84 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



times enabled him to. Of this order were 

 the priests found in the land when Sv^netia, 

 at a comparatively recent date, became subject 

 to Russia. 



No wonder that in these times of amateur 

 clergy strange and barbarous customs crept 

 into the church of Svanetia, many of which 

 still remain, in spite of the fresh importation 

 of properly qualified priests from other parts 

 of the Caucasus and Russia. For instance, 

 our host told me that the Svans allow no 

 women to enter their churches ; that if they 

 should do so they are liable to be stoned, 

 unless they are willing to pay a heavy fine 

 instead. The Svans believe that Providence 

 will resent the presence of women m churches, 

 and visit the villages in which the offenders 

 dwell with plagues of rain and other mis- 

 fortunes. 



The men of the villages are allowed to 

 go to church twice a year — on Easter Day 



