Why is the sea called the sea? The origin of the White Sea and its names Why is the sea called white

The White Sea is the warmest in the Arctic basin. Because it cuts deep into the land, and is connected to the harsh ocean near which it is located only by two straits through the Barents Sea. Legends are made about this place. Travelers love its islands very much. After all, here they touch wildlife North. But why is the White Sea called White?

White Sea on the map of Europe

The salty reservoir is located in the north of the European region Russian Federation. In terms of surface area, this is one of the smallest seas washing the country. Only Azov is smaller.

There are many small islands in this huge body of water. The most popular and famous are Solovetsky. The water area consists of several parts:

• Swimming pool (most deep area body of water);
• Gorlo (connects with the Barents Sea; the Pomors call this strait “Girlo”);
• Funnel;
• Onega Bay, Dvinskaya, Mezenskaya;
• Kandalaksha Bay.

The bottom relief of this beautiful place is very diverse and uneven. Thus, a “shallow” Throat interferes with water exchange with Barents Sea. This fact, plus its partial polar position, has given this place the title of “warmest” in the Arctic.

On the one hand, the sea belongs to the Northern basin Arctic Ocean, one of the most severe in terms of climate. On the other hand, it partially extends beyond the Arctic Circle and strongly cuts into the land. Therefore for given climate characterized by marine and continental features, oceanic and continental.

The first mention of the White Pond dates back to the eleventh century. Of course, it wasn’t “White” then. The spacious banks along with the smooth surface of the water were widely used by Novgorodians for trade. The places here were rich in animals and fish, and therefore developed quickly.

One of the very first settlements on the coast was Kholmogory (fourteenth century). They were the ones who became Russian international seaport number one. Trade ships departed from Russia through this part of the World Ocean to Denmark.

In the mid-sixteenth century, a foreign ship arrived here for the first time. These were the British. Then they were looking for a northern route to India. Be that as it may, thanks to the commander of the ship, Europe learned more about the Russian North. Moreover, with this chance visit, trade between England and Russia began along the chosen waterway.

After the British there were the Dutch and other foreigners. The main Russian trade routes passed through the White Sea. When St. Petersburg was founded, the main waterways moved to the Baltic. And later, from the beginning of the twentieth century, most of the traffic was carried out through the Barents Sea.

Why did it happen? The White Sea is covered with ice for more than six months of the year. But this fact is not very convenient for trading. But let's get back to the title. It's time to find out more about the origin of the now familiar designation of a wide expanse of water.

About the origin of the toponym

Until the seventeenth century, the warm northern sea changed several names. It was

• Cold (still covered with ice for 6 months);
• Solovetsky (by the name of the islands);
• Northern (by location);
• Calm (what kind of storms are there if there is ice all around);
• White Bay (almost the entire surface of the reservoir is deepened into land).

IN Scandinavian myths The expanses of water were called Gandvik. At first, this term denoted the entire Arctic Ocean, including the seas of its basin. If you look at this name, the second part means “bay”, the first part means “monster”. It turns out to be “Bay of Monsters”.

Later, this area is designated on maps as Grandvicus sinus. It was the middle of the 16th century. But by its end there were two names: Russian - “White Sea” and Scandinavian - “Grandvicus sinus”. This is evidenced by Mercator's maps, where the northern water pool designated "Bella more id est Album mare". By the end of the seventeenth century, only the Russian name remained.

By the way, in myths there is also such a name as “Bay of Snakes”. There were no snakes in the salt water, of course. It owes this designation to its curved, serpentine shape.

Why "White"?

The color is widely used in various names given by the Russian people. The basis is taken not only from the direct values ​​of the color itself (shades in the spectrum), but also semantic meanings, symbolic. Why is Red Square called Red Square? Where did the red corner come from in the house? For what reason did the girl and the fellow turn red?

And there is also the Red Sea. Plus Black, Yellow. And, of course, White.

Hypotheses for the appearance of the White Sea in the name familiar to contemporary people:

1. Because for more than half a year it is covered with dazzling white ice. To many researchers, this explanation seems the most likely. When you look at pictures taken from space, you see a bright serpentine strip of pure ice.

2. Because it reflects the northern white sky. The color of the water near the sea, freed from ice, also has a characteristic tint. And it doesn't matter what the weather is. The white tint remains.

3. Because the country of Hyperborea was once located on these lands. The famous mystical civilization (like Atlantis) existed “beyond the north wind” (“beyond Boreas”). Life here flourished. People died when they got tired of living. They knew neither strife nor illness. It was this polar civilization that ruled all nations. Even Atlantis was once its colony.

The semantic meaning of white is “divine”, “heavenly”, “spherical”. And prosperous Hyperborea, the “mother” of other mystical civilizations, was located on the territory of the modern White Sea. For this reason, the area acquired a name that indirectly asserts spiritual prosperity and divine purpose.

Valeria Mikhailova about the Russian North

There is a simple way to learn more about life, and about God, about yourself: to see the mountains, the southern starry sky or the northern sea. And precisely the northern one. Without churchkhela, without groups in striped swimsuits - calm, cold and stern.

I saw it for the first time, this sea, on a hike, and it was White. By evening it became clear why this was so: in cloudy weather, closer to sunset or at dawn, the sky and sea become the same color, the horizon line “sinks” into the sea, and it is absolutely impossible to distinguish where the water ends and the sky begins! Everything is white, smooth, cooled milk.

But the point is not at all about “dairy products”. It’s about the feeling of infinity: you look at this vast, calm space... Silence rings in your ears, and the unusual question keeps spinning and spinning in your head: “How? Such power, such breadth - and all this for us?! Little people! In a city where almost everything is hand-made, you don’t feel that everything is created .

The sacred and beautiful, cold and calm White Sea, which stands out with its characteristic outlines on the map of Russia, has given rise to more than one legend.

Not only are the stories about monsters and miracles taken from Scandinavian mythology and Orthodox chronicles of the northern lands interesting. The origin of the name itself is mysterious: scientists are still plagued by doubts why the White Sea is called that.

The White Sea is located in the Arctic Ocean basin. It is deeply “integrated” into the mainland, and therefore lies almost entirely south of the Arctic Circle.

This is partly why the White Sea is considered the warmest of the entire Arctic basin. Relatively small in size, in area it can only compete with Azov (in Russia).

Origin of the name of the White Sea

The most popular version blames the name of the sea on ice, which completely hides the water most of the year.

Under the thick white crust and snow-covered hills, it is difficult to recognize the raging elements. From an airplane, the sea looks like a winding ribbon from a neat apron of a first-grader.

There are two more elegant versions of the origin of the White Sea toponym:

1. The Northern White Sea was considered sacred, so it was given a color that has a light, divine meaning. Initially, the meaning of its name was closely related to the Celestial Sphere.

2. The sea was called white for its fantastic ability to maintain this shade of water at any time of the year.

Even in summer, it reflects the grayish sky, preventing the expanses from taking on the characteristic blue tone.

On other days there is thick fog above the surface. And even a drizzle of rain, smoothly turning into snow, does not change the majestic picture.

One could stop at these beautiful and cold theories, if not for a few ancient legends and scientific facts.

What was the White Sea called before?

The ice-covered reservoir changed its name several times - from Severny and Studeny to Solovetsky (islands with the same name are still located in its waters).

Some peoples called it Calm, others called it not even the sea, but the White Bay.

But the most interesting names it was given by Scandinavian mythology: the Bay of Serpents and the Bay of Monsters (“Gand-vik”, or “Kanda”).

Presumably, their imagination was influenced by the harsh nature of the Arctic Ocean and the serpentine shape of the sea: from above, it resembles a curling ribbon or a curved reptile.

Other "white" seas

White color is a popular solution not only in interior design, but also when choosing a variety of geographical names.

On the map you can find not only “white” spots, but also various rivers, seas and peaks of the same shade.

It is interesting that Lithuanians and Latvians call the Baltic Sea white in their languages. Since ancient times, the word Balt meant the color snow.

Therefore, every self-respecting Baltic has no doubt that Baltijas is White.

There is another sea that has taken on an innocent shade - the Aegean. Only the Greeks call it Aegean.

But the Bulgarians (and other Slavs from the southern shores) still, like centuries ago, are not inferior to them, assuring that the true name of the sea is White. And from here comes another theory as to why the Russian White Sea is called that.

Toponymy from the Mediterranean

There is a version that during the Middle Ages, pilgrims from Russia often visited monasteries in Serbia and Bulgaria. There they could get acquainted with the true White Sea and bring the historical name to their northern latitudes.

Confirmation of this is often found in chronicles, so the version has the right to life. True, historians cannot reliably name the starting point of the toponym, because in some sources the Aegean Sea is called the White Sea, and in others - the Mediterranean.

Why, you ask, was it necessary to borrow other people's names for their native places?

Scientists have an answer: in the Middle Ages, most of the Russian north had pagan names. The sea kept its Scandinavian roots and was called Kanda Bay.

During the period of active pilgrimage, monks from the Solovetsky Islands undertook to “change the picture” in the Orthodox, truly Slavic direction.

But where do you get ideas? Of course, from the source of wisdom - from the Christian lands on the Mediterranean.

This is how Solovki appeared (you won’t believe it!) its own Mount Golgotha, as well as Mount Sinai and Mount Olivet not far from the Pomeranian villages.

And then, on a map dated 1592, the toponym White Sea appeared for the first time.

White Sea

The inland sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean is located off the northern coast of the European part of the Russian Federation and covers an area of ​​90 thousand square meters. km. The White Sea is connected waterways with several more seas - the Baltic, Azov, Caspian and Black, as well as the White Sea-Baltic Canal. In the north it connects with the Barents Sea, with the Gorlo and Voronka straits. There are several large ports on its coast. The most famous of them are Arkhangelsk, Onega and Belomorsk.

The White Sea got its name due to the fact that winter period is covered with a thick layer of ice and resembles a snow-covered white plain stretching over a vast territory. There is also a legend. At a time when the seas were just seas and no names had yet been assigned to them, our ancestors had small ships and went to sea only in good weather, afraid of getting caught in a storm. Seas and sea ​​routes were not yet well studied, but the first travelers had already appeared who devoted themselves to studying them.

Many geographical features They contain color definitions in their names (Yellow Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, etc.). In all cases, these names are completely justified. So in a simple way The White Sea also received its name.

But we can assume that the sea is named for the whitish color of the water, reflecting the northern sky. However, it is possible that the name “White” could mean “northern” in the system of color designations for the countries of the world.

Interestingly, the “White Sea” was first presented on the map of Peter Plancius in 1592. And two years later, the Flemish cartographer Mercator displays on his map not only the Latin name “Album Mare”, but also accompanies it with the Russian “Bella More”.

By the way, according to one version, the Baltic Sea is also “white”, because the name is derived from the Latvian “balts” and the Lithuanian “baltas”, which in both cases means “white”.

The White Sea coast has been inhabited by Russians for a very long time. Basic information about this can be obtained from the Tale of Bygone Years, which states that permanent settlements of Russian Pomor fishermen on the banks of the Northern Dvina and the White Sea appeared no later than the 11th century. For the first half of the 12th century, there is direct documentary evidence of some of these settlements. The ancient Novgorodians were among the first to travel to the “White Lands” (as they called the coasts of the White and Baltic seas, which in those days could be perceived as one sea) and settled there.

Despite the harsh climate, Russian Pomors very quickly developed this territory thanks to the rich forest areas on the shores and islands, which made it easy to rebuild towns and cities, engage in shipbuilding, but most importantly, the White Sea has always been rich in fish and seafood and remains so to this day.