Today, each of us uses only modern terms when designating certain measures of measurement. And it is considered normal and natural. However, when studying history or when reading literary works, we often come across such words as “spans”, “arshins”, “elbows”, etc.
And such a use of terms is also normal, since it is nothing but the ancient measures of measurement. What they mean, everyone should know. Why? Firstly, this is the story of our ancestors. Secondly, such knowledge is an indicator of our intellectual level.
History of measures
The development of human society was impossible without comprehension of the art of counting. But this was not enough. For the conduct of many cases, certain units of length, mass and area were also needed. Their man came up in the most unexpected forms. For example, any distances were determined by transitions, or steps. Ancient measures of measurement relating to the growth of a person or clarification of the amount of tissue corresponded to the length of a finger or joint, arm span, etc., that is, to everything that was a kind of measuring device, always with you.
We learn about very interesting ways of determining the length of our ancestors from chronicles and ancient letters. This is a “stone topple”, that is, its throw, and “cannon shot”, and “shoot” (the range of the arrow), and much more. Sometimes a unit of measurement denoted the distance at which the cry of an animal was still heard. It was a “rooster cry”, “a bull’s roar”, etc. An interesting measure of length existed among the peoples of Siberia. They called it “beech,” and it implied by itself the distance at which the horns of a bull merged visually into a single whole.
From the chronicles that have reached us, we can conclude that the ancient measures of measurement in Russia appeared in the 11-12 centuries. These were such units as versts, fathoms, elbows and spans. However, in those days, man-invented methods for determining the length were still extremely unstable. They differed slightly depending on the principality and constantly changed over time.
From the annals of the 13th-15th centuries, we learn that the ancient measures for measuring loose bodies (usually cereals) are cad, halves, quarters and octopuses. In the 16-17 centuries. these terms have disappeared from everyday life. The main measure of loose bodies from the specified period is a quarter, which roughly corresponded to six pounds.
In a number of documents from the era of Kievan Rus, the word "spool" is found. This unit of weight was as common as the Berkovets and poods.
Length determination
Ancient measures of measuring physical quantities were not particularly accurate. The same applies to determining the length in steps. Such a unit was used even in Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Persia and Egypt. The human step, the average length of which is 71 cm, determined the distance even between cities. A similar unit is used in our time. However, today special devices pedometers determine not the distance, but the number of steps traveled by a person.
A measure of length, which was used in the Mediterranean countries, was such a unit as stages. Mention of it can be found in manuscripts dating from the first millennium BC. e. The stage was equal to the distance that a person could walk at a calm pace from dawn until the moment when the solar disk completely appeared above the horizon.
As society develops, people need larger quantities. In this regard, the ancient Roman mile appeared, equal to 1000 steps.
Ancient measures for measuring the length of different peoples differed from each other. So, Estonian sailors determined the distance with tubes. This was the path that the ship traveled during the time it took to smoke a pipe full of tobacco. The Spaniards called the same measure of length a cigar. The Japanese determined the distance with "horse shoes." This was the path that the animal could walk to the complete abrasion of the straw sole, replacing his horseshoe.
Basic values for determining the length in Russia
Recall proverbs with ancient measures of measurement. One of them has been familiar to us since childhood: "There are two points from the pot, and already a pointer." What is such a unit of length? In Russia, it was equal to the width of the index and middle fingers. In this case, one vertex corresponded to one sixteenth arshin. Today this value is 4.44 cm. But the Russian ancient measure of measurement - the nail - was 11 mm. Taken four times, it was equal to one tip.
In Russia, some ancient measures of measurement came into use in connection with the development of trade relations with other countries. So there was a quantity called arshin. This name came from the Persian word "elbow". In this language, it sounds like "arsh." Arshin, equal to 71.12 cm, came along with merchants from distant countries who brought Chinese silk, velvet and Indian brocade.
Measuring the fabric, the eastern merchants pulled it on their arm to the shoulder. In other words, they measured goods with arshins. It was very convenient, because such a measuring device was always with you. However, cunning merchants looked for clerks with shorter hands, so that there was less fabric on arshins. But this was soon put to an end. The authorities introduced state arshins, which should have been used by all, without exception. It turned out to be a wooden ruler, which was made in Moscow. Copies of such a device were sent throughout Russia. And so that no one could cheat and slightly shorten arshins, the ends of the line were shackled with iron, on which they affixed the state mark. Today, this unit is no longer used. However, the word denoting such a value is familiar to each of us. Proverbs with ancient measures of measure also narrate about him. So, they say about a shrewd person that he "sees three arshins under the ground."
What else in Russia determined the distance?
There are other ancient measures for measuring length. These include fathom. The mention of this term is first found in the "Word on the Beginning of the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery," dated to the 11th century. Moreover, there were two varieties of fathom. One of them is flywheel, equal to the distance between the ends of the middle fingers of the hands, spread out in different directions. The value of ancient measuring measures of this type was equal to 1 m 76 cm. The second kind of fathom is oblique. This was the length from the heel of the shoe on the right foot to the tip of the middle finger of the left hand, stretched up. The magnitude of the oblique fathom was approximately 248 cm. Sometimes this term is mentioned in the description of a person of a strong physique. They say that he has an oblique fathom in his shoulders.
Ancient Russian measures of measuring large distances - a field or a mile away. The first mention of these quantities is found in manuscripts of the 11th century. The length of the verst is 1060 m. Moreover, initially this term was used to measure arable land. It meant the distance between the turns of the plow.
Ancient measures of measuring quantities were sometimes humorous name. So, since the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676 gg.) Very tall man began to be called Kolomenskoy verst. This humorous term is not forgotten today.
Until the 18th century in Russia, such a unit of measure as a boundary milestone was used. She measured the distance between the borders of settlements. The length of this verst was 1000 fathoms. Today it is 2.13 km.
Another ancient measure of length in Russia was a span. Its size was about a quarter of arshin and was equal to approximately 18 cm. There were:
- “lesser span” equal to the distance between the tips of the extended forefinger and thumb;
- “big span”, equal to the length between the apart thumb and middle fingers.
Many proverbs about ancient measures of measurement point us to this value. For example, "seven spans in the forehead." So they say about a very smart person.
The smallest ancient unit of length is considered a line. It is equal to the width of wheat grain and is 2.54 mm. Until now, such time units are used by watch factories. Only the size accepted is Swiss - 2.08 mm. For example, the magnitude of the men's watch “Victory” is 12 lines, and the women's “Dawn” - 8.
European units of length
From the 18th century Russia has significantly expanded its trade relations with Western countries. That is why there was a need for new measures of measurement that could be compared with European ones. And then Peter I carried out a metrological reform. By his decree, some English quantities were introduced in the country for measuring distances. It was feet, inches, and yards. These units were especially widespread in shipbuilding and the navy.
According to existing legend, the yard was first identified as early as 101 g. It was a size equal to the length from the nose of Henry I (King of England) to the tip of the middle finger of his arm, extended in a horizontal position. Today, this distance is 0.91 m.
The foot and the yard are ancient measures of measurement closely interconnected. Derived from the English word “foot” - foot, this value is equal to one third of the yard. Today, a foot is 30.48 centimeters.
From the Dutch word for the thumb, a unit such as an inch got its name. What was this distance originally measured from? It was equal to the length of three dried grains of barley or phalanx of the thumb. Today, one inch is 2.54 cm and is used in determining the inner diameter of car tires, pipes, etc.
Streamlining system of measures
In order to ensure the ease of transition from one unit of measurement to another, special tables were published in Russia. On the one hand, they introduced ancient measures. Units of foreign origin that corresponded to Russian were placed through the equal sign. Those units that should have been used in the country were also listed in these tables.
However, the confusion with the system of measures in Russia did not end there. Different cities used their units. This ended only in 1918, when Russia switched to the metric system of measures.
Volume measurement
Man needed to measure bulk physical quantities and fluids. To do this, he began to use everything that was in his household (buckets, vessels and other containers).
What ancient
measures of volume measurement took place in Russia? Loose bodies of our ancestors measured:
1. Octopus, or octopus. This is an old unit, equal to 104.956 liters. A similar term was applied to the area, which amounted to 1365.675 square meters. For the first time, octopus is mentioned in documents of the 15th century. It was widely used in Russia because of its practicality, as it had a volume half that of a quarter. There was even a certain standard of such a measure. It was a container to which an iron rowing boat was attached. Grain poured into such a measured octopus with a top. And then, using rowing, the contents of the form were trimmed to the edges. Samples of such containers were made of copper and distributed throughout Russia.
2. Shackled, or cadu. These measuring tanks were common in the 16-17th centuries. In later periods, they were extremely rare. Okov was the main measure of bulk bodies in Russia. Moreover, the name of this unit came from a special barrel (tub), which was adapted for measurements. The measuring container was covered with a metal hoop on top, which did not allow the sly to cut its edges and sell less grain.
3. A quarter. This measure of volume was used to determine the amount of flour, cereals and grain. In everyday life, a quarter was wider than the luggage, as it had more practical dimensions (1/4 of a shackle). This unit of measure in Russia was used from the 14th to the 19th centuries.
4. Kulem. This Old Russian measure used for loose bodies was 5–9 pounds. Some researchers believe that the word “cul” used to mean “fur”. This term was used for a container sewn from animal skin. Later, similar containers were made of woven materials.
5. Buckets. By such a measure, our ancestors determined the amount of fluid. It was believed that 8 mugs were placed in a trading bucket, the volume of each of which was 10 cups.
6. Barrels. A similar unit of measurement was used by Russian merchants in the sale of wines to foreigners. It was believed that one bucket contained 10 buckets.
7. Korchagami. This large clay pot was used to measure the volume of grape wine. For different corners of Russia, the tavern ranged from 12 to 15 liters.
Weight measurement
The Old Russian system of measures included units for measuring mass. Without them, trading activity was impossible. There are various old measures of mass measurement. Among them:
1. Spool. Initially, this word meant a small gold coin, which was the unit of measurement. Comparing its weight with other precious products, the purity of the noble metal from which they were made was determined.
2. Pood. This unit of weight was equal to 3840 spools and corresponded to 16.3804964 kg. Even Ivan the Terrible prescribed to weigh any product only with the pudders. And since 1797, after the Law on Weights and Measures was published, they began to produce spherical weights corresponding to one and two pounds.
3. Berkovets. The name of this
mass unit comes from the commercial Swedish city of Bierke. One Berkovets corresponded to 10 pounds or 164 kg. Initially, merchants used such a large amount to determine the weight of wax and honey.
4. Share. This unit of measure in Russia was the smallest. Its weight was 14.435 mg, which could be compared with 1/96 of the spool. Most often, the share was used in the work of mints.
5. Pound. Initially, this unit of mass measurement was called "hryvnia". Its value corresponded to 96 spools. From 1747, the pound becomes the reference weight that was used until 1918.
Area measurement
Some standards were invented by our ancestors and to determine the size of land. These are ancient measures for measuring area, among which:
1. Square verst. Mention of this unit, equal to 1,138 square meters. kilometers, found in documents dated 11-17 centuries.
2. Tithing. This is an old Russian unit, the value of which corresponds to 2400 square meters. meters of arable land. To date, tithing is 1.0925 hectares. This unit has been used since the 14th century. It was known as a rectangle, the sides of which were 80 by 30 or 60 by 40 fathoms. Such tithing was considered state treasury and was the main land measure.
3. A quarter. This measure of arable land was a unit representing half a tithe. A quarter has been known since the end of the 15th century, and its official use lasted until 1766. This unit received its name from the measure of the area on which it was possible to sow rye in the amount of ¼ of the cadi volume.
4. Soha. This unit of area measurement was used in Russia from the 13th to the 17th centuries. Used it for taxation. Moreover, several types of plow were distinguished, depending on the area of the best land. So, a similar unit was:
- a servant containing 800 quarters of solid plowing;
- church (600 quarters);
- black (400 quarters).
In order to find out how many landlockers are in the Russian state, censuses of taxable lands were conducted. And only in 1678-1679. this unit of area has been replaced by a yard number.
The modern application of old measures
Today we know about some units of determining volume, area and distance that our ancestors widely used. So, in some countries, lengths are still measured in miles, yards, feet and inches, and pound and spool are used in cooking.
However, most often, ancient units are found in literary works, historical stories and proverbs.