Krvna Osveta
Encyclopedia
Krvna Osveta is a law
of vendetta
in Montenegro
and Herzegovina
, practised by Montenegrin, Serbs
(Serb clans
) and Albanian families throughout history since medieval times. It is an oath of revenge for vendetta, meaning that the person must take revenge on whoever killed his relative by killing the murderer or one of the murderer's close relatives.
The practice started in the Balkans in the 15th century, under Turkish
rule and the law decreased in the 19th century, when the Balkan countries slowly got their independence from the Ottoman Empire. In pre-Ottoman Serbian principalities, blood money (Vražda) was paid, one half went to the Serbian Orthodox Church, while the other to the victim's family. Stefan Uroš (1240—1272) talks about the Vražda in his works. After Ottoman conquest of Serbia
, self-governing clans often feuded with each other. Families in Serbia abandoned the tradition as the bigger threats to family integrity was ethnic Albanians and Turks rather than of their own ethnic group.
When a family member has been killed, the perpetrator's family(Bratstva) has a "Blood debt" (krvni dug) which can only be removed when the victim's family (an appointed member, osvetnik) has had their revenge by killing the aggressor or any member of the murderer's family (Often a close male kinsman, preferably the brother, killing of children was not encouraged). Only then is has the family of the victim received peace (However the blood feud continues if a relative decides to revenge, disregardless of who started). However, killing in your own house is the worst action, representing unmorality, which is a great shame in Montenegrin and Albanian cultures. If a criminal was murdered, it often did not result in a feud as criminality was negative in the eyes of society, but in some cases the criminal's family went on to kill serdars and other high ranked people.
The Osveta is not limited to males, females that have their husbands or relatives killed could take on the blood debt, an instance is recorded from the Bjelopavlići
clan
where a widow took out revenge for the murder of her husband.
If a bratstva finds and captures a thief or murderer (in connection to the bratstva) they could go to the person's house or relatives and tell them that their relative is a murderer or thief and end with something like "If we kill him, we are not to be held for" If the relatives answers "Do what you like with him" -the bratstva, if they kill the captive, they don't have a blood debt to his relatives because they settled his fate.
The blood feuds resulted in major instability in Montenegro, Kosovo and diaspora of Montenegrins in later centuries.
Today cases have been found in Montenegro, mainly involving Montenegrins and in Kosovo, mainly involving Albanian families (Hakmarrja).
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
of vendetta
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
, practised by Montenegrin, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(Serb clans
Serb clans
Serb clans is a general term referring to what are known as plemena and bratstva , traditional geo-political units of the Western Balkans that now richly attest social anthropology and family history . The descendants of the clans are divided by regional and lately, national affiliation...
) and Albanian families throughout history since medieval times. It is an oath of revenge for vendetta, meaning that the person must take revenge on whoever killed his relative by killing the murderer or one of the murderer's close relatives.
The practice started in the Balkans in the 15th century, under Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule and the law decreased in the 19th century, when the Balkan countries slowly got their independence from the Ottoman Empire. In pre-Ottoman Serbian principalities, blood money (Vražda) was paid, one half went to the Serbian Orthodox Church, while the other to the victim's family. Stefan Uroš (1240—1272) talks about the Vražda in his works. After Ottoman conquest of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, self-governing clans often feuded with each other. Families in Serbia abandoned the tradition as the bigger threats to family integrity was ethnic Albanians and Turks rather than of their own ethnic group.
When a family member has been killed, the perpetrator's family(Bratstva) has a "Blood debt" (krvni dug) which can only be removed when the victim's family (an appointed member, osvetnik) has had their revenge by killing the aggressor or any member of the murderer's family (Often a close male kinsman, preferably the brother, killing of children was not encouraged). Only then is has the family of the victim received peace (However the blood feud continues if a relative decides to revenge, disregardless of who started). However, killing in your own house is the worst action, representing unmorality, which is a great shame in Montenegrin and Albanian cultures. If a criminal was murdered, it often did not result in a feud as criminality was negative in the eyes of society, but in some cases the criminal's family went on to kill serdars and other high ranked people.
- In Montenegro, the feuds were predominantly between Serbian Orthodox MontenegrinsSerbs of MontenegroMontenegrin Serbs is a regional, ethnographic group of ethnic Serbs. They compose the second largest ethnic group in Montenegro after the Montenegrins....
(ClansSerb clansSerb clans is a general term referring to what are known as plemena and bratstva , traditional geo-political units of the Western Balkans that now richly attest social anthropology and family history . The descendants of the clans are divided by regional and lately, national affiliation...
) and ethnic Albanians. - In Herzegovina (currently a region of both Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina) SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
had feuds with each other. A neutral region was Grahovo and Vučja Zuba (triangle of Boka Kotorska, MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and Herzegovina) where one could not blood feud. - In Old SerbiaOld SerbiaOld Serbia is a modern name for the territory which was the core of medieval Serbia. It included Raška , Kosovo and Metohija and the Macedonia...
(KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
) If a Serb had a weak family, he could be protected by an Albanian bratstva from other AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
in exchange for anything from weapons or folk attire materialTextileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
(Serbs had rich textile art in the southern Serbian regions)
The Osveta is not limited to males, females that have their husbands or relatives killed could take on the blood debt, an instance is recorded from the Bjelopavlići
Bjelopavlici
Bjelopavlići is a strip of fertile lowland in Montenegro. It stretches along the Zeta river, being wider in river's lower end, down to the confluence with Morača river near Podgorica...
clan
Serb clans
Serb clans is a general term referring to what are known as plemena and bratstva , traditional geo-political units of the Western Balkans that now richly attest social anthropology and family history . The descendants of the clans are divided by regional and lately, national affiliation...
where a widow took out revenge for the murder of her husband.
If a bratstva finds and captures a thief or murderer (in connection to the bratstva) they could go to the person's house or relatives and tell them that their relative is a murderer or thief and end with something like "If we kill him, we are not to be held for" If the relatives answers "Do what you like with him" -the bratstva, if they kill the captive, they don't have a blood debt to his relatives because they settled his fate.
The blood feuds resulted in major instability in Montenegro, Kosovo and diaspora of Montenegrins in later centuries.
Today cases have been found in Montenegro, mainly involving Montenegrins and in Kosovo, mainly involving Albanian families (Hakmarrja).