20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Albanian wedding rituals (Influence of oriental elements... 623city population did not depend on the wish of the young couple, but on theinterest of the families.According to The Kanun of Leke Dukagjini 1 , the definition of marriageis the following:To be married according to the Kanun means to form a household,adding another family to the household, for the purpose of adding to thework force and increasing the number of children.Types of marriagea) Legal marriage, approved by the Faith and the Kanun of Lekë.b) Keeping a woman outside of marriage, against the faith and theKanun of Lekëc) Abducting a woman or a girl, in opposition to the Faith and theKanun.d) Trial marriage, against the faith and the Kanun. 2An important family problem related to marriage concerns heritage andeconomic strengthening of the family. The decisions lay in the hands of thehead of family, the father. The mother of the son-to-marry can propose thegirl, but the decision is taken by the head of the house.The rights of the young man according to the Kanun:“The young man has the right to take care himself of his own marriage,if he has no parents.”The young man whose parents are alive does not have the right:a) To take care himself of his own marriageb) To select the matchmakerc) To involve in his own engagementd) To involve, following the engagement, in the arrangements for theclothes or shoes, or in deciding the marriage date.The rights of the young woman according to the Kanun:“The young women, even if her parents are not alive, does not havethe right involve in her own marriage, this right is held by her brothers orother relatives.”The young woman does not have the right:a) To choose her own husband, she must go to the man to whom shehas been given1The Kanun of Leke Dukagjini is a code of law instituted in northern Albania.2Kanun of Leke 1989: 19.