meaning phraseologism "brow beat" becomes clearer if to clarify that petition in the old days in Russia called forehead hit his forehead.Why and under what circumstances?Let's face it.
origins
Plunged in Russian history, we see that in the course of our ancestors were prostrations.Most often, they were made as follows: a man fell to his knees and bowed so low that his forehead hits the floor.This deep bow, which said "a large bow custom", people expressed incredible honor that person, before which they had to hit the brow.The significance of this ritual migrated to the vocabulary.In Ancient Russia the word "brow beat" is widely used in business letters, contractual documents and private correspondence.
values phraseologism
first texts in which linguists have found it bizarre expression contained in birch bark of the XIV century and represent a greeting in private correspondence.That is supposed to brow beat not only the king, but his sister, friend, brother, friend, and so on.. In some letters middle of the XIV century, this verbal formula is used to mean "to complain".
century later, as the historians have discovered, have opened up new phrases connotations: request an application.With them, the people went to the authorities brow beat.Meaning phraseologism in this case brings us back to the idea of ingratiatingly prostration before the powerful.
In the XVI century, according to the national literary monuments of antiquity "Domostroy", a phrase used to mean "to present as a gift," too, no doubt, with the deepest respect.Brow beat the friend was taken to senior during the wedding ceremony, when he, on behalf of the bride to the groom brought a loaf, cheese and her handkerchief.
in written sources of the XVII century idiom expresses a wish polite and grateful.
In "The Life of Stephen of Perm" is found a description of how effort brow, repenting of his fault, a pagan priest.And in the Christian churches of believers are bowed low, touching the forehead to the floor on his knees before the icon.
East Asian roots of the Russian custom
Is custom brow beat native Russian or our ancestors, "peeped" it from other people, with whom they share historical destiny?Researchers believe that it has come to us from the Asians.In the East, it was decided to prostrate himself before the governor, without raising his eyes to the royals.The element of self-abasement citizen added, seemed significance of the sovereign.
the Chinese court had more than three thousand rules of ceremonial behavior, among which occupies a special place weighing prostrations.Hence, perhaps, it was leaked to the Russian court etiquette this custom.Historians know that in the beginning of the XV century tribute to the Tsar of Muscovy Russian rulers is not so slavishly.Conversations with the monarch were simply, in a friendly, almost equal.And only at the end of the century, when the Russian yard solemn rites borrowed from the Byzantines (it happened to Ivan III's marriage to the Byzantine princess) with the device finery the emperor demanded the king's house to themselves special honors.When his grandson - Ivan the Terrible - the boyars and other officials already in full to the king bowed to the floor, then he has beaten brow.The practice became widespread.
Petition
Written statements or petitions in which people turned to the monarch of the entire form, called a petition.The custom of feeding them there until the eighteenth century.The letter begins with the words "brow beat", addressed to the king, and then follow the data on asylum and she requested.At the end of the document puts personal signature.Petitions brought to the king's palace, where they collected the clerk of the council.To avoid misunderstandings, on the back of the official put the date and your signature.
Today
a long time there is no custom brow beat the highest dignitaries, came out of the items and the corresponding expression.However, it is perfectly stuck as the idiomatic expression and brilliantly used in literature and journalism.
