The sacrifices and privileges of the “burnessa”, a tradition that has lasted since the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, there were women in the Kosovo region of northern Albania called “burnesses”, a tradition that wanted a woman to remain a virgin forever in exchange for male privileges in a male-dominated society.
Only a dozen “sworn virgins” are now left in the Balkans, as an ancient tradition, as women live while men die.
The BBC presents the story of a “sworn virgin” who lives today in the Lepus region – Albania’s last “burnessa”.
Today 57-year-old Gistina Grisai – at the age of 23 – took an oath to become a “burnessa”, that is, to remain unmarried for the rest of her life and not to enter into any romantic relationship with a man and to dress like a man.
“Communist Albania was a male-dominated society. The only way to survive was to become a burness,” he said.
She made the decision when her father died. Her family was very poor and so she decided to take the vow of virginity to be able to support them. Also, she wasn’t particularly interested in marriage, so she avoided an unwanted match.
In return for her sacrifices, she would be the head of her household and gain the taken-for-granted human privileges in a male-dominated society: she would be able to move about wherever and whenever she wanted but also to do “men’s jobs”, which would allow her to be paid and has an income.
“When I decided to become a brunette, I gained more respect,” says Gistina.
Other women chose to become “sworn virgins” not for reasons of survival but because they felt more like men.
“Burnesse” Drande lives in the coastal town of Sedgin and identifies as male. He refers to himself as “he,” looks like a man, and states, “I’ve always felt like a man.”
For Drande, “burnessa” was a way to enjoy male freedoms – forbidden to women at the time – such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Drande says that choosing to become a “burnessa” made him more accepted in society. “Everywhere I went, I received special respect and felt good. They respected me as a man and not as a woman… I felt freer that way.”
Although Drande is proud of the sacrifices he made to become a “Burnesse,” he also admits to feeling lonely and at times doubting his choice.
“I thought for a moment what it would be like to have a child to look after me… I was very sick and no one was around to help me. But it was only for a moment, a split second…”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63904744
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
