lecture ii-第3章

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his　property　to　a　grown…up　son；　or　maintain　it　intact　in　spite　of
his　son's　manifest　wishes。　An　act　of　insubordination　on　the　part
of　the　son；　as　for　instance；　his　marrying　without　permission；　may
become　the　occasion　for　his　complete　disinheritance　by　the
father；　at　least　so　far　as　the　father's　fortune　is　concerned。　I
make　this　exception；　inasmuch　as；　besides　his　share　in　the
father's　fortune；　the　son　may　be　enabled　to　inherit　from　his
mother's　estate；　or　may　possess　property'　the　gift　of　some
relative　Or　friend。　Such　property　must　be　scrupulously　guarded　by
the　father　whose　rights　over　it　are　only　those　of　the　natural
guardian　of　his　son's　fortune。　
　　　　Hitherto　we　have　spoken　of　the　Russian　family　as　of　a　kind　of
natural　society；　created　by　marriage　and　continued　by　the　birth
of　children；　but　side　by　side　with　this　form　of　family
organisation；　differing　only　in　detail　from　that　of　Western
Europe；　there　exists　in　Russia　a　peculiar　mode　of　family
communism。　In　various　parts　of　the　country　numerous　persons；
sometimes　amounting　to　fifty　and　rarely　to　less　than　ten；　are　to
be　found　united　in　a　common　household；　living　under　the　same　roof
and　taking　their　meals　at　the　same　table。　A　family　constituted
after　this　fashion　is　known　to　English　scholars　under　the　name　of
〃The　Joint　Family〃　or　〃House　Community。〃　Sir　Henry　Maine　has　made
the　notion　of　it　generally　familiar　through　his　marvellous
investigations　in　the　early　law　of　Ireland　and　the　modern　customs
of　Northern　India。　He　has　also　correctly　settled　the　question　of
its　origin　by　appealing　to　natural　increase　and　non…division　as
the　real　sources　of　its　growth。　He　has　even　made　an　attempt　to
show　that　it　was　not　limited　to　distinct　peoples　or　races；　but
that；　notwithstanding　the　immense　distance　which　separates　the
Eastern　or　Hindoo　branch　of　the　Aryan　race　from　the　European
branches；　notwithstanding；　also；　the　difference　in　the　historical
development　which　may　be　traced　between　its　Celtic　and　Slavonic
ramifications；　joint　households　are　as　likely　to　be　met　with　in
the　defiles　of　the　Himalayas　as　in　the　plains　of　old　Erin　or　of
modern　Servia。　Taking　advantage　of　the　recent　investigations　made
by　Professor　Bogisic　in　the　customary　law　of　the　Southern　Slavs；
Sir　Henry　Maine　has　presented　a　lively　picture　of　the　interior
organisation　of　the　famous　Servian　〃Zadrouga；〃　which；　as　he
shows；　has　more　than　one　feature　in　common　with　the　House
Community　of　the　Rajpoots。　The　barrier　of　language；　of　which　he
so　often　complains；　prevented　this　master　in　the　field　of
comparative　jurisprudence　from　completing　his　studies　of　the
patriarchal　system　of　House　Communities　by　investigating　the
Undivided　Household　of　Great　Russia。　This　Undivided　Household　has
been　recently　the　subject　of　numerous　and　serious　inquiries　on
the　part　of　Russian　ethnographers；　and　the　results　of　their
investigations　I　desire　now　to　lay　before　you。　
　　　　First　of　all　let　me　tell　you　that　the　undivided　household　of
the　Eastern　Slavs　is　a　very　ancient　institution。　In　the　so…called
Chronicle　of　Nestor；　mention　is　made　of　the　〃gens〃　organisation
of　the　Polians；　a　Slavonic　tribe；　dwelling　as　I　have　already
said；　on　the　banks　of　the　Dnieper。　The　Polians　are　stated　to　live
（I　translate　literally）　〃each　ruling　his　own　kindred　or　gens　（rod
svoi）　and　occupying　distinct　localities。〃　This　rather　obscure
text　authorises　the　supposition　that　the　Polians　were　divided
into　independent　house…communities；　each　of　which　possessed　its
own　piece　of　land。　Another　reference　is　made　to　these　Undivided
Households　in　one　of　the　paragraphs　of　the　Pravda　of
Jaroslav；（2*）　a　sort　of　Mirror　of　Justice　compiled　in　the　middle
of　the　eleventh　century；　by　order　of　the　Grand　Duke　Jaroslav；　son
of　that　Vladimir　who　introduced　Christianity　into　Russia。　The
frequent　occurrence　of　South　Slavonic　terms　in　this　the　oldest
Russian　code；　such；　for　instance；　as　that　of　〃bratouchada〃　（the
son　of　the　brother；　the　nephew）　confirms　the　hypothesis　first　put
forth；　so　far　as　I　know；　by　the　well…known　professor　of　Russian
history　at　Moscow；　Mr　Kluchevsky；　that　the　work　of　codification
had　been　entrusted　to　some　southern　Slav。　This　is　the　more　likely
as　owing　to　the　recent　introduction　of　Christianity　and　learning
into　Russia；　there　was　a　lack　of　well…educated　natives；　so　that
the　Byzantine　Church　had　frequently　to　have　recourse　to　priests
of　South　Slavonic　origin；　in　order　to　propagate　the　Gospel　and
the　elements　of　learning　among　their　eastern　and　northern
brethren。　Old　Russian　being　much　more　like　the　language　into
which　the　Holy　Scriptures　had　been　translated；　and　the　Slavonic
dialect　of　the　translation　being　that　of　the　Southern　Slavs；
priests　of　Bulgarian　or　Servian　origin　were　the　fittest　persons
in　Russia　to　be　employed　in　this　work。　The　translation　of　Greek
texts；　the　transcription　and　composition　of　Slavonic　and　Russian
MSS。；　as　also　the　first　attempts　at　a　written　exposition　of
Russian　customary　law　would　equally　fall　into　their　hands。　The
share　of。　a　Southern　Slav　in　the　work　of　codification　would
explain　the　presence　in　the　Pravda　of　Jaroslav　of　a　term　which
has　led　to　much　comment。　The　word　in　question　is　verv。　Various
guesses　had　been　made　as　to　its　meaning；　when　at　last　Professor
Leontovitch　had　the　good　fortune　to　find　it　used　in　an　old　South
Slavonic　customary；　the　statute　of　Politza；　and　that　in　the　sense
of　Undivided　Household　or　House　Community。　The　sense　agrees　with
the　context　of　the　two　paragraphs　in　which　the　word　is　used　in
the　Pravda。　In　one　of　them　mention　is　made　of　a　case　where　the
body　of　a　man　belonging　to　the　〃following〃　of　the　duke　has　been
found　within　the　limits　of　a　verv；　and　the　other　says　that　in
such　a　case　the　whole　verv　must　pay　in　common　a　fine　similar　to
that　which　was　inflicted　in　England　in　such　cases　during　the
reigns　of　William　the　Conqueror　and　the　early　Plantagenets。　
　　　　A　〃verv；〃　paying　in　common　a　sort　of　pecuniary　composition
for　a　crime　supposed　to　have　been　committed　by　one　of　its
members；　a　〃verv〃　possessing　its　own　proper　limits；　and　therefore
its　own　territorial　possession；　exactly　corresponds　to　a
house…community；　in　which　several　persons；　living　under　the　same
roof　and　owning　land　in　common；　are　jointly　answerable　for　the
crimes　and　misdemeanours　committed　within　the　limits　of　their
possessions。　
　　　　If　from　the　eleventh　and　twelfth　centuries；　during　which　the
different　versions　of　the　Pravda　were　drawn　up；　we　pass　to　the
end　of　the　fourteenth　and　the　beginning　of　the　fifteenth
centuries；　we　find　the　same　village　community　mentioned；　as　well
in　the　North　Western　principalities　of　Russia　　that　of　Pscov；
for　example；　as　in　those　of　the　South　West　which　were　ruled　by
the　Statute　of　Lithuania。　The　name　under　which　the　members　of
these　communities　are　known　to　the　Russian　law　is　that　of
〃siabri。〃　This　term　is　employed　both　by　the　judicial　charter　of
Pscov　（1397…1467）　and　by　the　before…mentioned　Statute　of
Lithuania　（1529）。　This　word　siabri　is　also　to　be　found　among　the
Southern　Slavs。　The　code　of　Servian　laws；　published　by　King
Stefan　Douschan　in　the　year　1349；　makes　frequent　use　of　it　when
speaking　of　the　peasants。（3*）　The　peasants　of　Servia；　having
always　lived；　and　still　living；　in　undivided　households；　the　term
meaning　co…partners　in　the　enjoyment　of　an　undivided　property；
was　very　naturally　applied　to　them　and　it　is　this　meaning　that
the　word　still　keeps　in　the　judicial　charter　of　Pscov；　and　also
in　the　Statute　of　Lithuania。　The　latter　was　the　chief　source　of
the　customary　law　of　Little　Russia；　and　the　term　〃siabri〃　and　the
institution　it　calls　to　mind；　are　often　mentioned　in　the　Little
Russian　documents　of　the　last　three　centuries。　A　recent　survey　of
these　sources；　made　by　Professor　Louchitzky；　has　quite　settled
the　question　of　the　existence　of　House　Communities　even　in　those
provinces　of　Little　Russia　where　in　our　time　division　of　property
most　prevails。　Here　as　elsewhere　individualism　seems　to　have　been
preceded　by　a　sort　of　family　communism　like　that　of　India；
ireland　and　the　South　Slavonian　principalities。　
　　　　The　term　siabri　is　not　the　only　one　used　by　Old　Russian
writers　to　designate　the　members　of　such　a　household。　They　are
often　spoken　of　in　the　financial　surveys　of　the　sixteenth　and
seventeenth　centuries　under　the　characteristic　name　of　hearth；
pechische。　The　so…called　piszoviia　knigi；　a　kind　of　survey　very
like　the　poll…tax　rolls　still　preserved　in　the　Record　Office；
speak　of　the　hearth　as　the　unit　of　taxation。　The　pechische　of　the
fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries　corresponds　to　the　feu　of
Burgundy　and　is　even　known　by　that　name　in　some　of　the　northern
provinces　of　Russia。　The　private　charters；　which　are　still
preserved　by　more　than　one　family　in　the　Government　of　Archangel；
some　of　which　were　drawn　up　in　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth
centuries；　when　speaking　of　the　house　community　always　make　use
of　the　term　ognische；　a　word　which　means　the　hearthfire；　thus
showing　that　what　constituted　the　tie　between　members　of　the　same
household　was　their　cooking　food　at　the　same　hearth。　
　　　　Thus　far　we　have　shown　the　high　antiquity　of　the　institution
which　we　are　engaged　in　examining。　Let　us　now　proceed　to　the
study　of　its　characteristic　features。　
　　　　All　over　Russia；　but　particularly　within　the　boundaries　of
the　old　Muscovite　empire；　communities　of　persons　belonging　to　the
same　kindred　and　living　under　the　same　roof　are　still　in
existence。　The　number　of　persons　belonging　to　these　communities
varies　from　ten；　or　even　less；　to　fifty　and　upwards。　In　the
government　of　Koursk；　a　community　composed　of　about　sixty　persons
has　recently　been　noticed　by　Professor　Samokvasov。　But　such　cases
are　rare；　and　the　number　of　persons　living　in　common　does　not；　as
a　rule；　exceed　twenty　or　thirty。　Among　them　we　find　the
grandfather　and　grandmother；　the　father　and　mother；　sons　and
daughters；　grandsons　and　granddaughters；　brothers　and　sisters；
nephews　and　nieces；　with　such　other　persons　as　may　be　united　to
them　by　ties　of　marriage；　as　daughters…in…law　in　right　of　their
husbands；　and　sons…in…law　in　right　of　their　wives。　Persons
incorporated　into　the　family；　working　for　the　common　good；　and
having　shares　in　the　family　profits　are　often　mentioned　by
writers　on　Russian　folk…lore。　Besides　these　others　may　perchance
have　become　members；　as　for　instance　persons　adopted　into　it；　or
the　children　of　a　widow　contracting　a　new　marriage　with　a　member
of　the　community；　who；　on　account　of　her　unwillingness　to　be
separated　from　them；　come　to　live　with　her　under　the　roof　of　her
new　husband。　
　　　　From　this　we　see　how　various　may　have　been　the　origin　of
those　who　were　members　of　the　Undivided　Family。
Blood…relationship；　in　the　proper　sense　of　the　word；　is　not
always　required；　it　suffices　that　the　members　be　considered　as
relatives；　adoption　takes　the　place　of　actual　descent；　and　the
fact　of　sharing　the　daily　work　very　often　gives　a　stranger　the
rights　of　a　relative。　
　　　　Undivided　households　are；　as　a　rule；　governed　by　the　oldest
members　of　the　community；　but　in　case　of　prolonged　illness　or
want　of　mental　power　the　oldest　member　may　be　superseded　by
another；　sometimes　elected　by　the　whole　community