MARRIAGE
A young man takes no part in the arrangement of his marriage.
A young woman takes no part in the arrangement of her marriage.
A young man may reject his intended.
If a young woman, with her father’s consent, rejects her intended, she may not marry until her intended dies, even if he takes another wife.
If a young woman, without her father’s consent, rejects her intended, she is forcibly handed over, and a bullet is given by the father to the young man. If she attempts to flee, the young man may kill her with the bullet. No blood feud ensues.
On the day of the marriage, the bridegroom’s men fetch the bride. Each of the bridegroom’s men must come to the wedding with a sheep. If the bride has died, they carry her corpse back to the bridegroom’s house.
FAMILY
The husband corrects the wife, and may beat or bind her when his words are scorned.
The wife who commits adultery is shot in the back. No blood feud ensues.
The father buys weapons for his sons when they come of age. Daughters are provided with clothing and shoes until they marry.
The father may beat or bind his children. If he kills his child, it is considered that the child has committed suicide.
Children of any age remain obedient to the father until he dies and must seek his approval for all things.
If a man has no sons, his daughter may inherit his property if she chooses to dress and act like a man. She may not marry.
OATHS
An oath is a denial of guilt.
Women and children cannot swear an oath.
An oath cannot merely be spoken: He who swears an oath must be touching a cross, a rock, or the heads of his sons.
Once an oath is sworn, the man is considered innocent and the charge is dropped.
If an oath is falsely sworn, a man incurs divine punishment and his family is dishonored for seven generations. One hundred sheep and one ox must be paid.
HONOR
God has touched our foreheads with two fingers of honor. All men are equal. The handsome and the ugly are the same.
A man is dishonored if he is called a liar in front of other men; if someone spits at him or pushes him or threatens him; if his wife is insulted or if his wife runs off with another man; if someone takes his weapons off his shoulder or belt; if someone insults his friend; if someone removes the lid of a cooking pot in his hearth; if someone in his house dips a morsel of food before the guest does, dishonoring both him and his guest.
There is no fine for an offense to honor, nor can it be paid for in property. An offense to honor can never be forgiven. An offense to honor can only be paid with blood.
GUESTS
A guest is welcomed. His weapons are hung on a hook. More logs are brought; the guest stirs the fire. His feet are washed. Coffee is taken first by the guest and then the master of the house. Raki, however, is taken first by the master of the house and then by the guest. A high-ranking guest is given the sheep’s head, which he smashes with his fist. A lower-ranking guest is given the shoulder of the sheep; he strips the meat and cracks the bone to extract the marrow. The guest must be the first to stop eating and to stop drinking raki.
TRADE
Prices are regulated for an iron cauldron, a copper still, a good pan for baking bread, an oak tree for timber, unwashed wool, beaten wool felt, mohair, a hive with bees, honey, wax, wine, grape raki, cheese, unmelted butter, melted butter, dried pork, coffee, a pair of thin sandals, a pair of thick sandals, all farm animals, a rifle, and a pistol inlaid with silver coins.
A murder is paid for in blood. Or it may be paid by livestock, land, or guns.*
*Note: The codification of the Kanun, the customary laws of the northern Albanian mountains, is traditionally attributed to Lekë Dukagjini (1410–1481). The laws themselves are many centuries older, possibly dating to the Bronze Age Illyrians, and were modified after the time of Lekë, to account for such things as modern weaponry.