%0 Journal Article
%T Death rituals in Albania: an anthropological review
%A VYSHKA GENTIAN
%A £¿IPI BARDHYL
%J Antrocom : Online Journal of Anthropology
%D 2010
%I Antrocom Onlus
%X The structure of death rituals differs consistently amongregions of Albania. The death ritual contains very strongpatriarchal features in the Northern part of the country; insouthern regions (next to the seashore) and in Albaniancommunities living elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin, thefeatures are more animistic; the females playing an importantrole in grief proclamation, suggesting a more matriarchalorientedritual organization. The wailing of men in the northernAlbania, the so-called gjama, is an organized ritual of cryingfor the dead person, and till recently it has been accompaniedwith self-punishing behaviors such as face scratching etc. Thewailing of women is acceptable and codified as well in thenorthern areas (the so-called wailing of milk). A differentsituation, probably related to the social organization and to thegender role of females, is apparent in southern Albania. Thedeath rituals hereby are mainly accompanied from the socalled¡°kuja¡±, (wailing through words) more impressive andloquacious than the northern masculine ¡°gjama¡±. Similaritieswith Greek and Hellenic rituals (¡°Thr¨ºnos¡± and ¡°Go s¡±) aresuggested; probably embedding multiple cross-acting andinter-related influences.
%U http://www.antrocom.net/upload/sub/antrocom/060210/10-Antrocom.pdf