Today the meaning of many words is forgotten, we use them without thinking about what they mean, as they were used a hundred, two hundred, three hundred years ago.
Origin of the word
The word "head over heels" is usually used in the phrase "roll head over heels." This phrase means to roll down a mountain. Why head over heels?
The meaning of the word and its history go back to antiquity. In ancient Russia there was such a toy - head over heels. The adverb "head over heels" is a derivative of the word "head over heels". The oldest such toy found dates back to the 10th century. In Novgorod, during the excavations, 52 kubars belonging to that era were found. This is a toy carved with an ax or a knife from a wooden cylinder to give it the shape of a cone. The diameter of the blank was from 4 to 8.5 centimeters, and the height was from 5 to 11 centimeters. Some head over heels were given a more interesting shape, for example, a gutter was cut out in the middle of the height of the head over heels, decorated with carvings. True, few people guessed that the phrase “roll head over heels” is a reference to an ancient toy? It turns out that this game was the most popular among our ancestors.
What are the rules of the game?
The ancient game with head over heels is an analogue of the game known to us with a spinning top, spinning top. At the spinning topthere is a mechanism by which it spins. To play head over heels, you need a rope or a stick with a rope. They wrapped the Kubar with a rope and pulled it by the end, which made him spin. To maintain rotation, it was spurred on with a string. At the same time, the head over heels did not fall, but spun and bounced, spinning even faster. The most dexterous players can drive it in a certain direction, skillfully overcoming various obstacles. Also, the toy can be launched by spinning between the palms. Head over heels games are a great space for ideas. You can compete with others for time, distance and route difficulty.
Try it yourself or invite your child to play head over heels. It can be just as much fun as playing with modern and trendy toys. You can play at home and on the street, in winter and summer. You can get acquainted with this game at ethnic fairs and festivals.
