The fact that these are vergi, as a rule, a modern person has only a general idea. When they hear this word, usually represent chains or ropes. This is partly a correct idea, but it should be noted that there could be a lot of different objects in the veggie. Details that these are vergi can be found in the proposed article.
What is said in the dictionary?
The dictionary offers three interpretations of the object in question.
The first meaning of the word “vergi” is marked “religious”. It refers to objects such as shackles, shackles, chains of iron, rings, stripes and the like. Some faithful Christians wore them, putting them on a naked body with the goal of "pacifying the flesh" and often doing it secretly.
An example of use. In Ilf and Petrov, in the Twelve Chairs, he mentions a count-monk who wore chains that weighed several pounds. He, being used to fine French cuisine, began to eat exclusively potato husks.
Outdated value
What is it - legacy in obsolete meaning? We are talking about iron chains, rings, shackles that were previously imposed on the feet or hands of criminals.
Example. And without that, the deplorable situation of prisoners, dressed in tatters and trembling in the cold wind, was aggravated by the heavy chains worn on them.
Figuratively
In this case, the burden is meant - usually mental or moral.
Example. In the book “Alexander I”, A. N. Arkhangelsky wrote that at that time the imposition of constitutional beliefs on the autocratic power meant strengthening the old people, and the reformation of the state machine meant depriving the elderly of their warm places.
Veronoshenie
In order to learn that these are vergi, it would be advisable to say more about them. As already noted, this item was used by Christian ascetics and was used by them to "kill the flesh." In addition to the mentioned chains, rings and stripes, iron hats, iron soles, copper icons that were hung on the chest with the help of the chain could be used. Sometimes a chain was threaded through the skin or even the body. The weight of the chains could sometimes reach several tens of kilograms.
As Gregory the Theologian wrote, exhausting himself with vegami and thinning flesh, the monks also thinned sin. In accordance with the severity of the ascetic ideal, the monks ceased to be content only with the usual analogue (a quadrangular scarf, on which the Lord’s passions are depicted). They had a desire to influence their will more sensitively by acting on the body.
At first, only ascetic monks wore the chains, but then ordinary believers began to use them.
Little confusion
In 2010, at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, after the unsuccessful performance of our team, V.V. Putin, who then served as prime minister, noted that it was an occasion for a serious analysis. He gave instructions to make organizational conclusions and correct the situation, creating the necessary conditions for a good performance of Russian athletes at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
The prime minister also noted that much more was expected from our Olympians in Vancouver, but this does not mean that you need to lower your hands and, sprinkling ash on your head, beat yourself with chains. It should be noted that in this case there is an inaccuracy. After all, as can be seen from the above, no one was going to beat himself with vegami, they were carried on the body.
Most likely, it was a question of self-flagellation, otherwise called flagellanism. This is the “scourging” movement that arose in the 13th century. His representatives used self-flagellation as one of the options for "killing the flesh." It could be private and public.
In this case, the tool was a scourge or a whip with three tails. There were numerous knots with finger-length spikes on the lash. Upon impact, they pierced the flesh with such great force that it was necessary to make an additional jerk to extract them.
The etymology of the word “verigi”, derived from the Old Slavonic “verig”, meaning “chain”, which comes from the pro-Slavic verti, which means “to connect”, also confirms the mistake.