Besa

An interesting point demonstrating the depths of Albanian pride is the concept of besa. Besa, loosely translates to mean "keeping the promise," or "faith" or "trust." It is inextricably related to the Albanian sense of honor. Each individual must entrust his promises with his own besa; if someone breaks besa, then he is seen as unsalvageable, inhuman.

Now, I realize that this seems a little primitive. At first reading, I thought that this was nothing more than an attempt to "sum up" Albanian culture; a simplification of an outdated tradition that nobody really places a whole lot of value in anymore. Like saying Irishmen are rowdy, or the South is racist, or Native Americans lived in teepees; a general description garnered from another era. But, in Robert Carver's The Accursed Mountains, the author notes his surprise at being wrong:

"I had read all of this, but couldn't yet comprehend that it was a living reality, rather than some arcane piece of folklore...I came to understand that it was in fact besa which, in the absence of any real law or authority, made everyday existence in Albania possible (p.9)."

So far, this book has been an incredibly pleasant surprise. I was prepared for it to be dry and dull, but given the lack of easily accessible Albanian literature (and, it seems, the lack of people studying Albania-- neighboring Kosovo gets all the international news attention, while Croatia's blossoming tourism receives all the praise), it was the most interesting-looking item in the library catalog. Turns out, it's really quite a gem, very easy to read, and filled with nuanced cultural observations interwoven with historical context and plenty of philosophical questions.

Granted, this book was published in 2000, based upon the author's visit in 1996; who knows, perhaps besa is dead and done with these days except for amongst the elder population. In a young democracy such as Albania, culture and society are sure to be shifting, simultaneously grappling with the past with grabbing for the future.