What is this: "Without hands, without legs on the woman skok." Or who is this?

In those ancient times, when Russian proverbs and children's riddles were composed, people in the majority thought much more chaste categories. No one would have thought of looking for Freudian associations on the issue of a woman standing on the floor, which opened the hole, it was clear to all grown-ups that it was a question of the stove, but the children had to break their brains, and then not for long. Equally unconcerned was the riddle about what kind of object it was - without hands, without legs on a woman, skok.

Children's mystery

Today, water supply is a common thing. And if you need to go to a well somewhere in the countryside, then usually do without a rocker. Two buckets - a considerable weight, and send for water is usually still a man. It is now. But a hundred years or more ago, the rocker nevertheless served as a complement to the female image, the peasant with him was not usually portrayed in the pictures, and there are no such photographs. But as our great-grandmothers could handle gracefully with him! A beautiful posture, an easy and graceful gait, in comparison with which all the attempts of the current models on the podium look simply ridiculous, demonstrated real Russian beauty in motion. Women themselves, however, then called differently, but for some reason they did not take offense. So, what is hidden behind the charade "without arms, without legs on a woman, a crook" is an ordinary rocker. Although in fact it's not such a simple thing.

The device of a rocker arm

At first glance, there is nothing complicated in this subject of folk life . Two vessels are worn simultaneously by women on the shoulder in different countries, but in Russia the rocker became utensils, in the manufacture of which the creative inclinations of the master were manifested. In addition to utilitarian properties (equilibrium, smoothness, strength), it should also be beautiful. It was often covered with a skilful carving, special types of wood were chosen (usually beech, hazel, birch or maple). Important and considered ergonomic qualities, in contrast to their European counterparts (usually round), Russian samples in the cross section of the oval, which correctly distributes the load. In general, the requirements were such that the instrument itself was asking for a shoulder. That's it: without arms, without legs - on the woman skok.

Other puzzles, other answers

About the rocker the people came up with other riddles. He was compared to the bridge between the seas. He was likened to female logic, equally bilateral and somewhat curvilinear. The expression "smoke with a yoke" is used today as a symbol of unrestrained revelry. But about the hopeless armless and legless object in the postwar years, a new mystery for children and adults. And the answer to her was not at all fun.

Some (and very many) returning soldiers had a lack of limbs. There were not enough men in the country. Yesterday's soldiers were maimed, but young and sometimes very temperamental. The destinies of disabled people have become the theme of beautiful films. In life, women who are sharp on the tongue sometimes so called them: "Without hands without legs, a woman with a skok." With humor peculiar to our people, at times even very bitter.