Tomorr


Mount Tomorr is a mountain in southern Albania, reaching an elevation of above sea level. Tomorr is situated within the Tomorr National Park, which is noted for its diverse species of deciduous and coniferous trees and a great variety of flora. Many endangered species are free to roam and live in this area such as bears, wolf, and birds of prey. Mount Tomorr offers various sports such as hiking, horse or donkey riding, canoeing, and skiing. It is said that from the top of Tomorr you can see the lights of the city Bari.

Etymology

The Albanian Tomor derives from the Illyrian Tómaros, from Proto-Indo-European *tómhxes-, "dark", akin to Latin tenebrae "darkness", temere "blindly, by chance", Old Irish temel "darkness", Middle Irish teimen "dark grey", Old High German demar "darkness", dinstar "dark", Old Church Slavonic tǐma "darkness", tǐmǐnǔ "dark".

History

In the classical period, Mount Tomorr was originally known as Tómaros by Illyrians and Amyron by Ancient Greeks; Amyron was a central feature of the region of Dassaretis, which was named after its inhabitants the Dexari, a tribe of Epirus belonging to the Chaonian group of northwestern ancient Greeks.
Mount Tomorr is a sacred site to both Christians, who climb it on Assumption Day to honor the Virgin Mary, and the Bektashi, who honor Abbas ibn Ali during an annual pilgrimage on August 20–25.
The cult of Mount Tomorr can be found in the Rilindja period of Albanian literature where authors such as Konstantin Kristoforidhi, Naim bey Frashëri, Andon Zako Çajupi, Asdreni, Hilë Mosi, and Ndre Mjeda devoted their works of prose and poetry to Father Tomor.

Legend

In Albanian folklore, Mount Tomorr is considered the home of the deities. Morover, it is anthropomorphized and considered a deity itself, envisioned in the legendary figure of Baba Tomor, an old giant with a long flowing white beard and four female eagles hovering above him and perching on his snow-covered slopes. According to German folklorist Maximilian Lambertz, Baba Tomor is the remnant of an Illyrian deity.