Arrëni (also spelled Arni, Arrni, Arnji and Arrnji) were a small

Albanian tribe The Albanian tribes ( sq, fiset shqiptare) form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties tracing back to one progeni ...

or ''fis'' from the Lumë region.

Geography

The Arrëni inhabited the southwestern part of the Lumë valley and a village in the region is named after their tribe. Their tribal region is centred in the area between Mount Zeba and the western bank of the Black Drin. They border Dardha to the south, Luma to the east and northeast and the

Mirdita Mirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name. Etymology The name Mirdita derives from a legendary ancestor named Mir Diti from whom the tribe claims descent. Other ...

region to the west and northwest, in particular the Oroshi and Fani tribes.

Origin

The Arrëni were of polyphyletic origin thus they are not a traditional Albanian ''fis'' in the sense that they do not claim descendant from a common male ancestor. The tribe itself is an offshoot of the larger Berisha tribe.

History

The term Arrëni was first recorded in 1641 in a report of Marco Scura and in 1703 as ''Arena'' and ''Areni'' in a report of the Catholic archbishop of Bar, Vincentius Zmajevich. The Arrëni were a small tribe located between three larger groupings, Luma, Dibra and Mirdita. Although they had close relations with all three, they were quite independent. Like other tribes such as Dibra, Mat and Lura, the Arrëni were an ethnographic grouping with a distinct history and identity. They are said to have been separated from the Berisha tribe and are culturally related to the tribes of the

region. Their Women traditionally wore the Mirdita dress. The Arrëni tribe was originally Catholic and a church dedicated to Saint Barbara was located in their chief village. The whole tribe converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule and some members of the tribe migrated to

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

and

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

, those are primarily found in the villages of Dëbëlldeh and Belanovtse, in the Skopska Crna Gora region.

References

{{reflist Tribes of Albania