Ziga - Zaga! What the fans are screaming. Zig Highley and Zig-Zaga

Fans

I started writing this material quite a long time ago. About a month ago, I was driving with a friend in a traffic jam on Krasnaya. Between Ofitserskaya and Gavrilova, near the Aurora cinema, an old Golf was rolling in the next row, with the inscription “Ziga-Zaga” on it.

What is "zig-zag"? - asked my friend

Well... this is a sun greeting or some kind of chant. I don't know exactly. Common among football fans. That’s what they say, at least,” I answered him, and then showed this greeting.

Listen, what are you telling me? This is what the fascists do. What does football have to do with it? And what does the sun have to do with it? Is he a fascist? Come on, squeeze the boy. I want him to tell me in detail about all these zigzags...

Come on, he'll say the same thing I said. It's just a fan...

We drove on and, of course, I didn’t stop. It wouldn't lead to anything. But I wondered, where did “zig-zag” even come from? It would be more correct to say that I thought about several questions: where did the “zig-zag” come from in football, what do the salutations of Mussolini’s and Hitler’s soldiers, the sun salute and the “zig-zag” have in common, and, finally, where did it come from in our stadiums?

Krasnodar is a very multinational city. Multinational not in the sense that there are many “just arrived” guests of Kuban, but in the fact that we have had different nationalities living side by side for a very long time. And probably because of this, fortunately, you won’t meet activists of various “brown” parties and movements here. I’m a rare guest at the Kuban stadium, but, as far as I know, they don’t “zig” at this stadium. So based on mine personal experience or the experience of my friends, I could not find the answer to these questions. Well, let's look for answers in history. The next day I went to my once boring, and upon completion of my studies, my favorite, Kubansky State University. I have a friend who is a history teacher there, and most importantly, he is interested in the history of the Second World War and everything that is connected with it in one way or another. He, like me, is a football fan, and an experienced one at that. Moscow has been rooting for Spartak for many years. He was also interested in this question, and this is what he answered me:

“In my time this was not the case. I don’t remember any “from the heart to the sun”. As for this gesture, it is generally accepted that the greeting appeared en masse during the Roman Empire. And then Mussolini revived it. People need symbols. This gesture, black shirts... Hitler also understood this very well, so he adopted the symbolism, only changing the color of the shirts to brown. But since we want to conduct a reliable comparative analysis, we need to delve into the books. And we also need the help of one of my friends. Although he is not a fan, he is also a historian, and specializes in ancient Slavic culture.”

I haven’t started something with such interest for a very long time. I didn’t set out to reach a verdict in one direction or another. There was a desire to study the issue from all sides and present you with the basic facts. And I decided to keep the conclusions I made to myself. Not because I don’t want to indicate my position. My position is very clear: if “zig-zag” is in some way connected with something “brown”, then I don’t want to see it in stadiums, no matter how beautiful “sunny” screens it is covered with. Without hesitation, I added a plus sign.

But whether “Ziga” has anything to do with this dirt, please decide for yourself. Why? Now I'll try to explain. As you already understand, the issue has been studied extremely thoroughly. And from the position of ancient Slavic culture, and from the position of fascist Italy and Germany, and, of course, from the position that “zig” is a purely football phenomenon. I spent a lot of time on numerous historical and football resources on the Internet, read discussions about this on a huge number forums, both football and non-football, carefully studied books about ancient Slavic culture, and even delved into the symbolism of the Lusatian culture, read the “Slavic Runes” by Anton Platov, read “Hitler’s Table Talks” by Hugh Trevor-Roper, “Benito Mussolini: A Biography" by Christopher Hobbert. I was looking not just for references to the gesture, but also for the meaning attached to it all.

And do you know why I will not present my conclusions to your court? If I had set out to write an article in the vein that “zig-zag” is a purely football phenomenon, then it would have turned out great! If the goal had been to completely connect the gesture with fascism, then the material would also have been interesting. If you set a goal to connect the “zig-zag” with ancient Slavic culture, with Slavic runes, then... you guessed it? That's right, the result would be an excellent, kind article. Supporters of each of the three versions can safely write a very smart post. Unsubstantiated, based on reliable facts, etc. And I am not a supporter of either version. I wanted to find answers to my questions for myself. And I suggest you do the same. Therefore, we will do this: in the first paragraph I will outline historical references to the gesture, in the second about what is called “ziza-zaga”.

1. Historical references to the gesture

Many people think that the gesture first became widespread during the Roman Empire. And then it was called saluto romano. Many people believe in this version, but there are only two facts on which it is based. The first is the images on Trajan's Column. This column, an architectural monument located in Rome, on the Capitoline Hill, was created by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus in 113 AD. e. in honor of the victory of the Roman Emperor Trajan over the ancient Romanian tribes (Dacians). It was noticed that on the column people greet each other by throwing their hands up.

The second fact is the story of the ancient Roman writer-historian Titus Livy about three brothers going to fight and swearing an oath to their father “not one step back.” This moment reproduced in his painting “The Oath of the Horatii” by the 18th century French artist Jacques Louis David

But there is no information at all that the gladiators greeted Caesar this way, except for numerous film adaptations of the 20th century. There are references to Roman legionaries greeting Caesar in a book by the Italian writer Gabriele d'Annunzio. But this is not a historical work. I repeat, he is a writer, not a historian.

Let's move on. According to historians Christopher Hibbert and Richard Collier, each of whom published a work on Mussolini, it was from the book of Gabriele d'Annunzio that the Duce copied this gesture. “Duce” believed that soldiers needed symbolism. And then the gesture was adopted by Adolf Hitler.

It is known that our Slavic ancestors had a similar greeting. All Slavs, not only those who are the ancestors of Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians. The hand pressed to the heart was straightened forward with an open palm. They didn’t throw it up (not a word about that), but straightened it out. This is how they greeted the sun. “From the heart to the sun” - a gesture aimed at releasing energy. This is, so to speak, a “good greeting.” When meeting an enemy or before battles, the gesture was not used. The gesture symbolized, first of all, openness. But I didn’t find out which side the palm was turned. Didn't find any information. If it's open, I'll assume it's palm up. But this is my conclusion, which may be erroneous.

These are the main versions that deserve attention. The rest is highly questionable. And the existence of a similar Rot Front gesture among internationalists in Germany in late XIX centuries, and so on.

2. “Zig-zag” and football.

“Zig-zag” or Zigger Zagger comes from the name of an English theatrical production of the 60s (more precisely, 1967) called “Ziger-Zager”. This play addressed the issue of football hooliganism. Afterwards, at the dawn of the hooligan movement, all the top companies in England began to charge “zig-zag” (Zigger Zagger oi oi oi) at stadiums, and this charge has no Nazi or racist meaning. At the same time, Zigger Zagger is a song by Peter Terson about football hooligans and their drinking habits. According to one version, Stoke fans were the first to use this charge, since Terson himself was from there. According to another, Manchester United fans who went to the Olympic Games to Rome in 1960. They heard German fans chanting “Zicken zacken” and copied it at Old Trafford, adding “oh oh oh.” Some Chelsea fans claim that this chant was actually invented by Mike Greenway, a very respected London fan at one time. club.

Laurel Aitken - The Zigger Zagger Song

But I didn’t find anything where it was mentioned that the chant was accompanied by a characteristic gesture. As for the consonance between the fascist “Sieg Heil” and “Sieg Oy,” this is precisely the question that gives rise to controversy. I found answers to almost all the questions I asked at the beginning of the text. I found out where this gesture came from. I found out what zig-zag is. But I did not find an answer to the question of where this came from in our stadiums, and what meaning those who began chanting and gesticulating intended.

There are many versions and disputes. The most common one is that Martin Gorak, Zenit defender, started everything. This is how he celebrated the victory over Lokomotiv in 2004. Then an article about it appeared in Petrovich and off we went.

Copy-paste of this version is available on all forums where the topic of “zig” is discussed. I usually have a hard time believing numerous copy-paste stories. In addition, in the Czech Republic they chant “Chigi-Tsaga”, and Martin Horak chanted “Chigi-Tsaga”. But the chant could have changed? She could. And it’s not an argument that copy-paste people can’t be trusted. Just doubts because large number people claim that “Ziga” appeared in Russian stadiums earlier.

Some claim that Spartak fans started back in 2002, some that it started even earlier, with people like those who posted “Grandfather 120”. And that they chanted not “Zig-Oy”, but “Zig Heil”. In addition, the picture is complemented by numerous interviews (not articles by journalists, but official interviews) representatives of the DNPI and others who say that at their marches and rallies it is not the fascists who shout “Sieg Heil”, but the fans who support their policies and shout “Zieg Oy”. Why do they shout “zig-zag” and “zig-oh” at radical rallies? nationalist organizations, not related to football at all? I don't understand.

In general, I need your help here. Tell me, express your opinion. Both supporters of the “zig” and opponents. If you “zig,” then what meaning do you put into this gesture? And is there any meaning to this gesture at all, or is it just to shout or because it has become fashionable? If you don’t “zig”, then how do you feel about those who “zig”?

Your attention was presented to information that I collected together from all possible sources. My article does not advocate for either this or that. But personally, I won’t “zig.” Yes, the gesture carries a lot of energy. And this is especially necessary at the stadium. It’s just that, for me, the gesture is so polluted by the events of the first half of the 20th century that even despite the fact that our ancestors did this, the absolute majority still associate it with fascism.

It is very good when we remember the traditions of people who lived thousands of years ago, but it is more important to remember those who lived among us quite recently and are living now. For my grandfather, who went through the war, “Zig-oh” is “sieg-heil”, and “from heart to sun” is “long live the Fuhrer”. He's right or wrong - it doesn't matter to me. Out of respect for him, I will not “zig.” But I won’t judge those who “zig.” Again, unless the meaning in this message is “brown”, which I really hope it is.

Alexander Grairovich

There are a lot of assumptions about... when, by whom and why the charge "Ziga! - Oh! - Zaga! - Oh! - Zig-zag, zig-zag! - Oh! Oh! Oh!" appeared. and I decided to wander around various sites and find out where it all came from. After looking, I realized that nothing specific is clear about the origins of “Ziga”.
And here are several versions of all this:

1. Nationalist.
Many people associate the “zig-zag” with the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil!”, which was banned in many countries after World War II. (Sieg Heil which translates as "Long live victory!") however this is not the case, although it would be logical for the fans to demand victory from their team.
Also, “Zig-zag”, which is very similar to “zig-zag”, was used by the SS troops for their emblem. But the obvious fact is that the SS troops had ancient runes on their shoulder straps - in particular the zig rune, which means victory, and even if “zig” came from Seig, then the origin of the words “zag” or “zaga” cannot be from German, therefore, this fact cannot relate to the zig-zag charge - implausible.

2. "Cultural"
“Zig-zag” or Zigger Zagger comes from the name of an English theatrical production of the 60s (more precisely 1967) called “Ziger-Zager”. This play touched on the problem of football hooliganism. Afterwards, at the dawn of the hooligan movement, all the top companies in England began to charge “zig-zag” (Zigger Zagger oi oi oi) at stadiums, and this charge has no Nazi or racist meaning.
Meanwhile, Zigger Zagger is a song by Peter Terson (written for the National Youth Theatre) about football hooligans and their habits of drinking, promiscuous sex, always being involved in some kind of trouble, and the example of violence between young men, people in to a greater extent working class, represents their, so to speak, sad way of life and their attempt to escape from it. Ironically, Zigger Zagger is a song about escaping the bully lifestyle. It is said that Stoke fans were the first to use this charge, since Terson himself was from there.

3. "Ratchet People"
Zigger Zagger is a rattle sound that was very popular during the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England. Later, when support began to be based not on the use of improvised means, the “zig-zag” chant became very popular in the stands of Britain and replaced that very ratchet. Maybe a fan with a ratchet, that is, an active one, is a little more than just a fan - and the fan is called a Sieger-sager. Ratchet or not, that's what fans are called in the UK.

4. Reworking Manchester United fans from German.
Vesia that the first to start charging the “zig-zag” were Manchester United fans who went to the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960. They heard German fans chanting "Zicken zacken" (zacken meaning "to cut teeth") and copied it at Old Trafford with the addition of "oh oh oh".

5. Zig-Zag Man
There is an assumption that during the emergence of the Ska musical style, a certain dark-skinned fan of London's Chelsea once shouted several times: “Zigger Zagger! Hoi!”, then simply “Zigger Zagger! Zigger Zagger!”, and the fans answered him three times "Hoi!" It was fun, the greeting stuck. A well-known fan named Mikey Greenaway (a man who was a prominent figure in the Chelsea movement in the 60s, 70s and 80s of the last century. He screamed so loudly that people lost their hearing), who accordingly was very fond of this chant and was authoritative in PF circles in England. When he left our world, many fan groups began to use this charge in memory of him.

And again I will hear dialogues with guesses about what this could mean... I asked myself this question a long time ago. Whoever I asked, no one knows for sure. I searched the Internet and couldn’t find a clear answer. Therefore, I will only report what I could dig up...

At first for me it was something like “tili-tili, trali-vali,” a simple set of sounds that did not mean anything (for the majority of those shouting in stadiums, this is the case). But the purpose of chants in the stands is to excite the players on the field, the fans, and themselves. The Russians sing “ay-lyuli-lyuli” in their folk songs, and the French sing “lanfren-lanfra”, why shouldn’t the fans use “zig-zag”? However, they do not use “jiga-jaga” and “chunga-changa”. Secret meaning there's probably some kind. Or tradition?

What sent me down the wrong path was the fact that in the 90s the ranks of fans were replenished with all sorts of skinheads, National Bolsheviks and other neo-fascists who have many hidden, encrypted greetings like “14/88” (if anyone is interested, ask Yandex or Wikipedia). Many people mistakenly associate “zig-zag” with the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil!”, which was banned in many countries after World War II (Sieg Heil generally translates as the harmless “Long live victory!”, but the Nazis ruined a lot of things...), however this is wrong. But it would be logical for the fans to demand victory from their team. One of my friends made the following assumption: “if “zig” is victory, then “zig-zag” is something like “victory-shmabeda.” It may well be...

While looking for the German roots of the chant, I came across an interesting rhyme from German fans:

zigge zagge zigge zagge hoi hoi hoi
de vadda schiebt de mudda enner noi noi noi
de gummiball de gummiball der doppst doppst doppst
de wasserhahn de wasserhahn der droppst droppst droppst

I didn’t succeed in translating it completely (if anyone can help), however, I managed to find out that “zigge zagge” is a kind of rattle-beater. And what? After all, there were some kind of rattles in the hands of fans in the 60s and 70s... Maybe a fan with a rattle, that is, active, a little more than just a fan, is a fan called a Sieger-sager? Because of the ratchet or not, that’s what the fans are called. In the UK there was even a play about a football hooligan, a fan of "The Zigger Zagger".

There is an assumption that during the emergence of the Ska musical style, a certain dark-skinned fan of London's Chelsea once shouted several times: “Zigger Zagger!” Hoi!", then just "Zigger Zagger! Zigger Zagger!”, and the fans responded with three “Hoi!” It was fun, the greeting stuck. Later even a song appeared.

In the 90s, Russian fans began to travel to Europe to follow their favorite teams, they “brought” the chant and adapted the well-known Soviet “need a goal” for everyone. At that time, the flagship of domestic football was Moscow Spartak, so they are credited with transporting the chant. However, fans of St. Petersburg Zenit claim:

For the first time at Russian stadiums, “Ziga-Zaga” was performed in Cherkizovo on May 19, 2004. The Zenit players, led by the team’s Czech defender Martin Horak, performed a chant in their locker room immediately after the victory over Lokomotiv.

- Zig-Zaga?! - Martin asked incomprehensibly. - Ah, ah! Chigi-Tsaga! This is from the Czech Republic, we shouted this chant back in Bohemians. I don’t know what this means, it’s just that the players in the Czech Republic celebrated goals in this way after a victory. Maybe the fans shout like that too, but I didn’t notice this in the Czech Republic. Although, probably, the fans came up with some idea. It was Borovichka’s idea to arrange this at Zenit. He came up to me after one game and said, “Let’s do it, like in Bohemians!” We tried it, the guys liked it right away. Those who wanted to shouted, and not only after the victory over Lokomotiv. After all the victories! I don’t know if they screamed it’s like that now, but it was like that all the time that I played for Zenit, and then, in my opinion, the guys continued too.

In general, it’s a confusing story, it’s better to come up with something of your own. Fortunately, our people are creative.

Finally, another story: two Gusev brothers played on the same student football team, one Gusinsky and one Lebedev. The opposing fans tried to joke something about “geese-swans”, but in response they received a chant, after which the Gusev brothers scored two goals in a row. The students shouted this creation for a long time, cheering for their faculty, and then for the institute:

- Geese-geese!!!
- Ha-ha-ha!!!
- Will you score a goal?!
- Yes, yes, yes!!!
- How many?!!
- A lot!
- How?!!
- Doesn't matter!
- Necessary!
- Goal!
- Necessary!
- Goal!
- We must, we must, we must!
- Goal! Goal! Goal!!!

By the way, Kommunalshchik includes a player, Elena Guseva, who recently opened the scoring account for the goals scored in the Super League (and who participated in “ “). Let's go and support?