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

Albanian tribe The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defini ...

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 The Black Drin, or Black Drim (; ) is a river in North Macedonia and Albania. It flows out of Lake Ohrid in Struga, North Macedonia. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . After flowing through North Macedonia for , the ...

. 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 a ...

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 Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...

was located in their chief village. The whole tribe converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule.

References

{{reflist Tribes of Albania