"They call themselves Macedonians"

[Pelister]

Temko Popov (1855-1931), Macedonian Publicist
May 9, 1888 Salonika

My dear Despot,

In the introduction to this letter I will tell you in advance that I will take the trouble to write you, inasfar as it is possible, in our tongue, substituting for those words which I do not know with Bulgarian ones. What else can be done, Despot! This tongue of ours, which could have dictated to the other Slavic tongues, has remained the poorest, and, like a beggar, must stretch out its hand to the Bulgarian, or the Serbian or even the Russian tongue! I do not deny that all of the Slavic tongues are similar to each other and that it is natural that they should borrow from each other, but not to the state to which our miserable tongue has come, so that a man can not express his thoughts without using Bulgarian words, if he has lived in Bulgaria, Serbian - if in Serbia. It is true that our tongue, being most similar to Serbian, should gather from it those words which it does not have in its own dictionary, but where is our dictionary, where are our philologists, who might concern themselves with these important questions, i.e. the compilation of a grammar and other most urgently needed textbooks, at least for elementary schools? If we have no philologists, where are the Serbian ones, who might know our tongue and might write those elementary and necessary books with such impassionate scholarship as to use Serbian words as supplementary words only where they can not find Macedonian ones, and not to be led by blind patriotism and instead of writing Macedonian textbooks, writing purely Serbian ones. Don't fool yourself, Despot, the national spirit in Macedonia has attained such a state that Jesus Christ himself, if he were to descend from heaven, could not convince a Macedonian that he is a Bulgarian or a Serb, except for those Macedonians in whom Bulgarian propaganda has already taken root.

This is a really interesting find. I've never come across it before. Good work Bratot.

[Bratot]

The National Geographic Magazine in 1917:

"Neither Bulgar nor Serb" said one such old woman, defiantly, when we left the Monastir road at Dobraveni, " I am Macedonian only and I am sick of war "

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/National_Geographic_Magazine/Volume_31/Number_5/On_the_Monastir_Road

[TrueMacedonian]

In August-September 1907, M. Petraiev, a Russian consular official and keen Balkan observer, accompanied Hilmi Pasha, inspector general for Macedonia, and an Austro-Hungarian representative on a tour of Macedonia. Afterward he reported to his Ministry of foreign affairs:

In the Kastoria(Kostur) Kaza, delegations from the villages came to see us and declared that they wanted neither Greek nor Bulgarian teachers and priests;rather they insisted that they be Macedonians. When questioned about their nationality, they replied that they are Macedonians. These declarations, which are far from being isolated, demonstrate that the Christian population of Macedonia is fed-up with the oppression of the various propagandas, and that in them is beginning to awaken a national consciousness different from those being imposed on them from outside.

V.I. Kosik, “Gordiev uzel Balkan,” in R.P. Grishina, ed., Makedonnia, Problemi istorii I kuluri (Moscow: Institut Slavianovedeniia, Rossiiskaia academia nauk, 1999, 63)

[TrueMacedonian]

They call themselves Macedonians

This theme of “they call themselves Macedonians” continues throughout the early part of the 20th century.

Consider, for example, the experience of Henry Baerlein, writing for the Fortnightly Review, in May 1928:



And goes on to say that;



p.627

Baerlein, Henry., “What is happening in Macedonia” in Fortnightly Review, 123, (May, 1928), pp.624-632,

The experience had been corroborated by British officials attached to the foreign office, in Macedonia throughout the early part of the 20th century.

Good topic Pelister. And good sources. I will add an already existing topic here - http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum...cedonians+1921 - Where Macedonians stated to a traveller in 1921 "We are Macedonians" everywhere he went.

[TrueMacedonian]

The National Geographic Magazine in 1917:

"Neither Bulgar nor Serb" said one such old woman, defiantly, when we left the Monastir road at Dobraveni, " I am Macedonian only and I am sick of war "






http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nation..._Monastir_Road

Bratot you're on a roll my friend. Let's triple the content of this topic before the week is over. Are you game?

Frank Fox wrote a ton of books in the early 20th century. This is one;





and this is the interesting other;

[TrueMacedonian]

Notice the dates above. 1921-23 was when this data was first published. It's hard to read but still easy enough to decipher;

In Greece the Macedonians, Turks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Kutso-Vlachs, and Jews are deprived of the most elementary rights and liberties.

[Makedonetz]

Thessa do you refute these above qoutes and evidence.....don't get up too quick and make your head hit the ceiling fan.

[Bratot]

Bratot you're on a roll my friend. Let's triple the content of this topic before the week is over. Are you game?

Why not... why not , how about this:

"Are you a Serb? Are you Bulgarian? Grecian or Albanian? On this series of questions, the Macedonian people, today as yesterday, were giving the same answer - I am Macedonian ".


"Je suis Macédonien"

Emmanuel Duvillard (born 1887) est le presidente du Comite de Geneve pour la Defense des victimes de la terreur blanche dans les Balkans.

[TrueMacedonian]

[Daskalot]

here is some more.... noted by the Greek army in 1925.......


Source: Minorities in Greece by Richard Clogg, 2002, page 129.

To be noted:

Ellinophrones=GRKOMANS (Macedonians with Greek national consciousness)

Voulgarophrones=BUGAROMANS (Macedonians with Bulgarian national consciousness)

[TrueMacedonian]

Daskale that's a gem. Looks like we might be tripiling the content of this sooner than what I expected.

[El Bre]

here is some more.... noted by the Greek army in 1925.......


Source: Minorities in Greece by Richard Clogg, 2002, page 129.

To be noted:

The passage highlighted in green is very telling.

It's readily apparent how certain people developed a Greek or Bulgarian conciousness, but, how does one who is described as "indifferent to nationality" develop a Macedonian conciousness?

The answer is...he doesn't because it was already present.

[Risto the Great]

It's readily apparent how certain people developed a Greek or Bulgarian conciousness, but, how does one who is described as "indifferent to nationality" develop a Macedonian conciousness?

The answer is...he doesn't because it was already present.

Absolutely ... and a logical extension of that is that the "development" of a Bulgarian or Greek consciousness is artificial.

[Bratot]

"STOYAN PETROFF Macedone [sic] died Sep. 20, 1906 At Steelton Pa"


Source: “The Eye Expanded”, chapter 16 “Macedonian Redux” by Eugene N. Borza, page 249-254, 1999

[Bratot]

A prophecy of Alexander the Great

Venice

A foreword for the translation

During the excavations in Babylon, inside a golden box, it was found an old manuscript from long past times. This manuscript was translated in all languages, since this is a prophecy of Alexander the Great, who predicted without all the great things that were done from that time until now, and also tells what else will be done.

Since this manuscript is a prophecy of Alexander the Great and speaks most highly about his beloved country Macedonia, I a servant of Jesus, being from the same country as this great man, decided, with the help of the Holly Spirit, to make a translation on the languages that are spoken in my homeland, and make it as understandable as possible. I pray to God so this book will bring mercy to all that have our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

I wrote this in 1845

Yeromonah Atanas Macedonian