 Rimsky-Korsakov wrote that his interest in these songs was heightened by his study of them while compiling his folk song collections.He wrote that he "was captivated by the poetic side of the cult of sun-worship, and sought its survivals and echoes in both the tunes and the words of the songs.The pictures of the ancient pagan period and spirit loomed before me, as it then seemed, with great clarity, luring me on with the charm of antiquity.