Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-11-01

~N"NS SA@ GA--Se
A pleasant lite the Servian ballad singers
lead. wandering through their forests and
mountains, greeted by all who meet them
with love and reverence, as the preservers
Of the traditions Of the past, the creators Of
fame for the future. Guided by their boys
for they are almost invariably blind
from village to village, they select some
grassy place in the shadow OF q tree. or be-
fore q church, and sing to an audience, 81
lent from intensity Of delight or sorrow, an
Gent lays on the mysterious Villa, the
achievements Of Mako, the fatal fight of
George the Black, Veliko the Heyduk, and
other heroes Of their war Of liberation. DR..
Bowring has published t~ranslations of q few
OF these compositions, and from this work
some idea may be formed Of the Homeric
force, directness, and objectivity Of the orig
mails.
Nor are the Tavorien-as they call these
ballads, from TAvor, the old Slovenian war
god-elaborated in the peaceful ~seclusion
affected by western poets. Clan feuds, es-
pecially among the servians of Montenegro,
are of frequent occurrence; and the sight
less rhapsodist with his gray hair aud one
stringed guzzla, will Otter be found on a
rock, or behind a rampant, fearlessly chant
ing amid 4 hall of bullets the exploits of the
warriors that fight and fall around him, or
shouting, as old Philip sijepaz used to shout:
"Strike it as I would strike if | were not
blind -
This Philip, although a Bosnian by birth,
was or perhaps is, one Of the most renoWn-
cd of the Servian singers. When the war OF
liberation broke out. he sent his four sons to
fight. and he himself became. the Trytaeus
OF the insurgents.
Greatly says GerharCt, did his songs
contribute to the enthusiasm of the warri-
ors? Once when the Turks were preparing
10 storm II fort in the M%atschya, and the
chieftains under Luka Lasareyitch were con-
sulting as to what should be done, Philip
stood beside them listening to all they were
saving. The officers were almost falling at
variance, when Philip approached the com
mander and said to him: Sir Luka, per
nit me also to give nay advice as to how the
Turks may be yanquished. Dc you collect
q hundred unbroken stations | will collect
a hundred blind men. Then set US upon
| the horses, give each of us q saber, and let
us storm against the Turks, that they may
see what blind heroes can achieve. We will
rush amoag them, and throw them into con
fusion; and do you, that can. follow us up,
and destroy them utterly. 1t isnot enough
TO sino-we would show for once that We
understand what W e sing Luka then
smiled. gave him a present. and babe him
guard the redoubt; but he said to the 9th
ers !. Haarken, We heroes, to what bline
man saith. That must surely be worthy and
glorious for which a blind man would sacrI
flee himself"
The Servions then sailed forth, and drove
back the Turks with great slaughter.
The reverence for woman is one Of the no
ble characteristics OF the wild race. Faltil
full. Industrious, domestic, brave, even Z
sharing IN the battles of their country ul'
women are also gifted with a power OF pro
ducing. poems of singular grace ana dellca
eye. t{s