lecture i-第4章

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sister's　son　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　uncle。
　　　　〃In　case　a　man　shall　he　killed　by　a　man；〃　decrees　the　first
article　of　the　Pravda　of　Yaroslav　（the　lex　barborum　of　the
Russians）；　〃vengeance　may　be　taken　by　a　son；　in　case　his　father
has　been　killed；　by　the　father；　when　the　son　falls　a　victim；　by
the　brother's　son　and　by　the　son　of　a　sister。〃　These　last　words
are　omitted　in　the　later　versions　of　the　Pravda；　a　fact　which
shows　the　increase　of　agnatic　organisation；　but　they　are　found　in
the　version　generally　recognised　as　the　most　ancient。　
　　　　This　close　tie　between　brother　and　sister；　between　the　uncle
and　the　sister's　children；　still　exists　among　the　Southern　Slavs。
Professor　Bogisic。　and　after　him　Mr　Krauss；　have　illustrated　this
fact　by　the　epic　songs　of　the　Servian　people。　They　speak　of　the
custom　generally　in　use　among　the　Southern　Slavs　of　securing　from
a　person　truthfulness　in　is　statements　by　the　invocation　of　the
name　of　the　sister。　They　mention；　too；　that　peculiar　relation　of
artificial　brotherhood　and　sisterhood；　into　which　young　men　and
young　women　belonging　to　different　kindreds　frequently　enter；　in
order　to　secure　to　the　weaker　sex　protection　and　help。　
　　　　I　hardly　need　insist　on　the　importance　which　all　these　facts
have　with　regard　to　the　theory　of　an　early　matiarchate　among　the
Slavs；　the　more　so　because　this　has　already　been　done　in　England
by　Mr　McLennan；　in　his　well…known　study　on　the　Patriarchal
theory；　and　in　Germany　by　Bachofen　in　one　of　his　Antiquarian
Letters。　（7*）　But　I　shall　complete　the　information　which　these
scholars　have　given　by　citing　certain　peculiar　customs　still　in
use　among　Russian　peasants。　
　　　　Whilst　the　father　is　considered　to　be　the　proper　person　to
dispose　of　the　hand　of　the　bride；　the　brother；　according　to　the
wedding　ritual；　appears　as　the　chief　protector　of　her　virginity。
In　more　than　one　province　of　Russia　the　brother　plays　an
important　part　in　that　potion　of　the　nuptial　ceremony　which　may
be　called　by　the　Latin　name　of　in　domus　deductio。　As　soon　as　the
bridegroom　has　made　his　appearance　in　the　court…yard　of　the
family　to　which　his　bride　belongs；　the　brother；　in　accordance
with　an　old　custom；　takes　his　seat　next　the　bride　with　a　naked
sword；　or　at　least　a　stick；　in　his　hand。　The　bridegroom；　or　the
groomsman；　asking　to　be　allowed　to　take　his　seat；　receives　as
answer；　that　the　brother　is　there　to　keep　ward　over　his　sister；
and　that　he　will　not　consent　to　leave　his　seat　unless　he　be　paid
for　it。　〃Dear　brother；　don't　give　me　away　for　nothing。　Ask　a
hundred　roubles　for　me；　for　the　veil　which　covers　my　head　a
thousand　roubles。　Ask　for　my　beauty　　God　alone　knows　how　much。〃
Such　is　the　tenor　of　the　song　composed　for　the　occasion。　〃The
brother；　a　true　Tartar；〃　we　read　in　the　text　of　another　nuptial
song；　〃has　sold　his　sister　for　a　thaler；　and　her　fair　tresses　for
fifty　copecks。〃
　　　　In　Little　Russia　the　drawn　sword　which　the　brother　holds　in
his　hand　on　the　occasion　is　ornamented　with　the　red　berries　of
the　guelderrose；　red　being　the　emblem　of　maidenhood　among
Slavonic　peoples。　Other　emblems　are　the　binding　of　the　bride's
tresses；　and　the　veil　which　covers　her　head。　The　bridegroom　is
not　allowed　to　remove　the　veil；　nor　to　unbind　the　tresses　of　his
future　wife；　unless　he　consents　to　pay　a　small　sum　of　money　to
her　bother。　
　　　　Hitherto　we　have　considered　the　different　aspects　of　the
earliest　period　in　the　evolution　of　the　family　　that　which　is
known　by　the　term　of　the　matriarchate。　The　various　features　which
characterised　the　lowest　state　of　the　relations　between　the　sexes
did　not　vanish　all　at　once。　The　incestuous　relations　between
persons　of　the　same　blood　seem　to　have　been　the　first　to
disappear。　No　further　mention　of　these　occurs　in　Nestor's
description　of　the　Eastern　tribes　　the　Radimich；　Viatich；　and
Sever。　Thog　they　practise　communal　marriage　so　far　that　fathers
and　sons　have　wives　in　common；　nevertheless　fathers　and
daughters；　brothers　and　sisters；　dare　no　longer　cohabit　with　each
other；　and　if　licence　still　occurs　at　some　annual　festivities；　it
is　kept　under　some　check。　
　　　　The　bilini；　or　poplar　ballads；　as　also　the　old　legends　and
folk　tales；　often　represent　that　transient　period　of　social
evolution；　when　endogamy　was　gradually　giving　way　to　exogamy；　and
relations　between　persons　of　the　same　kin　were　forbidden。　A
popular　hero；　known　by　the　name　of　Michailo　Kasarinov；　and
belonging　to　a　later　series　of　Russian　paladins；　in　one　of　these
ballads　liberates　a　young　Russian　girl　from　the　yoke　of　the
Tartars；　and　is　on　the　point　of　becoming　her　lover；　when　she
discloses　to　him　the　secret　of　her　birth；　and　proves　that　she　is
his　sister。　The　paladin　immediately　abandons　his　purpose。　In
another　popular　tale；　inserted　by　Afanasiev　in　his　collection　of
these　curious　monuments　of　our　unwritten　literature；　a　bother　is
represented　as　insisting　on　marrying　his　sister；　and　the　latter
as　strongly　protesting　against　his　desire。　〃What　do　you　propose
to　do？〃　she　asks。　〃Bethink　you　of　God　and　of　the　sin？　Is　it　right
that　a　brother　should　espouse　his　own　sister？〃　The　brother
persists；　and　the　couple　are　on　the　point　of　retiring　when　the
earth　opens；　and　the　sister；　unharmed；　disappears　from　view。　（8*）
In　another　popular　legend；　a　husband；　having　discovered　that　his
wife　is　his　own　sister；　finds　no　means　of　escape　but　that　of
undertaking　a　pilgrimage　in　order　to　expiate　his　sins。（9*）
　　　　The　prohibition　is　gradually　extended　to　all　persons　of　the
same　kin。　A　song（10*）　in　Vogue　among　the　peasantry　of　Little
Russia　speaks　of　a　bird　wishing　to　marry；　and　finding　no　bride　at
his　birthplace；　all　the　females　being　his　relations；　there
remains　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　to　cross　the　sea；　and　seek　a
bride　of　another　kin　than　his　own。
　　　　The　complete　discomfiture　of　endogamy　in　its　long　struggle
with　exogamous　prescriptions　is　shown　in　the　fact　that　in　some
parts　of　Russia；　as　for　instance　in　the　government　of　Simbirsk；
in　certain　villages　of　the　government　of　Olonizk；　and　of　the
district　of　Schadrinsk；　inhabited　by　the　Cosacks　of　the　Don；　the
bride　is　always　taken　from　another　village　than　the　bridegroom's。
Even　in　provinces　in　which　no　similar　custom　is　known　to　exist；
the　remembrance　of　the　time　when　exogamy　was　considered　a　duty；
is　preserved　in　the　fact　that　the　bridegroom　is　constantly　spoken
of　as　a　foreigner　（choujoy；　choujaninin）；　and　his　friends　and
attendants　are　represented　as　coming　with　him　from　a　distant
country；　in　order　to　take　away　the　future　spouse。　
　　　　The　origin　of　exogamy　has　been　sought　for　in　the　fact　of　the
general　prevalence；　at　a　certain　period　of　social　development；　of
the　custom　of　capturing　wives。　The　co…existence　of　both　customs
has　been　already　noticed　by　the　old　Russian　chronicler　in　his
description　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　Radimich；　Viatich；
and　Sever。　His　testimony　is　corroborated　by　that　of　the　nuptial
songs；　and　of　the　ceremonies　still　in　use　at　country　weddings。
The　information　which　is　derived　from　these　sources　as　to　the
general　prevalence　in　past　times　of　marriage　by　capture；　I　have
summed　up　in　a　work　published　in　Russian　under　the　title　of　〃The
first　Periods　in　the　Evolution　of　Law。〃　I　shall　take　the　liberty
of　bringing　forward　to…day　the　facts　there　summarised。　They
concern　the　Eastern　as　well　as　the　Southern　Slavs。　
　　　　Amongst　the　Southern　Slavs；　marriage　by　capture　was　still　in
existence　no　longer　ago　than　the　beginning　of　the　present
century。　A　well…known　Servian　writer；　Vouk　Karadjich；　gives　the
following　details　about　this　peculiar　custom；　known　under　the
name　of　otmitza。　〃The　Capture　of　girls　in　order　to　marry　them　is
still　practised　among　the　Servians。　Young　men　very　frequently
have　recourse　to　this　mode　of　procuring　a　wife。　On　such　occasions
they　are　equipped　and　armed　as　if　they　were　going　out　to　do
battle。　They　conceal　themselves；　and　quietly　await　the　moment
till　the　girl　passes　near　them　on　her　way　to　look　after　the
cattle。　Sometimes　they　make　a　direct　attack　on　the　homestead　she
inhabits。　In　either　case　her　resistance　has　no　other　result　than
a　direct　appeal　to　physical　force。　The　young　men　seize　her　by　her
long　plaited　tr