Unfortunately for contemporaries, today you can regularly hear stories about mass executions from pistols, machine guns, rifles and other firearms. The classic mechanical crossbow and the traditional bow require more skill to handle and are slower to fire, so are a thing of the past. And along with them, the quiver disappeared from our lives - this is an organic addition to the old long-range weapons.
But what exactly does the word mean? How did it appear in Russian?
Searching for meaning
First you need to figure out for what purposes it was used. In a broad sense, a quiver is generally any storage for shells. The term means:
- hard case;
- bag for arrows.
Today, a standard image is drawn in works of art, when archers deftly draw an arrow from behind their back and release it at the enemy in a jump. It's a little different from how it was originally done.
In ancient times
On the territory of Russia, the meaning of the word "quiver" was not known at all. But what did hunters and warriors use then?
A tool hung from their belt. It was cylindrical in shape, therefore it contained the maximum number of arrows and was always on the belt of a foot gunner. The problem arose when riding a horse: the tool lost its relevance, because:
- shaking ruined arrows;
- it was hard to get at least one of them;
- "shells" could fall apart.
If it was a simple hunt, then, of course, it's okay. What if you need to go to another city or drive a fast beast? This is where close social and cultural ties with the Turkic peoples came in handy. They developed a sagaidak for horse archers, an important part of which is a quiver. The differences from the tool were significant.
The flat shape made it possible to fix the case, rigid ribs protected from shocks and falls. In the inner part, special partitions were made that prevented any hanging, shaking of arrows. This made it possible to make long horse rides without fear for the safety of ammunition.
Today
There are no archers left in the army, neither in the villages. Therefore, the terms associated with them gradually disappeared from the people's memory. For the inhabitants of the 21st century, a quiver is absolutely any container for arrows, even if it is a body by design. In this sense, you can safely use the word when discussing your favorite character, when writing a historical book, or in a conversation with specialists. And if you focus on the differences between the cases, you will be able to demonstrate your erudition to your interlocutor!
