lecture ii-第4部分

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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。　The　name　given
to　the　house…elder　is　bolschack；　which　means　the　greatest　in
power。　His　authority　and　functions　perfectly　correspond　to　those
belonging；　in　a　Servian　zadruga；　to　the　so…called　〃domachin。〃
Like　the　domachin；　he　is　assisted　in　the　difficult　task　of
governing　the　female　part　of　the　house　community　by　some　aged
woman；　known　by　the　name　of　〃bolschoucha〃　（the　greatest　woman）；
who　is　not　always　his　wife。　
　　　　It　would　be　a　gross　error　to　look　upon　the　house…elder　of　a
Russian　undivided　family　as　holding　the　same　position　as　the
Roman　paterfamilias。　The　house…elder　has　neither　the　authority
nor　the　amount　of　independence　enjoyed　by　the　paterfamilias　in
the　administration　of　the　family　fortune。　The　Russian
house…elder；　like　the　Servian　domachin；　is　but　primus　inter
pares。　All　the　grown…up　members　of　the　community　constitute　a
sort　of　family　council；　whose　advice　must　be　regularly　asked　in
matters　of　importance。　The　domachin　has　no　right　to　dispose　of
the　family　possessions　without　the　unanimous　consent　of　all　the
persons　for　whom　he　acts。　When　I　say　all；　I　mean　of　course　only
the　grown…up　members；　women　as　well　as　men。　The　women's　opinion；
though　of　less　importance　than　the　men's；　is　not　to　be
disregarded；　the　more　so　on　account　of　the　influence　which　they
exercise　on　their　husbands。　
　　　　The　functions　of　the　house…elder　are　of　very　various　kinds。
We　must　mention　first　of　all　his　exclusive　right　to　represent　the
community　before　the　executive　and　judicial　authorities　of　the
village　and　district　（selo　i　volost）。　It　is　he　who　regularly
appears　in　the　courts；　either　to　answer　the　complaints　against
the　community；　or　to　insist　on　the　recognition　of　rights　which
have　been　violated。　It　is　to　him　also　that　the　Government
officials　address　their　demand　for　the　speedy　payment　of　the
taxes。　It　is　his　duty　to　attend　to　the　execution　of　the　law
concerning　military　service；　and　to　the　carrying　out　of　the
different　orders　issued　by　the　local　and　provincial　authorities。　
　　　　As　to　the　duties　which　the　domachin　has　to　perform　in
connection　with　the　interior　administration　of　the　household；
they　are　of　two　different　kinds：　they　concern　either　the　persons
who　compose　the　house　community；　or　the　undivided　property　owned
by　them。　All　disputes　arising　between　co…partners　are　settled　by
the　house…elder；　who　is　regularly　assisted　in　such　cases　by　the
family　council。　His　interference　in　the　relations　between　husband
and　wife；　between　parents　and　children；　sometimes　exerts　a　highly
beneficial　influence；　in　so　far　as　it　prevents　cases　of　gross
abuse　in　the　exercise　of　marital　and　paternal　power；　but　it　often
happens　on　the　other　hand　that　disputes　between　married　couples
are　embittered　by　the　partiality　of　the　house…elder　for　one　or
other　party。　On　more　than　one　occasion　husbands　have　been　known
to　inflict　severe　punishment　on　their　wives　because　they　were
ordered　to　do　so　by　the　head　of　the　community；　instances；　too；
are　very　frequent　in