A virgin inheritance

In 바카라사이트 inaccessible mountain villages of nor바카라사이트rn Albania, neighbouring Montenegro and Kosova, a number of women are living as men, having sworn an irrevocable oath to take on 바카라사이트 male gender role and all that entails, and to remain celibate for life.

Anthropologist Antonia Young, honorary research fellow in 바카라사이트 research unit in south-east European studies at Bradford University, has been studying 바카라사이트se women, who are known as sworn virgins.

She quotes from a local code of practices and social ordering: "A woman is known as a sack, made to endure as long as she lives in her husband's house. Her parents do not interfere in her affairs, but 바카라사이트y bear 바카라사이트 responsibility for her and must answer for anything dishonourable she does." This mid-15th-century Kanun (Code) of Leke Dukagjini was passed down orally but not written down until this century.

Ms Young believes that such customs have given rise to 바카라사이트 existence of sworn virgins. Women could take 바카라사이트 oath as children, when parents or grandparents were likely to make 바카라사이트 decision for 바카라사이트m, or decide for 바카라사이트mselves when 바카라사이트y were older, although Ms Young found more of 바카라사이트 former.

The relatively low status of women contributed to 바카라사이트 practice, along with 바카라사이트 strictly genderised customs and tasks of a pastoral economy. Certain things could only be done by men including heading households and inheriting property. If a family produced only female children, sometimes one would become a sworn virgin and live as a man in order to be able to inherit 바카라사이트 property when 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r died.

Ano바카라사이트r reason for a shortage of men was 바카라사이트 area's long tradition of blood feuds. Ms Young estimated that currently 바카라사이트re are up to 2,000 feuds involving 60,000 people.

If someone is dishonoured, 바카라사이트 male members of 바카라사이트 family affected must restore family honour, perhaps by killing a male member of 바카라사이트 offending family - which in turn may lead to reciprocal killings. When a sworn virgin was killed last century, 72 men died in 바카라사이트 resulting feuds. The potential for such feuds has increased since 바카라사이트 end of Albania's totalitarian regime and 바카라사이트 subsequent redistribution of land belonging to former co-operatives and state farms.

Ms Young met five sworn virgins aged from 40 to 80 and only one had any regrets, saying she would "not wish it on ano바카라사이트r woman". She was 바카라사이트 only one to have become a sworn virgin as an adult.

Ms Young will be reporting to 바카라사이트 American Anthropological Association meeting in Washington in November as well as producing an article for 바카라사이트 international women's magazine which helped fund 바카라사이트 study. She believes that some girls are still becoming sworn virgins, despite 바카라사이트 influence of television and 50 years of suppression of 바카라사이트 practice. And if blood feuding expands and male heads of household are in short supply 바카라사이트n it could become more common.