Snow hero: how there were snowmen

Snowman in a classical representation - the three snowball: large (abdomen), middle (chest) and small (head). Hands snow man often made of branches, but there are also sculptures of snow and handles. Now it seems unshakable classic, however, such a standard for snowmen was informally adopted only in the XIX century. And before that it was being able to view their scare not only children but also adults. When sculpting snow figures of people brought into play all their imagination, they embodied their fears and worries.

The first snowman was Italian

Today, no one really say who first concocted figure made of snow, and the country in which this occurred. However, there is a mention that the first snowman "was born" in the hands of Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni in the XV century. Where the sculptor took the snow and looked like his brainchild - history is silent. At the same time, some sources claim that the snowman was coined by St. Francis Assziskim. Although the word "schneemann", which means that the Abominable Snowman, of German origin, and "snowman" - English.

In the printed edition of the snowman for the first time marked in Horologion, XIV century, where you could see and illustration - people rolled into large balls of snow. Possible to sculpt a snowman?

If you open the book "Dictionary of Russian myths and fairy tales", you can read that recognizes a divine father Snowman Snow Maiden, God the Son, God the Father Pagan - Santa Claus and a great snowstorm, Metelitsa.

Snowmen-scratch-cat and the path to goodness

When you pronounce the word snowman, funny little man appears out of the snow, symbolizing the coming of winter and the new year. But it was not always.

Today, when the houses have heating, hot water and other blessings of civilization, cold winter can not frighten people. Previously, everything was different - the winter was considered the most difficult to survive. Apparently so, and snowmen were molded in the form of the terrible, vicious, large monsters. Perhaps they personified the cold, hard winter.

Illustration from the Book of Hours. Thus could be "winter effigy."

Fears associated with snowmen, there were many, for example, they are not recommended to sculpt the full moon to avoid problems, nightmares, bad luck. In the Nordic countries is not recommended to look at a snowman out of the window. If a man walking at night and came across a snow sculpture, he had to change the trajectory as the way as soon as possible and try not to look at her.

This situation lasted until the XIX century. People have become enlightened, a fabulous horror stories fascinated them smaller. Snowmen gradually moved into the category of symbols of the New Year and Christmas. There were colorful postcards with images snegovichkov who smiled warmly, as if to a happy holiday.

However, Christians have maintained a belief that they are - the messengers of heaven, angels, which help fight with demons, and who can ask for anything. The main thing - to mold such an angel of pure fresh snow and hard to ask him to hear and accept the request. And then, spreading from the coming heat, he carried her into the sky in the form of thousands of tiny droplets.

Snowmen in Russia - give sexual differentiation!

"We did not eat, we did not drink, Baba snow sculpted", wrote the famous children's poet Agnes Barto. Yes, it is a woman, the feminine being. In Russia, unlike in Europe, all the snow sculptures had their floor. Even in pagan times our ancestors sculptured snowmen who trust the most secret desire: to get rich, to get rid of the disease, get married ... But the good winter weather Snow turned to Baba, as they considered it a female spirit, to control the weather.

For snow sculptures of both sexes were treated with respect. Not for nothing, there are Russian expression "cold-father", "winter-mother." By the way, January is often called by the people "snowman". Snow White, this beautiful winter beauty, too, invented in Russia. Perhaps some rural Pygmalion Galatea blinded their snowy and called her so.

Illustration to the book of Hans Christian Andersen "Snowman."

What snowman outfit and spend New Year

Once in Russian cities and villages of the first snow, I began work on the modeling of the snowmen, and they were supposed to do three. A large woman was responsible for the good winter weather, the average - for productivity, little, wearing a funny name for roof, was responsible for the joy, fun and happiness in the house.

In European countries, it was decided to put a snowman near the house. Bigfoot decorated, dressed, even painted, in general, every way to please. Now there are few who believe that snowman can influence the fate and change the weather. They are molded to have fun, have fun. But the must-have accessory still remained and they are known to all. And what they meant before?

to wear hats instead of a bucket to symbolize wealth, financial well-being. We would like that. Broom snow in hands helped to banish the cold and pull to the ground more snow for the future harvest. Eyes of coal and other "cosmetics" in the face of snow - for all the sorrows and grievances of the past. Carrot nose, of course, represented the plea of ​​yield, fertility. Beads of garlic was distilled off demons and added health to those who lived near the snowman.

Passion snowmen

Many children's authors wrote about the happy snowman. Cute fairy tale called "Der Wunsh des braunen Schneemannes" ( "Dream brown snowman") was written by the German writer Mandy Vogel. Toy-snegovichok made of chocolate, really wants to look at the snow. Tim Kid makes chocolate a friend on the street, where he was covered with frost. Snegovichok glad that turned white, and the boy is silent, aware that chocolate is wrong.

Hans Christian Andersen told about the life and fate of a snowman in a fairy tale "Snowman." It is a sad story. Snegovichok whose children blinded in the cold, did not experience the joy of snow storms, cold and other winter delights. He looked out the window and looked longingly at the stove, which burned wood. Something was stirring in his soul snow, when he looked into the flames and embers sparkling.

And only in the spring, when it came warm, everything became clear. Snowman melted in the sun, and it became clear why he was so attracted to the fire - inside it was poker. She ran to the stove, recalling his favorite work.

postcard, 80 years of the 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century snowmen have become the most favorite Christmas characters.

In Soviet times, a snowman and a snowman are the most popular New Year's characters. Issued cards with their images shot cartoons and movies with their participation, and the kids happy molded them out of the snow.

Achievements snowmen

Snowman in the modern world - is not only a symbol of winter, which came from antiquity. It is also an opportunity to set the record. For example, a very popular competition sculpting snow figures. The highest achievement - 37, 2 meters. Such growth was recorded at the giant snowman sleplennogo in America, in the town of Bethel. He weighed as much as 6 tons of titanium.

Europe is not far behind: snegovichok height of 16, 7 meters, was erected in the Austrian mountain resort Galtür.

Russia is famous for its annual snow Moscow parades. "The parade of snowmen" - it is an opportunity for everyone to show their skills in modeling snow sculptures.

Snowmen love their mold, their boast. January 18 the World Day of Snowman!