The history of mittens in Russia goes back many centuries. It is believed that mittens appeared in Russia in the 13th century. But most likely this happened much earlier, it was just that only peasants used them until the 13th century.
Why do you think noblemen and boyars did not use mittens? And all because their clothes had very long sleeves in which they hid their hands from the cold. Clothes with such sleeves were inconvenient for work, which is why a saying appeared: working carelessly means very bad.
However, the Russian tsars in those days had gloves, which were called fingertip mittens. Their gloves were usually lined with fur.
Where did this word - "mitten" come from? It comes from the phrase "Varangian mitten". Probably, the mittens came to us from the Vikings. Remember who the Vikings are? That's right, these are people from Scandinavian countries.
Although, perhaps, the word "mitten" comes from the verb "cook", "varovati", which means "to protect", "to protect".
Or did it come from another verb "varegi", that is, "cook", because in the old days woolen mittens were first knitted and then boiled in boiling water to make them denser and warmer.
There were a lot of names for mittens: knits, braids, ties, sleeves - they were usually knitted; wire rods, felt felt - you probably already guessed that they were rolled, like felt boots. From fur they sewed - fur coats, bush and bush.
The division of concepts gradually took place. Mittens called what was sewn from fur or fabric. And only knitted mittens.
However, the fashion has changed, the sleeves have become shorter. It was necessary to protect hands from the cold and the upper class also began to use mittens and mittens. But their mittens became very different from the peasants' ones. They were richer and more elegant. The gentlemen's mittens were made of brocade, velvet and morocco, they were decorated with beads, pearls, precious stones, as well as gold and silver embroidery. These mittens were real masterpieces that were passed down from generation to generation by inheritance.
Mittens were usually differentiated between men and women. The men's ones were simple, without jewelry and knitted without an elastic band, so that it was comfortable to work in them and could easily be thrown off the hand for a smoke break or wiped off the sweat. Women's mittens were more elegant and miniature, multi-colored and with patterns.
In Russia, as a rule, several pairs of mittens were worn at the same time: first they wore knitted mittens ("undersides"), then fur (furry). And in order to work, they also wore leather mittens, canvas or horsehair, on top. On weekdays, the underwear was dressed in plain colors, and on holidays multicolored with patterns.
In the 19th century, mitts (they were also called wristguards) came into fashion - long narrow gloves without fingers. They were popular with young people from wealthy families. They were usually knitted from white cotton threads and worn on major holidays. But in the 20th century, the fashion for them has already passed. However, felting craftswomen still roll wool mitts for lovers of retro style.
According to an old Russian custom, before the wedding, the bride had to make (except for sewing a wedding dress) patterned mittens and stockings for all members of the groom's family. Moreover, all products were supposed to have different ornaments.
By the way, the technique of knitting mittens on knitting needles came to Russia from Scandinavia. In the Scandinavian countries, men usually knitted. Here women have mastered this art, and they learned this from an early age in order to have time to prepare a dowry for the wedding.
Patterned wool knitting is one of the few female occupations that is still widespread today. However, we are only interested in knitwear made in local traditions. A well-known architect-restorer, an excellent connoisseur of the Pskov antiquity, K.P. Spegalsky in the post-war period created a whole series of drawings with traditional patterns of Pskov mittens. It was a time when it was still possible to buy clay toys, handcrafted ceramics, and furniture at the Pskov market. Of the traditional types of wool knitting, only mittens have survived. Craftswomen have kept their original knitting patterns for many years. Every craftswoman knows from childhood a large number of drawings, which she herself still varies in each thing. The patterns on the mittens are as significant as all ornaments in folk art. Stylized birds, flowers, rhombuses, crosses, triangles, stripes in complex combinations, pleasing to the eye - these are symbols-amulets that passed from mother to daughter and are still preserved on warm woolen "bundles" of Pskov craftswomen.
Additional information on tel. 72-84-08 (department of production literature of POUNB).
Pskov, st. Profsoyuznaya, 2, office. 26.
Elena Borisovna Ponomarenko,
leading librarian
department of production literature
Pskov Regional Universal Scientific Library
And the other is for all the other fingers. Mittens are more effective at keeping hands warm than gloves, as individually fingers freeze quickly. Usually knitted from wool, but can be made from leather, knitwear and other materials and their combinations. Mittens are often an integral part of the national costumes of northern peoples.
There are also gloves designed specifically for the military, where, in addition to the thumb compartment, there is a compartment for the index finger (so that it is possible to pull the trigger without removing the mittens).
Mittens are often part of workwear.
At the beginning of the 21st century, mittens became a fashionable accessory, often made of genuine leather (sometimes suede), natural fur, embroidery, rhinestones were used as decoration.
Etymology
According to one of the versions put forward by Max Fasmer, the word "mitten" comes from the phrase "Varangian mitten", probably reflecting the fact of borrowing this garment from the Vikings.
According to another version, the word "mitten" comes from the Old Russian verb "cook" - "to protect", "to protect"; then "mittens" - "amulets", "protectors" for hands (Lev Uspensky).
According to the third version, the name of the mittens was obtained from the process of their processing - knitted mittens could be boiled to make them more dense.
Varieties
| Photo | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Knitted mittens | As a rule, it is a handmade product. | |
| Mittens in national costume | Mittens are found in the national Sami costume (Norway), etc. | |
| Mitten potholder | Used to avoid scalding when in contact with hot kitchen utensils. |
see also
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Literature
- Mittens - A Brief Encyclopedia of Household / Ed. IM Skvortsov and others - M .: State Scientific Publishing House "Great Soviet Encyclopedia" - 1959.
An excerpt characterizing the Mitten
- Voila l "agrement des camps, monsieur le prince, [Here is the pleasure of the camp, prince,] - said the officer on duty.They drove onto the opposite mountain. The French were already visible from this mountain. Prince Andrew stopped and began to examine.
“Here is our battery,” said the headquarters officer, pointing to the highest point, “that same eccentric that was sitting without boots; you can see everything from there: let's go, prince.
“I humbly thank you, I’ll go by myself now,” said Prince Andrey, wanting to get rid of the officer’s headquarters, “please don’t worry.
The headquarters officer fell behind, and Prince Andrey rode alone.
Mitten- knitted mittens with a thumb compartment.
Mittens are a type of mittens and differ from them in the way they are made: mittens are always knitted.
History of mittens
The first mittens are believed to date back to the first millennium AD. They were discovered by archaeologists in the territory of Latvia. In this country, women knitted mittens for the whole family and approached this process in a creative way. Each pair was intended for a specific person and had a unique pattern and color, which were designed to carry magical power and protect the wearer from all adversity. Festive mittens were knitted in bright, contrasting colors. On everyday models, ornaments were simpler and shades were subdued. The colors used were mainly black, gray and white.
Mittens were necessarily included in the dowry of every Latvian girl. The richer it was, the more beautiful and warm vapors could be found in her chest. Mittens were considered an excellent gift and were often inherited. Young girls knitted mittens for the young people they liked, as the surviving folk songs and legends tell about. Men wore such gifts with pride. An acquaintance could begin with a compliment to the mittens, a conversation could be struck up.
Russian mittens
The skill of knitting came to Russia from Scandinavia, where it arose in the Viking Age. Knitting was taught to girls from childhood, so that by the time of marriage they would have time to prepare themselves a worthy dowry.
In Russia, the first mention of mittens dates back to the 13th century, but it is believed that they appeared in peasant life much earlier. Peasants who worked in any weather needed practical, waterproof clothing, so they wore mittens under leather gloves.
Traditionally, mittens were divided into men, women and children. The latter were distinguished by their particular brightness and multicolor. Men's mittens for everyday work were most often monochromatic and loose, so that if necessary they could be easily thrown off the hand.
Most often, mittens were knitted from sheep's wool and called bundles. The mittens also had many names depending on their purpose: darenki, underwear, dates and others. For a long time, noble nobles and boyars wore clothes with very long sleeves to protect their hands from the cold. When the fashion for long sleeves passed, they also needed mittens. Models for the nobility were embroidered with expensive threads, decorated with elegant ornaments.
Patterns on mittens in Russia, as well as in Latvia, had a sacred meaning. The most common were ornaments with birds, rhombuses, triangles, stars and stripes. Mittens with complex combinations of such patterns were used as amulets and were traditionally passed from mother to daughter.
Machine-made mittens
In 1589, the history of knitting was revolutionized when William Lee, an English parish priest from Calverton, designed the first knitting machine. The new technology allowed for the mass production of knitted items throughout Europe and partially replaced hand knitting.
Modern mittens
Modern mittens are distinguished by a wide variety of models and colors. In addition to traditional models, currently produced:
- mittens for two (with one mitten designed for two palms)
- models in the form of animals, most often bears and cats
- mittens made of fleece, made in the shape of cat paws
- models combined with mitts, where the compartment for four fingers is put on like a hood.
History of mittens
Mittens or mittens - a piece of winter clothing for the hands, which has two compartments: one for the thumb and the other for all the other fingers. Mittens are more effective at keeping hands warm than gloves, as individually fingers freeze quickly. Usually knitted from wool, but can be made from leather, knitwear and other materials and their combinations. Mittens are often an integral part of the national costumes of northern peoples. There are also gloves designed specifically for the military, where, in addition to the thumb compartment, there is a compartment for the index finger (so that it is possible to pull the trigger without removing the mittens).
History of appearance
In Russia, mittens have been known since the 13th century. They were a must-have for peasant clothing. Mittens were divided into male and female. Women's - smaller, more elegant, more colorful. Men's ones are simpler, knitted without a cutter, so that it is more convenient to work and easy to throw off the hand. Usually, several pairs of mittens were worn: first knitted (they were called undersides), and then fur - with the fur out (bush). For work, they wore canvas, leather or horsehair knitted on top. On holidays they wore undersides with an ornament, on weekdays - plain. In Russian traditional clothes, the sleeves were sometimes very long, they "replaced" mittens. But the Russian tsars wore fingerless mittens, i.e. gloves. They were fur trimmed with beaver. After that, mittens began to appear on others.
In the 19th century, girls and young married women from well-to-do families on big holidays wore wristguards (mitts) - long narrow gloves without fingers, knitted from white cotton threads. By the beginning of the 20th century, they almost disappeared from the village costume.
Mittens in Russia had many names - mittens, mittens, varangians, varyashki, vachagi, dock, furry, furry, sleeves, ties. There is an old Russian custom - before the wedding, a girl had to demonstrate her skills. In addition to sewing a wedding dress, the bride presented the groom's family with patterned stockings and mittens. Moreover, all products had to be with different ornaments.
It is difficult to say exactly who and when invented the first mitten. It can only be argued that it happened not in the south, but in the north. One clever inhabitant of the Stone Age took a piece of animal skin and made hand bags - protection from the cold. In addition, in the "great-grandmothers" of modern mittens it was more convenient to hold heavy tools. Then another quick-witted person appeared who thought of making a compartment for the thumb in the bag. It is also warm, but much more comfortable to work. In Russia, the first mention of mittens and mittens among city dwellers dates back to the 13th century, but in peasant life they probably existed before. Why did the boyars and nobles not use mittens? There was simply no need for them. Boyars and nobles wore clothes with very long sleeves, in which they hid their hands from the cold. These clothes were warm, but completely uncomfortable for work. Fashion changed, sleeves were shortened, and there was a need for hand protection. So the mittens passed from the workers 'and peasants' way of life to the nobility. And they look much brighter and richer. For masters they were made of velvet, brocade and morocco, decorated with pearls, beads, precious stones, gold and silver embroidery. Such masterpieces have even been passed down from generation to generation. And peasant mittens also underwent certain changes - the familiar mittens appeared for all of us. The fact is that the division of concepts gradually began to occur: mittens are made of fur or fabric, and mittens are only knitted. They often wore both, especially in the far north: outside there is a large mitten made of fur, under it is a knitted mitten, thinner and more delicate. Such mittens were called undersides. The mitten was not only a piece of clothing that protects from the cold, but also a work of art and even a kind of message: its beautiful, sometimes very complex multicolored pattern could carry certain secret information. For example, a drawing of a fish is a symbol of fertility, sun, goodness. A chain of rhombuses is the tree of life, crosses are fire or the sun. By the way, the complicated knitting technique did not appear in Russia. Even earlier, it was mastered by other peoples. The most skilled craftsmen were considered Italians, Spaniards and Scandinavians. The skill of knitting came to us from Scandinavia, and men were the first to pick up the knitting needles there. In Russia, women knitted. They learned this from childhood, because the girl had to have time to prepare a dowry for the wedding. It was necessary not only to sew a wedding dress, embroider towels and tablecloths, but also to present the groom's family with knitted stockings and mittens with colorful ornaments. Mittens are as popular today as they were in ancient times. Only, of course, they are no longer inherited. Mittens are a purely practical thing. However, modern fashion designers have again turned their attention to them. After all, what could be more comfortable than a good old warm mittens? The patterned knitted mitten looks great both with a modern plain jacket, and with a knitted hat and scarf, and with bright high fur boots that are fashionable nowadays.
The meaning of ornament elements on Russian mittens
The patterns on the mittens are as significant as all ornaments in folk art. Stylized birds, flowers, rhombuses, crosses, triangles, hooks, paws, stars, stripes in complex combinations pleasing to the eye - these are charm symbols that passed from mother to daughter, protected a person from evil forces, helped in a good deed. The word "ornament" comes from the Latin "ornamentum" - decoration. In Russia, the word "pattern" was more common, bearing the same meaning - decoration of the surface of an object. The elements of the ornament tell a person the surrounding nature, his place of habitation, climate, customs of the people, the outlines of the human body and surrounding objects. Ornament has never been purely decorative in the past. Each of its elements had a certain meaning, was conditional, but everyone understood a depiction of the laws of nature: birth, life, death. The ornament can be called the ancient language of communication between people. The tradition of decorating household items and clothing with patterns that carry a protective function has existed in Russia since the days of paganism. With the adoption of Christianity, this tradition did not disappear, it changed and survived to this day, however, having partially lost the protective meaning of the patterns. The symbolism of the ornaments is the same for many peoples. For example, a diamond has many meanings. Once he was a symbol of the sun, a sign of fertility, agriculture, goodness, happiness, full of life. A rhombus with a dot in the middle denoted fertilized land, sown fields. It was this ornament that the bride most often used when knitting her dowry. A chain of rhombuses - "the tree of life", a rhombus with extended sides protected from the leprosy of the dark forces, it was with this sign that the Slavs decorated the log buildings of their houses.
If the mitten is dotted with crosses, do not be afraid. The cross is a symbol of fire and sun. The "knitted" sun is a symbol of light and life-giving. The most widespread after the geometric one is the floral ornament. Its main motives are stylized flowers, shoots, leaves, branches of plants. There are other types of ornament: animalistic (birds, animals, insects), natural (waves), teratological (fantastic or fabulous animals or their parts). Another large group - objects created by man: tools, tools, weapons, buildings. Ornament motives can be both finite and endless. The final ornament creates a feeling of static, the endless one - the idea of mobility. A zigzag strip or "rope" pattern knitted on the mitten meant the wish of longevity to its owner. It was believed that the places through which the evil force could penetrate were the edges of clothes, sleeves, collars, stockings, mittens. To protect yourself from it, you need to protect yourself by decorating these places with especially bright and multicolored colors.
Color palette of patterns of Russian mittens. When knitting patterns, color plays no less role than ornament. Traditionally, the colors, as well as the patterns, depended on the purpose of the product. Earlier, on everyday things, patterns were simpler and more modest colors: black, gray, white. Festive mittens were knitted with bright threads of contrasting colors. The following stable combinations were widespread: red-green, black-yellow, black-red. The borders with which the main motives of the pattern were bordered were most often knitted by combining threads of red and white colors. The favorite color of mittens among the peoples of Pomorie was a combination of green and red, yellow and purple, orange and blue, they were considered harmonious in the 19th century. The need for such vibrant combinations was driven by a thirst for color in the long polar night. The coloring of earlier items was ocher-yellow, red-brown - without sharp contrasts. Calm soft colors were obtained by dyeing wool with natural dyes: stems, flowers and plant bark. The invention of the knitting bed in the 16th century influenced the development of knitting. It quickly spread throughout Europe, machine knitwear in the 19th century began to supplant hand knitting. Mass production of the same, standard things replaced us with skillfully and lovingly made handicrafts. Despite this, the charm of handwork remains, and hand-knitted products are appreciated more and more every year. Because every hand-made thing is unique, a piece of the soul is invested in each.
What mittens did our ancestors wear?
It is difficult to say with certainty when and on what land the person who invented the first mitten was born: he took an animal skin and made warm hand bags from it. Time did not preserve the name of another savvy person who contributed to this simple story: he singled out his thumb from a warm family, receiving a mitten with one finger. It’s warm, as before, but it’s more convenient to work. But whoever these ancient inventors were, one thing is clear: they did not need mittens for an idle pastime. Otherwise, to tell the truth, there was no point in inventing them. Boyars in Russia in the most fierce frosts did without any mittens: he lowered the sleeves of a fur coat to the hem, lined it up from the inside with fur for warmth - that's the whole concern. After all, they do not need to put their hands out in the cold once again. The mittens were invented and sewn by simple, hard-working people. And after the common people, the rich and noble began to wear mittens: you can't say anything, it's more comfortable than long sleeves. Only there were those mittens where they were richly decorated: morocco, eagles and animals were covered with pearls, pearl grains between the grasses. So it happened among the Slavic and northern peoples that every class had its own mittens for the cold season. Most of them were sewn from cloth, sometimes leather from fur (sheep and goat), and in the north - from deer, dog, wolf, bear, wool up). In severe frosts, they wore long, leather, almost to the elbows, and still short woolen "rollers", or felted mittens, were put underneath. The mittens were called differently in different parts of the Russian land: where are the sleeves, where are the leather jackets, and where are the bush or fur coat. Mittens were knitted from sheep's wool, called bundles or mittens - this word has survived to this day. In many provinces, mittens were made for sale: the Vyatka and Vladimir lands, Western Siberia were famous for their leather ones. Knitted mittens - Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir provinces. Particularly intricate patterns adorned the mittens of the northerners, those who lived in Pomorie, on the banks of the Pinega, Mezen, and Pechora rivers. They were not inferior to them mittens made by the hands of Belarusians, Estonians, Komi peoples. Only in the 19th century did overseas mittens come to the Russian village, in which each finger - a finger, as they said then - had its own special room. They were nicknamed "mittens-peppers", pendants, gloves and were worn mainly on special occasions. The history of the Russian mitten - a good assistant in work - is simple and ingenuous. Much more bizarre is the story of her aristocratic cousin - gloves, going almost from the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. It is no coincidence that mittens and mittens were sold at colorful bazaars and fairs, and gloves were sold in fashionable shops. The mitten warmed, protected, helped. Whereas the glove decorated, represented, testified. No one with an angry challenge threw a mitten in the face of an opponent. They didn’t accidentally drop it and didn’t pick it up, with trepidation, inhaling the scent of perfume. It never occurred to anyone to introduce ballroom mittens into fashion or replace the traditional white gloves - a prim addition to the formal dress uniform - with white mittens. What fashion did not work with a glove, but the modest mitten, what it was, remained so. And they wore the mitten more, and she did not shy away from any work. And yet you shouldn't feel sorry for our cute mitten, because this story, like all stories about Cinderella, has a good ending. Love and recognition came to the mitten. Handicrafts and knitting are especially attracted to modern fashion. Today, more than ever, fashion appreciates sheepskin coats, painted scarves, furry northern fur boots, coarse-wooled socks, down shawls - this is what comes from the aroma of folk art, which is rooted in our past, in national traditions and customs. Not in the last place in this list are mittens and mittens.