lecture i-第5节

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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　songs　of　the
peasants　of　Great　Russia　as　the　〃merchant；〃　whist　the　bride　is
spoken　of　as　〃merchandise。〃　In　the　Government　of　Jaroslav；　for
instance；　the　bride；　following　an　ancient　usage；　complains　of　the
treatment　to　which　she　will　be　subjected；　saying　that　〃unknown
merchants　will　take　her　away　from　her　father　and　her　dear
mother。〃（13*）　
　　　　Now　that　we　have　carefully　passed　in　review　the　different
aspects　under　which　matrimonial　relations　have　been　viewed；　or
still　are　viewed；　by　the　country　people　of　Russia；　we　may　be
allowed　to　say；　that　Russian　ethnography　quite　corroborates　the
theory　as　to　the　evolution　of　marriage　which　English　scholars
were　the　first　to　establish。　The　author　of　〃Primitive　Culture；〃
as　well　as　the　great　and　powerful　genius　who　has　so　marvellously
continued　the　work　of　Auguste　Comte；　and　lastly　the　numerous
followers　of　the　man；　whose　studies　in　ancient　history　have
unveiled　for　us　the　mysteries　of　the　early　family　will；　I　have　no
doubt；　be　pleased　to　see　their　views　confirmed　by　the　early　law
and　the　still　living　custom　of　one　of　the　principal　branches　of
the　Aryan　race。　Nothing　more；　it　seems　to　me；　is　wanting　to　the
modern　theory　of　the　matriarchate　than　a　solid　base　of　historical
facts。　So　long　as　obscure　myths　and　the　more　or　less　superficial
observations　of　missionaries　and　tourists　constituted　the
materials　for　a　theory　whose　chief　purpose　is　to　show　us　the
social　state　of　our　most　remote　ancestors；　objections　like　those
of　Sir　Henry　Maine　or　Mr　Starcke　found　a　ready　ear。　The　fact　that
among　the　Kamilaroi　and　the　Kuruai　the　right　of　the　husband　is
ignored；　does　not　necessarily　imply　that　our　ancestors　had　no
notion　of　marriage　and　the　patria　potestas；　and　the　numerous
Greek　myths　on　which　Bachofen　has　established　his　hypothesis　of
any　early　Greek　gyneocracy　may　possibly　belong　to　the　number　of
those　wandering　legends　on　which　it　is　very　difficult　to　found　an
opinion　as　to　the　social　state　of　this　or　that　particular　people。
　　　　Consult　the　〃Sociology〃　of　Herbert　Spencer；　and　especially
the　chapters　in　which　he　treats　of　the　early　forms　of　marriage；
and　you　will；　I　am　sure；　be　surprised　at　the　discovery　that
scarcely　any　mention　is　made　of　the　legal　antiquities　of　peoples
belonging　to　the　Aryan　race。　This　is　a　serious　defect；　and　the
sooner　it　is　remedied　the　better。　Some　measures　have　already　been
taken　to　this　end　by　the　modern　school　of　German　jurists　who；
under　the　able　guidance　of　Professor　Kohler；　publish　a　most
interesting　periodical　call　ed　the　Zeitschrift　fur　die
vergleichende　Rechtswissenschaft。　It　is　with　an　object　similar　to
theirs　that　I　have　undertaken　my　researches　in　the　vast　field　of
Slavonic　law　and　custom。　What　I　have　said　about　it　in　this
lecture；　little　though　it　has　been；　may；　perchance；　induce　some
of　you　to　undertake　fresh　studies　in　this　region　which　is　still
so　little　explored。　I　can　promise　all　who　will　venture；　the　most
abundant　and　happy　results。　

NOTES：

1。　The　last　time　in　an　article　on　the　patriarchal　family
published　in　the　Quarterly　Review。

2。　Compare　Lange；　〃On　the　Mutual　Rights；　according　to　Old　Russian
Law；　of　Husband　and　Wife　as　regards　Fortune。〃　Petersburg；　1886。

3。　〃Das　Landrecht　von　Kloster。〃　（XVIc。）　ed。　by　Mohr。

4。　Smirnov；　〃Sketches　of　Family　Relations　according　to　the
Customary　Law　of　the　Russians〃　（Moscow；　1877）　pp。　105；　106。

5。　Ivanischev；　〃Dissertation　on　the　Rights　of　the　Individual
according　to　the　Old　Laws　of　the　Bohemians。〃　Complete　Works；　p。
92。

6。　Ribnikov；　〃The　Songs　of　the　Russian　People。〃　vol。　i；　p。　64。
Kirscha　Danilov；　〃Old　Russian　Poems〃　pp。　9　and　70。　Afanasiev；
〃Tales　of　the　Russian　People。〃　vol。　i；　p。　484。

7。　〃Antiquarische　Briefe；〃　1880；　p。　167。　McLennan；　〃The
Patriarchal　Theory；〃　ch。　vi。　p。　71。

8。　Afanasiev　〃Folk…tales〃　vol。　i；　pp。　211；　212。

9。　Schein；　〃Songs　of　the　White　Russians。〃

10。　Tereschenko；　〃Social　Life　of　the　Russians；：　vol。　iv；　p。　280。

11。　Genesis；　xxix。

12。　Lange；　p。　86。

13。　Titov；　〃Customary　Village　Law。〃　Nicola　Perevos　in　the
District　of　Rostov　（Jaroslav；　1888）；　Appendix　N。　5。