| Show balkans unable to end old custom of vendetta and eye for eye rule holds vendetta continues to be practiced in the balkan mountains despite severest measures taken by the various governments there to suppress this centuries old custom writes a vienna united press correspondent eye for eye and tooth for tooth is the supreme law among the mountaineers who extend it not only to the second and third generations of the killer but also to his remote relatives and to his entire village intervention by authorities counts for nothing in those regions the thirst lor for revenge remains unquenched quenched cd even if the murderer has been executed under normal legal procedure in the meantime it is considered a sacred rule that a kinsman of the slain must kill the slayer or if this man cannot be reached because he has died a natural death or for some other reason one of the batters lat kin must be slain the only ohly alternative is bessa a sort of gods truce it is seldom practiced because aside from humiliating milia ting ceremonies on the part of I 1 the slayers kin it involves the pay ment of 50 gold pieces of blood money an enormous sum among the peasants and shepherds if through friendly Iri endly mediation by a third village bessa has been agreed upon an appointment is is made between the warring parties to meet in a spot midway between the villages unarmed and carrying a noose around his neck the chief of the slayers family enters the other bartys camp where ha is met by the head of the rival tribe with the following formula thou berest our enemy thy kin were our enemies thy village with all its houses with all its herds and fields and with all that lives and thrives there were our eue enemies |
