The Songs of the Russian People; As Illustrative of Slavonic Mythology and Russian Social Life

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 edition. Excerpt: ... THE SONGS OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Before entering upon the consideration of the more important features of the poetical folk-lore of Russia --the relics of mythic and ritual song, the remains of a wide-spread system of sorcery which have drifted down to our days in the form of truncated spells, exorcisms, and incantations, and the fragmentary epics or metrical romances called Builinas--before endeavouring to fix the fleeting images they offer of the past, it may be as well to tarry awhile in the present; to trace a rapid outline of the general aspect of Russian popular poetry; to give some brief account of the songs which are sung on ordinary occasions by the peasantry, of the times and places when and where they are usually to be heard, and of what manner of persons they are who sing them. And perhaps the simplest method of conveying this information will be to describe in a few words what are, so far at least as the vounger members of the peasantry ar.e. "-concerned, two of the most popular institutions"', of Russia--the Khorovod, or choral dance, "ajid the Posidyelka, or social gathering. ...: &s.."sobn as the long winter has fully passed away, .aijd the spring has made its welcome influence felt, ' the thoughts of the younger members of every village community in Russia begin to turn towards the blended dance and song of the Khorovod. Before long, what are called the vernal Khorovods are making their voices heard all over the land, to pass successively into those of summer and autumn, before they disappear at the approach of wintry weather. Whence were derived these circling dances to the sound of song, or at what period they gained their hold upon the Slavonic peoples, neither history nor tradition can...