Why is the White Sea called white, the Black Sea black, the Red Sea red, and the Yellow Sea yellow? Why is the White Sea so named? Why is the white sea called red

Where a lot of interesting, in my opinion, information is collected regarding the history and culture of this harsh northern region.

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For your attention, I want to offer an article on the toponymy of the White Sea:

Director of the REC "Pomor Institute of Indigenous and Minorities of the North" Ivan Moseev:

Where does the name White Sea come from?

The White Sea is called white because most of the year it is covered with white ice and snow. Agree that such an explanation seems logical? But a comparative analysis of maritime historical toponymy and a number of obvious facts from medieval Russian chronicles casts doubt on this explanation.

It is curious that in addition to the North Russian White Sea, there are other "White Seas" in the world. For example, words with an ancient root stem "Balt": "Baltoji - Baltijas" and "Baltoji - Baltijas" - in the translation of Lithuanian and Latvian mean "White". The name Baltic Sea is translated by Lithuanians and Latvians from their languages ​​as the White Sea. However, the international list of "White Seas" does not end there.

White Sea Bulgaria

It is also curious that the southern Slavs, in particular the Bulgarians, today, like centuries ago, call the Greek Aegean Sea the White. Consequently, the Slavic name White Sea did not originate in the European north of Russia, but in the southern Bulgarian Mediterranean. So far, none of the domestic scientists have expressed this version. For the first time in this article, there is also an opinion that medieval Russian monks and pilgrims, who went on long “walks” around Serbian and Bulgarian monasteries, could bring the name White Sea from their travels to Northern Russia.

As evidence, we can cite three Russian chronicles, which record the fact that the name White Sea was used by the Bulgarians in the Middle Ages. In a medieval travel diary of 1419-1422, called "Zosima's Journey to Constantinople, Athos and Palestine", the Russian pilgrim deacon Zosima left an entry: "The Tsar's city stands at three corners, two walls from the sea, and the third from the West ... At the first corner from the White Sea is the Studion Monastery. The same text contains a clarification of which White Sea is being referred to: “And that, byashe, mouth, overlooking the great Ponet (Aegean - I.M.) Sea, which is called the White Sea, that city of Troy stood at the very mouth. Going out to the Great Sea, go to the right in the Holy Mountain (Mount Athos - I.M.) and to Selun (the city of Thessaloniki - I.M.) and to the Amerean land (Peloponnese - I.M.) and to Rome, on the left towards Jerusalem.

Based on this text, we can conclude that the Aegean Sea is called the White Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea is called the Great Sea.

Another medieval source, “The Journey of Barsanuphius to Egypt, Sinai and Palestine” 1461-1462, calls the White Sea not the Aegean, but the entire Mediterranean Sea, which his predecessor, deacon Zosimas, called the Great Sea. The Russian pilgrim Barsanuphius writes: “And the great river, the golden-streaming Nile, flows from the noon country at midnight into the White Sea.”

Four years after the “walking” of Barsanuphius, in 1465-1466, a trip to the Middle East was made by the clerk of the embassy order “Guest Basil”, which describes the Syrian city of Khoozm (Homs - I.M.) “... and a lake near the city and a cave from where the snakes crawled out, and near the lake of that mountain, and by the side of the country the mountain is the White Sea, ie. again the Mediterranean Sea is called the White Sea.

Renamed Sea

Orthodox Russian monks, who explored the Chudsky Zavolochye, actively transferred the tracing paper of the Christian southern Mediterranean toponymy to the Russian North. This, in particular, is evidenced by such southern Christian names of the northern mountains as Mount Golgotha ​​on Solovki, Mount Sinai near the Pomeranian village of Summer Navolok, and Mount Eleon near the village of Lopshengi.

It is obvious that the southern name of the White Sea was also brought to the North by the Solovetsky monks, who replaced the incomprehensible pagan names of Pomorie with Orthodox Slavic ones.

When the English cartographer Anthony Jenkinson drew up the first map of the Moscow State in 1562, the name of the White Sea was not yet on it.

For the first time, the sea was called White only on the map of Peter Plaicius in 1592. It is no secret that initially it was not even considered a sea, but a large bay of the Arctic Ocean. This bay, which was later called the White Sea, was called differently by different historical sources. But of particular interest are the names with the toponymic base "Kanda" (in the Scandinavian transcription - "Ganda". Obviously, it is from this base that the ancient Scandinavian name of the Gandvik Bay comes.

Kanda Bay

It is easy to see that the famous hydronyms of Pomorye - Kanda-guba, Kanda-vik (Gand-vik), Kandalaksha - consist of two parts. The sea bay is called “lip” in Pomeranian, “vik” in Scandinavian, and “Laksha” in Karelian-Pomor dialects.

As you can see, all these three multilingual names in translation mean Kanda Bay. Obviously, Kanda is an ancient, primary and therefore practically unchanged part in each of the three names mentioned. And the second part changed depending on the linguistic changes that took place during the last millennium among the indigenous population of the White Sea. I’ll make a reservation right away that I consider any attempts to translate the toponymic substratum “Kanda” based on consonance with modern languages, erroneous. Nevertheless, versions of the origin of the name Kanda-Laksha can be mentioned.

The first version claims that the name is borrowed from the ancient Germanic languages, where Cando means "monster" ("wolf"), and the toponym Kanda-vik (Gand-vik), respectively, allegedly means "Monster Bay". As you can see, this explanation is absolutely incomprehensible and frivolous.

The second version derives the name Kanda-laksha from the Finnish words "kand" and "kantapää", which means "heel" in translation. The White Sea, allegedly, vaguely resembles a giant footprint from a human foot, and Kandalaksha Bay can be imagined as its heel. In this case, the name "Kanda-Laksha" means "Heel of the Bay." But this explanation, too, is not serious.

The river Kandalaksha

There is also a third hypothesis that is quite popular among researchers: the name allegedly comes from the name of the Kandalaksha River, which flows into the Kandalaksha Bay on the western coast near the village of Fedoseevka on the Karelian coast of the Murmansk region. However, logic suggests that the Kandalaksha River was named after the sea bay, and not vice versa. In general, it is unlikely that a large sea bay could be named after a small river by the standards of the North, especially since it is not the only one in this place. If the river was originally called Kanda, and not Kandalaksha, then the version would probably not have raised doubts. But on almost all medieval maps and up to the 20th century, the river was called Kandalaksha!

Wouldn't it be more logical to assume that the nameless river was named after the Kandalaksha Bay, or after the name of the settlement that bore the name of the bay? It is possible that, contrary to the standard ideas of scientists, the sea peoples who came to new lands from the sea could first name the sea bays, and only then the rivers that flowed into these bays. It is also worth emphasizing that the local name Kandalaksha Bay is a small sea bay inside the large oceanic bay of Kanda-laksha (Kanda-vika).

Kanda - ancient sea

It is curious that on the map of Willem Barents of 1598, and the map of Theodor de Brie of 1598, and the map of Gerhard Mercator (Gerard Kramer) of 1630, the largest White Sea cape Kanin-nos is called Kande-nos! And this cannot be an accident. The line connecting the extreme point of Kandina-nose and the extreme point of the Holy Nose on the opposite seashore was in fact the border and gate to Kanda Bay (Gand-vik).

It can be concluded that the Kanda Bay (Kanda-laksha, Kanda-guba, Kanda-vik, Gand-vik) got its ancient name not from the Kandalaksha River, but by the name of Kanina-nose, which was originally called Kanda-nose. Of course, no one can say what this name of the cape meant in antiquity. The peoples who left us his name have long since disappeared, and their languages ​​are lost forever. To the east of Norway, medieval cartographers indicated a large peninsula, in outline reminiscent of Kanin, washed on all sides by a sea that resembles the White. In particular, on the Italian map of 1534 by Benedetta Bordone and on the map of Sebastian Munster, this sea is called Mare Congelato (Sea of ​​Conge-lato - I.M.), which is very consonant with the local seashore name Candelaksha (Cande-laksha - I.M.) distorted by Europeans. ), i.e. in fact - the name of Kanda Bay.

Curiously, the 16th-century maps by William Borough, Anthony Jenkinson, and Sebastian Munster show the name Condora in the area of ​​the Kanin Peninsula. The location of the name in the area of ​​the modern Kaninsky tundra suggests that Condora is the name Canda tundra (Kaninsky tundra - I.M.) distorted by European cartographers.

Thus, based on the above facts, we can confidently say for the first time that the Slavic name White Sea is a direct borrowing and toponymic tracing paper from the South Slavic White Sea (i.e. the modern Mediterranean or Aegean - I.M.). Most likely, this name was brought to the northern land by the Solovetsky monks, who in the 15th-16th centuries pursued a policy of increased assimilation of the local population in Orthodox culture.

It is also obvious that earlier the White Sea was considered by the local population not as a sea, but as a large oceanic bay and was designated by the ancient, still undiscovered word Kanda, which, as a toponymic substarate, was preserved in the names of Kandalaksha and Gandvik.

It remains to be hoped that in the future, inquisitive researchers of the toponymy of Pomorye will be able to discover new interesting facts that will confirm or refute the reasoning given here about the origin of the mentioned names.

Notes:

1. Minkin A.A., Toponyms of Murman. Murmansk book publishing house, 1976 chapter “Okiyan the sea of ​​icy”, S. 22.// A.A. Minkin: “There is an opinion that the English called the sea White, who first came to this sea in May 1553. They were struck, as the supporters of this etymology assure, by the white color of the shores, still covered with snow.

2. Lithuanian-Russian dictionary, entries: Baltoji, Baltijas. Latvian-Russian dictionary, entries: Baltoji, Baltijas.

4. Prokofiev N.I., Russian wanderings of the XII-XV centuries. - Literature of Ancient Russia in the XVIII century. Scientific notes of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. IN AND. Lenin, No. 363. M., 1970, S. 3 -235. // Prokofiev N.I., Journeys as a Genre in Old Russian Literature. - Issues of Russian literature. Scientific notes. MGPI them. V.I. Lenin, v. 288. M., 1968. Central State Archive of Ancient Acts, f. 196, SOBR. Mazurin, No. 344.

5. Prokofiev N.I. Zosima's journey to Constantinople, Athos and Palestine. Issues of Russian Literature, Scientific Notes of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. IN AND. Lenin, t. 455. M., 1971, C. 12-42.

6. Prokofiev N.I., Book of travels, M. "Soviet Russia" 1974, C. 124.

7. Prokofiev N.I., Book of travels, M. "Soviet Russia" 1974, C. 125.

8. Prokofiev N.I., Book of Journeys, M. "Soviet Russia" 1974, C.164.

9. Prokofiev N.I., Book of Journeys, M. "Soviet Russia" 1974, C.172.

10. Map of the White Sea, Nautical Chart No. 612. 1966. Scale 41.5 m in 1 pixel (original 1:200000 along the 66° parallel // URL:

In search of an answer to the question of why the sea is so called, one can stumble upon a lot of assumptions and hypotheses. Let's look at the most compelling of them. We will also try to answer the question of why the sea is called the sea and nothing else.

Why is the accumulation of salt water in a vast depression in land relief called a sea? Some sources claim that the word "sea" comes from the Proto-Slavic form *morje. The word itself originates from Israeli mythology and biblical stories, where it denoted not only part of the world's oceans, but also various other bodies of water. It is noteworthy that this word had another interpretation. The ancient Jews sometimes referred to them as all the world's evil.

And now let's try to figure out why some seas have such unusual names and whether they are directly related to the color palette.

Why is the Black Sea called black?

There are several answers to this question. According to one theory, this sea got its name thanks to the Turks, who for a long time were unable to cross it in order to conquer the peoples who inhabited the coastal strip. It was then that they gave him the nickname "Kara-den-giz", which means "inhospitable", "unkind". Well, the black color, obviously, they associated with bad hospitality.

Sailors who sail on it say that it appears black at the time of the storm. But in fairness it should be said that this sea storms with a force of more than 6 points from the strength of only 20 days a year, and the rest of the time it seems more azure than black.

There is a version that it got its name due to the silt thrown ashore, but it is also more gray than black.

A more plausible version seems to be that the Black Sea got its name due to the fact that any object lowered to its bottom and removed from there after some time will be black, which it will acquire due to the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide at great depths. And who called the Black Sea black for the first time, history is silent.

Why is the Red Sea called red?

There are two main answers to this question. According to one, it appears red at the time of flowering of a special kind of algae. According to another version, for the first time it was named so by travelers who saw how coastal rocks reflected in its waters, painted red by sunset or sunrise.

It is noteworthy that this sea is not called red in the language of the peoples living on its shores. In this area, it is more called reed or reed because of the rapid growth of these plants in the vicinity of the Suez Canal.

Why is the Dead Sea called dead?

Death from swimming in the waters of the Dead Sea definitely does not threaten you, rather, on the contrary. The high concentration of useful salts in this sea has a pronounced healing and even rejuvenating effect on the human body.

But many other organisms cannot live in these waters, for which such a concentration of salts, which does not even allow the human body to sink to the bottom of this sea, is simply fatal. The density of the water of this sea is many times greater than the density of fresh water. It has also been observed that the oxygen content in the air in the Dead Sea region is more than 15%, and people sunbathing on its shores do not experience the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Why is the White Sea called white?

But the answer to the question of who first called the White Sea white, we know quite reliably. This name is found on the map of Peter Plaicius, which was compiled at the end of the 16th century. The more common and most confirmed version of why the White Sea is called white is the version that the water in it really has a whitish tint that does not change depending on weather conditions. It is believed that the sea acquires this shade due to the reflection of the white northern sky in it.

The sacred and beautiful, cold and calm White Sea, which stands out with its characteristic outlines on the map of Russia, has given rise to more than one legend.

Not only stories about monsters and miracles, taken from Scandinavian mythology and Orthodox chronicles of the northern lands, are interesting. The origin of the name itself is mysterious: scientists still have doubts about why the White Sea is called that.

The White Sea is located in the basin of the Arctic Ocean. It is deeply "integrated" into the mainland, and therefore lies almost entirely south of the Arctic Circle.

This is partly why the White Sea is considered the warmest of the entire Arctic basin. Relatively small in size, in terms of area it can only compete with Azov (on the territory of Russia).

Origin of the name of the White Sea

The most popular version blames the name of the sea on ice, which completely hides the water under itself for most of the year.

Under the thick white crust and snow-covered hills, it is difficult to recognize the raging elements. From an airplane, the sea looks like a winding ribbon from a neat apron of a first grader.

There are two more elegant versions of the origin of the White Sea toponym:

1. The Northern White Sea was considered sacred, so it was assigned a color that has a light, divine meaning. Initially, the meaning of its name was closely associated with the Heavenly Sphere.

2. The sea was called white for its fantastic ability to keep this shade of water at any time of the year.

Even in summer, the grayish sky is reflected in it, not allowing the expanses to take on a characteristic blue tone.

The rest of the days there is a thick fog over the surface. And even a rain drizzle, smoothly turning into snow, does not change the majestic picture.

These beautiful and cold theories could be stopped if not for a few old legends and scientific facts.

What was the name of the White Sea?

The ice-covered reservoir changed its name several times - from Severny and Studeny to Solovetsky (islands with that name are still in its water area).

Some peoples called it Calm, others called it not even the sea, but the White Bay.

But the most interesting names were given to it by Scandinavian mythology: the Bay of Serpents and the Bay of Monsters (“Gand-vik”, or “Kanda”).

Presumably, their fantasy was influenced by the harsh nature of the Arctic Ocean and the serpentine shape of the sea: from a height, it resembles a winding ribbon or a curved reptile.

Other "white" seas

White color is a popular solution not only in interior design, but also when choosing a variety of geographical names.

On the map, you can find not only “white” spots, but also rivers, seas, and peaks of the same shade.

Interestingly, Lithuanians and Latvians call the Baltic Sea white in their languages. Since ancient times, the word Balt meant snow color.

Therefore, every self-respecting Baltic citizen has no doubt that Baltijas is White.

There is another sea that has taken on an innocent shade - the Aegean. Only the Greeks call it Aegean.

But the Bulgarians (and other Slavs from the southern shores) still, like centuries ago, are not inferior to them, assuring that the true name of the sea is White. And from here another theory takes its trail, why the Russian White Sea is so called.

Toponymy from the Mediterranean

There is a version that during the Middle Ages, pilgrims from Russia often visited the monasteries of Serbia and Bulgaria. There they could get acquainted with the true White Sea and bring the historical name to their northern latitudes.

Confirmation of this is often found in chronicles, so the version has the right to life. True, historians cannot reliably name the starting point of the toponym, because in some sources the Aegean Sea is called White, and in others - the Mediterranean.

Why, you ask, was it necessary to borrow other people's names for their native places?

Scientists have an answer: in the Middle Ages, most of the Russian north had pagan names. The sea kept its Scandinavian roots and was called the Gulf of Kanda.

During the period of active pilgrimage, the monks from the Solovetsky Islands undertook to “change the picture” towards the Orthodox, truly Slavic side.

But where do you get ideas from? Of course, from the source of wisdom - from the Christian lands on the Mediterranean.

So on Solovki appeared (you won’t believe it!) Its own Mount Golgotha, as well as Mount Sinai and Mount Eleon not far from the Pomeranian villages.

And then on the map dated 1592, the toponym White Sea was for the first time indicated.