Zog I
Did you know Albania had a king?
I mean, they don’t. But they did. They had a king. A king. One king. And that wasn’t really all that long ago.
Actually, it was, 1930s. Well, actually, 1928-1939. But that was less than 100 years ago, so not all that long.
Yes, Albania had a king. Zog I.
Really, his name was Zog I. There was never a Zog II, or an anything else, either. He was elected king — did you know you could get elected king? Well, Zog was, so it was possible it seems — and he served until Mussolini invaded Albania in 1939.
Why am I bringing him up? Well, today’s his birthday. How old is he? That’s easy. 65.
How is that possible? Well, he quit having birthdays in 1961 when he up and died, so he’s been stuck at 65 for a while. But he was born in 1895, if you care. Albania cared, apparently.
I’m just wondering why I never hears of Zog I before now. Maybe you’ve heard of him. If so, share your knowledge. That way I don’t have to look a bunch of stuff up.
In Albania, they take blood feuds very, very seriously. Once he became king, Zog never traveled in public unless he was closely accompanied by his wife, sister or mother. Because offing one’s blood enemy in the presence of a female relative brings dishonor to the killer. And the draperies of the palace were always closed. In case of snipers. Everybody took it with pretty good humor – it’s just that if you’re going to be king of Albania, at least half the clans are going to have some kind of blood feud with you. The Kanun of Skanderberg and the Law of Lek set down the rules. Follow the rules and it’s all good. Oh, and when he left Albania, he took all the country’s gold with him. Winning!
“I’m just wondering why I never hears of Zog I before now. ”
Most Americans never hears of Albania before now. Or after now.
The photo looks like Hitler, pretending to be a woman in drag.
Or General Jacques Clouseau
AHA!
Any fan of “Disenchantment” on Netflix has heard of King Zog.
Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos. >}:-D