishtina: 71–90.
Shuteriqi, Dhimitër S. (1959). Historia e letërsisë shqipe (https://books.google.com/books?id=lgI-AQAAIAA
J). Vol. 1. Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Instituti i Historisë dhe Gjuhësisë.
Søborg, Tobias Mosbæk (2020). Sigmatic Verbal Formations in Anatolian and Indo-European: A Cladistic
Study (https://books.google.com/books?id=EzBdzgEACAAJ) (Thesis). University of Copenhagen,
Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics.
Sokoli, Ramadan (2000). Gojëdhana e përrallëza të botës shqiptare (https://books.google.com/books?id=w
wPaAAAAMAAJ). Toena. ISBN 9789992713198.
Sokoli, Ramadan (2013) [1999]. "The Albanian World in the Folk Teller's Stories" (https://books.google.com/
books?id=i8RdAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA181). In Margaret Read MacDonald (ed.). Traditional Storytelling
Today: An International Sourcebook. Translated by Pranvera Xhelo. Routledge.
ISBN 9781135917142.
Tirta, Mark (2004). Petrit Bezhani (ed.). Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë (in Albanian). Tirana: Mësonjëtorja.
ISBN 99927-938-9-9.
Treimer, Karl (1971). "Zur Rückerschliessung der illyrischen Götterwelt und ihre Bedeutung für die
südslawische Philologie". In Henrik Barić (ed.). Arhiv za Arbanasku starinu, jezik i etnologiju (https://
books.google.com/books?id=dTIBAAAAMAAJ). Vol. I. R. Trofenik. pp. 27–33.
Ushaku, Ruzhdi (1988). "Mbi strukturën leksiko-semantike dhe etimologjike të tipit të togfjalëshit të shqipes
burri i dheut (Mundësia për një rindërtim)" (https://books.google.com/books?id=Da1iAAAAMAAJ).
Gjurmime Albanologjike. Albanological Institute of Prishtina. 17–18: 63–76.
West, M. L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-928075-9.
Xhuvani, Aleksandër; Gurakuqi, Karl; Kamsi, Kolë; Çabej, Ekrem, eds. (1943). "Zojzi në Shqipni, Zojzi i
Dodonës". Bota Shqiptare 3 (in Gheg Albanian). Tirana: Ministria e Arsimit. pp. 18–22.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zojz_(deity)&oldid=1196448821"