stringfigures:historium: Balkan sworn virgins- Balkan sworn virgins are women in the Balkan nations
stringfigures:historium: Balkan sworn virgins- Balkan sworn virgins are women in the Balkan nations of Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia; who take a vow of chastity and live as men. The reasons why someone becomes a sworn virgin are varied, including wanting to avoid an arranged marriage, identifying as a man or being attracted to women, or wanting the privileges usually afford to men in society. The sworn virgin oath, the Kanun, is irreligious, allowing Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims to join. Today, sworn virgins are mostly found in Macedonia and Albania. The Communist Albanian government attempted to stamp out the practice, but there has been some resurgence in it since the 1990s. photography by Jill Peters !!! -- source link