Iconostasis, Bashlik, Kurgan (1825)

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Tue Jul 30 06:25:25 UTC 2002


TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, THE KRIMEA, THE CAUCASUS,  AND GEORGIA
by Robert Lyall
in two volumes
London: T. Cadell
1825

VOLUME ONE
Pg. 6:  The tomb of Christ, with saints around it, and the dungeon in which
he is sitting in a meloncholy attitude, with a black mantle thrown over him,
and an armed guard on each side, form a kind of _ikonostas_, or transept, and
only claim notice because all the figures, which are about a foot in height,
appear to be cut out of wood or some other solid substance, and receive the
_homage_ of the passing peasantry, and at least the _reverance_ even of the
nobles and the clergy.
(OED and M-W have 1833 for "iconostasis"--ed.)

Pg. 135:  ...whence the adage, "_Buy not a village, but buy a steward for
yourself_."

Pg. 136:  ...a Russian proverb: "_Every lime-tree is not in a line_."

Pg. 220:  The word _burcha_ admits of no other translation than that of
felt-mantle.  It is nearly half an inch thick, and is often covered with long
hair, for the most part of a black or brown colour.  It forms an inseparable
part of the Tartar's and the mountaineer's travelling _appareil_, every where
in the Krimea, the Caucasus, and in Georgia; and, I believe, it is likewise
used in Persia.
(See past post on "burka"--ed.)

Pg. 428:  The peasants have still a saying among them, that "potatoes are not
an article of God's giving, or he would have given them to the Russians."
This nonsense, however, is annually becoming less credited, and the common
people begin to consume considerable quantities of this invaluable root.

Pg. 464:  The weather still being very unfavourable, we took a hint from the
custom of the natives of these mountainous regions, and provided ourselves
with _burchas_, of which I have already spoken*, and with great thick white
flannel hoods, called _bashliks_, which covered our caps.
(OED has 1881 for "bashlik."  This beats my two prior posts on this
word--ed.)

VOLUME TWO
Pg. 240:  But, at some versts from the town, he ordered a halt to be made at
a small _kurgan_, or tumulus.
(OED has 1889 and 1890 for "kurgan"--ed.)

Pg. 266:  It often happened, that he had no more than 300 or 400 roubles in
the house; but the exterior changed not: he continued to live like a
_millionaire_ (this word is adopted in Russ).

Pg. 293:  ...the proverb that "_A merchant will sell his face_."

Pg. 455:  The "_dirty and abominable broth_" to which Dr. Clark alludes, was
most likely _stchi_, or sour cabbage soup, which is a favourite dish of the
Russians, and although its odour is not the most agreeable, it is highly
relished by foreigners after a short residence in their country.
(The prior page notes the book _Clarke's Travels_.  OED has 1824 for this
soup, but see prior ADS-L posts on this variously spelled soup--ed.)



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