A very important dimension of Montenegrin
culture is the ethical ideal of Čojstvo i Junaštvo,
roughly translated as "Humanity and Courage".
A result of its centuries long warrior history,
the unwritten code of Chivalry stipulates that
to deserve the true respect of a people, a
person has to show virtues of integrity, dignity,
humility, self-sacrifice for the just cause, respect
for others, and Rectitude, along with bravery.
In the old days of battle it resulted in fighting
to the death, as being captured was considered
to be the greatest shame. This code of conduct
is still very much ingrained to a greater or lesser
extent in every Montenegrin's ethical beliefs,
and it is essential that it be kept in mind in
order to truly understand them. Most of the
extraordinary examples of un-tate like conduct
during its long history can be traced to the code.
An absolute institution in Montenegrin Culture;
You are 'allowed' to miss someone's wedding,
but not coming to their funeral will be
remembered as funerals are often turned into
social events. A Montenegrin tradition made
into law in Montenegro by King Nikola during
his reign, consisted of newly-weds planting
an olive tree on their wedding day as a symbol
of marriage. An ancient Montenegrin code of
honor is called "Čojstvo i Junaštvo", similar to
the Albanian "Besa". The Montenegrin law of
vendetta, "Krvna Osveta", where one must take
revenge on whoever killed his relative by killing
the murderer or one of the murderer's close ||
relatives, similar to the Albanian "Gjakmarrje".