The Cossacks have a rich history that began back in the 16th century. The image of the brave warrior who fought in the Patriotic War of 1812, is praised by writers and poets. Many of us have heard and know Cossack songs. The culture of this people is diverse and still close to us. Cossack units participated in many important historical events. The modern image of the Cossack has changed, but their appearance and attributes are still of interest. For example, Cossack earrings. What do they mean and why are they worn?
Earring as a military attribute
It would be foolish to assume that wearing a Cossack's earrings in an ear is dictated by a desire to stand out from the background of others and create a stylish image for yourself. Men wearing earrings in their ears have a long history and are found in different peoples of the world. For example, in Ancient Egypt, the presence of an earring in a man’s ear meant his high position and indicated his viability. Much later, in the Roman Empire, slaves began to hang an earring in their ear, marking their belonging to the owner. And the military-liable inhabitants of Rome - the centurions - adorned themselves with an earring only after achieving high merit before Caesar.
The Cossack wore an earring in his ear solely as a military attribute. Not every Cossack had the right to hang an earring, so jewelry had its own meaning, allowing others to see the status and position of the man. For some nationalities, the earring in the ear symbolizes the military rank or speaks of the degree of his merits. In a similar way, the number of stars on the military uniform informs us about the military rank. Only by looking at them, we can evaluate the status of the employee. So what do Cossack men's earrings mean?
The value of earrings in the ear of a Cossack
The earring in the ear of the Cossack indicated his position in the family. If the Cossack wore an earring in his left ear, this meant that he was the only son of his mother. Wearing an earring in his right ear meant that he was the last man of his kind and heir. Two earrings in both ears indicated that he was the only child in the family. This way of notifying others about their marital status was due to the fact that the life of the Cossacks was almost entirely devoted to the war.
Mothers hung earrings in the ears of their sons, so that the commanders took care of them whenever possible. During the construction, the commanders commanded “equalization to the right” and “equalization to the left” in order to see the presence of earrings in the ears of young Cossacks. It was decided not to take the only son and breadwinner on dangerous trips.
This does not mean that the service of the Cossacks was easy, and they were not exposed to dangers. On the contrary, military history knows many valiant Cossacks who risked their lives and perished for victory and the common good.
Also, the earring in the Cossack’s ear was considered a talisman, helping the Cossack in battle, protecting him from serious injuries and reminding him that they were waiting for him at home.
Types of Cossack earrings
Most often, the earring of a Cossack man was made in the form of a crescent. It was smelted from silver, and Cossacks preferred to wear gold in wallets. The size of the earring and its appearance did not matter much, its presence or absence was mainly evaluated. The design of the earring could be simple or depicting the animals that make up the coat of arms of the Cossack army. For example, the Ural Cossack troops walked under the coat of arms depicting sturgeon. Some earrings depicted wolves or coat of arms with state symbols. For example, after the Russo-Turkish war, it was possible to meet earrings made in the form of a snake, propped up by a cross.
According to some reports, a Cossack silver earring was used by a Cossack to purify water. On the campaign, when it was necessary to get a drink from an unverified source, the Cossack lowered his earring for several minutes to disinfect the liquid.
Women's Cossack outfits and jewelry
The women of the Cossacks also wore jewelry, but as for the female Cossack earrings, they were worn simply as a decoration. More important were the rings that the male Cossacks did not wear. But they did not have such significance as men's Cossack earrings.
The clothes of the women of the Cossacks were magnificent and differed in oriental luxury. They wore richly embroidered dresses resembling Tatar camisoles, decorated with buttons made of precious metals. Cossack women did not hesitate to decorate themselves with pearls, embroidering patterns to them.
A separate piece of clothing was a belt worn just above the waist. Often he was the most expensive detail of the outfit and consisted of silver and gold threads.