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| "Black" As A Historical Word |
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The origin of the word "black" is unknown. For the ancient Greeks it was associated with the result of a blaze-i.e. the black of burned things; "to burn with black smoke" or "to burn black with smoke." "BLACK" (Fr. Noir; Ger. Schwars) is popularly regarded as a distinct color, and, like white, for all practical purposes it is technically not a color but rather the absence of color.
Some define it as an achromatic color (the absence of color) of minimum brilliance which constitutes the extreme lower limit of the gray series. Thus, the arousal of black often depends upon contrast effects, meaning it must be surrounded by a background of relative high brilliance before it can be perceived as black. Black evokes un-stimulated or minimally stimulated portions of the retina under certain conditions. A black object is one that absorbs all or nearly all the light waves while white reflects it. In one African mythology the people who ate the liver of the first ox killed became the forbears of the black race. Ancient pagans sacrificed black cattle to the infernal deities. From this came the Black Ox which symbolizes old age, and ill luck. In Ancient Egypt, black was the color of resurrection and eternal life, perhaps because new life was seen as emerging from the darkness-a concept related to the black mud of the Nile which brought life to the delta each year. They associated black with the mother goddess and with fertility; and sometimes when linked to red, the color of blood. Black Doves in Egyptian religion denote the priestesses of the goddess Isis. Early Egyptians, while fearing red and brown cats, believed-perhaps the most famous of all superstitions--that Black Cats had divine powers and were also frequently associated with the occult practices of witches. However, a totally black cat was believed by the Ancient Egyptians to be one their most important goddesses (i.e. Bast-the Black Madonna). The Egyptian Ptah was the master blacksmith. Perhaps this is the reason why in India's Rig Veda, the creator of the world is a blacksmith. In other places the blacksmith is equivalent to the accursed poet and the despised prophet. The Western Blacksmith is a smith that works in iron and is so called from being very smutty. In ancient Europe the word "Blackish, meant an inclining to black or somewhat black. Later it was thought of as a form of "dark" and then "turbid" and then "swarthy." In China, black has been a symbol of good and represents the feminine principle (Yin), with its opposite being yellow. It is the color of rich earth and thus a sign of fertility. Since ancient times the Black Belt in the martial arts of judo or karate has equated to the wearer having reached a prescribed level of competence. Black as a symbol of power and authority is an emblem of the Caliphate in the 1st century AD. In Chaucer's day (1340-1400) black referred to smearing with ink or smut. At that time, black symbolized strength and, for a perceptive few, became the color of dignity, elegance, and sophistication. Judicial robes, tuxedos, and the basic little black dress have been proving this for years. Amerindians have always painted their bodies black when they showed bravery. Otherwise, in its proper usage "BLACK" has been present in multiple fields. Examples: Black light refers to invisible ultraviolet or infrared radiation used mainly for fluorescent effects and photography in the dark. Black box is so named because it contains "secret" equipment-- and black is a more mysterious color. The Black tie is shorthand for men's "semiformal evening dress."
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