Details

Subject(s)

• Marriage customs and rites—Russia (Federation)—History [Browse]
• Marriage—Russia (Federation)—Religious aspects—Christianity [Browse]
• Women peasants—Russia (Federation)—Social conditions [Browse]
• Peasants—Russia (Federation)—Social conditions [Browse]
• Old Believers—Russia—History [Browse]

Series

• Routledge studies in the history of Russia and Eastern Europe ; 35. [More in this series]
• Routledge studies in the history of Russia and Eastern Europe ; 35 [More in this series]

Summary note

"This book explores the history of Russian peasant bride theft - abduction, capture - from the adoption of Christianity in Kievan Rus in the late tenth century to the very early twentieth century. It argues that bride theft in eighteenth and nineteenth century Russia was practised in large part by, but not exclusively by, Old Believers, the schismatics who rejected the Church reforms of the mid-seventeenth century and shunned contact with the Orthodox Church; and that the point of bride theft, where the bride was often a willing party, often married secretly at night by an Orthodox priest acting illegally, was to absolve the bride and her parents of the responsibility for engaging in a formal Orthodox ritual which Old Believers regarded as sinful. The book also considers how bride theft originated much earlier in Russia and was a continuing tradition in some places, and how all this fitted into the Russian peasant economy. Throughout the book provides rich details of particular bride theft cases, of Russian peasant life, and of Russian folklore, in particular bridal laments"-- Provided by publisher.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Source of description

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on April 05, 2021).

ISBN

• 1000361977 (electronic book)
• 1003132065 (electronic book)
• 9781000361971 (electronic book)
• 9781003132066 (electronic book)

LCCN

2020044663

OCLC

1221013923

Statement on language in description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...