The origin of the name Bykov: a legacy of pagan times

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

Until 1632, not everyone in Russia could boast of surnames. But each clan knew its own nickname, which was given for any trait of character or appearance. The origin of the surname Bykov in this context is presented as a sequence: the ancestor of the owner of the surname was endowed with great physical or mystical power and received the nickname Bull; it was assigned to the clan and began to be inherited; after the order to the priests in 1632 to keep metric records, the suffix -ov- was added to the nickname and received the surname Bykov. However, there are other versions of the appearance of this surname.

Details about version 1

The roots of truly Russian surnames, including Bykov, should be sought in pagan times. Then, thanks to the nickname, a lot could be learned about a person. For example, Wolf, Bear or Fox are not only types of predatory mammals, but also a set of certain qualities.

On the wayIt’s better not to become a bear, and you shouldn’t tease him. It is almost impossible to run away from the Wolf, and he goes hunting most often with a pack. The fox can pretend to be anyone, and you will not know his true intentions until he reveals them to you.

As for the Bull, he has great strength, in a rage sweeps away everything in his path; in addition, there are legends about his sensuality, and he does not like to share his girlfriends (to put it mildly). One way or another, but such nicknames constitute the main fund of Slavic surnames, which, according to some information, were additionally strengthened by the worship of the ancient pagan god of the same name. Thus, a double influence is seen in the origin of the Bykov surname: the qualities of a totem animal were combined with the power of a pagan god.

After the spread of Christianity, the situation with nicknames has not changed much. Or rather, everything remained in its place: newborns were given names in accordance with the holy calendar, and relatives and friends continued to name a person according to their family nickname.

The Metropolitan of Kyiv Petro Mohyla in 1632 decided to eradicate this order and obliged priests to keep metrical lists at baptism or other significant event. Things moved forward, but not quite as planned: the suffix -ov- was simply added to the nickname, so that the descendants would know what their distant ancestors were famous for.

Rolan Bykov

No matter how old you are, but at least once you probably watchedfeature film "The Adventures of Pinocchio". And you also remember the cat Basilio with the fox Alice.

So: this cunning rogue was played by a wonderful Soviet director and actor Bykov. It is impossible to imagine the cinema of the USSR without him: he created vivid and memorable images. This was especially true for children's films: "Scarecrow", "Crown of the Russian Empire, or Elusive Again", "Aibolit-66", "About Little Red Riding Hood", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn" - this is not a complete list of films in which Rolan Bykov took part. To the origin of the surname he bore, the attitude of the actor remained unknown. However, his character was quite consistent with historical roots: independence and the ability to defend his principles were in his blood.

Moldavian dark-skinned woman

Another actor Bykov - Leonid. He not only played roles, but also wrote scripts, and is also known as a director. His most famous work, not only as an actor, but also as a director, was the film "Only Old Men Go to Battle".

Leonid Bykov also took part in writing the script for this film, which became part of the golden fund of Soviet cinematography.

From his early works, we should mention the film "Maxim Perepelitsa", released on screens in 1955. At the initiative of the International Astronomical Union, one of the minor planets in honor of the artist is called "Bulls".

According to the memories of friends, Leonidwas ready to sacrifice a lot in the name of justice and was guided in his actions by high moral principles. How can one not remember the ancient Slavic nicknames…

Jewish roots of the surname

You will be surprised, but there is such a version of the origin of the name Bykov. The original word is a concept from the Torah, where the expression "Behor Shor" means "first-born ox".

When translating the surname Shor (meaning "bull") from Hebrew into East Slavic languages, the form corresponding to the pagan nickname was first formed. Then it was transformed into a surname with the suffix -ov-.

And in its original version, the Shor family goes back to the family of rabbis, known since the Middle Ages. They are mentioned in French sources of the 12th century, and are also known in Moravia and Galicia as church leaders.

Thus, according to this version, the founder of the Bykov dynasty was Yosef ben Yitzhak Behor Shor, whose surname is translated from Hebrew into Russian. Accordingly, the origin of the name Bykov is Jewish.

Women's issue

According to statistics, the prevalence of the surname Bykov is in 82nd place out of 100 among the surnames that are considered to be descended from pagan nicknames.

This indicates that at a deep level the Russian ethnos remains connected with its pre-Christian roots. The role of the subconscious in this context has not yet been sufficiently studied, but some observations suggest that names and surnames influencepersonality behavior through sound vibrations.

The meaning of Bykov's surname in the context of the issue of origin can have the following explanation: if we refer to the original nickname Byk, then "the one that belonged to him" could well be called "Bykova". And later, when all citizens of the Russian Empire acquired surnames, this became the female version of the original male form.