10 of the most ordinary things, the origin of which is discouraging

To many things in our daily life we are so accustomed that they no longer think about how many years they exist. Of course, many things since its invention have not changed significantly, but their original purpose can make very surprised. The website offers the reader ten very simple objects, whose origin is confusing!

Treadmill was used for the punishment of criminals

Image source: Listverse.somervuo treadmill built in 1818 the English engineer William Cubbit. It was a wooden cylinder with railings, working on the principle of wheels for hamsters, making walking on it to stay in one place.

These treadmills were established in prisons, where they were used as punishment for prisoners. Soon these tracks were connected to mill grain and pump, using criminals as a cheap source of energy.

Wi-Fi was designed to detect black holes



Wi-Fi technology was invented by physicist John O'sullivan after he read a book by Stephen Hawking about black holes. He decided to prove their existence by sending a radio signal.

For a long time, physics was impossible to realize his idea, but in 1922 joined the company in designing wireless computer networks, things went smoothly. It concatenate its technology with the Wi-Fi network and confirmed that black holes do disappear, sending radio signals.

Gesture with the middle finger first showed the Greek philosopher Diogenes



This rude gesture appeared in the fifth century BC, and its author is considered to be the Greek philosopher Diogenes. He once listened to a bad speech and one person decided to Express their attitude to it only one gesture. The philosopher pulled the middle finger and bent two neighboring, trying to make my hand like the male genitals.

After a while this gesture has even been used in plays, as modern people show him right and left.

Mini Golf appeared because women were considered indecent to play Golf



In 1867 in Scotland opened the first Golf course, to visit which could both men and women. However, the ladies were presented the requirements of decency, and they were not able to raise high hands (this was considered the height of debauchery) and make a strong blow.

In 1912, a group of activists organized the society of lovers of Golf and opened up a field where women could safely play this game.

Animal figures from balloons were originally made for ritual animal sacrifices for the Aztecs



The Aztecs created animal figures from dried and sewn cat guts. After they are inflated and set on fire, sacrificing to their gods. After a long time, namely in 1939 cleaver Henry Maar began to make balloon animals, unaware that copies the sacrifices of the ancient Aztecs.

Shaving body hair started with the crusaders, imitating the Muslims



When in the twenty-first century, European crusaders possessed Jerusalem, the Christians and Muslims visited the public baths. One of the Christians lifted the apron is a Muslim and he noticed that he was clean-shaven. It seemed an interesting man, and he asked the Muslim to shave him and his wife. Since then in the European world, the fashion for hair removal in the intimate area and throughout the body.

Bowling was originally a religious ritual



In fact, bowling originated in Ancient Egypt. In one of the tombs of the Egyptian child, the archaeologists found 9 stones and stone ball that used to play. Much later, in the third century in Germany began to use a similar principle as a sacred ritual.

In the Church the parishioners have established figures of pagan sinners, and then rolled them in a ball. If all the figures were brought down, it meant that they were cleansed from sin. Soon the religious nature of this game has gone and the bowling alley acquired its modern look.

The lettuce came as an aphrodisiac



It is known that lettuce was first cultivated in Egypt in 2860 BC, the Egyptians thought it taste disgusting, but found that the resources allocated from lettuce milk-white liquid contributed to enhancing libido. Then they began to pour the juice of lettuce bottles, having established the world's first production of aphrodisiacs, which increase libido.

Chinese checkers appeared in Germany



"Chinese checkers" based on a British game called "Hoppity". German manufacturer of intellectual games "Ravensburg" created the first Board game "Chinese checkers" in 1892. It has become very popular in its native country and soon spread throughout Europe.

Later, in 1928, the company tried to bring the game in USA, but 10 years after the First world war, Germany was not exactly they the most popular.

Around the same time, the Chinese "Mahjong" just got to the US and was in fashion. So the company decided to pretend that they are from China. Over the fact that the game called "Chinese checkers", although to her trying on other names, such as "Man Dar-In" and "Ching-Ka-Chek".

The candles on the cake on birthday appeared as a tribute to the goddess of the moon



For the first time to place the candles on the birthday cake began in ancient Greece. Every spring they staged a festival during which the women brought gifts of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon. The women had prepared honey cakes and decorated them with candles. Brightly burning candles and symbolized the moon and its light.

via listverse.com/2016/12/19/10-everyday-things-with-totally-unexpected-origins/