There are many interesting expressions, proverbs and phraseological units in the Russian language. One of these sayings is the well-known phrase "What is good for a Russian is death for a German." Where did the expression come from, what does it mean and how can it be interpreted?
The difference between Europe and Russia
It is known that the physical constitution of a person largely depends on the natural and climatic conditions in which society is forced to live. The European climate, like the Russian one, gives rise to a corresponding character.
The climate in Europe is mild and moderate. The life of the peoples inhabiting these lands has always been the same. The time needed to work was distributed evenly throughout the year. While the Russians were forced to either rest or work beyond their strength.
Russia's natural conditions cannot be called mild. Short summers and long cold winters have contributed to what is commonly called Russiansoul. Forced to constantly struggle with cold winters, Russian people have a special temperament that cannot but be called a little aggressive. In addition, the climate has a significant impact on the formation of the physiology of the nation. This must be borne in mind when explaining the meaning of the saying "What is good for a Russian is death for a German." And of course, every nation has its own history, which affects the mentality of people, their way of life. The difference between Western European countries and Russia in this case is very significant.
The first version of the origin of the proverb "What is good for a Russian is death for a German"
This expression is used in everyday speech all the time. Saying a proverb, people do not think about its origin. "What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - no one will remember who said this for the first time and where this phrase came from. Meanwhile, according to one of the versions, its origins should be looked for in the history of Ancient Russia. On one of the holidays in Russia, they laid a table rich in various delicious dishes. In addition to them, they also brought traditional sauces, horseradish, and homemade mustard. The Russian hero tried it and continued the feast with pleasure. And when the German knight tasted the mustard, he fell dead under the table.
Another version of the origin of the proverb
"What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - whose expression it used to be, it's hard to say. There is an interesting story explaining the origin of the catchphrase. A doctor was called to the ailing artisan boy. He, after examining, concluded that he did not have long to live. The mother wanted to fulfill any last wish of the child, to which the young doctor allowed him to enjoy any food. After the child ate cabbage with pork, which the hostess prepared, he began to recover.
Then a German child who suffered from the same disease was invited to dinner. When the doctor told him to eat cabbage with pork, the unexpected happened: the boy died the next day. The doctor made an entry in his notebook: "What is good for a Russian is death for a German."
Russia will save the world
What else distinguishes the Russian mentality, and so much so that it allows many great minds to call Mother Russia the savior of the world, in particular Europe? Some differences appear even in private life. An illustrative example is the banal habit of washing. Many Western historians have notes that testify in favor of the fact that the Slavs have a steady habit of constantly pouring water on themselves. In other words, Russians are used to bathing in running water.
What is good for a Russian is death for a German, or Household habits of different peoples
To compare the historically established European and Russian customs, it is necessary to make a short digression into the past. In the days of the Roman Empire, cleanliness has always been the key not only to he alth, but also to a fulfilling life. But when the Roman Empire collapsed, everything changed. The famous Roman baths remained only in Italy itself, while the rest of Europe was striking in its uncleanliness. Some sources say that until the 12th century, Europeans did not wash at all!
The case of Princess Anna
"What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - this proverb expresses the essence of the differences between representatives of different cultures and nations. An interesting incident happened to Anna, the Kievan princess, who was to marry the King of France, Henry I. After arriving in France, her first order was to take her to bathe. Despite their surprise, the courtiers, of course, complied with the order. However, this did not become a guarantee of getting rid of the wrath of the princess. She informed her father in a letter that he sent her to a completely uncultured country. The girl noted that her inhabitants have terrible characters, as well as disgusting household habits.
The price of uncleanliness
Surprise similar to that experienced by Princess Anna was also expressed by the Arabs and Byzantines during the Crusades. They were amazed not by the strength of the Christian spirit that the Europeans had, but by a completely different fact: the smell that reeked a mile away from the crusaders. What happened afterwards, every student knows. A terrible plague broke out in Europe, which claimed half the population. Thus, we can safely say that the main reason that helped the Slavs to become one of the largest ethnic groups, to resist wars, genocide and famine, wasprecisely cleanliness.
An interesting fact is that after Galicia fell under the rule of Poland, Russian baths completely disappeared in it. Even the art of perfumery originated in Europe with the aim of combating unpleasant odors. And this is reflected in the novel by the writer Patrick Suskind "Perfumer: the story of a murderer." In the book, the author vividly describes what happened on the streets of Europe. All biological waste was poured from the windows directly onto the heads of passers-by.
Pharmacy legend
When Russian troops captured Prague on November 4, 1794, the soldiers began to drink alcohol in one of the pharmacies. Sharing this alcohol with a German veterinarian, they accidentally took his life. After drinking the glass, he expired. After this incident, Suvorov uttered the catch phrase: "What is good for a Russian is shmertz for a German," which means "pain, suffering."
An interesting fact should also be noted. The proverb "What is good for a Russian is death for a German" does not exist in German. It is offensive, so it is better not to pronounce it in the presence of representatives of this people. For us, it means the following: what may be useful to one person may be harmful to another. In this sense, the well-known proverb "Another's soul - darkness" or "To each his own" can serve as its analogue.
It is also necessary to remember that earlier in Russia, not only people fromGermany. This name was worn by all foreigners. Those who did not know local traditions, Russian customs and did not know how to speak Russian were called dumb, or Germans. Because of this, they could get into various comic and sometimes unpleasant situations. Perhaps this proverb was born as a result of such cases.
This phrase has a deep practical meaning. Very often people are incapable of empathy. No wonder the ethical sense among children is considered giftedness. But for adults, the ability to enter into the situation of another person and "try on his skin" is very important for successful interaction in society. A Chinese proverb also has a similar meaning, which says that one should not make hasty conclusions about a person and somehow judge him until the moment when the one who wants to make a judgment has spent a day in his shoes.
What is good for one is highly undesirable for another. Or maybe even fatal. Take, for example, the widespread statements that you should not recommend medicines that have helped you to your relatives, friends and acquaintances - they can not heal, but aggravate the disease. And this will also help to fully understand the true meaning of the well-known proverb, in which in fact there is not a drop of nationalist views.
