The Crime of Adultery under the Customary Law of the Balkan Peoples Cover Image

Престъплението прелюбодеяние според Обичайното право на балканските народи
The Crime of Adultery under the Customary Law of the Balkan Peoples

Author(s): Neli Radeva
Subject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Customs / Folklore, Sociology, Sociology of Culture, Social Norms / Social Control
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: Customary Law; crime; adultery; fornication; punishment; Balkan Nations

Summary/Abstract: The customary law of the Balkan peoples has its antecedent in the centuries-old patriarchal tradition that dominates the Balkans. It is characterized by its conservatism. Thanks to which many legal concepts and institutions have been preserved. Customary law is a set of customs established among the population, which are not codified by state authorities, but have the character of informal law. One of the criminal acts against morals, which is sanctioned by the customary law code of the Balkan nations, is adultery. The presence of so much information in the folk folklore of Bulgarians, Serbs, Montenegrins, etc., makes it difficult to answer the question of where the customary regulations sanctioning it first appeared. Due to patriarchal traditions, morals and strict punishments, the act of adultery was rare among the Balkan peoples during the years of Ottoman rule.

  • Issue Year: 2022
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 59-71
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Bulgarian
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