Inscriptions on geographical map often tell very interesting stories. Why is the city in Crimea called Armenian? For what reasons was Odessa named this way? What does the word "Kherson" mean? What is the root of the word "Moscow"? What did “Tula” originally mean? Who were the Laptevs? These and other questions concern people, despite the complexities of modern life.
The origin of the name of the Black Sea is very curious in itself. A modern tourist, going on vacation to Anapa or Sochi, Yalta or Alushta, Odessa or Tarkhan-Kut, knows perfectly well that he will return home black from the tan, and only his eyes and smile will remain white on his face. Therefore, the sea, on the shores of which he is going to relax, is quite naturally associated with this color. But these shores also became resort areas relatively recently.
Different names of the Black Sea
There are many options for what the Black Sea used to be called. In those days when uniform directions did not yet exist, each of the wanderers put it on the maps in his own way. Marco Polo in the 13th century found it so huge that he called it "The Great", although today we know that the size is not that great. Once upon a time the city of Surozh (now the small Crimean Sudak) was so significant shopping center that even the sea was named after him for some time. Afanasy Nikitin in the 15th century, on his way from India, came to Tavria from Turkey and designated the current Black Sea as Istanbul. His name was Georgian, Greek, Cimmerian, and Slavic. It was also Armenian - in the 11th century, when the Seljuk Turks forced most of this people to hide from persecution in the Crimea. Then the concept of “Coastal Armenia” even appeared, so large-scale was this resettlement.
Sea and geopolitics
Countries bordering it were constantly fighting for influence in the region, which, by the way, continues today. At the same time, geographical names also changed. At a certain stage, the renaming ended, and everyone came to the consensus that the Sea was still the Black Sea, having come to a common denominator at least on this issue. In all countries that have a fleet, shipping directions are printed, fairways, shoals and banks are marked on them, and the origin of the name of the Black Sea, like many other bodies of water, worries sailors much less than seasonal wind roses, storm scores and the strength of currents. They don’t even have time to think about what the sea is and why it is called that.
Where does the word "sea" come from?
Linguists cannot reliably explain why the sea is called the sea, but they have several versions about this. In French it sounds “la mer”, in Italian “marais”, in German “meer”, and it is difficult not to agree that its pronunciation is different languages has certain similarities.
It is quite possible that Russian word"sea" morphologically comes from a Hebrew consonant meaning "evil". Previously, it meant any vast body of water that posed a danger to anyone who set out on a journey across its waves.
“Colored” and “black and white” seas
Interpretations of the reasons why each of the seas received its name also differ. This is especially true for “color” names. There is the Red Sea, matching the color of the algae blooms that inhabit it in the Suez area. True, the peoples inhabiting its coastline prefer to call it reed or reed, but on world maps it is designated as Red.
Or Here, it seems, everything is clear, the ice sets the color, and the sky is usually the same. apparently named after the race that inhabits its shores. And all this despite the fact that good weather The water is the same everywhere - blue or turquoise.
"Black C"
So why is the Black Sea called the Black Sea, and in almost all languages of the world? In English this geographical concept sounds like “Black Sea”, in French - “Mer Noir”, in German - “Schwarze Meer”, in Italian - “Marais Nero”, and in translation everything is the same, black. It doesn't look like that at all, even during autumn and winter storms, when its color is rather dark gray with a blue tint.
and "black inhospitality"
The history of the name of the Black Sea is old. The first inhabitants of its shores, who came to mind to somehow designate their place of residence, were the Greeks. They saw other Mediterranean. But it was here that extremely unpleasant surprises awaited them in the form of ice on the northern coast, strong storms, as well as Scythians and Taurians, inhabitants of the Crimea, who traded in robbery. Since ancient times, people have associated troubles with this, and this is the version of why the sea is called the Black Sea. True, not in a literal translation. "Axinos Pontos" means inhospitable sea, that's all. Later, having gotten to know him better and seen him in different seasons, the Greeks changed their anger to mercy, and renamed Pont Aksinsky to Pont Euxinsky, that is, they gave the name the exact opposite meaning. It became hospitable. But the color remained the same.
Turkish observations of dark shades of water
So, the Greek version does not give a clear explanation of why the Black Sea is called Black, so it is better to turn to other sources. “Kara Deniz” washes the northern coast of Turkey, it has always been so, and perhaps it was the Ottomans who once gave the name to this vast body of water. During their travels to Azov, they could observe, climbing the Caucasus mountains, another sea appearing in the distance. Its water seemed darker than in shallow Azov, so it turned out that water areas can be separated by a visible border of shades. The ancient name of the Black Sea in Turkish sounds slightly different than the modern one, it is pronounced “Ahshaena”, but the meaning is the same.
On the coast Sea of Azov At the beginning of the 1st millennium, other peoples lived, which historians conventionally call Indian tribes. In their language there was the word “Temarun” (again “black”), which meant the water surface located further, outside the water area they knew. Perhaps they did not even think about why the sea is called the sea, and everything unknown seemed to them to be hidden darkness, that is, black.
Or maybe it's hydrogen sulfide?
So, all toponymic assumptions are based on a coloristic association with something mysterious, unknown and dangerous. But precisely for this reason they should not be taken too seriously. No matter how dangerous the sailor's path was, it entailed no more risk than sailing in or along the northern Arctic routes. There are places on the map that evoke much darker associations, including colors. It is possible that the matter is completely different.
There is another version about why the Black Sea is called Black, and it is connected with chemical composition bottom layers of water. From time to time it dies along its shores a large number of fish, or, to the delight of the fishermen, it begins to bite very well. “Hydrogen sulfide has gone,” the fishermen say. And this is not due to any man-made factors, it has always been this way, and this phenomenon is exclusively natural. The abundance of chemically active gas causes the darkening of all metal objects lowered into the water, be it anchors, other marine gear, ancient cannonballs and cannons raised in the last century by scuba divers and archaeologists. Perhaps the answer to the mystery of why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea lies precisely in this property, noticed by ancient merchants, who were surprised to discover that their anchor suddenly acquired a color that was not characteristic of iron and became “blued.”
Chemists consider this explanation to be the most plausible. Perhaps geographers will still argue with them.
Many people wonder why the Black Sea is called black? Is it really black, and what is the reason for this name? The answer to this question can be obtained by flying over it on an airplane - from a height it really looks black, unlike the Mediterranean and other seas. But in fact, the question is rooted far back in history.
And the Bulgarians call him - Black Sea, and the Italians - Marais Nero, and the French - Mer Noir, and the British - Black Sea, and the Germans - Schwarze Meer. Even in Turkish, “Kara-Deniz” is nothing more than “Black Sea”.
Where does such unanimity come from in naming this amazing thing? blue sea, captivating us with its radiant serenity? Of course, there are days when the sea is angry, and then its face darkens to bluish-violet... But this happens rarely, and even then only in difficult winter times.
And in clear weather with early spring and until late autumn the Black Sea is remembered for a long time for its rich blue, turning into light turquoise tones as it approaches the shore... “The sky wants to be beautiful, the sea wants to be like the sky!” - V. Bryusov said poetically about this. And yet, who and when called this sea the Black Sea?
There is such a fascinating science - toponymy, which studies the origin of geographical names (toponyms). According to this science, there are at least two main versions of the origin of the name of the Black Sea.
Version one
It was put forward by the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo, who lived in the 1st century BC. In his opinion, the sea was called Black by Greek colonists, who were once unpleasantly struck by storms, fogs, unknown wild shores inhabited by hostile Scythians and Taurians... And they gave the stern stranger the appropriate name - Pontos Akseinos - “inhospitable sea”, or “black”. Then, having settled on the shores, becoming related to the sea of good and bright fairy tales, the Greeks began to call it Pontos Evxeinos - “hospitable sea.” But the first name was not forgotten, like the first love...
Version two
In the 1st millennium BC, long before the appearance of careless Greek colonists here, Indian tribes lived on the eastern and northern shores of the Sea of Azov - Meotians, Sindians and others, who gave the name to the neighboring sea - Temarun, which literally means “black sea". This was the result of a purely visual comparison of the color of the surface of the two seas, now called the Azov and Black. From the mountainous shores of the Caucasus, the latter appears darker to the observer, as can be seen even now. And if it’s dark, it means black. The Meotians on the shores of the mentioned seas were replaced by the Scythians, who fully agreed with this characterization of the Black Sea. And they called him in their own way - Akhshaena, that is, “dark, black.”
Other versions
The sea was so named because after a storm black silt remains on its shores. But this is not entirely true, the silt is actually gray, not black. Although... who knows how all this was seen in ancient times...
There is another hypothesis about the origin of the name “Black Sea”, put forward by modern hydrologists. The point is that any metal objects, the same anchors of ships, lowered to a certain Black Sea depth, rise to the surface blackened under the influence of hydrogen sulfide located in the depths of the sea. This property was probably noticed since ancient times and, undoubtedly, could have served to assign such a strange name to the sea.
In general, the sea is capable of taking on a wide variety of colors and shades. Let's say, in February-March you can find that the water off the Black Sea coast is not blue, as usual, but brown. This color metamorphosis is a phenomenon of a biological nature, and it is caused by the mass reproduction of the smallest unicellular algae. The water begins to bloom, as people say.
Did you know that the lower layers of the Black Sea water are extremely saturated with hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which makes this water absolutely unsuitable for any kind of life, and the Black Sea is the largest reservoir of hydrogen sulfide on the planet. As we all remember, hydrogen sulfide is a terribly toxic gas, which is used in small doses in medicinal purposes and has a rotten egg odor, and in large doses, a single inhalation can cause instant death. Therefore, in the lower layers of the Black Sea water, except for anaerobic sulfur bacteria, not a single Living being cannot live. Luckily for us, the layers of water in the Black Sea do not mix, because if they moved, it could become the largest natural disaster since the end of the last Ice Age.
Why such deposits of hydrogen sulfide formed in the Black Sea, no one can yet say for sure. According to the most common version, it was like this: 7500 years ago the Black Sea was a lake - the deepest freshwater lake, the level of which was more than 100 meters lower than the modern one. After the end of the Ice Age, the level of the World Ocean rose, and salty waters poured into the future Black Sea. All freshwater life that lived in the deepest lake died out, and the product of its decomposition was hydrogen sulfide.
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1899)
"Black Sea"
A sea of fairy tales and mysteries
The Black Sea protects!
The scent of legends is so sweet
The magic of legends is a magnet!
A sea of truths, revelations,
A sea of fiction and secrets,
Sea of thousands of generations
A sea of hundreds of thousands of countries!
Dmitry Rumata “Secrets of the Black Sea”
On the world map you can find many “colored” names - the Yellow Mountains in China, the Orange River in South Africa, Blue Mountains in Australia, Blue Volcano in Latin America, White Sea in northern Russia, Red Sea in the Middle East. The origin of the names of such a "palette" of objects is often explained historical facts and geographical features, but sometimes beautiful legends arise around names.
The question of why the sea on the southern borders of Russia was named this way worried not only Russian travelers and researchers, but also foreign ones - after all, the sea also washes the shores of Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine.
Jagged turns blue in the darkness.
I'm standing alone on a coastal cliff.
Far, wide, in the vast expanse,
You lie before me, you Black Sea!
Like an azure canopy hanging over you
The boundless sky is covered with blue.
Bathed in the sun, like a mirror, smooth,
You seem to be dozing so quietly, so sweetly.
I stand and admire your azure! -
Why are you considered black by people?...
No, you bear a formidable name in vain,
You are black on a black day, but on a clear day you are clear.
You are stormy, you are only scary when
The fight against the hurricane will come;
When, all dressed in thunderclouds,
He will boldly disturb your mighty peace...
Mikhail Rozengeim, “Black Sea”
Today more than 300 are known ancient names Black Sea. Some of them are associated with the peoples who lived in the region, or local states - the Cimmerian Sea, Scythian, Sarmatian, Colchis, Rumian, Thracian, Russian. Other names described its size - Great, Big, Deep - or geographical position: The Arabs who lived to the south called it the North Sea, the Greeks and Romans called it the East Sea. Color associations were also popular - however, not all ancient civilizations saw the sea “in black.” There were variants of the names Dark Blue Sea and even Red Sea.
In the 7th–6th centuries BC. e. The northern Black Sea region was settled by Greek settlers. Because of unfamiliar places, unpredictable natural conditions and the Greeks began to call the hostile coastal tribes the sea “Pontos Akseinos”, otherwise “Inhospitable Sea”. They adopted this name from the ancient Iranian word “akhshaina”, which meant “dark”, “black”. It is no coincidence that in ancient Greek myths and legends, Jason and the Argonauts, overcoming dangers, sailed precisely through this sea to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. And the “guilty” Prometheus was chained to a rock “at the end of the world” - across the sea, in the region of the Caucasus Mountains.
“...In those days, this sea was inaccessible for navigation and was called “Aksinsky” because of the winter storms and the savagery of the surrounding tribes, especially the Scythians, since the latter sacrificed strangers, ate their meat, and used skulls instead of cups. Subsequently, after the Ionians founded cities on the coast, this sea was called “Euxine”...
Greek historian and geographer Strabo, "Geography", 1st century BC. e.
However, when the Greeks settled down in the new territory, the sea ceased to frighten them. They began to call it “Pontos Euxeinos” - “Hospitable Sea”. And in Russian chronicles its name later became the “Pontic Sea”.
“The outline of Pontus resembles a strongly curved Scythian bow. The sea is characterized by its shallow depth, harsh temperament, fog, and steep, non-sandy shores. Bays are rare. Pontus washes the countries from which the north wind blows, and the wind makes the sea turbulent and boiling..."
Roman geographer Pomponius Mela, “On the Position of the Earth,” 1st century AD. e.
The title “Black” was finally assigned to the sea already during the Turkic conquests in the 13th–15th centuries. Turkish tribes raided the Black Sea region and met fierce resistance from local peoples there. Because of the dangerous coastline, the sea was nicknamed “Kara Deniz” - “Black Sea”.
The Black Sea is dedicated to a Turkish legend about a hero who had a magic arrow. When it flew over the ground, it melted, and all living things withered. They fired an arrow over the water and it boiled. The hero could not entrust the formidable weapon to his sons, so he hid the arrow in the sea. It boiled, seethed, wanting to throw the arrow out. That's why they began calm waters restless. It is believed that to this day the Black Sea is trying to get rid of this magical power.
There is another version of the origin of the name. Even the first navigators noticed how the water in the sea darkened during storms. And on the shore there remained gray silt, turning black under the hot sun. The same sailors who dropped anchor away from the shore found it darkened from a strange raid. Later, hydrologists studied the composition of water in the Black Sea, and it turned out that its deep layers are saturated with hydrogen sulfide, in which all living things decompose. This is why a black coating appeared on metal objects, and the ancient sailors saw the water column as black.
The Black Sea has had many different names throughout its history. Each new people that came to its shores called it differently.
At the beginning of our era, the Scythians called the Black Sea - Tana (dark), in Iran - Ashkhaena (dark).
Also the Black Sea in different times was called Khazar, Surozh, Russian, Scythian, Temarun, Saint, Tauride, Ocean, Blue.
Around the IX-VIII centuries. BC. The Greeks, when they first appeared in these places, called it the inhospitable sea (Pont Aksinsky). It probably did not greet the newcomers kindly, and they also say that the local tribes, the Taurians, living along the shores were very ferocious and in every possible way spoiled the lives of the Greek sailors. However, later, the same Greeks began to call the Black Sea hospitable (Pont Euxine).
Much later, the Turks, trying to conquer the lands adjacent to Black Sea, met fierce resistance from the local population, and perhaps that is why they nicknamed it Kara-Dengiz (Black Sea).
There are still many legends that explain this name. For example, they say that at the bottom of the Black Sea lies a heroic sword, which the wizard Ali ordered to be thrown there. And the sea is agitated, turning black, trying to tear him out of its depths.
There is also a version that the sea received its name due to the fact that during a storm it turns black. But, nevertheless, the Black Sea is quite calm, strong storms are extremely rare on it, so this version does not seem correct.
They also say that black silt remains on the shores after a storm (although it is more likely dark gray).
The Black Sea is a sea of dead depths.
There is another version. In ancient times, Black and Caspian Sea were one, but over time, they split into two separate ones. At the same time, the water in Cherny became more salty (due to the fact that it was connected with the Mediterranean several times in its history), and the waters of the Caspian Sea remained more desalinated.
As a result of increased water salinity, many freshwater organisms died in the Black Sea. A huge amount of hydrogen sulfide formed at the bottom - a waste product of bacteria that decompose the corpses of animals and plants. At the same time, the water in the Black Sea mixes very poorly; it is divided into two layers. The first layer, up to 100 meters deep, is fresher, this is due to the fact that the Black Sea is fed by mountain rivers, of which there are a huge number along the banks. In the second layer (over 100 meters) the water is approximately 2 times saltier, there is practically no oxygen and no life, but there are huge deposits of hydrogen sulfide. Only certain types of bacteria live there, at the bottom. That is why they say that the Black Sea is a sea of dead depths.
By the way, due to the fact that the salinity of the Black Sea is quite low, its fauna is very scarce compared to other seas.
So, let's return to the name of the Black Sea. Why anyway The Black Sea is called black? Due to the occurrence in sea depths hydrogen sulfide, any metal object lowered to a depth (for example, an anchor) turns black after a while. Apparently, sailors noticed this feature back in Antiquity, and perhaps this is where the name of the Black Sea came from.
By the way, from space you can see that the sea is very dark, almost black. This is noticeable on Earth, especially during the transition from the Mediterranean to the Black. Its waters look significantly darker.
On our planet there is 81 sea. On the world map they are depicted in bluish-blue colors, depending on the depth or topography of the bottom. But among all the seas there are four whose pools should be painted in different colors. These are Red, White, Yellow and Black Sea.
- The Red Sea is named so because of the abundance of microscopic algae in its waters with a specific reddish color.
- The Yellow River, which flows into the Yellow Sea, colors its salty waters with its sand and turbidity, giving them a dirty yellow tint.
- Surface White Sea Most of the year it is hidden by ice, which gave the sea its name.
Everything is clear here. But why was the Black Sea called the Black Sea? Perhaps oil that was once spilled has colored its waters, or is there some dark secret hidden in the dark depths?
We go to the beach, we go waist-deep into the gentle water. We lower our palms into the transparent wave - there is nothing black in sight. So what's the deal? Why do many peoples unanimously call the blue, serene sea Black: Italians - Marais Nero, Germans - Schwarze Meer, Bulgarians - Black Sea, French - Mer Noir, British - Black Sea, and Turks - Kara-Deniz.
Along the Black Sea, and deep into the centuries...
In geography, the origin of geographical names (toponyms) is dealt with by a special science - toponymy. Regarding the origin of the name Black Sea According to this science, two main versions are put forward:
- The mystery of the “name of the sea” has interested people for a long time. The first version of its origin appeared in the 1st century BC. It was proposed by the ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo. He believed that the sea was called Black Greek colonists who had to contend with fogs, storms, and dangerous wild shores inhabited by militant Taurus and Scythians. Respecting their own fear, the Greeks gave the harsh waters common noun- Pontos Akseinos, translated as “ the sea is inhospitable", or "black"... Centuries passed, the colonists settled on distant shores, became close to the sea, filled it with myths and fairy tales, and began to call it differently - Pontos Euxeinos, “hospitable sea.” But the first name, like a school nickname, was not forgotten, and the waves good-naturedly licking the pebble beaches remained in human memory as the Black Sea...
- The second version has been put forward by modern scientists, but its roots go back to times much earlier than the years of Strabo’s life. IN 1st millennium BC The northern and eastern shores of the Sea of Azov were inhabited by Indian tribes - the Sinds, Meotians and related peoples. They gave the name Temarun to the Sea of Azov, adjacent to it, meaning “ Black Sea" The reason for this was more dark color its surface in comparison with the color of the water of the Azov Sea. If we view both seas from the mountainous Caucasian shores, even today we can see that the right sea is noticeably darker. Which means blacker, hence the Black Sea. The Scythians who replaced the Meotians completely agreed with this description, and began to call the sea in their own way - Akhshaena - “dark, black”.
And other versions:
There are suggestions that the sea owes its name black silt, which abundantly covered the shores after storms. And although this silt is actually dark gray, it is poetic vernacular I saw him exactly dark, black.
IN Lately You can increasingly hear about hydrogen sulfide Black Sea. A number of modern scientists have come to the conclusion that this chemical compound could well be the reason for the gloomy name of the main “ resort area» Russian coast. Hydrogen sulfide is one of the features of the Black Sea. Its essence lies in the fact that the deep layers of water are saturated with hydrogen sulfide so that at a distance of 150-200 meters from the surface there is practically no life. The exact source of its appearance has not yet been named, here are the main assumptions:
- hydrogen sulfide molecules are a product of bacterial activity during the decomposition of dead organic substances;
- hydrogen sulfide appears from gas entering through cracks on the seabed;
- geographic message result Black Sea with the World Ocean: as if into a natural sump, “waste” from Mediterranean Sea and are slowly “utilized” by bacteria.
Hydrogen sulfide was discovered in 1890 by a Russian oceanographic expedition. According to her report, hydrogen sulfide is contained in 90% of the total volume of sea water, in the central part it approaches the surface by 50 meters, and closer to the shores by 300 meters. Hydrogen sulfide deprived these 90% of both flora and fauna, limiting their territorial possessions to a small layer clean water. In 1990, the dynamics of the decrease in the “non-hydrogen sulfide” layer from 1890 to 2020 was calculated, and the result of these calculations is disastrous: today the “residential” layer is about 15 meters.
Will hydrogen sulfide explode?
Unfortunately, marine hydrogen sulfide is not passive: in 1928, after the famous Crimean earthquake There was a smell of hydrogen sulfide from the sea; during a thunderstorm, lightning struck violently into the sea, carving out pillars of fire up to 800 meters high. This phenomenon can be explained by assuming that during tremors, hydrogen sulfide escaped and, due to its electrical conductivity, began to attract electrical discharges. A large-scale disaster did not happen only because the dangerous reaction was stopped by a layer of ordinary water that was still thick at that time (about 200 meters).
This event is reflected in modern legends of coastal cities. Their residents believe that they live on a huge powder keg and are expecting a hydrogen sulfide explosion any day now. There is no scientific evidence of the likelihood of a “hydrogen sulfide apocalypse”.
May 30, 2007 near New Athos Black Sea many dead dolphins and others washed ashore sea creatures. The wind brought a foul smell, and the water became cloudy and yellow...
How could hydrogen sulfide affect the name of the sea?
When interacting with hydrogen sulfide, metal-containing and metal objects turn black - in chemical terms, sulfur oxidizes and metal recovery; metal sulfides are formed and have a very dark color. Bronze lots and anchors polished to a shine after contact with Black Sea water quickly turn black.
Opponents of the hydrogen sulfide version of the origin of the name of the sea are historians who claim that the Scythians were not seafarers, although they called the sea Dark, and Greek sailors never dropped anchor to depths containing hydrogen sulfide...
Today, the possibilities of using accumulated hydrogen sulfide to serve people, as chemical and energy raw materials, are being considered with all their might. And medicine has long learned to use it medicinal properties- for example, in the Khostinsky district of Sochi there is “Matsesta”, the famous balneo-hydrological complex. Diseases are treated here with the help of hydrogen sulfide water musculoskeletal system, skin, oral cavity, cardiovascular system, nerves, and tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, asthma and bronchitis.
Legends of deep antiquity
The common people endowed the Black Sea magical properties, made up fairy tales about him and there were.
- One of them tells about a hero who hid in sea waters a magic arrow made of gold, decorated with jewels. This arrow could split the earth in half. The mighty sea that accepted this gift retained the terrible power of the arrow, but from the tension its azure water became cloudy and became dark emerald.
- Another tale tells about a princess who threw herself into the waves out of grief. The sea was saddened by injustice and turned black.
- The Old Russian name for the sea is Chermnoye, which means “beautiful”. Maybe the secret of the name lies here?
Better to see it a hundred times
The Black Sea takes on a variety of shades and colors. For example, in winter the water is brown. Local residents say that the sea is “blooming”: unicellular algae are actively multiplying in the water. From spring to late autumn this color changes from azure to greenish-gray...
A lot of interesting things in the history of the name Black Sea. And it’s impossible to count how many amazing and entertaining things there are in him: you can tell and tell.
But it’s not in vain that they say - Better to see once than hear a hundred times!