Gender-bending in Balkan history and folklore: Sworn virgins, ritual roles and women warriors in drag
29 Jun 2026, 21:00 GMT
By Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe
Topic: Albania
Source URL: https://globalvoices.org/2026/06/29/gender-bending-in-balkan-history-and-folklore-sworn-virgins-ritual-roles-and-women-warriors-in-drag/
In the Balkans, tradition is often deemed to be fixed and patriarchal. Yet the region’s history, folklore and popular memory contain more complicated examples of the fluidity of gender roles.