The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-16
BRIGANDAGE AND OUTLAWRY.
AND ANCIENT If NOT HONORABLE
OCCUPATION FOR WOMEN.
If "Maid Marian" Is n Myth, Some
Greek, bulgarian and American
Girls Are Not.


With the iconoclast abroad, and the he
roes and heroines of legend, romance ana
even history falling beneath the powerful
blows of the hammer of research" it is
not at all wonderful that the existence Of
ROBIN Hood. his merry men" and even
pretty Maid Marian comes now to be
matter of conjecture only
Contemporaries do not mention them al
ALL and historians do not allude to them
until $50 or 200 years after they had gone
the way of all living, if lived they ever
had. Sherwood Forest sul stands, how
ever, and whether or no Maid Marian was
myth or reality. the forest glades will al
ways be associated with
A bonny fine maid OF noble degree,
Maid Marian called by name
That women, however, even in recent
years, have taken to the forests and que
rilla warfare or deeds of outlaWry is be
yond question. Some, as was the case of
the Greek women melted by patriotism
began their career by joining in the trials
and combats of the Helenes, and after
ward. in love with the freedom of outdoor
life, continued IL for the very works sake
who on the approach of the Turkish sol
diery left their villages and lying in am
bush in the mountain passes and In the
vicinity of the roads, KEPT up a constant
guerilla warfare against the invaders. one
of these. Amazons, Helen, the niece of a
notable of Kytherias, retired to IA castle
at the close of the war. where she gath
cred about her a number of the women
whom she formerly had he'd to battle.
n M ba
geon, upon the cessation of hostilities join
ed band of brigands and became their
leader under the name of Nanghel to
which her followers added the soubriquet
of Spano, or Beardless. For two years Pc
ristera followed her calling, but, firing of
it, she left the mountains, and repairing
to the British vice-consulate at Larissa
gave in her submission to those in author
ity. The Ottoman officials graciousiy ac-
cepted her resignation and granted par
don to the penitent brigand. A photograph
taken at the time represents her In fun
Klepht costume, swords, pistols and yata-
ghans at waist, gun in hand, and around
her neck the insignia of chieftainship, a
broad silver disc bearing.in relief a repre-
sentation of the patron saint, ST. George
in his conflict with the dragon.
Not only, however, has national crisis
been essential to incite the Greek women
TO lay aside distaff and spindle and assume
the sword, but the charms of a life In the
green wood have frequently proved ire
sistible in themselves, and the various
folk-songs of the Greeks are fun of allu-
sions 10 these pallikers or Amazons One
of these women, who died a few years ago
in Athens, expressed on her deathbed
wish to be buried in her pallikar's dress
the fun white kilt, the braided vest and
jacket and the felt capotc.
The women brigands of the Balkans have
played as important role in the struggle
for the Bulgarian and Montenergrin indie
pendence as did their Greek sisters of
olympus and Pindus in their conflict with
the Turks. Dressed in mems attire, the
wives of the haidouts, as the brigands of
Bulgaria are called, often accompanied
their husbands to the mountains, faring
like the rest of the outlaws, and frequently
sharing their fate.
Love OF adventure alone seems to have
frequently led young women to adopt this
calling, which is not considered any more
disgraceful by the Bulgariaus than by the
Greeks. After few years, If they es-
cape capture or death the hadout wo-
men return home, marry and settle down
to domestic life like Penka in the Bulgar-
ian folk-song, which runs much after the
manner of Hiawatha.
Penxn's Adieu TO Her Brigand Life.
Thus to Penka spoke her mother:
"Peuka, treasure of thy mother,
Though but thy stepmother am T.
Yet I'd give to thee good counsel
When the day comes for thy wedding,
When thou leadest the procession
Bow thyself before thy sponsors,
And salute thy husbands parents;
Bow before his youngest sister,
Bow before his youngest brother;
See that thou thine eyelids raise nor,
See thou look not to the mountains,
Lest the svatab imagine
Thou hast walked the hills a brigand"
To her mother answered Penka:
II of thee would ask a favor
Ask ii also of my father,
That he give 10 me a tocher,
Give me back my manly garments,
Give me, TOO, my pair OF pistols,
My own saber, bright. rank-fashioned,
And my good long barreled rife.
Once again as man I'd wander,
Were't but two or three days. mother,
Were ii but few hours only;
Once more 10 the hills I'd HE me,
To the Balkan with the brlgands
There the gallant ones await me;
Meath each tree there stands a hero,
And standard in each valley"
Scarce had Penka finished speaking
When she donned her manly garments;
Pistols two she girded round her,
And her bright. sharp sword, Frank
fashioned,
To the stable dark she FASTENED;
Straight led out the well-fed courser,
On his back she girthed the saddle;
Penka to the hills betook her
To The mountains of the brlgands,
Bearing presents to the heroes.
To each one she gives a kerchief
Folded round a golden sequin,
To remind her ancient comrades
OF the day when Penka welded"
Not long ago NJ. Nilednov. the Bulga-
risn foyorist. met In his wanderings a
former brigands named Sirma then wo-
man OF eighty, who was the heroine Of
popular song beginning,
Say, who has ever seen a maid
OF seventy-seven the captain?v
Kurdish Women Outlaws.
The Kurdish women are also devoted to
an outdoor life. quite as enterprising and
indefaugab.c as the men of their race they
~ ever on tho alert ready 10 ioa ID 10 tho