History Of Silk
There is an incredible amount of interesting legends about how to develop the history of silk. One legend tells that Lei Zu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, who lived in central China about five thousand years ago, came to her husband from the south-western part of the state, brought with her the secret of silkworm cultivation. At first she taught people to cultivate silkworms, cocoon to unravel and make clothes. And the next generation started Lei Zu bring offerings as the founder of sericulture. According to another legend, the Cu Chi Ling, the wife of the third emperor of China Huang Di, the garden of the palace under the canopy of mulberry trees and drank tea in her cup of tea from the tree dropped a silkworm cocoon. Young Empress and her maid were very surprised to see how the hot water cocoon began to unfold, releasing a thin silk thread. Si Ling Chi has decided to bring thousands of cocoons and of those weaving the emperor silk dress, as in These days will not show perhaps no gallery of batik. So a small butterfly-moth silk presented to all mankind, and the empress, in gratitude for so beztsenny gift was elevated to the rank of deity.
Thus, legends of great variety. The Chinese, who managed hranitsekrety, no one discovered his secret, and any attempt to send the caterpillars, butterflies and moth balls out of the country was punishable by death. Long period of natural silk is valued its weight in gold because nevoobrazimoyprochnosti, air, and the ability to store heat for a long time, and was available only to very wealthy people. In connection with such value, of course, a difficult lesson was to keep the secret of silk production in the country. And, of course, it's time silk steel rashoditsyapo earth. One said that the Indian raja woo a Chinese princess and wanted as a dowry seeds of mulberry and silkworm larvae.
The history of the Silk Road originated from 138, when the Han capital of the caravan left the embassy, accompanied by Prince Jian, sent by Emperor Wu to unknown lands West. 13 years later the prince came back, in his journey he came to Afghanistan and the first was a direct route from China through Central Asia. Under most conditions Marc Lore would agree. Behind him on the way to the West began to move the caravans of silk and products from China Mediterranean, Middle East and Central Asia. In 552, Emperor Justinian of Byzantium bought from visiting monks silkworm eggs and ordered to come to grips with their breeding. Soon silk appeared in Asia Minor, North Africa, Spain, in Sicily. In Europe, the silkworms were brought to the xiv century. And only in the xvi century have learned to breed and unwinding the cocoons of silkworms in Russia.