Monogamic Wives of Orthodox Priests

Abstract

THE custom of monogamy among the wives of Orthodox priests belongs to a group of very curious and unusual customs and beliefs found amongst Balkan Slavs. It has almost died out in recent times, but continues here and there among patriarchal folk-groups. Traces of it are preserved in folk-tradition although the custom itself is rapidly disappearing, especially recently, because of the great advance of culture and civilization among Balkan Slavs. As is well-known, ordination of a priest in the Orthodox Church is considered an obstacle to a second marriage, and such marriages are forbidden to Orthodox priests. But besides this, there is a very old custom among the South Slavs whereby the wife of an Orthodox priest, if she becomes a widow, cannot marry again. If she does so, 'the defunct priest had to be disordained'; that is to say, he had to be deprived of clerical dignities. This was done by the peasants without the knowledge of the Church. As a very rare and episodic occurrence, this custom went unnoticed by numerous researchers into the folk-life of the South Slavs. As far as is known, it is mentioned by only one writer, the former Orthodox Bishop for the region of Ohrid, N. Velimirovid, and then only accidentally and in one place. He says: 'It is a custom in Kosovo and Sandiak (Serbia) that a priest's widow never marries again. It is considered that things permitted to other wives do not befit her. By old custom, she is asked over the defunct priest's body whether she will marry again or not. If she said she would, then the priest was buried without his clerical garment. But if she said she would not, then he was buried in his clerical robe. Now, what wife would be so shameless as to speak of marrying again over her dead husband! The following examples of the custom amongst Balkan Slavs are the results of research made amongst the people in the period 1936-58. In Sredacka Zupa (Region of Kosovo-Metohija) during the