Constantin and Doruntinë

Constantin and Doruntine (Albanian: Kostandini dhe Doruntina), or Constantin's Besa (Albanian: Besa e Kostandinit), is an Albanian ballad and legend. It is also narrated in a prose version^[1] The legend has been narrated also:

• As a novel written by Ismail Kadare named in Albanian Who brought Doruntine back? (Albanian: Kush e solli Doruntinën?) and in the English version simply named Doruntine^[2][3]
• As a theatrical piece with the same title and based on Kadare's novel, put in scene by the National Theater of Albania in 1988. This was the version of Edmond Budina and Pirro Mani (People's Artist of Albania).

Plot and Morale

Doruntine is the only daughter in a family with 10 children including herself. When Doruntine is asked in marriage by a foreign prince, everyone in the family disagrees to let her go so far away. Only Constantin, the youngest of Doruntine's twelve brothers, wants to make her happy and promisses his mother that he'll bring Doruntine back to see mother as soon as mother wants to. Eventually mother agrees to the marriage because of Constantin's promise.

At this point all twelve brothers agree to the marriage, but soon they all die in a war, Constantin included. Mother cannot bear the loss of all of her children and not having even her daughter close to her at an old age, her mourning too heavy to bear. Her monologue is full of pathos and anger. During her rage she curses her own dead son, Constantin, who made her a promise he couldn't keep.

At the curse, Constantin wakes up from death and brings Doruntine back, because a mother's curse even after death, is worse than anything else. He finds Doruntine dancing during Easter time. Doruntine knew absolutely nothing about all 12 brothers being dead. Constantin tells her to come immediately with him and brings Doruntine back overnight on the back of his horse. She observes that he looks tired and that he is full of dust, but he tells her that it's because of the long trip. She cannot know that he is already dead. When they arrive back home, he leaves her at the door and tells her that he has to go to Church, but instead goes back to his grave.

Doruntine doesn't realize that she has travelled on his brother's horse when he was already dead, until she is told so by her mother.

The finale is breathtaking because of the shock of the two women who realize that Constantin has risen from the dead.

The morale of the legend is that the Albanians will get up from their graves to keep a promises and to maintain their besa. This is the reason why several times the legend is called Constantin's Besa.

Kadare's version and the theatrical version is far more complicated and involves an investigator, named Stress, of the death who is also the narrator. He analyzes all the possibilities of this strange phenomenon, because no one can accept the rise from the dead. After many interviews with many people, he eventually comes to the conclusion that the Besa can overcome human life and death.

Kadare's thoughts on the legend, which stem from many of his books, are that the legend is pre-Christian, hence the rise from the dead motif.

English Translation

Robert Elsie has translated into English the ballad from the version of Margëlliç, now in modern Greece, called Kostandini e Dhoqina.^[4] The ballad is still sang in the area.^[5] Doruntine is the only daughter in a family with 13 children. When Doruntine is asked in marriage by a foreign prince, everyone in the family disagrees to let her go so far away. Only Constantin, the youngest of Doruntine's twelve brothers, wants to make her happy and promisses his mother that he'll bring Doruntine back to see mother as soon as mother wants to. Eventually mother agrees to the marriage because of Constantin's promise. At this point all twelve brothers agree to the marriage, but soon they all die in a war, Constantin included. Mother cannot bear the loss of all of her children and not having even her daughter close to her at an old age, her mourning too heavy to bear. Her monologue is full of pathos and anger. During her rage she curses her own dead son, Constantin, who made her a promise he couldn't keep. At the curse, Constantin wakes up from death and brings Doruntine back, because a mother's curse even after death, is worse than anything else. He finds Doruntine dancing during Easter time. Doruntine knew absolutely nothing about all 12 brothers being dead. Constantin tells her to come immediately with him and brings Doruntine back overnight on the back of his horse. She observes that he looks tired and that he is full of dust, but he tells her that it's because of the long trip. She cannot know that he is already dead. When they arrive back home, he leaves her at the door and tells her that he has to go to Church, but instead goes back to his grave. Doruntine doesn't realize that she has travelled on his brother's horse when he was already dead, until she is told so by her mother. The finale is breathtaking because of the shock of the two women who realize that Constantin has risen from the dead. The morale of the legend is that the Albanians will get up from their graves to keep a promises and to maintain their besa. This is the reason why several times the legend is called Constantin's Besa. Kadare's version and the theatrical version is far more complicated and involves an investigator, named Stress, of the death who is also the narrator. He analyzes all the possibilities of this strange phenomenon, because no one can accept the rise from the dead. After many interviews with many people, he eventually comes to the conclusion that the Besa can overcome human life and death. Kadare's thoughts on the legend, which stem from many of his books, are that the legend is pre-Christian, hence the rise from the dead motif

International Theatrical Version

According to a review by www.nytheatre.com, the story of Doruntine focuses around the Albanian idea of the Besa—essentially a person's most sacred oath; a promise that can never be broken. The review goes on to say that:

Doruntine is a wholly theatrical and moving telling of a very relevant and powerful story. It's a window into a culture not often heard from, and is yet another argument for the cultural importance of independent theatre.^[6]

In 2009 the drama was successfully shown in many theaters throughout the Balkans as per Jorgos Jakumis' translation. One of the most experienced and loved actresses of the National Theatre of Albania, Margarita Xhepa, People's Artist of Albania, returned on the scene after several years of absence just to interpret this drama. ^{[7] [8]}

See also

• Albanian literature
• Albanian mythology

References

1. ^ ."Kostandini dhe Doruntina". http://www.letersia.fajtori.com/Folklor/Legjenda/besa_e_kostandinit.php. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
2. ^ Doruntine (Paperback) from Ismail Kadare [1] and [2]
3. ^ Ismail Kadaré's The Shadow Literature, Dissidence, and Albanian Identity by Peter Morgan, accessdate=28 March 2010 East European Politics & Societies, Vol. 22, No. 2, 402-424 (2008) [3]|
4. ^ Elsie, Robert. "The Ballad of Constantine and Dhoqina". http://www.albanianliterature.net/oral_lit2/OL2-04.html. Retrieved 3 October 2010. 
5. ^ Zoto, Vladimir (2006) (in Albanian). Balada shqiptare. Dasara. pp. 57–59. ISBN 9789994380329. http://books.google.com/books?id=HsdaNwAACAAJ. 
6. ^ Daniel Kelley (October 11, 2008). "Doruntine". nytheatre.com. http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=doru7430. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
7. ^ .""Kostandini dhe Doruntina", shfaqja nderballkanike sot ne Tirane". http://lajme.parajsa.com/Kulture/id_85259/. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 
8. ^ ."Besa e vellait te vdekur Doruntina dhe Kostandini rikthejne Margarita Xhepen ne skene". http://lajme.shqiperia.com/media/artikull/iden/229490/titulli/Besa-e-vellait-te-vdekur----Doruntina-dhe-Kostandini-rikthejne-Margarita-Xhepen-ne-skene. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 

External links

• English Translation of the Ballad by Robert Elsie