An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth ... What is a vendetta?

This word was born in Southern Italy and began its march around the world. The very concept was in the course of the times of tribal relations. The custom of blood revenge is what a vendetta is. The Italian origin of the word does not mean that such a tradition did not exist in other nations. Deep roots have a custom among the peoples of the East, the Caucasus, even in Slavic history there was an unshakable rule of retribution. At one time, he substituted for himself the missing legal norms of the struggle for justice.

An eye for an eye, or What is a vendetta

The principle of payment for blood is the same for all peoples. If a representative of one kind or clan kills someone from another clan or clan, for this he or another representative of his family or clan must pay with blood. The highest degree of dishonor was to leave the spilled blood unutilized. At the same time, the issue of murder was not exhausted for the murder : in turn, the other party was persecuted. This blood feud could be transmitted from generation to generation and last for centuries. Representatives of warring families often did not remember who initiated the bloody strife, but they knew one thing: they are enemies who must be killed. Often, they tried to reconcile the enemies, the elders of the clans, the heads of the communities, applied their efforts to this process. It could be reconciliation and ransom. Not always the efforts of peacekeepers were crowned with success. The custom of the vendetta persisted among some peoples until the twentieth century.

What is a vendetta in Corsican?

Strangely enough, the cruel custom of blood feud was the strongest where the kinship and social ties between people were holy and unshakable. The history of the island of Corsica, which gave birth to the concept of vendetta - is a vivid testimony to this. The centuries-old war for domination in the Mediterranean forced the inhabitants of a small islet to rally in the face of any danger and defend their interests even at the cost of their own lives. Thus, close ties were born within the family, clan, community, group. The encroachment on the life of a member of the community was punished with blood. In general, nothing new - the very law of retribution for the shed blood and is a vendetta in Corsican. This custom gave birth to many bloody stories, embodied in art works.

Vendetta in literature and art

Under the impression of the stories heard during a trip to the small islands of Italy - Corsica and Sicily - the French writer Prosper Merimee created a series of brilliant novels, where the culmination of the plot was the act of the vendetta. A vivid example of such a creation is the novel "Colomba". Perhaps, in the European literature for the first time it was shown so clearly that such a vendetta. "Mateo Falcone", "Carmen" - the world-famous stories that are also built on the idea of retribution for betrayal, is another matter that not all cases have taken place vendetta. It is assumed that the same story inspired a number of bright works and Honoré de Balzac - his stories resonate with Merimee's novels. How not to recall in connection with this and the immortal poem "Romeo and Juliet." In closer literature, and then in the movie, the concept of blood revenge comes to the fore in the brilliant novel of Mario Puzo's The Godfather. In this case, practically become synonymous with the concepts of "vendetta" and "mafia". And one more movie masterpiece today at the peak of popularity - the film "V means Vendetta" with the magnificent Natalie Portman in the title role.

"Russian Truth" in Ancient Russia

In the 13-15 centuries in ancient Russia there was a set of legal norms "Russian Truth". He is associated with the epoch of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. Curious fragments were contained in the arch concerning the question under study. So, in him there was such a norm of responsibility, as a blood feud: "To kill a husband's husband, then to avenge his brother's brother". For the refusal of revenge ransom was supposed - 40 hryvnia per head.

All in the past?

Is it possible today to be sure that all this is left in the past, and today's generations do not know what the vendetta means? Alas, this is not so. Until now, the custom of blood feud is still preserved here and there - in a number of island states, in Serbia, in some Caucasian peoples. However, today, at the time of the loss of all spiritual values and the complete depreciation of the concept of human life, one should not be surprised at anything. Murders occur and without any moral obligations, which moved the ancient avengers.