Voisava was a noblewoman and wife of Gjon Kastrioti, an Albanian feudal lord from the House of Kastrioti. They had nine children together, one of whom was the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg.

Early life

The wife of Gjon Kastrioti is mentioned for the first time by Albanian authors Marin Barleti and Gjon Muzaka about 70–80 years after her death as Voisava. Both authors lived in the immediate generation after Skanderbeg's death and mention her origin as being in the Polog area. Barleti explicitly states that "Polog" stretched from the mountains of Mokra in Southern Albania, to Skopje. It has also been argued that another Polog, closer to the town of Bitola in the plain of Pelagonia, may be the location of the Polog mentioned by Barleti. The only archival reference to her name is a notary act from the archives of the Republic of Ragusa dated July 10, 1439, which names Gjon Kastrioti's widow Jella.

Origin

The issue of the origin of Voisava has been a matter of debate among scholars. Based on a statement by Marin Barleti who described her father nobilissimus Tribalorum princeps (most noble prince of the Triballians) which was adopted in another form by Muzaka several theories have been proposed. As such, a number of scholars believe that Voisava was of South Slavic descent. A number of other historians propose that she came from the Albanian Muzaka family based on Gjon Muzaka's assertion that she was related to his family. A modern theory interprets the reference to a nobilissimus Tribalorum princepsas referring a Serbian origin and some modern scholars consider her as coming from the Branković dynasty. Although there are no primary or archival sources that connect Voisava to the Branković. Other scholars interpret the same statement to be referring to a Bulgarian background. The name Voisava is a feminine rendition of the Slavic name Vojislav from voj (war, struggle) and slava (fame, glory). The name was in use among Albanian nobility; Karl Thopia and Gjergj Arianiti both had daughters named Voisava, indicating that the name didn't have a particular ethnic affiliation in the region.

Family

Voisava married the Albanian feudal landowner Gjon Kastrioti, who ruled in a region of Albania (dominus partium Albanie) which corresponds roughly to the areas between Mat and Dibër. The marriage happened likely around 1390. closely linked to Orthodoxy, as shown by the foundation of the so-called "Albanian Tower" in Hilandar and the monastic life of Gjon's son Reposh. She bore 9 children to Gjon, four sons and five daughters:

Early sources

The earliest works mentioning Voisava are:

In historiography

Albanian Origin

Bulgarian Origin

Serbian Origin

Ambiguous Origin

Sources