Some Theses on the Presence of the Sea and Maritime Culture in the Historical and Collective Memory in Albanian Popular Culture and Authorial Writing

Abstract

Do we still treat the sea as a break, as a barrier or an opportunity relating to the culture of tradition and the modern present culture? In the present article, I argue the significance of the sea’s existence, try to show on which kind of texts we rely on to construct the concept of continuity of the maritime culture in Albanian no written oral tradition literature and on the literary artistic work of literature with an author. Although we inherit a rich ethnological culture, associated with the visual perception and opposition between the sea, the seascape and inner landscape or mountains, the presence of the theme and sea itself in Albanian written culture has left behind a certain set of cultural myths, among them, lack of marine memory in Albanians culture. What further scientific myths were and are still persistent enough to survive on this topic? Through this article, I am not inquiring to seek out a path to replace the early myths of the past with new myths or to re-mythologize the latest relationship of modern Albanian literature to the sea. Speaking about continuity I try to show that this relationship continues as historical memory of the community, as well as it survived in the ethnos culture and enriches with the literary works of the modern authors of today.

Keywords: maritime culture, the memory of the community, concept of continuity, opposition sea-mountain, new myths / re-mythologize.