Snowman.
Snowman(aka - snow woman) - a simple snow sculpture. Making a snowman is a winter pastime that originated in ancient times.
Story
Snowmen have been known for a very long time, although the first evidence of them dates back to the 14th-15th centuries. According to historians, snowmen appeared in prehistoric times, since from the very beginning of fine art, any available material was used for it, and snow was available and easily processed.
Picture of a snowman in a book from 1380
The most ancient depiction of a snowman dates back to the end of the 14th century, in the Book of Hours (manuscript KA 36, around 1380, p. 78v) in the margin there is a snowman roasting on a fire. Eckstein believes that the strange hat on the snowman's head should symbolize a Jew, and attributes the image to manifestations of anti-Semitism.
Snowmen were quite popular in the Middle Ages, usually taking the form of realistic snow sculptures. Eckstein notes the lack of early written evidence, attributing this to both the onset of the Little Ice Age in the 14th century and the absence of newspapers before the invention of printing in the 15th century. The earliest record of a snowman dates back to 1408, when the Florentine wine merchant Bartolomeo del Corazza (Italian: Bartolomeo del Corazza) wrote in his diary about an unforgettable snow sculpture two braccia high (about 120 cm).
Design
Snowman in Germany
A classic snowman consists of three snow globes (balls), obtained by making snowballs and rolling the lying snow onto them. The largest lump becomes the snowman's belly, the smaller one becomes the chest, and the smallest one becomes the head. Realizations of the rest of the body may vary, but there is a canonical representation of a snowman. Real snowmen may not live up to it, but it is common in fairy tales and cartoons.
The snowman's hands can be represented by two branches, but symbolic hands are sometimes made from two small lumps of snow. The snowman is often given a shovel or broom, which is stuck into the snow next to the figure. Sometimes the snowman is equipped with two feet made of snowballs, as if peeking out from under the skirt of his fur coat. The canon requires that the snowman's nose be made of carrots (carrots were well preserved until winter in old Russian peasant farms), but in the reality of modern conditions, more accessible materials at hand (pebbles, sticks, coals) are often used, which denote other facial features. Sometimes a bucket is placed on the snowman's head.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the typical snowman was a realistic snow sculpture.
In the 21st century, store-bought inflatable snowmen are used as holiday decorations instead of rolled-up snow. Stores also sell ready-made kits (hats, buttons, imitation coal and carrots), and the snowmen start to look alike.
The image of a snowman is also used in design and as souvenirs. As a decorative element, a snowman is made from paper, fabric, or thread.
In culture
At least two famous sculptors became famous for their (realistic) snowmen: Larkin Mead (English)Russian, whose career began with "The Snow Angel", and Alexandre Falguière, who on December 8, 1870, as a soldier during the Franco-Prussian War, created the statue "The Resistance" (French: La Resistance) as part of the "Museum of Snow on Bastion 84" ( Many other artists and sculptors served in the 17th company of the 19th battalion).
Michelin Bibendum 2012
The snowman is actively used in advertising. Unlike other winter characters, it is convenient because it does not evoke religious associations (although in 2015 one of the imams in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa prohibiting Muslims from making snowmen) and therefore expands the demographic reach of advertising. Its whiteness allows you to advertise a lot of products that resemble snow: salt, flour, sugar, toothpaste, etc. The snowman evokes a feeling of novelty, cleanliness, freshness - and allows you to sell not only laundry and personal hygiene products, but even cigarettes (after all, he exhales “fresh air”). The figure of a snowman is associated with brands such as English. Snoboy and Michelin.
Frosty the snowman gained the greatest popularity in the English-speaking world - first in the song of the same name (English)Russian in 1949, then in the film The Adventures of Frosty the Snowman, and in dozens of books and short films.
The image of the snowman has proven popular in films, from obvious successes like The Snowman (English)Russian» R. Briggs (English)Russian and nominated for an Oscar in 1965. Help! My Snowman's Burning Down to the disastrous "Jack Frost" (which even Michael Keaton could not save). The Adventures of Frosty the Snowman received four sequels. Frosty, the creators of whose graphic image were inspired by the creations of P. Cocker (English)Russian, a cartoonist for Mad magazine, gave birth to the modern unified figure of a snowman, familiar to residents of Western Europe and America from gift shops and cartoons.
In Russian New Year's fairy tales and cartoons, he often appears as a companion of Father Frost.
Record-breaking snowmen
One of the largest snowmen was rolled up in February 1999 in Bethel, Maine. He was named "Angus, King of the Hill" in honor of Angus King, then governor of Maine. The snowman was 35 meters tall and weighed more than 4,000 tons.
In 2008, they made a snowman even larger there: 37 meters high and weighing 6,000 tons. The snow woman listed in the Guinness Book was named after Olympia Snowe, a senator from Maine.
In anticipation of Christmas 2010, English scientist David Cox, a member of the Quantum Division of the National Physical Laboratory in London, together with colleagues created a snowman symbol from two peas of a 0.01 mm tin alloy. The snowman's nose is made of platinum and its diameter is only 0.001 mm. The snowman's face and smile were carved using a focused ion beam.
Festivals
Six-ring
There are hundreds of snowman-related festivals around the world every year, from a golf tournament in Pennsylvania that ends with golf balls being shot at a snowwoman on the ice of Lake Wallenpaupack (English)Russian before the grand holidays in Harbin and Sapporo.
In Russia, the most famous is the Siberian Snow Sculpture Festival, which has been taking place since 2000 in Novosibirsk.
The life of a snow woman ends unusually during the Six Bells in Zurich: a snowman stuffed with explosives (made of cotton wool) is placed in a fire. According to legend, the faster it explodes, the hotter the summer will be.
Snow Maiden
It is assumed that in Rus' snowmen were revered as the spirits of winter, and that they were asked for help, mercy and to reduce the duration of cold weather. Perhaps that is why the snowman was given a broom in his “hands” - so that he could fly into the sky. It is possible that in Rus' they once believed that the air was inhabited by heavenly maidens who commanded fogs, clouds, and snow, and therefore solemn rituals were organized in their honor, including the sculpting of snow women. Most likely, the snowman (snow woman) represents an ambivalent figure in the archetypal structure of myth. A deep comparative analysis of Slavic legends and beliefs in connection with the mythological tales of other peoples by A. N. Afanasyev suggests that the snowman is a heavenly nymph created by man from snow, who fell dead to the ground as a result of a mythical battle between the gods of thunder (lightning, cold) and clouds Having melted in the spring, the heavenly nymph came to life, ascending as steam into the sky, and could again bring rain to the earth, which was required for the growth of the crop. That's why people made snowmen in the winter, hoping for a good harvest in the fall.
Unicode
Unicode snowman character: U+2603.(☃ )
see also
- - fairy tale by H. C. Andersen
Notes
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- , With. 130-131.
- , With. 129-130.
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- , With. 120-121.
- , With. 13-14.
- Sheila A. Bergner. Snowman crafts. Publications International, 2004. 64 p. (English)
- , With. 98.
- , With. 92-93.
- , With. 38.
- Saudi imam bans Muslims from making snowmen - Russian Wikinews
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Immediately after the first snow falls, snow women appear in the courtyards - with carrot noses, coal eyes and sticks instead of hands.
A couple of years ago, the tallest snowman in the world was built in Japan - almost 30 meters high. Obviously, millions of people can boast of similar creations (albeit not so tall), because snowmen are made wherever snow falls. Is it possible to deprive yourself of pleasure when there is more than enough snow outside? How can you avoid going outside with your little one, picking up a handful of soft snow and making your first snowball? And then throw it on the white snow, rolling it along the ground until either the snow in the area or the strength runs out.
The construction of the second and third balls is not approached so selflessly, because they should be smaller in size. The main task is to place huge lumps on top of each other, and for this, someone climbs a tree, and someone climbs on top of each other. One way or another, when the idol is ready, the second question becomes its gender, although the snowman differs from the snow woman by, perhaps, a more impressive torso.
In order for the woman to turn out just right, many sacrifice household property and arm her with a broom made of twigs, inserting it into the woman’s hands. Most often, a lost part of the “body” is stuck between the eyes-coals - a nose made of carrots, which in extreme cases is successfully replaced with an icicle or, in extreme cases, with a banana.
The classic headdress is a leaky bucket, but instead you can see a cake box. The final touch - the throat is carefully wrapped in a scarf, eyebrows are laid out on the face like branches, a wide charming smile, buttons are placed on the “dress”, and the satisfied snow-white aunt, with her arms outstretched, remains waiting for another company passing by to blind her no less an impressive gentleman. People have been doing this for hundreds of years, without even thinking about where this fun and exciting game came from.
By the way, in English there is no concept of “snow woman”, there is only “snow man” - snowmen.
According to European legend, Saint Francis of Assisi, fighting demons, began to sculpt snowmen and call them his wife and children. In the modeling of a snowman one can guess the prototype of the creation of man, only now the act of creation belongs to man himself.
Since ancient times in Europe, snowmen were installed near the house and decorated with garlands, fruits, etc. Some decorations were designed to scare away evil spirits, others, on the contrary, to welcome good forces into the house. The carrot nose was supposed to appease the spirits of fertility, and the inverted bucket on the snowman’s head spoke of abundance and prosperity in the house.
According to Western beliefs, you should not roll snowmen on the day of the full moon, much less give them a broom on a long stick. If, nevertheless, you could not resist, you must destroy the snow monster before nightfall, otherwise you will have bad dreams and headaches. This is the best case scenario. And in the worst case, troubles at home and at work, illnesses and an incomprehensible loss of strength may occur.
In Romania, a garland of garlic around the neck of a snowman protected household members from vampires, ghouls, and werewolves.
The snowman was installed next to the house and decorated with unnecessary household utensils.
Residents of Norway, who call snowmen “white trolls,” do not advise looking at the snow creature at night from behind a curtain.
Well, if you stumble upon someone else’s snowman at night, you should avoid him.
In Rus' they also sculpted snowmen and snow women. Snowmen were revered as the spirits of winter; they, like Frost, were asked for help, mercy and to reduce the duration of cold weather. Perhaps that is why the snowman is given a broom into his “hands” - so that he can calmly fly into the sky whenever he pleases. There is a special story with snowmen. Since in Rus' they once believed that the air was inhabited by heavenly maidens who commanded fogs, clouds, and snow, the pagans organized solemn rituals in their honor.
To appease the heavenly inhabitants, they sculpted snow women, as if exalting the heavenly nymphs on earth.
The Snow Woman is from a legend that goes back to the myths of the Indo-European peoples about the feminine principle.
In pagan ancient Rus', the lace of blizzards and white storms were personified with the maiden of the snow. Most often she seemed portly and majestic. Shine, radiance, and beauty were identified with the epithet white.
Later she was presented in fairy tales as either a kind Mother Winter or an evil stepmother. She appeared in the images of a gray-haired sorceress and a young Snow Maiden.
This is how the beautiful Russian winter and her legendary predecessor, the snow woman, continue to live.
But in fact, the true meaning of snowmen has long been forgotten. Their sculpting has turned from a mystical act into simply a fun winter activity. In general, ride them for yourself and your kids to enjoy.
A large, beautiful Christmas tree was installed in the middle of the square. Decorated with toys and colorful lights, she looked as pretty as a bride. The day before the New Year, a celebration was held, and Father Frost and the Snow Maiden presented the children with gifts. The snow fell in fluffy flakes on the ground. The kids decided to make a snow woman, and soon she stood near the tree in all her grandeur.
Meanwhile, Santa Claus was preparing his sleigh for the New Year's trip. To find out the wishes of the children, he sent his elf friend to overhear the wishes of the children. And so the elf flew in and sat on the top of the spruce tree and began to listen to what the children were talking about. The desires were very different, and he tried to remember them so that he could later pass them on to Santa Claus. And when the children went home, he decided that it was time for him to return.
And then his gaze fell on the snow woman. She stood there, thinking about something. Having flown closer, he decided to find out what desire the snow beauty had.
She didn’t expect anyone to pay attention to her and was not much embarrassed. – What would you like on this upcoming New Year’s Eve? – asked the elf. “I live only in winter, and I don’t know at all what kind of spring it is.” I heard that on New Year's Eve the twelve months come together and they can make any wish come true. - So you want to meet them? “I would really like to see them,” answered the snow woman. Well, have it your way,” said the elf, close your eyes. A minute later she was already standing not far from the fire; it was dangerous for her to come closer. For twelve months they sat around the fire and discussed their problems and suddenly one of them exclaimed, “Look, we have a guest and everyone looked in the direction in which he pointed.” What brought you to us? – asked the oldest January.
The snow woman told them about her dream. “Okay,” said April. Now, for a few minutes, spring will come. Look, and at that moment streams began to run a little further from the fire and green grass began to appear. The snow woman looked at this miracle as if spellbound. Buds appeared on the trees and birds began to sing. It was so wonderful that she even forgot where she was. Now you know what spring is. And the clearing again acquired its former appearance. White snowdrifts and trees in the snow. And before her eyes was spring. – I am very grateful to you all. I will forever keep in my heart the gift that you gave me. ¬Thank you and goodbye. “Goodbye,” they answered in chorus, maybe twelve months, “maybe we’ll see each other.”
The elf flew up and whispered that it was time for them to return - and the snow woman ended up near the tree. “And it’s time for me,” said the elf and flew away.
And the next day she told the kids about the amazing meeting. And the guys believed her, because they knew that miracles happen on New Year’s Eve.
Reviews
Dear Natalya! I liked your kind fairy tale. If only all dreams in life would always come true. For a winter theme, I have “Confession of a Snowflake”, you might like it. I congratulate YOU on the upcoming holiday - WOMEN'S DAY. I wish you: HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and LONG CREATIVE LONGEVITY.
Best regards, Nodar
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Based on a fairy tale
Galina Vladimirovna Lebedeva (b. 1938)
SNOW MAN
Snow Maiden's story
How grateful I was to you guys for sculpting me, Otherwise I would have just lay there like a simple, useless snowdrift. And they sculpted it with such generosity and love! I had everything I needed, even a muffler and a headdress...
They looked after me very much, and when Yurka, the robber from the neighboring yard, almost broke me by running over me with all his might with a sleigh, they almost molded me back together. After that I began to look even more beautiful. I became the center of everyone's attention!
I really loved watching how you frolicked, played snowballs, screamed cheerfully, slid down the ice slide, and even, holding hands, danced around me with cheerful songs! I just wanted to sing, hold hands and dance with you, or dash down the ice slide...
One day this holiday suddenly ended because spring came. Slides, snow fortresses, in a word, all the beauty that you built with such diligence has turned into continuous streams...
I felt so sorry for the past winter that at first I cried bitter tears, but I came to my senses in time, because I didn’t want to turn into these streams...
And then this old grumpy crow began to croak that all our people had long since melted, evaporated and were flying in white clouds high above the earth It was so sad for me to listen to her, but she did not let up, she said that some people had already fallen with snow again somewhere far in the North, and they were again turned into snowmen and snowmen.
At these moments, I imagined how great it would be to be among the dry cold wind, diamond snowflakes and white drifts of sparkling snow!But I didn’t give free rein to my imagination, because even thinking about it would simply not be fair, almost a betrayal towards you. I firmly decided, no matter what, to survive until the cold weather!Now for me there was only this small garden, so beautiful when it snows, and the memories of my beloved winter.
At times I was so sad that I wanted to cry, but I held on with all my might, tears would simply destroy me. And then, as if sensing my suffering, the old ice cream man appeared. He sat down opposite me on the bench, calmed me down and handed me a popsicle on a stick, taking it out of his chest. When he lifted the lid, frosty dry steam poured out of the chest, which, much more than words, gave me hope that everything would be as wonderful as it was, and that winter would definitely come, you just need to wait...I ate a popsicle and smiled, life seemed wonderful, and winter was very close!
I then remembered a fairy tale that one of the guys told. It was about how the Snow Queen tried to make the boy’s heart icy and leave him to live in her beautiful palace, but one girl with her faith and love warmed his heart and returned him to his former life... Somehow the ice cream man reminded me of that girl, though he helped me not to warm up, but quite the opposite... I was so grateful to him!
Often a crow would fly in and continue to croak that all my efforts were in vain, that I wouldn’t make it to winter anyway, that I would melt or burst into tears... Even a fragment of a mirror somewhereshe picked it up and brought it to my eyes, maliciously mocking: “Look, what have you turned into? There are dark circles under my eyes, and I’ve lost so much weight that I even have a waist!”
But then I didn’t look in the mirror, through the tears that appeared, my gaze was turned to the sky: there, somewhere far away, cold winds must already be swirling, driving the clouds into large dark clouds.
Soon the crow appeared again and again began to caw incessantly... but already flying away, she announced that the cranes were going south... I couldn’t believe my ears, my whole being was simply rejoicing at such joyful news! After all, this meant that the cold would come very soon and my suffering would come to an end!
And indeed, it soon began to snow and fell all night, and in the morning the red, frosty sun rose. It was happiness, and I cried with unbridled joy, now no longer afraid of my tears!
An old crow, who was nearby, said in surprise that my eyes became blue and shining, and a white braid appeared to the waist. Such miracles, I thought!
Thus ended the story about her extraordinary transformation, with the greatest interest to the children who listened to her, Snow Maiden...
