Korochun

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Koročun or Kračun (see other variants below) is one of the names of

Eastern European languages, and also to the holiday of Christmas
.

Names and etymology

Max Vasmer derived the name of the holiday from the Proto-Slavic *korčunŭ, which is in turn derived from the verb *korčati, meaning to step forward.[1] Gustav Weigand, Alexandru Cihac [ro] and Alexandru Philippide offer a similar Slavic etymology, based on kratŭkŭ (curt, short) or kračati (to make steps).[2] On the other hand, Hugo Schuchardt, Vatroslav Jagić, and Luka Pintar [sl] proposed a Romanian origin of the word,[3][4][5] as does also the Romanian Etymological Dictionary,[2] tracing its roots back to the Latin creatio,-nis. However, most probably the Romanian word, as well as the Hungarian, are loanwords with Slavic roots.[6]

Religious and mythological significance

Koročun or Kračun was a pagan

Black God and other spirits associated with decay and darkness were most potent. The first recorded usage of the term was in 1143, when the author of the Novgorod First Chronicle referred to the winter solstice as "Koročun".[1][3]

It was celebrated by pagan

].

Modern

evil spirit that shortens life.[1][3][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Max Vasmer, Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language, Корочун.
  2. ^ a b Romanian Etymological Dictionary, Crăciun
  3. ^ a b c Archiv für Slavische Philologie, 1886, Vol XI, pp. 526–7.
  4. ^ Archiv für Slavische Philologie, Vol II, p. 610.
  5. ^ a b Archiv für Slavische Philologie, 1912, Vol XXXIII, pp. 618-22.
  6. .