lecture i-第5章

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a　direct　appeal　to　physical　force。　The　young　men　seize　her　by　her
long　plaited　tresses；　drag　and　push　her　along；　and　sometimes　use
a　whip　or　a　stick　to　quicken　her　pace。　The　same　custom　prevailed
not　long　ago　in　Montenegro。　It　existed　also　for　centuries　in
Croatia；　as　may　be　seen　from　the　mention　made　of　it　in　the
statute　of　Politza；　a　legal　code　published　in　1605。　In　Bosnia　and
Herzegovina　abductions　still　occur；　but；　as　a　rule；　with　the
previous　consent　of　the　supposed　victim；　and　with　the　declared
intention　of　avoiding　the　expenses　of　a　regular　betrothal。〃
　　　　So　much　as　regards　marriage　among　the　Southern　Slavs。　
　　　　As　to　the　Eastern　Slavs；　the　early　development　of　a　strong
government；　and　of　a　powerful　clergy；　prevented　the　possibility
of　a　long　continuance　of　this　wild　method　of　constituting　a
family。　An　exception　must；　however；　be　made　as　regards　the
Cosacks　of　Little　Russia　and　the　Ukraine；　who；　according　to　the
statement　of　Beauplan；　continued　to　capture　their　wives　no　longer
ago　than　the　seventeenth　century。　But　the　existence；　probably　in
Pagan　times；　of　marriage　by　capture　in　Russia；　as　well　as　in
Poland；　is　still　revealed　by　the　old　ballads；　the　wedding
ceremonies　of　the　country　people；　and　the　songs　in　use　on　the
occasion　of　a　betrothal。　
　　　　The　bilini　more　than　once　mention　the　cases　of　paladins　like
Ilia　Mourometz　having　a　personal　encounter　with　the　Amazons　they
meet　on　their　way。　As　soon　as　the　paladins　have　succeeded　in
vanquishing　the　Amazons；　they　force　them　to　become　their　wives。
Among　the　different　ceremonies　still　in　use　at　a　country　wedding；
one　particularly　deserves　our　attention；　on　account　of　the
symbolical　representation　of　the　means　to　which　the　family　of　the
bride　once　had　recourse　to　prevent　an　abduction。　On　the　day　fixed
for　the　wedding　the　doors　leading　to　the　homestead　of　the　bride
are　closely　shut。　Sometimes　a　temporary　wooden　wall　is　erected　to
preserve　the　family　from　intrusion。　The　wedding…songs　still　in
use　in　the　Government　of　Toula　speak　of　the　necessity　of
defending　the　approach　to　the　bride's　residence　by　oak　trees；　cut
down　to　block　up　the　road；　and　by　shields　arranged　before　the
principal　entrance　of　the　homestead。
　　　　The　bridegroom　and　his　friends　wear　a　warlike　dress；　they　are
mounted　on　horseback；　and　carry　guns　and　pistols。　Such；　at　least；
is　the　custom　in　the　western　provinces　of　Russia；　whilst　in　the
southern　the　whip；　carried　by　the　bridegroom's　best　man；　appears
to　be　the　only　weapon　in　use。　The　wedding…songs　speak　of　arrows；
shot　in　the　direction　of　the　bride's　home；　and　of　stone　walls
broken　down；　in　order　to　take　possession　of　her。　The　bridegroom
and　his　followers　are　regularly　met　like　foes。　In　the　Government
of　Perm　it　is　the　custom　for　the　father　of　the　bride　to　fire　a
pistol　over　their　heads；　of　course　a　pistol　charged　only　with
powder。　The　same　custom　is　also　in　use　in　certain　parts　of　the
Government　of　Archangel。　The　wedding…song　speaks　of　the
bridegroom's　train　in　the　following　terms：

They　will　come　to　the　maiden's　father
With　war。　
They　will　rob　him；
And　imprison　the　mother。　
They　will　take　the　young　girl　away
To　a　strange　land。　

　　　　But　capture；　as　we　have　already　seen；　was　not　the　only　mode
of　contracting　marriage　among　the　Slavs；　even　in　the　earliest
period。　According　to　the　chronicle　of　Nestor；　the　Polians　never
had　recourse　to　it。　Instead　of　carrying　off　his　bride　by　force；
the　Polian　bridegroom　preferred　to　pay　to　her　father；　or　her
family；　a　sort　of　pretium　nuptiale；　or　bride…price。　This　custom
of　the　Polians　gradually　became　the　general　usage　among　all
Slavonic　tribes。　In　Servia；　according　to　Vouk　Karadjich；　the　sums
of　money　paid　to　the　bride's　father　by　the　bridegroom's　family
were　so　exorbitant　that　Georgius　the　Black　issued　a　proclamation
declaring　it　to　be　illegal　to　ask　from　the　bridegroom　more　than　a
single　ducat。　In　our　days；　says　Bogisic；　wives；　as　a　rule；　cannot
be　bought　by　their　future　husbands；　but　a　reminiscence　of　this
old　custom　is　still　preserved　in　the　fact　that　the　bride's　father
receives　from　the　bridegroom　a　gift　in　money；　varying　from　one　to
six　ducats；　according　to　the　fortune　of　the　giver。　
　　　　Wives　were　also　bought　and　sold　among　the　Slavonic　tribes　of
Austria。　According　to　an　old　usage　of　the　Loujichan；　a　Slavonic
people　inhabiting　certain　districts　of　Hungary；　the　bridegroom；
on　entering　the　homestead　of　his　bride；　apostrophised　the　father
thus：　〃Pray　do　tell　me　if　you　have　a　cow　to　sell？　〃　A　Bohemian
wedding…song　puts　into　the　mouth　of　the　bridegroom's　best　man　the
following　sentence：　〃Please　deliver　to　me　the　bride。　I　will　give
you　a　good　price　for　her。　The　only　reason　I　have　for　being　here
is　that　I　may　pay　you　in　heavy　thalers。〃　No　longer　ago　than　the
beginning　of　the　last　century；　young　men　wishing　to　marry　were　in
the　habit　of　going　to　the　fair　at　Krasni　Brod；　where　unmarried
women　and　widows；　surrounded　by　their　relations；　awaited　their
coming。　Each　chose　the　woman　he　liked　best；　covenanted　with　her
parents　as　to　the　amount　of　money　to　be　paid　for　her；　and
proceeded　to　the　ceremony　of　marriage。　Polish　wedding…songs　also
mention　the　custom　of　buying　wives。　
　　　　In　Posnau　the　following　ceremony　is　still　observed　on　the
occasion　of　a　betrothal：　The　bridegroom　puts　a　small　piece　of
money　on　the　shoes　of　his　bride；　another　on　her　knee；　a　third　on
her　shoulder；　a　fourth　on　her　head。　It　is　only　when　this　ceremony
has　been　performed　that　the　father　delivers　the　maiden　into　the
hands　of　her　future　husband。　
　　　　I　have　already　mentioned　the　fact　that　the　Payment　made　in
Old　Russia　by　the　bridegroom　was　known　under　the　name　of　veno。
The　true　meaning　of　this　word　is　revealed　by　the　use　which　is
made　of　it　by　the　translators　of　the　Scriptures。　In　a　Slavonic
version　of　the　words　addressed　by　Jacob　to　Laban；　when　he　asked
him　for　the　hand　of　his　daughter　Rachel；　the　translators　write　as
follows：　Increase　the　sum　of　the　veno　as　much　as　you　like　and　I
will　pay　it　to　you；　and　you　shall　give　me　this　maiden　to
wife。（11*）　
　　　　In　modern　times　the　veno　is　mentioned　only　in　certain　wedding
songs。　Another　term；　kladka；　has　replaced　it　in　most　parts　of
Great　Russia。　This　payment；　amounting　in　certain　parts　of　Russia
to　the　sum　of　one　hundred；　and　even　of　two　or　three　hundred
roubles；　is　made　to　the　father　of　the　bride。　As　a　rule；　the
father　disposes　of　the　money　in　favour　of　his　daughter；　for　he
gives　her　as　dowry　a　larger　or　smaller　sum；　according　to　what　he
has　received　from　the　bridegroom。　But　this　fact　cannot　be　brought
forward　as　a　proof　that　the　kladka　belongs　by　right　to　the　bride。
In　more　than　one　commune　of　the　government　of　Tamboy；　Riasan；
Vladimir；　Moscow；　Samara　and　Saratov；　no　mention　is　made　of　the
dowry　given　by　the　bride's　father；　　whilst　the　kladka　is
regularly　paid　to　the　head　of　the　family　to　which　the　bride
belongs。（12*）　We　must　therefore　consider　these　two　payments；　that
made　by　the　bridegroom；　and　that　made　by　the　bride's　father；　as
quite　different　institutions。　The　one　payment　proves　the
existence；　at　least　in　certain　parts　of　modern　Russia；　of　a　mode
of　marriage　similar　to　that　of　the　Indian　Asura；　the　other　shows
the　way　in　which　the　pretium　emptionis；　to　employ　a　term　of　Roman
jurisprudence；　passed　into　the　dos　or　dowry。　The　custom　was　the
same　as　that　followed　by　the　Germanic　tribes。　In　saying　this　I
have　particularly　in　view　Tacitus's　statement　about　the　payment
made　by　the　bridegroom　at　a　marriage；　and　the　more　recent　fact　of
the　conversion　of　this　payment　into　a　dowry　given　by　the　bride's
father。　
　　　　That　in　former　days　in　Russia　wives　were　regularly　bought
from　their　parents　is　plainly　recognised　by　the　wedding…songs
still　in　use　among　our　peasants。　
　　　　The　boyars；　a　term　by　which　people　designate　the　companions
or　followers　of　the　bridegroom；　who　on　his　part　is　called　〃the
duke；〃　kniaz；　the　boyars；　says　a　wedding…song　of　the　Government
of　Saratov；　〃surround　the　yard　of　the　bride's　house　on　all　sides；
they　bargain　for　our　Douniascha。〃
　　　　〃The　boyars　have　covered　the　ground　with　gold；〃　sing　the
country　people　of　White　Russia。　
　　　　The　bridegroom　is　very　often　mentioned　in　the　song