lecture i-第2章

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them；　but　games　were　held　in　the　outskirts　of　villages；　they　met
at　these　games　for　dancing　and　every　kind　of　diabolic　amusement；
and　there　they　captured　their　wives；　each　man　the　one　he　had
covenanted　with。　They　had　generally　two　or　three　wives。〃
　　　　I　have　tried　to　give　you　the　nearest　possible　translation　of
this　old　Russian　text；　the　interpretation　of　which；　however；
gives　rise　to　certain　difficulties　not　yet　quite　settled。　I　will
now　classify；　to　the　best　of　my　power；　the　various　facts　which　we
can　infer　from　this　text。　First　of　all；　it　establishes　the　fact
that　marriage　in　the　sense　of　a　constant　union　between　husband
and　wife；　was　not　a　general　institution　among　the　Eastern　Slavs。
With　the　exception　of　the　more　civilised　Polians；　no　other　tribe
is　stated　to　have　any　notion　of　it。　Of　course　this　does　not　mean
that　all　alike　were　entirely　ignorant　of　the　meaning　of　family
life。　It　only　weans　that　their　mode　of　constituting　a　family　did
not　correspond　to　the　idea　which　the　author；　who；　as　we　have
said；　was　a　monk；　entertained　as　to　matrimonial　relations。　The
Radimich；　Viatich；　and　Sever　captured　their　wives　after　having
previously　come　to　an　agreement　with　them。　This　certainly　is　a
method　which　cannot　meet　with　the　approval　of　a　Christian；　but
nevertheless　it　is　marriage。　We　have　before　us　an　example　of　what
ethnologists　have　named　〃marriage　by　capture。〃
　　　　The　Drevlians　were　even　less　advanced　as　regards　the
intercourse　between　the　sexes。　They　also　had　games　at　which　women
were　captured；　but　not　a　word　is　said　about　any　covenant　entered
into　by　the　captor　and　his　supposed　victim。　Neither　is　any
mention　made　of　these　games　being　held　on　the　boundaries　or
outskirts　of　villages；　a　fact　which　would　point　to　the　existence
of　a　sort　of　exogamy　forbidding　unions　between　persons　of　the
same　gens。　In　the　description　which　the　chronicler　gives　of　the
Drevlians　we　have　an　instance　of　an　almost　unlimited　licence；
whilst　in　that　of　the　Radimich；　Viatich　and　Sever　we　find　a
picture　of　an　exogamous　people；　contracting　marriage　by　capture；
and　yet　retaining　from　the　period　of　almost　unlimited　licence　a
sort　of　family　communism　which　appears　in　the　relations　between
fathers　and　daughters…in…law。
　　　　No　trace　of　this　either　limited　or　unlimited　promiscuousness
is　to　be　found　among　the　Polians；　who　according　to　our　old
Chronicler；　〃conducted　themselves　with　much　reserve〃　towards
daughters…in…law；　and　sisters…in…law；　towards　mothers　and
fathers；　towards　fathers…in…law　and　brothers…in…law。　They　seem　to
have　been　an　exogamous　tribe　like　the　Radimich；　Viatich　and
Sever；　their　wives　being　brought　to　them　from　outside　their　own
gens。　Unlike　the　tribes　just　mentioned　they　did　not；　however；
procure　them　by　capture。　It　was　not　the　custom　for　the
bridegrooms　to　go　in　search　of　their　wives；　they　received　them
from　the　hands　of　the　parents　of　the　women；　and　they　then　paid
the　sum　of　money　previously　agreed　upon。　This　means　that　their
mode　of　constituting　marriage　was　by　buying　their　wives。　The
words　of　the　Chronicler　concerning　these　payments　is　far　from
being　clear；　and　Russian　scholars　have　tried　to　interpret　them　in
the　sense　of　〃dower〃　brought　by　the　relatives　of　the　wife。　But　it
has　been　recently　proved　that　no　mention　of　〃dower〃　is　to　be
found　in　Russian　charters　before　the　fifteenth　century；　and　that
the　word　veno　used　　in　mediaeval　Russian　to　designate　the　payment
made　on　marriage；　has　no　other　meaning　than　that　of　pretium
nuptiale；　or　payment　made　by　the　bridegroom　to　the　family　of　the
bride。（2*）　The　words　of　Tacitus　concerning　the　dos　paid　amongst
the　German　tribes　by　the　future　husband　to　his　wife's　father　give
precisely　the　meaning　of　the　old　Russian　veno；　and　throw　a　light
on　the　sort　of　payment　which　the　chronicle　of　Nestor　had　in　view；
when　speaking　of　the　matrimonial　customs　of　the　Polians。　
　　　　The　testimony　of　our　oldest　Chronicle　concerning　the
different　forms　of　matrimony　among　the　eastern　Slavs　deserves　our
closest　attention；　because　it　is；　in　all　points；　confirmed　by　the
study　of　the　rest　of　our　old　written　literature；　of　our　epic
poems；　of　our　wedding…songs；　and　of　the　matrimonial　usages　and
customs　still　or　lately　in　existence　in　certain　remote　districts
of　Russia。　The　Drevlians　are　not　the　only　Slavonic　tribe　to　which
the　mediaeval　chronicles　ascribe　a　low　state　of　morality。　The
same　is　asserted　of　the　old　Bohemians　or　Czechs　in　the　account
given　of　their　manners　and　customs　by　Cosmas　of　Prague；　a　Latin
annalist　of　the　eleventh　century；　who　says：　Connubia　erant　illis
communia。　Nam　more　pecudum　singulas　ad　noctes　novos　probant
hymenaeos；　et　surgente　aurora。。。。　ferrea　amoris　rumpunt　vincula。〃
This　means：　〃They　practised　communal　marriage。　For；　like　animals；
they　contracted　each　night　a　fresh　marriage；　and　as　soon　as　the
dawn　appeared　they　broke　the　iron　bonds　of　love。〃
　　　　This　statement　is　directly　confirmed　by　that　of　another
medieval　author；　the　unknown　biographer　of　St。　Adalbert。　This
writer　ascribes　the　animosity　of　the　Bohemian　people　towards　the
saint　to　the　fact　of　his　strong　opposition　to　the　shameful
promiscuity　which　in　his　time　prevailed　in　Bohemia。　It　is
confirmed；　also；　by　the　monk　of　the　Russian　Abbey　of　Eleasar；
known　by　the　name　of　Pamphil；　who　lived　in　the　sixteenth　century。
Both　speak　of　the　existence　of　certain　yearly　festivals　at　which
great　licence　prevailed。　According　to　the　last…named　author；　such
meetings　were　regularly　held　on　the　borders　of　the　State　of
Novgorod　on　the　banks　of　rivers；　resembling；　in　that　particular；
the　annual　festivals　mentioned　by　Nestor。　Not　later　than　the
beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　they　were　complained　of　by
the　clergy　of　the　State　of　Pscov。　It　was　at　that　time　that
Pamphil　drew　up　his　letter　to　the　Governor　of　the　State；
admonishing　him　to　put　an　end　to　these　annual　gatherings；　since
their　only　result　was　the　corruption　of　the　young　women　and
girls。　According　to　the　author　just　cited；　the　meetings　took
place；　as　a　rule；　the　day　before　the　festival　of　St。　John　the
Baptist；　which；　in　pagan　times；　was　that　of　a　divinity　known　by
the　name　of　Jarilo；　corresponding　to　the　Priapus　of　the　Greeks。
Half　a　century　later　the　new　ecclesiastical　code；　compiled　by　an
assembly　of　divines　convened　in　Moscow　by　the　Czar　Ivan　the
Terrible；　took　effectual　measures　for　abolishing　every　vestige　of
paganism；　amongst　them；　the　yearly　festivals　held　on　Christmas
Day；　on　the　day　of　the　baptism　of　our　Lord；　and　on　St。　John　the
Baptist；　commonly　called　Midsummer　Day。　A　general　feature　of　all
these　festivals；　according　to　the　code；　was　the　prevalence　of　the
promiscuous　intercourse　of　the　sexes。　How　far　the　clergy
succeeded　in　suppressing　these　yearly　meetings；　which　had　been
regularly　held　for　centuries　before　on　the　banks　of　rivers；　we
cannot　precisely　say；　although　the　fact　of　their　occasional
occurrence；　even　in　modern　times；　does　not　tend　to　prove　their
complete　abolition。　More　than　once　have　I　had　an　opportunity　of
being　present　at　these　nightly　meetings；　held　at　the　end　of　June；
in　commemoration　of　a　heathen　divinity。　They　usually　take　place
close　to　a　river　or　pond；　large　fires　are　lighted；　and　over　them
young　couples；　bachelors　and　unmarried　girls；　jump　barefoot。　I
have　never　found　any　trace　of　licentiousness；　but　there　is　no
doubt　that　cases　of　licence　do　occur；　though　seldom　in　our　time。
That　a　few　centuries　ago　they　were　very　frequent　has　been　lately
proved　by　some　curious　documents　preserved　in　the　archives　of
some　of　the　provincial　ecclesiastical　councils；　particularly　in
those　existing　in　the　Government　of　Kharkov。　According　to　these
documents；　the　local　clergy　were　engaged　in　constant　warfare　with
the　shameful　licentiousness　which　prevailed　at　the　evening
assembles　of　the　peasants；　and　more　than　once　the　clergy
succeeded　in　inducing　the　authorities　of　the　village　to　dissolve
the　assemblies　by　force。　The　priests　were　often　wounded；　and
obliged　to　seek　refuge　in　the　houses　of　the　village　elders　from
the　stones　with　which　they　were　pelted。　These　evening　assemblies
are　known　to　the　people　of　Great　Russia　under　the　name　of
Posidelki；　and　to　the　Little　Russians　by　that　o