92 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph from Gen. George P. Scriven 



THE LION OF ST. MARK AT VUNO '. ALBANIA 



While not imposing in appearance like the famous Lion of Lucerne, similarly carved 

 from the living rock, this bit of sculpture tells an interesting chapter in the history of Alba- 

 nia. It is a relic of medieval times, when Venice was not only mistress of the Albanian coast 

 but the greatest commercial power in the world. 



the strictest possible observance of law — 

 a tribal, law founded upon a most dis- 

 torted idea of personal and family honor. 



The smallest infraction of custom — a 

 blow struck in anger, an unwitting shove 

 in a crowd — inevitably led to the declara- 

 tion of a blood feud, and the honor of the 

 injured party was sullied until he had 

 slain either the actual offender or some 

 male member of his family. The rela- 

 tives of the slain individual were then 

 compelled to take up the man hunt, and 

 thus the feud spread. 



So fatal were these feuds that in some 

 mountain districts it is said an old man 

 is seldom to be encountered, in spite of 

 the traditional longevity of the Albanian 

 race. The men were killed off before 

 they attained patriarchal years. 



Many are the curious customs and rit- 

 uals growing out of the blood feuds. It 

 is the unwritten law of the land that a 

 man must not be attacked while accom- 



panied by a woman, and frequently a 

 wife, daughter, or sister follows her men- 

 folk on all journeys through the moun- 

 tains in order, by her presence, to furnish 

 protection from an implacable foe. For- 

 merly in certain districts, it was possible 

 to buy immunity from the vengeance of 

 an aggrieved Albanian, the price varying 

 from $50 to $80, according to the locality. 



A rigid code protects a guest in the 

 mountain fastnesses, and if a traveler has 

 slept under the roof of an Albanian the 

 host, according to tribal law, is obligated 

 to declare a blood feud against any per- 

 son who insults or harms the visitor 

 within a certain length of time after he 

 has been entertained. 



A CHANGED ALBANIA 



Such is a picture drawn of the people 

 of Albania less than a decade ago. It is 

 in striking contrast to the country as I 

 saw it a few weeks ago, under the control 



