Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-09-20 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE .ALBANIXNS.  Wassa Effendi, who has for souse time filled the office of Director of the Press in Constantinople, has recently published in Berlin a pamphlet in the German language on Albania and the Albanians, in which he endeavours to correct some errors commonly entertained with regard to that peculiar people. The author, who is Vonself a Christian of Albanian descent, seeks to show that the Albanians are totally distinct in race, ithgnage, mythology, institutions, mid customs from the ornate or liellenes. 'Every day," he "we bear the Mussulmans. Of Epirus, Macedoom, ko., spoken of as Albanians, and the Christians of the saline provinces described as Greeks or Hellenes. Pamphlets and newspapers have constantly repeated this description without any one taking notice of its incorrectness. The fact, however, is that the Mussulmans of Epirus are brothers of the Christians of Epirue ; they belong to the mine race, the same blood flows in their veins, and they have the same ancestor. Before the Ottoman supremacy there were here only orthodox Christians, who accented Islam from inclination or front interested motives, it as in Upper Albania there were only Catholics who became Mahomedans, and just as in Greece the Mussulmans were originally Greeks who became converts to Islam." As regards the laws and customs of his fellow-countrymen, the author says that the life which people live in Albania is quite primitive and patriarchal. Every clan has its chief and elaers, who conduct the government in common, and who administer the law according to the ancient usages and customs, which are founded on the principle of retaliation—an eye for an eye, a tooth -for a tooth. The chief and elders of the clans acquire their position by inheritance. But their position. no far as law is concerned, secups them lie immunities. The chief and elders are, in questions of public and private right, subject to the same laws, sad as liable to punishment, as every ordinary man. A chief who kills is killed, and in that statement all is told. He who murders is himself murdered by the descendants of the murdered man. If the murderer cannot be found, his father, his eon, hie brother, his cousin have to suffer for him. Nay, even if the murderer himself and his family manage to escape the vendetta, then a victim is made of some other member of the clan concerned. Whoever steals or robs must restore double the value of the stolen goods, and most pay in addition n fine, which falls to the share at the chief and elders.. The man who is killed while committing a robbery dies without honour. The forcible abd neiion of a married woman is treated as a crime equal to murder; the offender or one of his relatives must euffer-death at the hands of the injured husband or a relative of' his. A betrothed maiden who deserts her swain and marries another, giver the forsaken lover the right to take the life of her father, brother, uncle, or cousin.: Death is the Punishment for adulter3 ; the husband has the right to kill the adulterer when he meets him. about his house, or when, on ther grounds, his guilt is beyond douht.- These laws are the same for all, without distinction of religion. If a Mussulman kills a. Christian then a:: Christian retaliates by killing a Mimi:lmam' The stranger or visitor who accepts the hospitality of an Albanian is treated by him as sacred; and .the duties, of hospitality or gliest-fiiendship must not under any pretext be violated. He who injures or kills a gifest-friend is dishonoured, his clan expels him, and nobody is allowed to have anything flirther to do with his family. The infamy is everlasting; even blood cannot wipe out the stain. He who kills another man's guest has incurred to him a debt of; blood "for' forty times" which the elan of the injured entertainer has to demand from the elan of the a4sassin. The man who kills a woman is dishonoured, and his dishonour falls upon the head of every member of his family in common' with hilis—thev are all called woman-killers. Just as every clan has its chief. so every family has its head, and in all cases this is the oldest man of the -family. The oldest woman of the house stands at the bead of iteslomestic.affaits.