[FONT=Courier New, adobe-courier, Courier]ETYMOLOGY: THE MYTH[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]The origin of the Illyrian name appears to be tied up in Greek and Roman myth.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]The ancient writer, Apollodorus, records the Theban king, Cadmus, coming to the aid of the Encheleae who were at war with the Illyrians of the north. Cadmus conquers them and is named ruler by the Encheleae. His wife, Harmonia, bears him a son, Illyrius, who would also rule over the Illyrians, thus, are named after him.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]The Roman historian, Appian, has a different version. Appian tells the story of Poseiden's son, Polyphemus and his love for Galatia, a sea nymph. Galatia bears Polyphemus three sons - one of them being Illyrius who founded Illyria. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]However, mythical stories are not reliable especially when they are applied by outsiders such as the Greeks or Romans. Yet, the Apollodorian account contains the link of a theory that ties the Illyrian name with serpents.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]In the first myth noted above, Illyrius was supposedly empowered by a serpent. In addition, his parents, Cadmus and Harmonia, were punished by the Greek god Zeus for past grievances and forced to live out the rest of their days as serpents. In fact, the very tribe that Cadmus comes to aid, the Encheleae, were known as "eel men."[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]Furthermore, the Illyrian name may have its roots in an ancient mythological serpent known to the Hittites (see Illyrian ties to the Hittites in the previous section) as "Ilurjanka."[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]* [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]More over, the root word in "Illyrian" means to wind or turn in the Greek language.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]What also must be mentioned is that [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]many Illyrian artifacts reveal serpentine[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]inscriptions as snakes were generally [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]regarded as symbols of fertility.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]There can be little doubt of the [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]connection between the Illyrian name [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]and the serpent, but this aspect still remains only a theory and is not a satisfactory explanation when it comes to the Albanian account of the meaning of the Illyrian name.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]Albanian scholars and philologists alike contend that the meaning of the Illyrian name is understood in the Albanian interpretation of the Illyrians, "Iliret."[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]The root in "Iliret" is "i lir" which simply means, "free." Thus, the meaning of "Iliret" is "freemen" and the meaning of Illyria (long before America came into existence) is "land of the free."[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman, adobe-times, Times]To the Albanians, the latter makes complete sense as to the meaning of "Illyria" or "Illyrian," but for scholars the former cannot be ignored either.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]*[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow] [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]Stipcevic, [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]The Illyrians[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow] pp 15[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]Note[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]: The image above is for dramatic purposes and has no connection to Illyrian artifacts.[/FONT]
VIDI KOJ NAPISAL STIPCEVIC< NE E ALBANEC