Where did the expression “blue blood of aristocrats” come from? Phraseologism "blue blood" - origin, history, meaning

It is customary to apply an expression to people with an aristocratic appearance and refined manners that is incomprehensible even to modern native speakers - “ blue blood" Young people understand what this idiom means only associatively, but the mature generation is unlikely to be able to clearly explain it.

Aristocrats

Everyone has heard or used such an expression as “blue blood” at least once in their life. Sometimes it defines a very skeptical attitude or isolation from the general mass of certain individuals who have a set of characteristics that explicitly or implicitly, objectively or subjectively force them to be placed separately among many, or about persons of noble family and origin related to an old aristocratic family . The expression does not at all mean the excellent color of the blood cells flowing in the veins of these objects, however, the history of the origin of this catchphrase associated specifically with the structure of the blood. It has long been known that persons of noble blood, as a rule, were distinguished by their boilingly white skin color; even a light tan was the lot of laborers and peasants. It is implied that in the veins similar subjects the blood flows with an unnatural bluish tint, which gives them a similar, different color from the usual one.

The expression blue blood has Spanish and French roots.

Knights

According to another version, medieval knights those of particularly noble origin did not spill a drop of the noble substance at knightly tournaments, precisely because of its special properties and blueness. Even the Inquisition treated people with such an anomaly with deep respect and fear, saying that such colors symbolize certain heavenly forces.

Blue blood in nature

Blue blood is also found in nature, because the color of blood is determined by nothing other than its composition. Blue blood is often found in representatives marine fauna, spiders, crustaceans, this trait is due to a special substance hemocyanin, which, unlike humans, has a copper-containing blue pigment.

Kyanetics is what scientists call people with such a natural anomaly.

Blood cells that have a reddish tint in the veins of these people acquire a blue color due to the increased copper content, which does not in any way affect the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. According to statistics, there are no more than seven thousand such individuals, their blood has a grayish or purple tint, and this fact is more an exception than a rule, which is why the expression blue blood is a phrase more likely with figurative meaning, rather than the direct meaning.

To the question Where did the expression “blue blood” come from? Why do they say about aristocrats that they have “blue blood”? given by the author Alla Ivanova the best answer is that fools say this: the expression “blue blood”, which, as you know, denotes high origin and belonging to an aristocratic circle, came to us from Spain, where in ancient times thin, white skin, through which bluish skin showed through, was considered a sign of nobility blood vessels. At the beginning of the 18th century, the aristocrats of the province of Castile called themselves this, proud that their ancestors were not related to the Moors and other dark-skinned people.

Those who are a little smarter: Biogeneticist Ya. V. Samoilov (student of V. I. Vernadsky) expressed the idea that hemoglobin in the blood is the result of the evolutionary development of humanity. Hemoglobin is five times better than hemocyanin at carrying oxygen, a vital function for the body. Hemocyanin is a special substance in which one oxygen molecule binds to two copper atoms, which causes the blood to turn blue and fluorescence to occur. It colors the blood in a special, “royal” color. Those with “blue blood” were considered heavenly people, and later - aristocrats. Samoilov suggested that the functions of iron on early stages Development could be carried out by copper, as well as vanadium. And then nature selected hemoglobin during evolution as a “transfer” of oxygen from higher organisms. But, nevertheless, she did not completely abandon copper, and for some animals and plants she made it completely indispensable.
Kyanetics are people whose blood is dominated by copper. This blood has a purple and blue tint. It is believed that they are more tenacious and viable compared to ordinary “red-blooded”: microbes are supposedly “broken” against their copper cells, and the blood has better clotting. That is why historical chronicles describe knights wounded in battles, but not bleeding. We were talking about kyanetics.
It is believed that the term "blue blood" as an expression of "aristocratism" appeared in Europe in the 18th century, and came from Spain, more precisely from Castile, and more specifically from the Basques, who were annexed to this historical region.
But this expression has more ancient roots. And in the Middle Ages it was known about “blue blood”, which was considered heavenly. Special meaning it was given to it by priests and the Inquisition. The chronicles of a Catholic monastery in the Spanish city of Vitoria record an incident that occurred with one executioner. This executioner with a big " practical experience"was sent to this monastery to beg terrible sin- he executed a man who, as it turned out, was a carrier of “blue blood”. The inquisitorial court rendered a verdict - the executed victim was completely innocent, since people with blood the color of divine heaven cannot be sinners.

Answer from Samurai East[guru]
Blood contains more copper impurities. Hence it is bluish. Mostly those who eat properly are vegetarians. The body is well-groomed and in order. And in ancient times only the elite could use this.

Answer from Bogdan Kovalev[guru]
There is a lot of copper in the blood, like in cephalopods... Russians have red blood and are different from all others...

Answer from Heru_vim[guru]
According to ancient beliefs, the gods (aka aliens) had blue blood..

Answer from Now Malcolm himself. Yeah.[guru]
The young lady's skin is white, the wreaths are blue. The peasants are tanned and coarse.

Answer from GHOST and SHADOW[guru]
Blue blood, as a verbal expression of “aristocratism,” appeared in the European lexicon not so long ago - in the 18th century. The most common version is that this aphorism originates from Spain, and more specifically, from the Spanish province of Castile. This is what the arrogant Castilian grandees called themselves, demonstrating pale skin with visible bluish veins. Like liquid blood under thin skin.

Answer from Yuslik Suslikov[guru]
The blood is red, but with bluish tint(a special chemical composition of blood with a predominance of elements that determine color), it was inherent in a certain race of people, whose ancestors were pharaohs, princes, kings and kings. Of course, not all nobles had blue blood; many occupied the throne of the king and became aristocrats not by right of inheritance, but as a result of intrigues, intrigues, bribery and wars. For example, Tsar Ivan the Terrible had “blue blood” as a descendant of Rurik, but the Swedish king did not have such blood and did not trace a pedigree from “blue blood” ancestors.

Answer from My name is Harlequin[guru]
Are you referring to blue people? In the 18th century they were called green.

Blue Bloods on Wikipedia
Check out the Wikipedia article about Blue Bloods

Each person, to one degree or another, tries to express his individuality, his difference from other members of society, and sometimes even demonstrate some kind of superiority. The expression blue blood in a person has long become a metaphor and perfectly characterizes people who consider themselves head and shoulders above the rest, endowed with special privileges. Scientists suggest that the expression is not unfounded: people with blue blood really exists. In addition, people and carriers of the “blue blood” disease - hemophilia can include themselves as owners of a unique natural combination of genes.

The blue color of blood is not unusual in nature. There are a lot of blue-blooded representatives in the animal world. In humans, the respiratory pigment is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to tissues. The compound is based on iron, which gives blood its red color. Thus, in squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish, hemocyanin, which contains copper, is used as a respiratory blood pigment. Pure copper is dark orange in color, but its compounds have a bluish-greenish tint (you can recall the blue powder of copper sulfate for treating plants against pests). It is the copper-containing compound that gives the blue color to the blood of animals. Such blue blood is also found in representatives of crustaceans, centipedes, snails and spiders.

Appearance on Globe Prospectors associate people with blue blood with the popularity of copper products in ancient times. Women wore massive copper jewelry and ate food from copper utensils, as a result of which the metal accumulated in the body, which affected the color of the blood of the woman's unborn child. was partially replaced by copper and acquired a bluish-purple color.

Blue blood is credited extraordinary properties: it clots quickly and is practically not susceptible to disease, since copper is a strong antiseptic. Historical sources contain written evidence of military battles between English knights and the Saracens, who occurred in the middle of the 12th century. Even with numerous wounds, the noble knights did not suffer large blood loss, that is, it was increased.

On this moment Scientists' opinions are divided. Some consider blue blood to be a special adaptive element of evolution, its separate reserve branch, and claim that there are about 5-7 thousand people with blue blood living on Earth. They are called kyanetics. When unfavorable conditions and cataclysms, it is the kyanetics who will be able to survive and give life to subsequent generations.

Another part of the researchers suggests that “blue-bloodedness” is the result of a rare combination of genes and belongs to a group of orphan (rare and poorly studied) diseases in which deviations in the genetic code occur with a probability of 1 case in 5,000 people and much less frequently.

The term “blue blood” itself is widely used from Spain. Noble people were very proud of the pale, sometimes bluish color of their skin, carefully protecting it from tanning, and themselves from marriage ties with dark-skinned Moors. Rich, pale-skinned aristocrats did not have to work under the scorching rays of the sun, struggling to earn their own food.

Later, the concept of blue blood was further strengthened thanks to. Hereditary blood incoagulability - classic example recessive, sex-linked inheritance of pathology in a closed population. On the pedigree of the descendants of Queen Victoria - a carrier of the hemophilia gene - students medical universities study genetics.

Women are carriers of the hemophilia gene, but men are affected.

It was believed that in order to maintain the family, marriages in the royal environment should be concluded among a narrow circle of selected persons. However, this statement did not justify itself: men from the family of Queen Victoria suffered from hemorrhages, any or a lump was life-threatening. In addition, in closely related marriages, a lot of genetic defects appear, leading to the appearance of infertile descendants and degeneration of the family.

Among the rarest (“blue”) is the fourth negative – no more than 5% of the Earth’s population. One might think that having such a rare group, its owners should suffer from large blood losses - it is difficult for them to choose. In fact, the opposite is true: in critical cases, when it is impossible to carry out a group-to-group transfusion, representatives of the fourth group will benefit from the blood of all other groups - for this they are called ideal recipients.

Arterial and venous blood

There are different views on the evolution of blood group differences. The rare fourth blood group is considered the youngest, appearing only 1500-2000 years ago. As a result of crossing the genes of the second (A) and, a fourth group with the genetic code AB arose. However, there are supporters of the opposite opinion: supposedly the fourth blood group was originally inherent in all ancient people and even their ancestors - great apes.

In the process of evolution, the fourth group split and gave rise to branches of different groups. Latest version is supported by the theory of ontogenesis, which states that a person, in the process of intrauterine development, repeats all stages of evolution. Indeed, while in the womb, the fetus has a common fourth blood group for up to three months, and only later does differentiation into the remaining groups occur.

The same theory applies to people with blue blood. The researchers found that in the process of respiration and the supply of oxygen to tissues, copper and vanadium ions initially predominated. Later the organism evolved, iron ions showed best opportunities for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Blue blood remained among mollusks as a necessary adaptive element, since they do not have a branched circulatory system and imperfect thermoregulation. Without precise dosing of oxygen portions by copper ions, these animals would have died out long ago. Now copper plays an irreplaceable role in the process of intrauterine development of the human fetus during the formation of the hematopoietic system, its role is also important in adults, and blue blood among some representatives of humanity has remained as an atavism.

It should be noted that even the most ordinary person blood has different shades. When oxygen is enriched in the lungs, arterial blood becomes bright scarlet, saturated with carbon dioxide, and has a dark cherry color.

Every medical professional should know this fact for adequate first aid for injuries and bleeding.

Some nutritionists suggest shaping your diet according to your blood type.

Initially, ancient people obtained food by hunting animals. In that historical period prevailed, which is why the owners of the first group are called “hunters”. Their diet should be dominated by meat products– a source of proteins, fatty acids and amino acids. For food purposes, you need to use “ripened” meat, after keeping it at a low positive temperature. At the same time, its fermentation occurs and positive changes in its taste, aroma and structure occur, and digestibility improves.

With the transition to sedentary image life and the emergence of agriculture appeared. Its representatives are recommended to introduce predominantly vegetarian products into their diet. Vegetables are a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and contain a lot of magnesium, potassium and iron. Dietary fiber and organic acids of vegetables play important role in digestion.

The third blood group is the descendants of livestock breeders. It will be useful to use milk and dairy products in their diet; they are low in calories, stimulate the functioning of the kidneys, intestines, etc. It is the main source of calcium.

Nutritionists advise representatives of the rarest fourth blood group to make up their meals from fermented milk products, seafood and vegetables. Fermented milk products are rich in lactic acid, which has beneficial influence on the intestinal flora, and also contribute to the production of B vitamins. Seafood (mussels, squid, oysters) contain complete proteins, vitamins and are low in calories.

Regardless of blood type and color, a person’s diet should be rational and balanced. The approximate daily calorie content should not exceed 2800-3000 kcal, and for overweight people - no more than 1700-1800 kcal. You should avoid eating fatty, spicy, fried foods and alcohol too often. You need to drink up to 2 liters of water per day.

Classes physical exercise necessary for the health of every person. The optimal load is 3-4 classes per week. Walking and jogging are very good. You should choose a jogging route away from roadways, dusty streets and industrial areas. It is best to run and walk in a park where there are many trees. This way the blood will be saturated with oxygen, and not with harmful emissions from highway. The load should be increased gradually, depending on how you feel.

Swimming is also useful - it increases the vital capacity of the lungs. Aerobics gives flexibility to the figure, and rhythmic cardio exercises (for example, jumping rope, shaping) strengthen the heart muscle.

Intimate life

It is believed that people with the same blood groups feel their kinship on a subconscious level and emotional contact arises between them, which can lead to close relationships.

Representatives of the first and second blood groups are impatient, prone to competition, leaders by nature, including in intimate life, and the third and fourth are softer, open and flexible, but sometimes they are impulsive. It's all about regulation in the body. People of the first two blood groups have a longer period of removal of stress hormones – adrenaline and noradrenaline – from the blood than others. Differences in emotionality can have an impact on close relationships. Interestingly, same-sex marriages are most often created by people with the rarest fourth blood group.

Education

It has been noticed that people with the first blood group more often choose professions where they can show leadership: managers, bank workers, politicians. The second is characterized by stable, orderly work of a librarian, accountant, and programmer. Holders of the third group are always on the lookout and more often receive education as a journalist, military man, hairdresser, or cook. The best professions For creative representatives of the fourth group, they become a designer, director, and writer.

The success and position of a person often does not depend on what blood group and color he has, but everything comes from his own desire live bright full life, develop, learn and achieve your goals.

Video - About the blue blood type in some people:

2014-11-18
When we say Blue Bloods, we mean people of royal descent. Documentedly, this term originated in 1834 in Spain. There is a myth that this phrase describes a condition caused by a rare genetic defect that was endemic to the royal families of Europe, due to their habit of marrying only into members of other European noble families. This interbreeding led to the development of a disease called "hemophilia", which in turn gave rise to the phrase "blue blood".

Queen Victoria was indeed genetically prone to hemophilia. She received the nickname "Grandmother of Europe", thanks to the large number of children and grandchildren in royal houses throughout Europe. All this contributed to the spread of this gene.

A significant drawback of this theory is that hemophilia does not make the blood blue. It simply means that the body lacks certain substances in the blood that help blood clot. Depending on the type of hemophilia, the blood may clot so slowly that it is actually equivalent to not clotting at all. Queen Victoria's son Leopold died in 1884 after a fall, normal person I would have gotten away with just a bump on my head; but due to his hemophilia, he died within a few hours due to a massive brain hemorrhage.

The second theory of the origin of the term “blue blood” originates from the Spanish expression “Sangre Azul” (literally “blue blood”), the Spanish nobility had white, untanned skin, through which blue veins were clearly visible, in contrast to the dark skin of the Moors. Tanning was a sign of laborers who spent a lot of time outdoors.

Why do veins appear blue? Blood has a limited range of colors from bright red to deep burgundy, depending on the level of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Arteries are located deep inside the body, and carry oxygen to the organs; veins run close to the surface, which makes the veins more visible. Since the skin has a low melanin content, veins appear blue to us.

The third theory involves silver, one of the most powerful antibacterial substances in nature. Silver was very common among the nobility: forks, spoons, knives, cups, plates, etc. The very high use of silver in food and drink means that a large number of ionic and colloidal silver. High silver consumption causes high resistance to bacterial infection. However, it can also cause Argyria. Symptoms of which are blue skin and blue color of veins and arteries.

We cannot say for sure which theory is correct: the gene hypothesis, the skin color theory, or silver is to blame. Perhaps all of them are correct to some extent and together gave the name to the term “blue blood”.

Where did the expression "blue blood" come from?

During the dawn of the aristocracy, sunbathing was not accepted. Commoners and slaves who worked under the scorching sun were tanned. Aristocrats were not tanned, hiding from the direct rays of the sun in the shade. Blue blood vessels-veins stood out clearly on their white skin. This is where the name “man of blue blood” comes from.

Probably blue - in the sense of pure, sublime, like blue sky, like a rainbow on it... Who knows what the color blue was associated with in those days...

I once watched mysterious stories on REN TV. They said that at one time a group of people with blue blood emerged. Presumably their ancestors were the Atlanteans, then the Indians, and from them all over the world a new variety of people with blue blood. Blue the color of the blood is due to the fact that instead of hemoglobin (iron) they have copper and therefore the blood is blue. Moreover, this difference was considered a sign of divine origin and such people were chosen as monarchs, and in the monarchy interbreeding marriages (incest) were relevant to preserve blue blood, which , subsequently led to the extinction of the species and to this day there are no people left with blue blood.

This is a metaphorical name for the aristocracy, as they carried umbrellas to protect their snow-white skin from the sun and premature aging. And on white skin, veins are clearly visible, which glow blue. That is why it seemed that the blood of the aristocracy was not red, like that of the common people, but blue, since blue is a symbol of nobility and high position in society.

People with blue blood really exist. They are called kyanetics. There are very few of them. Only the color of their blood is not blue, but bluish-purple. The blood cells of these people contain copper, not iron, like others. Previously, kyanetics were born to women who constantly wore expensive copper jewelry, which symbolized their belonging to the highest strata of society. Perhaps on the basis of this, the belief about aristocrats as people with blue blood was formed.

The matter is very old. According to historical documents, the Spanish The Royal Family and other nobility were very proud of the fact that, unlike the commoners, they traced their ancestry back to the West Goths ( ancient tribe such) and never (allegedly) mixed their blood with the Moors, who periodically went to fight Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned majority of their subjects, who spent immeasurably more time in the sun, blue veins stood out on their pale skin, and therefore they pompously called themselves blue blood. Hence this expression for designating the blue-blooded aristocracy penetrated into many other languages, including Russian.