We, modern people, pronouncing certain words, do not even imagine how closely they connect us with the spirits of our ancestors. This applies to a large number of words and phraseological units, saturated with Slavic mythology and deep meaning. Historians and linguists claim that the branches of the Slavs still use a lot of charmed or magic words that have a sacred meaning. The topic of our article was the mysterious word "chur", which has firmly entered our lives. What does it mean? And in what sense does it apply?
Mythology of the ancient Slavs
Our ancestors lived on earth and received almost all the blessings of life from it. Therefore, it is not surprising that they deified many natural phenomena and made sacrifices to them on various holidays. Protective household spirits enjoyed special honor. The most famous is the brownie. He kept order in the hut, drove strangers over the threshold and looked after small children. It was believed that in a clean and hospitable house, the brownie would always help the owners not only with protection, but also with deeds. Can save milk from souring or an expensive lost thingfind. But when everything is upside down in the house, this testified to the anger of the brownie at the negligent owners. Here, all the household members tried to appease the spirit, otherwise there would be no rest and peace in the family.
In addition to the well-known brownie, there were other protective spirits, they lived in a bathhouse, in a barnyard and in a poultry house. Unfortunately, their names are unknown to modern people. But chur is now mentioned very often. What is this deity that has retained its significance through the ages?
Chur - what kind of "beast" is this?
Historians have more than ten protective spirits, not the last place among which was chur. This deity was revered by all the cultivators without exception, because it was the earth that was in charge of this spirit. In the literal translation, the word "chur" is "border", "border" or "line". It clearly separates the master's possessions from the rest of the hostile world. Therefore, in Slavic mythology, chur is a deity guarding the boundaries of the courtyard. This spirit constantly bypasses the land allotment around the perimeter and protects the land of its owner from neighborly encroachments or accidental interference from incoming strangers.
The cult of the chur in ancient Slavic mythology
Of course, one cannot say that chur is a deity of high rank, but its importance in the life of our ancestors can hardly be overestimated. After all, absolutely all Slavs, without exception, believed in the power of this spirit. It was believed that anyone who violated the territory protected by the chur would immediately be punished. It could be expressed insudden illness, crop failure or a large number of troubles that literally fall on the head of the violator.
So that everyone can see where the border of protected lands passes, the Slavs dug several small land mounds on the border, which they fenced with thin stakes. From that moment on, the territory was considered protected, and if one of the neighbors accidentally touched such a hill, they tried to immediately return everything to its original state.
Some days the oldest man in the family walked around the perimeter of the territory, glorifying the chur and driving the animals that were sacrificed in front of him. Often, large stones and hewn logs were set on the land border. Deep holes were dug for their installation, they were filled with grain, wine or honey. This sacrifice should have pleased the chur, and only in this case did he fulfill his duty to protect the land.
Chur: how the deity was portrayed
It was not customary for the Slavs to endow pagan spirits with human features. Therefore, their appearance has a very distant resemblance to humans. The chura statue was made from a small piece of wood as thick as an adult's hand. Something similar to male facial features was carved in the upper part, then the idol was placed at the gate so that it would always be in the field of view of neighbors and passers-by.
Some linguists claim that it was from this idol that the words "chock" and the phrase "chunk insensitive" came from, because, despite its small size, the spirit was a very vindictive and formidable guardian of the master'sborders.
"Stay away from me!": what does this expression mean?
In everyday life, we often call the ancient deity, not realizing our actions. Judge for yourself. When we learn some news that can harm us, we often unconsciously say: "Stay away from me!" What does this phrase mean? What do we want to say with it and why do we repeat it in different life situations?
The fact is that the Slavs considered the chur not only the guardian of the borders of the courtyard territory, but also the spirit that can save you from many troubles. Therefore, in case of danger, it was he who was always called to guard. The cherished phrase that evoked the spirit was the well-known exclamation "Stay away from me!" By saying it, you are asking the spirit to protect you from impending danger and not let it into your life.
It is amazing that centuries later the descendants of the ancient Slavs subconsciously turn to the faith of their ancestors in the most difficult situations. This proves the version of linguists about the collective memory of the people, which we all are endowed with. It contains the most important information to save the nation.
The word "too": the meaning and history of occurrence
Often when we want to say that something is becoming too difficult or impossible for us, we use the word "too much". Everyone understands that it means extreme severity. We can say that this is a line that has already been crossed. Linguists cannot determine where this word came from in our language. By itself, it does not carry any semantic load. But onlyuntil you split it in two. Then everything instantly falls into place. Let's check it out.
If instead of the usual "too much" we say "too much", then the meaning of phraseology becomes extremely clear. After all, the chur, perceived as the guardian of a certain border, does not allow anyone outside to cross it. Unauthorized invasion is something incredibly scary, it is an unimaginable act for the ancient Slavs. Therefore, the word "too" denotes a measure of misconduct or any action with a brightly negative connotation.
Using the word in the game
Have you ever watched a child play? "Chur, do not touch!", "Chur, do not follow me!" - these phrases are often heard in the process. Moreover, the game can be absolutely anyone, but the words do not change. What do they mean in this case?
When the word "chur" is used in such a context, it has a prohibitive meaning. It is as if the child puts an invisible border and marks it with the help of a sacred word, he concludes an oral contract with another participant in the game, and an ancient deity invisibly acts as a witness here. After the spoken phrase, the border becomes inviolable, in case of non-compliance with the conditions, the game stops instantly. Its meaning is completely lost.
Today we firmly believe that we are very different from our ancestors. We seem to ourselves smarter and more enlightened, but in difficult moments, for some reason, something ancient awakens in us, ready to call on all pagans.spirits that can help absolutely in any situation. So maybe we shouldn't lose touch with our ancestors?
