Figure 1.--Here we see two Albanian shepherd boys playing nose flutes. The photograph was taken in 1923. Source: Notes: Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection. Library of Congress. |
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We do not yet much information on boys activities in Alabania. In most countries it would have been school, but Albania was very poor and remained a part of the Ottoman Empire for several centuries. This mean that there was no public school system. And even Ottoman control was often only limited because the country was dominated by tribal chiefs secure in mountanous enclaves. Ottoman control finally ended with the the Balkans Wars followed by World War I (1910s). And even after the establishment of an independent monarchy after the War, relatively small numbers of boys and very few girls went to school. This did not change until the Communists seized power after World War II. Unfortunately the quality of the education and the limited oportunities created by a boribund economy created few opportunities. Most Albania boys until the late-20th century worked. This meant largely agricultural work as there was almost no industry in the country. This included most of the population except for the very small governing, religious, and merchant elite. Boys were commonly used as shepherds, sometimes alone sometimes in pairs. It was something even younger boys could do with limited training and adult strength was not required. Albania is set in very rugged territitory with only limited arable land. Thus herding both goats and sheep was an important part of the economy. Religion was of some importance. Most Albanian are Moslems, but a relatively moderate version of Islam prevailed and was challenged by Albanian Cimmunists after World war II. We have no information yet on games played by Albanian boys or sports. Sport does not seem to have developed until the Communist era after World War II.
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