Cossacks have a rich history that began in the 16th century. The image of a brave warrior who fought in the Patriotic War of 1812 is sung by writers and poets. Many of us have heard and know Cossack songs. The culture of this people is diverse and close to us until now. Cossack detachments participated in many important historical events. The modern image of the Cossack has changed, but their appearance and attributes are still of interest. For example, Cossack earrings. What do they mean and why are they worn?
Earring as a military attribute
It would be foolish to assume that the Cossack wearing earrings in his ear is dictated by the desire to stand out from others and create a stylish image for himself. The wearing of earrings in the ears by men has a long history and is found among different peoples of the world. For example, in ancient Egypt, the presence of an earring in a man's ear meant his high position and indicated his we alth. Much later, in the Roman Empire, they began to hang an earring on the ear of slaves, marking themowner's property. And the citizens of Rome liable for military service - the centurions - adorned themselves with an earring only after achieving high merits before Caesar.
The Cossack wore an earring in his ear exclusively as a military attribute. Not every Cossack had the right to hang an earring, so the decoration had its own meaning, allowing others to see the status and position of a man. For some nationalities, an earring in the ear symbolizes a military rank or speaks of the degree of his merits. In a similar way, the number of stars on military uniforms informs us about the military rank. Only by looking at them, we can assess the status of an employee. So what do Cossack men's earrings mean?
The meaning of the earring in the Cossack's ear
The earring in the Cossack's ear indicated his position in the family. If a Cossack wore an earring in his left ear, this meant that he was the only son of his mother. Wearing an earring in his right ear meant that he was the last man of his kind and heir. Two earrings in both ears indicated that he was the only child in the family. This way to notify others about their marital status was due to the fact that the life of the Cossacks was almost entirely devoted to the war.
Mothers put earrings in their sons' ears so that the commanders could protect them as much as possible. During the construction, the military leaders commanded "alignment to the right" and "alignment to the left" to see if the young Cossacks had earrings in their ears. It was customary not to take the only son and breadwinner on dangerous campaigns.
This does not mean that the service of the Cossacks was easy, and they were not subjected todangers. On the contrary, military history knows many valiant Cossacks who risked their lives and died for the sake of victory and the common good.
Also, an earring in a Cossack's ear was considered a talisman helping a Cossack in battle, protecting him from serious injuries and reminding him that he was expected at home.
Types of Cossack earrings
Most often, the earring of a male Cossack was made in the form of a crescent. It was smelted from silver, and the Cossacks preferred to carry gold in their wallets. The size of the earring and its appearance did not matter much, mainly its presence or absence was assessed. The design of the earring could be simple or depict animals that are part of the coat of arms of the Cossack army. For example, the Ural Cossack troops went under the coat of arms depicting a sturgeon. Some earrings depicted wolves or emblematic eagles with the symbols of the state. For example, after the Russian-Turkish war, one could find earrings made in the form of a snake supported by a cross.
According to some reports, a silver Cossack earring in his ear was used by a Cossack to purify water. On a campaign, when it was necessary to collect drink from an unverified source, the Cossack lowered his earring into a container of water for several minutes to disinfect the liquid.
Women's Cossack outfits and jewelry
Cossack women also wore jewelry, but as for women's Cossack earrings, they were worn simply as decoration. Rings that Cossack men did not wear were of greater importance. But they did not have the same meaning as men's Cossackearrings.
The clothes of the women of the Cossacks were magnificent and distinguished by oriental luxury. They wore richly embroidered dresses, reminiscent of Tatar camisoles, decorated with buttons made of precious metals. Cossack women did not hesitate to decorate themselves with pearls, embroidering patterns with them.
A separate piece of clothing was a belt worn just above the waist. Often it was the most expensive detail of the outfit and consisted of silver and gold threads.
