Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: INTRODUCTION -- Narratives of Power: Capacities of Myth in Albania -- Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers 3 -- The Nature of Myth: Some Theoretical Aspects -- George Schdpflin 26 --I. THE HISTORY OF ALBANIAN MYTH PRODUCTION -- Invention of a Nationalism: Myth and Amnesia -- Piro Misha 33 -- The Role of Education in the Formation of -- Albanian Identity and its Myths -- Isa Blumi 49 -- Religion and the Politics of'Albanianism': Naim Frasheri's Bektashi Writings -- Ger Duijzings 60 -- Myths of Albanian National Identity: Some Key Elements, as Expressed in the Works of Albanian Writers in America in the Early Twentieth Century -- Noel Malcolm 70 -- Part II. MYTHS IN COMMUNIST POLITICS, SOCIETY AND CULTURE -- Between the Glory of a Virtual World and the Misery of a Real World -- Fatos Lubonja 91 -- Ismail Kadare's The H-File and the Making of the Homeric Verse: Variations on the Works and Lives of Milman Parry and Albert Lord -- Galia Valtchinova 104 -- Enver Hoxha's Role in the Development of Socialist Albanian Myths -- M.J. Alex Standish 115 --Part III. NATIONALIST HISTORIOGRAPHY OR FRIENDS, FOES AND HEROES -- The Myth of Ali Pasha and the Bektashis: The Construction of an 'Albanian Bektashi National History' -- Nathalie Clayer 127 -- Perceptions and Reality in Twentieth-Century Albanian Military Prowess -- Bernd J. Fischer 134 -- Smoke Without Fire? Albania, SOE and the Communist -- 'Conspiracy Theory' -- Roderick Bailey 143 --Part IV MYTHS AND CONTESTED BOUNDARIES -- 'Shkolla Shqipe' and Nationhood: Albanians in Pursuit of Education in the Native Language in Interwar (1918-41) and Post-Autonomy (1989-98) Kosovo -- Denisa Kostovicova 157 -- The Perception of the Albanians in Greece in the 1830s and '40s: The Role of the Press -- Elias Skoulidas 172 -- North American Albanian Immigration: Narratives on Political Myths -- Annie Lafontaine 182 -- Culture and the Reinvention of Myths in a Border Area -- Gilles de Rapper 190 --Part V. MYTHS OF DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE -- Myths and New Forms of Governance in Albania -- Mariella Pandolfi 203 -- Youth NGOs in Albania: Civil Society Development, Local Cultural Constructions of Democracy, and Strategies of Survival at Work -- Nicola Mai 215 -- Conspiracy Theories in Albanian Politics and Media -- Fabian Schmidt 226.