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Albania's Double-Headed Eagle Symbol Scanderbeg's Personal Emblem and Standard
Date posted: Monday, August 19, 1996
Author: Gjergj Kastrioti

The Double-Headed Eagle is the emblem of Albania, and its placement in black at the center of a crimson-red field became the national flag of Albania during the early part of the 20th century. Yet few people know that the Double-Headed Eagle was also Scanderbeg's personal standard in the15th century as well as that of the Kastrioti clan from which he was descended. Over five centuries, it evolved into the symbol of today's Albania. A Double-Headed Eagle was also included in the emblem/standard of Lek Dukagjin who promulgated a body of customary laws (Kanun i Lek' Dukagjinit) that ruled northern Albania from the 15th up to the 20th Century.

Scanderbeg, the national hero of Albania and a military and political leader of international importance was born in 1405 in northern Albania to the Kastrioti family of feudal leaders, and as the child, Gjergj Kastrioti, he was taken as a hostage from his father, Gjon Kastrioti, to be raised and educated in Turkey and to serve in the Ottoman army. Under the name of Sk'nder (meaning Alexander, after Alexander the Great), he gained distinction in fighting in the Balkans and Asia Minor. He was awarded the title of Bey (Lord of the Land), adopting the name Scanderbeg (Albanian: Sk'nderbeu) which he retained all his life. In 1443, he led a revolt in Kruj' (northern Albania) against the Ottomans and scored repeated victories over them usually against great numerical odds. His successes were due to his knowledge of Turkish military tactics, his own sound tactics and strategy, brilliant leadership, the mountaineous terrain, and the support of the Albanian people. The revolt ultimately failed because of the overwhelming odds ranged against it and because of Scanderbeg's death in 1468. The revolt's astonishing achievements have ever since inspired and heartened Albanians everywhere they are located in the world.

Page 38 Gjergj Kastrioti SKENDERBEU, Shtepia Botonjese "Naim Frasheri", Tirana, 1967 Page 137 Georges Kastrioti SCANDERBEG , Libri Kujtim, Z. Lec Shllaku, M. Pagliai, Firenze, 1983 Page 200 Historical Dictionary of Albania, Raymond Hutchins, The Scarecrow Press , Inc., Lanham, MD and London, 1996 Frosina Information Network/162 Boylston St/Boston, MA 02116/Tel: 617/482-2002/Fax: 617/482-0014                 Web Site: www.frosina.org                Email: Email: VanChristo@frosina.org