VI THE ARYAN QUESTION 291 



known to their neighbours as Wends, and among 

 themselves as Serbs and Slavs. The Slavonic 

 languages spoken by these people are said to be 

 most closely allied to that of the Lithuanians, 

 who lay upon their northern border. The Slavs 

 resemble the South Germans in the predominance 

 of broad -heads among them, while stature and 

 complexion vary from the, often tall, blonds who 

 prevail in Poland and great Russia to the, often 

 short, brunets common elsewhere. There is cer- 

 tainly nothing in the history of the Slav people 

 to interfere with the supposition that, from very 

 early times, they have been a mixed race. For 

 their country lies between that of the tall blond 

 long-heads on the north, that of the short brunet 

 broad-heads of the European type on the west, 

 and that of the short brunet broad-heads of the 

 Asiatic type on the east : and, throughout their 

 history, they have either thrust themselves among 

 their neighbours, or have been overrun and 

 trampled down by them. Gauls and Goths have 

 traversed their country, on their way to the east 

 and south : Finno-tataric people, on their way to 

 the west, have not only done the like, but have 

 held them in subjection for centuries. On the 

 other hand, there have been times when their 

 western frontier advanced beyond the Elbe; in- 

 deed, it is asserted that they have sent colonies 

 to Holland and even as far as southern England. 

 A large part of eastern Germany; Bohemia, 



