AMONG THE MOUJIKS. 121 



a joyous, triumphant mood ; but deal almost exclu- 

 sively with its sad and melancholy phases. It is a 

 maiden repining for her lover, who has died or gone 

 away ; a youth lamenting the perfidy of his sweet- 

 heart, who has jilted him for the sake of a richer suitor • 

 a young couple whose parents forbid them to marry ; 

 a young wife whose husband has died or been drafted 

 into the army ; a maiden carried off by marauding Tar- 

 tars; a hard mother-in-law, who ill-uses the young 

 bride — these are the melancholy themes of the love 

 songs of the Russian peasants. The melody of the 

 songs, too, is in harmony with the sentiments, being 

 sung in a sad, low, wailing tone, — a lamentation rather 

 than a song. 



The songs of the khorovods, indeed, are in keeping 

 with the whole character of the Russian land, life, and 

 institutions. They are in harmony and color with the 

 monotonous gray of the level steppes, and the bound- 

 less wilderness of the northern forests ; level, sad, and 

 melancholy to the senses. From Archangel to Astra- 

 khan there is neither mountain nor beauteous valley ; 

 in the equally broad realm of Russian popular song the 

 general tone is correspondingly monotonous. In spirit, 

 the songs breathe the tragedy of the people's life and 

 history. The story of the Russian peasantry is a mel- 

 ancholy history of toil, sorrow, suffering, and despair. 

 Their songs are a reflection of their history ; and where 

 they sometimes aspire to comedy, a hollow, counter- 

 feit, almost pitiful ring may readily be detected. Their 

 humorous efforts treat almost exclusively of the uni- 

 versal vice of drunkenness among the moujiks, and of 

 wife-beating. 



