hese mystic schisms need
we touch upon in this article, in order to show to what lengths
the Mujik will go in his efforts to escape from the trammels of
Orthodoxy, and with what logic he will follow up any given line of
thought. Most of the irrational sects are older than those already
mentioned, and do not seem to have their roots in other lands,
but to be the expression of the Mujik's own mind in its waking
moments: thus the "Khlystsy"--the name is a nickname taken from
the word "Khlyst" (a whip)--date back to the early days of the
Seventeenth Century. They hold that Christ has made and still makes
repeated appearances on earth and in Russia, and indeed they are
seldom without an incarnate God present with them in flesh and
blood.

The Khlystsy meet by night, with the utmost secrecy, and are reported
to dance, after the manner of the Dervishes, with ever-increasing
rapidity, until their feelings are worked up to such a pitch that
they are able to receive messages of inspiration, which they shout
out to their fellows. If one of their number has a fit--not an
uncommon event in some communes where close intermarriage among
relations has been the practice for generations--he is safe to be
regarded as an inspired messenger and duly honoured as such. Charges
of every kind of vice have been laid at the door of the Khlystsy;
their secret services have been called cloaks for immorality, and
doubtless on occasion have been used as such; but, as the character
of their congregation stands for high honesty and industry, it
is surely more charitable to assume that their worst feature is
their extreme secrecy, and that this, when added to the hatred of
orthodox marriage which the sect shows, lies at the base of most
of the accusations. Closely connected with these dancing Khlystsy
are the jumping Shakuny, whose jumps are said to increase in height
as do the circular movements of the former, until the proper state
of mind for inspired prophecy is reached.

Among the stockbrokers and money-changers of Russian cities, as
well as among peasants, may be seen the pale and almost hairless
face, wavering voice, and mild manner of the "Skopets" who has put
in practice upon himself the strange doctrine of self-mutilation.
These "White Doves" as they call themselves, base their self-sacrifice
upon the literal rendering of such texts as, "If thy right eye
offend thee, pluck it out," "Except a man become as a little child,
he shall not enter