Religieus gezag en de gezworen maagden van de Balkan

Samenvatting

Religious Authority and the Sworn Virgins of the Balkans. As recently as 1900, in the Dinaric mountain range of the western Balkans, some women played a cross-gender role. Within patriarchal tribal cultures, cross-dressing was accepted for women bound to virginity and sanctioned by religious leaders (Roman Catholic, Serbian Orthodox, and Sunnite Islamic). By regulating the practice and limiting it to sworn virgins, clerics sought a compromise between scriptural prohibitions and venerable local practices. Adapted from the source document.