Sworn Virgins of Albania
23/05/2015
I have just stumbled upon a website which relates to a plot element of John Crowley's novel "Lord Byron's Novel: The Evening Land" which I posted a blog about last year. In the novel-within-a-novel, ostensibly written by Byron, the protagonist Ali returns to the Albania of his orphaned childhood, where he was raised with another orphan, a girl who was his first love. He finds she is unable to respond to him. Having tragically remained faithful to his memory and refused marriage, she is thus bound to an oath denying her very femininity: -
Now, I looked upon this a a plot element introduced safely in the knowledge that the average reader would not have an intimate knowledge of Eighteenth Century Albanian tribal customs.
However, it turns out that the custom is all too true, and ongoing, although fading, as documented by photographer Jill Peters in a set of pictures taken from 2009 to 2013, displayed at her website here. There is a "Read More" link there which tallies pretty well with the above extract.
I can only give Mr Crowley more credit for the background research that went into his novel.
However, it turns out that the custom is all too true, and ongoing, although fading, as documented by photographer Jill Peters in a set of pictures taken from 2009 to 2013, displayed at her website here. There is a "Read More" link there which tallies pretty well with the above extract.
I can only give Mr Crowley more credit for the background research that went into his novel.