Elvira Dones

In northern Albania, ancestral customs still exist, governing the laws of vendetta between families. Sometimes, for generations, an old feud has pitted two clans against each other, condemning them to take turns murdering a member of the opposing family. This blood code, known as the Kanoun, has painful consequences for many Albanians, who are condemned to live in seclusion to avoid being killed.

In a mountainous area of Albania, an ancestral code of laws -- observed to this day -- placed women in the bottom rank of society. It dictates that "a woman is a sack, made to endure." A woman cannot choose her husband, buy or sell property or express herself politically. For centuries, on a bride's wedding day, her father gave the groom two bullets, to be used to kill his daughter in case she misbehaved and dishonored the clan. But there is a loophole. The ancient laws allowed certain women known as "Sworn Virgins" to take an oath in front of their clan, announcing their intention to remain virgins.

In northern Albania, ancestral customs still exist, governing the laws of vendetta between families. Sometimes, for generations, an old feud has pitted two clans against each other, condemning them to take turns murdering a member of the opposing family. This blood code, known as the Kanoun, has painful consequences for many Albanians, who are condemned to live in seclusion to avoid being killed.

In a mountainous area of Albania, an ancestral code of laws -- observed to this day -- placed women in the bottom rank of society. It dictates that "a woman is a sack, made to endure." A woman cannot choose her husband, buy or sell property or express herself politically. For centuries, on a bride's wedding day, her father gave the groom two bullets, to be used to kill his daughter in case she misbehaved and dishonored the clan. But there is a loophole. The ancient laws allowed certain women known as "Sworn Virgins" to take an oath in front of their clan, announcing their intention to remain virgins.