lecture i-第3章

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are　known　to　the　people　of　Great　Russia　under　the　name　of
Posidelki；　and　to　the　Little　Russians　by　that　of　Vechernitzi。　
　　　　The　licentiousness　which　formed　the　characteristic　feature　of
these　meetings　throws　light　on　the　motives　which　induce　the
peasants　of　certain　Great　Russian　communes　to　attach　but　small
importance　to　virginity。　Russian　ethnographers　have　not
infrequently　mentioned　the　fact　of　young　men　living　openly　with
unmarried　women；　and；　even　in　case　of　marriage；　of　giving
preference　to　those　who　were　known　to　have　already　been　mothers。　
　　　　However　peculiar　all　these　facts　may　seem；　they　are　very
often　met　with　among　people　of　quite　a　distinct　race。　The
Allemanic　populations　of　the　Grisons；　no　longer　ago　than　the
sixteenth　century；　held　regular　meetings　which　were　not　less
shameful　than　those　of　the　Cossacks。　The　Kilbenen　were　abolished；
by　law　（3*）　but　another　custom；　in　direct　antagonism　to　morality；
continued　to　exist　all　over　the　northern　cantons　of　Switzerland
and　in　the　southern　provinces　of　Wurtemberg　and　of　Baden。　I　mean
the　custom　known　under　the　name　of　Kirchgang　or　Dorfgehen；　which；
according　to　the　popular　songs；　consisted　in　nothing　else　than
the　right　of　a　bachelor　to　become　the　lover　of　some　young　girl；
and　that　quite　openly；　and　with　the　implied　consent　of　the
parents　of　his　sweetheart。　May　I　also　mention　a　similar　custom
amongst　the　Welsh；　known　as　〃bundling〃？　I　am　not　well　enough
informed　as　to　the　character　of　this　custom　to　insist　on　its
resemblance　to　those　already　mentioned。　The　little　I　have　said　on
the　German　survivals　of　early　licence　may　suffice　to　establish
this　general　conclusion：　that　the　comparative　immorality　of
Russian　peasants　has　no　other　cause　than　the　survival　amongst
them　of　numerous　vestiges　of　the　early　forms　of　marriage。
　　　　Another　feature　of　the　matriarchal　family；　the　lack　of　any
prohibition　as　to　marriages　between　persons　who　are　sprung　from
the　same　father　or　grandfather；　is　also　mentioned　more　than　once
by　early　Slavonic　writers。　Such　marriages　were　not　prohibited　by
custom　among　the　old　Bohemians　or　Czechs。　〃Populus　miscebatur　cum
cognatis；〃　says　the　biographer　of　St。　Adalbert。　They　are　also
frequently　mentioned　in　the　epic　poems　of　our　peasants；　the
so…called　bilini；　of　which　the　late　W。R。S。　Ralston　has　given　to
English　readers　an　accurate　and　profound　analysis。　I　will　quote
certain　passages　from　these　poems　to　give　you　the　facts　on　which
my　theory　is　based。　
　　　　One　of　the　most　celebrated　heroes　of　our　popular　ballads；
Ilia　Mourometz。　encounters　one　day　a　freebooter　named　Nightingale
（Solovei　Razboinik）。　〃Why；〃　asks　the　hero；　〃do　all　thy　children
look　alike？〃　Nightingale　gives　the　following　answer：　〃Because；
when　my　son　is　grown　up；　I　marry　him　to　my　daughter；　and　when　my
daughter　is　old　enough；　I　give　her　my　son　for　a　husband；　and　I　do
so　in　order　that　my　race　may　not　die　out。〃　Another　popular
ballad；　representing　the　evil　customs　of　former　days；　describes
them　in　the　following　manner：

　　　　Brother　made　war　upon　brother；
　　　　Brother　took　sister　to　wife。　

　　　　Endogamous　marriages　still　occur　in　a　few　very　remote　parts
of　Russia。　Such　is　the　case　in　certain　villages　in　the　district
of　Onega；　and　especially　in　that　of　Liamika；　where　the　peasants
do　their　best　to　infringe　the　canonical　prescriptions　which
disallow　marriage　between　blood　relations　to　the　fourth　degree
inclusively。　The　same　has　also　been　noticed　in　certain　parts　of
the　Government　of　Archangel；　quite　on　the　shores　of　the　White
Sea；　where　the　peasants　are　in　the　habit　of　saying　that　marriages
between　blood　relations　will　be　blessed　with　a　more　rapid
increase　of　〃cattle〃　…　the　word　〃cattle〃　standing　in　this　case
for　children。　In　some　provinces　of　Siberia　and　in　the　district　of
Vetlouga；　which　belongs　to　the　Government　of　Nijni　Novgorod；
endogamous　marriages；　though　contrary　to　the　prevailing　custom
are　looked　upon　with　a　favourable　eye。　（4*）　
　　　　Another　fact；　which　deserves　the　attention　of　all　partisans
of　the　theory　of　the　matriarchate；　first　promulgated　by　McLennan；
is；　the　large　independence　enjoyed　by　the　Slavonic　women　of　old
days。　Let　me　first　quote　the　words　of　Cosmas　of　Prague；　which
relate　to　this　subject；　and　then　show　you　what　illustration　they
find　both　in　written　literature；　and　in　popular　ballads　and
songs。

Non　virgines　viri；　sed　ipsoemet　viros；　quos　et　quando　voluerunt；
accipiebant。

　　　　Such　is　the　statement　of　Cosmas　Pragensis；　（ch。　xxi）。　This
means：　〃It　is　not　the　men　who　choose　the　maids；　but　the　maids
themselves　who　take　the　husbands　they　like；　and　when　they　like。〃
　　　　This　freedom　of　the　Bohemian　girls　to　dispose　of　their　hearts
according　to　their　own　wish　shows　the　comparative　independence　of
the　Bohemian　women　at　that　period。　
　　　　The　oldest　legal　code　of　this　people；　the　sniem；　seems　to
favour　this　independence　by　recognising　the　right　of　the　women　to
be　free　from　any　work；　except　that　which　is　connected　with　the
maintenance　of　the　household。（5*）
　　　　Confronted　with　the　facts　just　brought　forward；　the　popular
legend；　reported　by　Cosmas　in　his　chronicle；　of　a　kind　of
Bohemian　Amazons；　who　took　an　active　part　in　the　wars　of　the
time；　appears　in　its　true　light。　Free　as　they　were　from　the　bonds
of　marriage；　not　relying　on　husbands　for　the　defence　of　their
persons　and　estates；　the　old　Bohemian　Amazons　were　probably　very
similar　to　those　warlike　women　who　still　appear　in　the　King　of
Dahomey's　army；　and　who　in　the　time　of　Pompey　were　known　to　exist
among　certain　autochthonic　tribes　of　the　Caucasus。　A　fact　well
worth　notice　is　that　the　memory　of　these　bellicose　women　is　still
preserved　in　the　traditions　of　the　Tcherkess；　who　call　them　by
the　name　of　〃emcheck。〃　Giantesses；　wandering　by　themselves
through　the　country　and　fighting　the　heroes　they　meet　on　their
way；　are　also　mentioned　more　than　once　in　our　popular　ballads；　or
bilini。　The　name　under　which　they　are　known　is　that　of　polinitzi；
the　word　pole　meaning　the　field　and　in　a　secondary　sense　the
battle…field。　
　　　　Like　the　Bohemian　girls　described　by　Cosmas　of　Prague；　these
Russian　Amazons　chose　their　lovers　as　they　liked。　
　　　　〃Is　thy　heart　inclined　to　amuse　itself　with　me？〃　such　is　the
question　addressed　to　Ilia　Mourometz　by　one　of　these　Amazons；　the
so…called　Beautiful　Princess。　〃Be　my　husband　and　I　will　be　thy
wife；〃　says　another　of　these　polinitzi；　Anastasia　the　Beautiful；
to　the　paladin；　Theodor　Tougariu。　It　is　not　the　freebooter
Nightingale　who　chooses　his　wife；　nor　the　paladin　Dobrinia　who　is
going　in　search　of　a　bride；　both　are　represented　as　accepting　the
offers　of　betrothal　made　to　them　by　the　Russian　Amazons；　Zaprava
and　Marina。　（6*）
　　　　Evidence　of　still　greater　importance　is　that　of　the　French
writer；　Beauplan；　who；　speaking　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the
inhabitants　of　Little　Russia　during　his　time；　the　latter　half　of
the　seventeenth　century；　states　as　follows：
　　　　〃In　the　Ukraine；　contrary　to　the　custom　of　all　other　nations；
the　husbands　do　not　choose　their　wives；　but　are　themselves　chosen
by　their　future　consorts。〃
　　　　I　hope　I　have　now　given　an　amount　of　information　sufficient
to　answer　the　purpose　I　have　in　view；　which　is　no　other；　than　to
show　that；　in　a　low　state　of　morality；　communal　marriage　between
near　relations　and　endogamy　went　hand　in　hand　amongst　the　early
Slavs　with　a　considerable　degree　of　independence　among　the　weaker
sex。　
　　　　To　all　these　characteristic　features　of　the　matriarchate　we
may　add　this　very　important　one；　that；　according　to　the　old
Russian　law；　the　tie　which　unites　a　man　to　his　sister　and　the
children　she　has　brought　into　the　world；　was　considered　to　be
closer　than　that　which　unites　two　brothers　or　the　uncle　and　his
nephew。　In　a　society　organised　on　the　principle　of　agnatism；　the
son　of　a　sister　has　no　reason　to　interfere　in　the　pursuit　of　the
murderer　of　his　uncle。　The　brother　belongs　altogether　to　another
clan；　and　the　duty　of　vengeance　falls　exclusively　on　the　persons
of　that　clan。　But　such　is　by　no　means　the　point　of　view　of　the
old　Russian　law；　recognising；　as　it　does；　the　right　of　the
sister's　son　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　uncle。
　　　　〃In　case　a　man　shal