Nora of Kelmendi was a woman who lived during the 17th century, in Albania. She has become legendary for her beauty & valor. Nora is sometimes referred to as "Helen of Albania", since her beauty is also said to have started a great war; she is sometimes also referred to as the Brunhilde of Albania, as she is the greatest female warrior in Albanian history.
There are two versions of Nora's legend, both end in her besting, Vutsi Pasha, the head of the Ottoman army, who vowed to turn the highlands (Malsia, in Albanian), to ashes if Nora didn't agree to become his wife. These events are estimated to have occurred around 1637-89, at the height of the Clementi-Ottoman conflict.
Nora's father, an acclaimed warrior, wanted a son to aid him in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. So when Nora was born he abandoned her at an orphanage. Her aunt, who knew of her brother's actions took Nora in and raised her as a boy. Nora's father, not recognizing his daughter, decided to take his sister's adopted "son" underwing & train him. However, as she grew up, Nora became known as the most beautiful girl in all of Malsia, her beauty was said to be akin to a zana (mountain fairy).
It didn't take long for Nora's fame to spread nationwide, soon news of Nora reached a pasha, Vutsi Pasha, who lived in Rozafati Castle, in Shkodra. One day, Nora visited the city with her parents & the pasha upon exiting his home, set eyes upon her & fell in love instantly. Vutsi hailed from neighboring Bosnia, which had similar customs to Albania, wanted to marry her according to the Albanian Canon, meaning he would send a trusted messenger to Nora's home, to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Nora's family declined his offer, saying Albanian Canon didn't allow for marriages to foreigners. The pasha was dismayed by their refusal, as he had always gotten the women he wanted & kept a harem of women, from far & wide. Vutsi flew into a rage saying, "Either Nora will become my wife or I will I'll burn all of Malsia to ashes.", than he promptly lead his army into Malsia & besieged it.
Nora having proved herself as a warrior, but now she also demonstrated great wisdom. To spare her beloved homeland from the wrath of the Bosnian pasha, she devised a plan to have him assassinated. This is where Nora's story has two versions, in one she pretends to agree to marry the pasha without her family's permission. She dressed in djubletah, traditional women's dress, in Northern Albania and paid a visit to the Vutsi's tent. Upon seeing her, the pasha fell to his knees, praying; he believed she was a gift sent from Allah, as a reward for his devotion to him. The pasha ordered his troops to rest & prepare to return to Shkodra, his men happily obliged, sitting back with copious amounts of hashish. When all was quiet, Nora stole back into the pasha's tent, armed with a war dagger, that had been gifted to her by her father & passed down in their family for generations. It was said, that the dagger had magical powers, for no one who wielded it had died in battle. Nora stabbed him, kicked him in the back of the head & choked him to prevent him crying aloud; than the pasha fell to the ground. At this point she could go no further, because according to Albanian custom, it was dishonorable to strike a man who isn't standing or can't fight back. Instead, Nora fled & as planned her army swept down on the Ottomans, winning a temporary victory against them. Vutsi, survived Nora's attack, gathered his own special unit & pursued her back home.
In the second version, Nora never visits his tent. Instead, as the two armies clashed, several Ottomans broke away from the main army, to attack surrounding villages. Nora led a small army of 300 women, against the Ottomans who had set off to burn, pillage & rape. In the midst of battle, she comes face to face with Vutsi & kills him in a duel.
Side notes:
Brunhilde- a powerful female figure from Germanic folklore.
Shkodra- a city in Albania, capital of the county, Shkoder.
Hashish- a drug made from cannabis aka. weed, marijuana
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Female Warriors
Non-FictionFrom Naotara li and Mulan to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Boudicca. Strong women throughout history who fought for the countries, families and beliefs; that made a stand against those who threatened to destroy them. They took charge when no else would.
