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　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
  cog