Albanian folk beliefs and mythological stories comprise the beliefs expressed in the customs, rituals, myths, legends and tales of the Albanian people. The elements of Albanian mythology are of ancient Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all of them are pagan. Albanian folklore evolved over the centuries in a relatively isolated tribal culture and society. Albanian folk tales and legends have been orally transmitted down the generations and are still very much alive in the mountainous regions of Albania, Kosovo, western North Macedonia, Montenegro and South Serbia and among the Arbëreshë in Italy and the Arvanites in Greece.
Arbëresh writer Girolamo de Rada. (1814–1903)
Albanian Franciscan priest and scholar Shtjefën Gjeçovi. (1874–1929)
British anthropologist and writer Edith Durham. (1863–1944)
The Sun and the crescent Moon on the headgear of a woman of the Gruda tribe.
Zonja e Dheut is the Albanian name for the Earth Goddess. In Albanian folk beliefs, earth is the object of a special cult, important oaths, and curse formulas. The Earth Mother Goddess or Great Mother is simply referred to as Dhé or definite Dheu, "Earth" or "The Earth" in Albanian, and traces of her worship have been preserved in Albanian tradition. The Albanian noun Toka "The Earth" is also used to refer to the living Earth.
View from Brojë into the valley of Vukël and Nikç, Kelmend, northern Albania.
Life sized sculpture by Skender Kraja, based on the Legend of Rozafa, Museum of Rozafa Castle, Shkodër. The cult of the maternal breasts and the motif of immurement are reflections of the worship of the earth mother goddess in Albanian folk beliefs.
Practicing of Gjâma by the men of Theth (Shala) in the funeral of Ujk Vuksani, 1937.