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　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