The Photo Collection of Edith Durham

Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, 1903 - 1913

ED012_RAI 400.13203 Albania. Bzheta. Tribesmen visiting the feast of Saint Nicholas at Bzheta in Shkreli territory (Photo: Edith Durham, 10 May 1908). “The feast really fell on the Saturday. It was kept on Sunday because Saturday is a fast-day, and you cannot feast without roast mutton. Early Sunday morning the guests poured down the zig-zag in a living cataract on the one side, and flocked from the valleys on the other – from Hoti, from Kastrati and Boga, all in their best – men first, their women following. As each batch came in sight of the church they yelled for the priest; bang, bang went fifty rifles at once; swish-ish-ish flew the bullets; pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop replied the priest’s old six-shooter. Before midday the meeting-ground round the church was packed with magnificent specimens of humanity.” (Edith Durham, High Albania, 1909).