Handmade folk dolls amulets. Slavic amulets dolls and their meaning Belarusian national doll made by a master
There is a special doll for destroying mold in barrels of pickles - Akila-Borage. His head is stuffed with mustard seeds and is therefore heavier than his body. Akila swims in the brine upside down, and the mustard prevents mold from growing.
Akila requires undyed fabrics and threads made from natural fibers.
Lady
The Lady doll belongs to the so-called “rolled” dolls, that is, made without sewing with a needle.
For older children, rag dolls were made, which were called “Ladies.” First, they made the body (without sewing with a needle), covered it with white cloth and bandaged it in three places, then they took a long flap, covered part of the body with it, bandaged it, separating the head. The remaining fabric on the sides was cut into three parts and braids were made - these were the hands. They put a skirt and apron on the doll, and tied a scarf on her head (tied at the back).”
Bereginya, Stolbushka
Take care of the family hearth. Since ancient times, it was believed that a pillar protects the house from the evil eye. This is a rag doll without eyes and ears. She does not see or hear anything; it was believed that by acquiring facial features, such a doll gains independence and loses its magical and protective properties.
The Bereginya doll had a special meaning.
Bereginya - from the word “to protect”, “amulet”. This doll is traditionally placed opposite the front door, above people’s heads, so that it greets everyone who enters and does not allow evil forces into the house, protects the family from dark forces, quarrels, and illnesses.
Despite the simplicity of the technology for making traditional dolls, they all turn out different, with their own character, so you need to choose from several dolls, which one your “eye catches” on, the one that attracts attention, take that one, because it chooses its owner.
A sincere gift - a wish for goodness, joy, comfort, prosperity, happiness.
Berestushka
This is a doll-amulet with a prayer (incantation) in a female form for the home. Stored near the window or at the door behind the trim.
Birch
Birch is a tree that was worshiped and used in all kinds of rituals that ensure a happy life. For fortune telling, they made a Birch doll from a birch log, a symbol of the birch tree. This is a one-day-old doll, they used it to tell fortunes. They did it in the morning, in the evening they took it apart and left it on the birch tree.
Several girls made the doll together and used it to tell fortunes. The doll was beautifully dressed up, decorated with birch branches and grass with inflorescences.
Insomnia
This is a magical lullaby doll.. When the baby began to cry for no apparent reason, the mother, in order to calm him down and protect him from evil spirits, quickly rolled up the amulet doll and put it in the cradle, saying:
Sleepiness-insomnia,
Don't play with my baby
Play with this doll.
The Insomnia doll was created from square pieces of fabric and stuffed with soothing grass.
Such a doll remained in the house forever.
Grace
The Grace-Blessing Doll is made as a gift for Christmas or for the Feast of the Annunciation on April 7. You can do it just like that, as a token of gratitude. Then Gratitude will return to you with good news. “First Give, then Ask.”
Give with the words “Never lose heart and don’t give up.”
The Grace doll brings good news and goodness into the home and reminds a woman of her main task of Giving Good. For this purpose, she has large soft breasts.
The woman takes her strength from the sky, so her arms are raised up and form a funnel. It seems that now... she’s going to spin.
The doll is made on a rod made of birch or rowan. Both trees are protective.
The doll was made bright, cheerful, joyful.
Rich
This is a pair of Zernovushki originally from the Moscow region. The rich man is a talisman doll. When creating it, they thought about their family, ancestors, and set a certain task: profit and prosperity for the next year, protecting the well-being of the family, etc.
They made the doll on the eve of the Autumn harvest festival, the holiday of the Family and Family, timed to coincide with the equinox on September 22.
God's eye
The most ancient protective doll of our ancestors. The eye of God is only indirectly connected with a person, so it is called a doll rather conventionally.
At its core, God's eye has a cross - a very ancient symbol. In this case, it personifies the spread of protective forces throughout the entire space - on all four sides. These are also the four helping elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. The number of multi-colored stripes are the forces called for help, as well as a symbolic designation of generations of the family, stored in the memory of the family. For example, if you have knowledge of who your great-great-grandfather was, then there may be four colored stripes on your home God's eye.
God's eye is placed above the entrance door to the house, room, above the child's bed, in a place that is clearly visible to the person entering. The bright and unexpected image of the amulet attracts the attention of the person entering, who forgets about the bad intentions towards the owners of the house.
When creating the Eye of God, you must be guided first of all by your desire, because... a person intuitively feels what support he needs and the amulet, through the enhancement of a certain color, gives him this.
White- associated with light, purity, truth
Red- fire, sun like heavenly fire, blood (life force)
Green- life, nature.
Black- Earth
Gold- Sun
Blue- the color of the sky, water.
Violet- the color of higher spiritual abilities, enlightenment and intelligence.
Broom of prosperity
This doll was made on Christmas Eve. To make it you need bast (bast), pieces of fabric, thread, braid and a variety of cereals (the more types of cereals, the more prosperous the coming year will be). This cereal was poured out in the red corner at night; it was believed that in the morning it would acquire healing powers. In the morning, the cereal was collected into bundles (each separately), there should be an odd number of them, and hung on the doll.
The Venichek of Well-Being was kept away from the eyes of strangers, and only the owner knew where he stood. Cereals in bundles were saved as a last resort; if one of the household became seriously ill, these grains were added to his food. And since this is Venicek, the housewife could use it to “sweep” everything bad out of the house secretly from everyone.
Vepsian doll Cabbage , or Karelian jerky
Veps are a small people living in Karelia, Leningrad and Vologda regions, which have preserved their traditions and rituals, many of which are similar to those of North Russia.
This doll belongs to their ancient culture. This doll is interesting because it is both protective and playful. It was made from my mother's old things and was small in size - just enough for a child's hand. The doll was intended to ward off damage and for play, accompanying the child for so long until it was torn or spoiled. Before the baby was born, in order to “warm the cradle,” this doll was placed in it. And then the doll hung over the cradle and guarded the baby, symbolizing a nursing mother whose milk never runs out, protecting her from hunger. When the child grew up, he played with her. But this is not all the role of the doll; the image was multifaceted.
It’s not for nothing that they say that children are found in cabbage. So, girls made a Vepsian doll when they realized that it was time for them to get married, and they put it on the window so that the guys knew that it was time to get married. The Vepsian doll also personifies the image of a married woman, a nurse. Her large breasts indicate that she can feed everyone.
The doll is a good talisman and amulet for both children and adult girls and married women. She is destined for the role of a domestic Beregini, who, saturated with the energy of positive events and existing in the emotional field of the family, gives confidence, balance, and a sense of security to the entire space of the house.
Verbnitsa, Easter doll
The doll is made for the holiday of Easter, or Easter.
Making a doll is equivalent to painting Easter eggs and such a doll can be given as a holiday gift.
The willow branch in the doll represents growth, multiplication, and fertility. That is why children were lightly “whipped” with willow branches to make them grow faster. In Ancient Rus', people swallowed willow buds, which, according to legend, relieved illness and drove away any disease.
The Verbnitsa doll seemed to consecrate the willow; children went with it to pick up willow branches before Palm Sunday.
The doll's face and hands were made of red fabric, which personified Easter and the Renaissance.
Vesnyanka, Small oatmeal or Avdotya-Vesnovka
In ancient times, the Slavs celebrated the New Year on the first day of spring - March 1, which according to the new style falls on March 14. Celebrations were widespread because the beginning of a new year was a symbol of the beginning of a new time.
From this day it was possible to begin a new cycle of field work and engage in other agricultural work. After the adoption of Christianity, this holiday began to be celebrated as the day of the Venerable Martyr Evdokia, who took on the image of Spring (Vesenitsa)
Sometimes it was done on the day of the spring equinox, when, in accordance with the mythological views of our ancestors, the doors of Iria opened and larks flew to the earth - the messengers of revival and the fact that the entire space around had woken up after the winter torpor.
It was then - on a fine spring day - that the girls went out into the street to do handicrafts and made stoneflies - bright dolls of the most incredible colors. Stoneflies were amulets of youth and beauty, so they had a perky, bright, cheerful image. Their obligatory attribute was a long braid of rainbow shades, the same braid that people have long talked about as a girl’s beauty. Therefore, the doll’s braid was certainly decorated with ribbons, beads, and first flowers. The braid was also the embodiment of girlish happiness and good luck.
Then the girls exchanged dolls so that none of them would be left without a gift, and wished each other health, beauty and joy.
They could use the stoneflies to guess about the coming year - all the dolls were collected in one place, and the girls with their eyes closed took the first one they came across - they made predictions about their future based on the color of her dress and hair. Red and green stoneflies were considered especially happy, because they foreshadowed a meeting with a betrothed, as well as mental and physical prosperity.
Springfly is a talisman of youth and beauty. By giving such a doll to a man, you wish him to remain young and cheerful for a long time, and for a woman to always be charming and attractive
Wench-woman
People call her Changeling, Vertushka. It can be called a doll of dolls, because it contains 2 images - 2 heads, 4 arms, 2 skirts. The secret is that when one part of the doll is visible, for example, the girl, then the second, the woman, is hidden under the skirt; if you turn the doll over, the woman will reveal herself and the girl will hide. That is, the doll symbolizes the transition from a girl to a woman, but also vice versa - from a woman to a girl - this refers us to the motive of birth - a woman gives birth to a girl who herself will become the continuer of the family. It is not for nothing that among our ancestors, only a woman who gave birth to a girl and passed on her accumulated wisdom could be called a woman, and if only boys were born, then she was considered a young woman until old age.
The girl is the embodiment of beauty, carefree, fun, she is open to the world and gives everyone beauty and joy. And the woman is economical, sedate, she has all the worries about the house and family, she reflects a different state, turns to herself, to the unborn child, protects the harmony and peace of the family.
The doll served children as a detailed explanation of how a girl’s costume differs from a married woman’s, since it did not require careful elaboration of details, but carried the most general characteristics: bright fabrics, a braid, and ribbons are suitable for a girl, and darker colors, two braids are suitable for a married woman , twisted into a hairstyle and covered with a scarf (or even two).
Each doll image performed its own function. If you turn the doll over to the “woman” side, she will help with household chores and
protect the family. And if suddenly fatigue sets in, and the days become grayer, then you just have to turn the doll to the “girl” side - and your strength will return, and your life will sparkle with rainbow colors, and your husband or loved one will present you with a pleasant surprise.
Devkin's fun
Such a doll was usually made by teenage girls, whose spiritual life moved to a qualitatively different level, and their own non-childish questions, thoughts, and problems appeared. And not all of them wanted to be shared with family or friends. Then the girl herself created an interlocutor for herself - a patchwork doll who listened attentively to stories about the sorrows and joys of the young mistress. In talking with the doll, the girl was essentially talking to herself, learning to independently find solutions to problems.
The doll helped get rid of the feeling of loneliness and became a reliable intimate friend - hearing and understanding everything. She usually hid on the stove or in a chest. The hostess could give this simple-to-make doll ribbons and beads, create jewelry, thus Devkina’s fun was the first step towards realizing herself and her place in the world; in continuation of work on herself, the Zhelannitsa doll was usually created, which helped to gain control over your thoughts, feelings and desires.
Day and night
Dolls "Day and Night" are dolls that serve as home amulets. Dolls protect the change of day and night and order in the world. During the day they put the light one forward, and at night - the dark one.
The "Day" doll is young, lively, active, hard-working and cheerful. She is the mistress of the day, and makes sure that on weekdays people work, work, on holidays they have fun, sing, dance, play, so that the sun shines during the day. The doll monitors the lives of people in the light of day, protects the day. So that the day is not wasted, but meaningfully. Then the doll is happy, and everything is fine with the people.
The “Night” doll is wise, thoughtful, calm, she is the mistress of the night. Night is a magician. It changes both things and people. She brings another world. Everything is mysterious at night. Everything familiar without sunlight becomes unrecognizable. And people become different. More frank and open. The most heartfelt conversations drag on past midnight. But the main thing is that people sleep at night. The night makes sure that everyone calms down and goes to bed, rests from daytime activities, and gains strength. She gives sleep and protects it.
Ten-handle
A multi-armed producing doll, that is, intended to help girls preparing a dowry, or young women in their handicrafts: knitting, sewing, embroidery, weaving, so that they can do everything, and everything goes well with them, and there is always order and prosperity in the house.
It was made from bast or straw on October 14, Intercession, when it was time for weddings and handicraft evenings. They could be made by the bridesmaids or by herself from bast or an old mother's dress. In its manufacture, protective red threads were certainly used, and 9 red threads or ribbons-bows were necessarily tied to the hem.
The doll would dress up brightly, they could even “give her a gift” in the form of beads around her neck, so that the tireless assistant would become even more diligent.
During the manufacturing process, wrapping threads around the doll’s hands one after another, the craftswoman mentally determined for herself the sphere of help for each: “This one will help me spin, and this one will help me cut and sew a dress, and this one will help me make a fancy embroidery on my loved one’s shirt on time...”
After making, the doll was traditionally burned so that her help would materialize more quickly, but it could also be left in the house and placed in a prominent place in the room in which the girl usually worked.
Didukh
Didukh (also called dido, didochok, sheaf-paradise, kolyada, kolidnik) is a sheaf tied in a special way from the last or best sheaf of the harvested wheat, oats, rye or flax, decorated with dried flowers or ribbons. The number of bunches (ears in a bunch) must be a multiple of seven, since Didukh symbolizes the seven tribes of the clan.
The tradition of placing Didukh in the house dates back to very ancient pre-Christian times.
Didukha began to be woven after the harvest and was stored until Christmas. On Holy Evening, the owner of the house solemnly brought him into the hut, saying: “Didukh before the hut - trouble out of the hut.” Didukh was placed on the straw in a place of honor. His presence brought a festive mood, comfort and tranquility to the family.
The holiday sheaf stayed in the house for a week, then the straw from under the sheaf was burned. Part of the Didukh was threshed and presented with grains to dear people or added to grains intended for sowing, and fruit trees were tied with the resulting straw so that they would bear fruit well the next year.
The straw amulet - Didukh, a symbol of a good harvest, peace and harmony in the family and prosperity in the home, has become an indispensable attribute of folk fairs and is beginning to take its rightful place among Ukrainian national traditions.
Desire
This doll, trimmed with ribbons, beads, and buttons, was endowed with the power of fulfilling desires and was owned by every girl in the village. Secret (necessarily hidden from men's eyes), she hid in her own wicker box, sprinkled with essential oils. The hostess, taking it out from there, made a wish, sewed a bead on the hem of the doll or tied a bright ribbon, then brought it to the mirror, saying: “Look how beautiful you are. And for a gift, fulfill my wish.” And the wish was certainly fulfilled, and the doll returned to its place - in its box.
The choice of the type of desired woman depended on the temperament of the hostess and on the wishes being fulfilled. The wisher could be a Jump - light and fast, fulfilling wishes in the rhythm of a dance, made on a cross made of birch, rowan, and cherry branches. Moreover, the type of tree also made its own adjustments. Birch gave the doll healing properties. She provided assistance in matters of health, caring for loved ones, and family matters. The wisher on the rowan tree is a fighter. Her sphere of influence was defending interests, protecting from negative influences, envy and anger. The wisher on cherry branches - in a very feminine way, helped to maintain charm and attractiveness.
The second type of wishlist - Kroshechka-Khavroshechka - on a birch bark or cardboard cylinder. Its design made it possible to store notes with wishes inside. She is unhurried, but reliable, more thorough, economic and responsible. They approached her with desires of a material nature. She helped to increase goodness (both monetary and spiritual).
Desire is a brilliant mechanism for working with desires in its simplicity and wisdom, based on the principle of “letting go.” Such a doll allowed the owner to formulate the request as accurately as possible, prioritize between the important and the unimportant, and then let go of the desire without pushing it inside herself, transfer it to the doll, relieving herself of excess stress.
And August was considered the best time to make a wishful. And such a doll was made most often once in a lifetime, then carefully preserving its faithful assistant and keeper of secrets.
Desire - we make it with our own hands
Feminine essence
In a house where they really expect and desire a child, there was this doll.
They placed it in a prominent place in the bedroom. The purpose of this amulet was to restore fertility to a woman.
It was believed that the doll had the ability to lure the soul of a child with its long braid. The doll should demonstrate a well-fed, rich life, and should be smartly dressed. Her legs are very thin, she always wears shoes, her hands are in mittens, her body is plump (a well-fed girl).
The obligatory part of this doll (in fact, why it is called “feminine essence”) is the hole left at the bottom. From which the filling sticks out - mokhnashka. On the apron is embroidered the Woman in Birth - Lada giving birth to Lelya. In addition, the sign of Ognevitsa, which burns away female diseases, Vseslavets, symbolizing a strong family, symbols of the Sown Field, and Moraine crosses, symbolizing the Transition of Hypostasis, were used.
Thumb Bunny
The Russian people had dolls in which people saw their helpers and considered them a talisman. Such dolls were made throughout life, starting from early childhood. They were made from old clothes worn by their father or mother. And the dolls lived in houses, becoming not just a toy, but a part of the world and a member of the family. That’s why they turned to them in difficult moments of life, talked, shared sorrows, and did not forget in joy.
They made a bunny on the finger for children from the age of three so that they would have a friend, an interlocutor. The bunny fits on your finger and is always next to you. Parents used to give this toy to their children when they left home, and if you get bored or scared, you can turn to him as a friend, talk to him, complain, or just play. This is both a friend and a talisman. Children are very responsive and see a kindred spirit in their favorite toy, open up and talk as if they were with a living person.
This is how this bunny is, quite complicated.
Health
Healing doll. Her competence is to help a person cope with the disease. Succeeding in this, she can even take the disease upon herself. Moreover, the healing mechanism of the doll is usually activated with the help of kind thoughts and words with which a loving person will make this doll for the patient.
It is most often made from linen threads, since it is believed that flax, with its natural properties, is very environmentally friendly and, by taking the disease upon itself, helps a person get better.
This doll is as simplified as possible in its manufacturing technique and is not decorated with anything. She is characterized by a long braid. To wrap the entire doll, one thread is used, which is not cut or torn anywhere, and is a protective red color. A protective cross is applied to the doll's chest using such a thread - a sign of healing and protection.
It does not tolerate fuss, but on the contrary, it must be done, trying to remain in a state of goodness as much as possible, concentrating with thoughts about the sick person for whom this is being done. You can light a candle and read prayers or conspiracies. For a sick child, the doll is placed in the crib, he can play with it, and as soon as the illness goes away, the doll is burned. When braiding a doll’s braid, you must say: “To your health, to your health.” Upon completion of production and upon handing it over to the patient, you must also repeat: “To your health.”
Porridge
The Kasha doll is the image of a seven-year-old girl. At the age of seven, the girl began cooking porridge for the whole family. A doll in the form of a bag was made to serve as her assistant. This doll was a measuring stick.
They poured the cereal up to the legs, poured water up to the waist, up to the neck - it turned out to be porridge.
How can Porridge help us?
Of course, organize the cooking. You can ask the doll what to cook for dinner, how can I organize a weekly menu, or ask her to help prepare a festive dinner for guests.
The doll is made of linen fabric. The height of the doll is about the size of a saucepan where porridge is cooked. The doll is filled with cereal.
Cereal meaning:
rice - wealth,
buckwheat, pearl barley - satiety,
oats - force.
Goat
This doll is a calendar one - it was made on the eve of the new solar year - after the winter solstice, laying in it the image of a happy next year.
The goat and the bear are indispensable participants in the Christmas round of courtyards and mummers, since these animals have long been associated with the cult of fertility among the Slavs. The goat was a symbol of vitality, and it was supposed to bring this strength to the owner of the hut and his land, the field, so that bread would be born better.
The goat was usually portrayed by one of the guys. They put a sheepskin coat on him, with the fur turned outward, his face was smeared with soot, and any hat was put on his head, to which horns made of straw were attached. The “goat” guy sat astride the arch - so the carolers carried him from hut to hut. At the same time, the goat danced and her retinue sang.
The goat always brought its owners happy changes, joy, prosperity, and fortitude, because it was a symbol of the newly born sun.
It is based on a wooden cross, and the muzzle, horns, and beard are made of bast or straw.
The Goat was dressed in a special bright dress, on top of which were attached ritual objects: pipes, barrel organs, tambourines, horseshoes as a gift for good luck, bells, bells, wooden beads, earrings, bags with gifts, wreaths of prosperity with small red bags with cereal grains, a wooden a block as a gift to a bachelor, as a reminder of the need to get married.
Bell
This is a good news doll. Her homeland is Valdai. This is where the Valdai bells came from. In the old days, it was believed that the ringing of a bell protected people from the plague and other terrible diseases. The bell rang under the arc at all the festive troikas. The bell was associated with the little sun because it is dome-shaped and resembles the sun from above. And inside the doll there really is a real ringing bell.
Bell is a cheerful, perky doll, her task is to bring joy and fun to the house. This is a talisman of good mood. By giving a Bell, a person wishes his friend to receive only good news and maintains a joyful and cheerful mood in him.
The doll was usually hung next to the door, and the person entering would touch it, and a protective ring would be heard. And the doll itself was the ancestor of the bell; it is not for nothing that even now the tradition of hanging bells at the door continues.
The doll was sure to have three skirts. And this is not without reason, not only wealth and contentment were emphasized by this excess. The fact is that happiness also consists of three parts. The ancestors believed that a person consists of three parts - the soul (our inner self that thinks and feels), the spirit (some divine force present in every person) and the body (the physical shell). In this regard, happiness is the harmony of all three parts. If the body feels good, the soul is happy, the spirit is calm, then the person is completely happy.
Kolyada
A calendar winter doll, the creation of which coincides with the winter solstice - December 25. At this time, the most severe frosts were observed, according to ancient beliefs, coinciding with the revelry of evil spirits. The celebration of Kolyada, with its fun and optimism, expressed faith in the inevitability of the victory of good principles over the forces of evil. To help Kolyada defeat and drive away evil spirits, those celebrating burned bonfires, sang and danced around them. Then the carols began.
This doll is a symbol of the sun and good relationships in the family. She was a portly woman, dressed in everything new and elegant. On her behalf, the carolers wished happiness and prosperity. They sang joyful songs glorifying the owners.
In some areas, carols ended near the fire with wishes for good to themselves and loved ones and the burning of Kolyada. In other areas, she was left until next year so that she would maintain harmony and a sunny atmosphere in the family. Because they believed that with her arrival happiness, peace and harmony between family members would settle in the house.
The doll is anthropomorphic; the bags suspended from the belt contain grain and salt (the same bread and salt with which guests are traditionally greeted). A broom is tucked into his belt, which Kolyada uses to ward off evil spirits.
Kostroma
Kostroma was the name of a straw doll, which in the summer was carried by girls in a round dance, special ritual songs were sung to it, and then carried to the river, drowned in water or burned at the stake. The funeral festival of Kostroma was one of the main ones in the cycle of summer folk festivities.
It is believed that under the guise of the funeral of Kostroma, a straw effigy, the ancient custom of the spring sacrifice to Yaril was preserved among the people. The clergy brutally persecuted such celebrations. But despite all the prohibitions of the church, holidays in honor of such Slavic deities were celebrated in Kostroma and some cities of the modern Kostroma region.
Sacrum
At first glance, the sacrum does not look like a doll at all, but some 100 years ago the sacrum doll was used in games instead of male dolls. The games were called, as they are now, “Mothers and Daughters.” In addition, the Sacrum doll had a distinct meaning. The village boys also made the sacrum. The doll was made at the end of December, during Christmas time. According to legends, it was during the Holy Week that demonic forces were released. The most reliable way of cleansing was considered to be swimming in an ice hole on Epiphany (January 19th).
According to belief, water on this day became holy or sacred. People believed that when bathing in an illuminated spring, evil spirits leave the human body. To prevent evil and insidious demonic forces from taking possession of a person again, people made a Sacrum doll. She was the person's "deputy". The sacrum was placed in snowdrifts near the ice hole. In order to attract the attention of evil forces, the cross was decorated with bright colorful ribbons and rags. Since winter swimming was mainly attended by young, healthy guys, the Sacrum doll began to symbolize a man.
Krupenichka
A doll that is simple in appearance, small in size, but made with great love, has a deep symbolic meaning, being a talisman for satiety and prosperity in the family. It was usually given as a gift for Kolyada, Christmas and sometimes on holidays associated with the harvest. The doll was necessarily filled with grain (which symbolized the saved strength of the nurse-earth), preferably buckwheat, wheat or grain of all sorts at the same time, so that the harvest would be rich in all types of grain crops.
The doll was made from burlap - a small bag was filled with grain and dressed, a coin could be placed at the bottom of the bag. Krupenichka kept highly valuable and rare seeds of the future harvest; it was carefully placed in the red corner. A guest entering the hut could determine from the doll whether the family was living well. If the doll was thin, it means there was trouble in the family, because in difficult times they took grain from the doll. It served for a year, and after the harvest season it was again filled with selected grain.
The first handfuls of grain when sowing were taken from a bag sewn in the image of this doll. The grain in it symbolized the saved strength of the Earth's Nurse.
After the harvest season, the pupa was again filled with selected grain from the new harvest. She was dressed up and carefully kept in a visible place in the red corner. They believed that only then would the next year be full and there would be prosperity in the family.
In times of famine, they took grain from the pupa and cooked porridge from it. It was believed that this porridge conveys the powers of Mother Earth.
A guest entering the hut could determine from the doll whether the family was living well. If the doll was thin, it means there is trouble in the family...
And today this doll will help you have wealth in your home.
Values of cereals in grain size:
buckwheat− satiety and wealth,
rice( the most expensive grain) - for the holiday,
pearl barley - for satiety, oats - for strength.
Krupenichka - we make it with our own hands
Herbal egg capsule
To keep the air in the hut clean, they made a useful doll called the Herbal Pot. They hung it where the air stagnated or above the child’s cradle.
The sphere of influence of the herbal egg pod is protection from disease; it must vigilantly monitor the physical health of all family members. This is a protector from the evil spirits of illness, and a good comforter. A cozy round and soft doll exudes some special warmth and homely atmosphere, like from a good housewife. It truly creates a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere in the house.
Her thick round skirt and bundles in her hands are filled with healing fragrant herbs. Our ancestors believed that the aroma of the grass drives away the spirit of illness; to do this, the doll must be crushed in your hands. If someone in the house gets sick, it was placed at the head of the sick person’s bed; if a child was sick, then such a herbal was made for him to play with or hung over the cradle.
When the Doll was first brought into the family home where it would be located, it was certainly given into the hands of all household members, who inhaled the aroma of dry herbs, tried to guess what the jar was filled with, and asked to protect the house from diseases.
The doll can be placed in a wardrobe, then its smell will perform another protective function.
The herbalist can delight you with the smell of herbs and a beautiful outfit for a long time, because the doll is valid for 2 years.
Kuvatki (kuvadki)
Dolls that accompany a child from birth. About two weeks before giving birth, the woman made a twisted doll from multi-colored scraps and placed it in the cradle, in order to “warm” the space and prepare it for the arrival of a new person. When the baby was born, the father of the child, in order to distract and deceive evil spirits that could harm the woman in labor and the baby, performed a ritual - “couvade” - imitating the process of childbirth.
Bright dolls were hung on the walls, because, according to legends, spirits angry at deception would unleash their indignation on the first thing that came their way. Kuvatki were supposed to be such a talisman. After this, the dolls were burned. And new ones were made, which were hung over the baby’s cradle, performing the same protective function, distracting unkind glances.
Kuvatki were the first educational toys and rattles; they were strung in whole bunches mixed with bright beads and shreds, so the baby received his first lessons in the variety of shapes, colors and textures.
Later, when the ancient rituals were forgotten, but the mythological perception of the world filled with good and evil spirits was preserved, the image of the kuvatka was transformed into the image of an angel, retaining its protective meaning - the colorful patchwork dolls were still entrusted with protecting the baby from hostile forces.
Kuzma and Demyan
The dolls that Agayeva Irina Vladimirovna talked about
Head of the department of scientific, methodological and educational work of the association "Tula Regional Historical, Architectural and Literary Museum", People's Master of Russia.
Kuzma and Demyan are patrons of the family hearth and crafts
In the central provinces of Russia there were traditional rag dolls Kuzma and Demyan. Kuzma and Demyan's name days are celebrated on November 14 and are called autumn Kuzminki. After the harvest in the villages, it was time for rest and weddings.
Saints Cosmas and Damian are Asian brothers, originally from Asia Minor. Their mother Theodotia raised the children in the Christian faith. Well-educated, skillful doctors, they healed the mental and physical torments of people, treated animals, and for free, for which they were called unmercenaries.
Kuzma and Demyan are considered patrons of the family hearth, the holiness and inviolability of marriage, and the organizers of marriages.
Folk amulets dolls served different purposes - they brought wealth to the house, attracted love, helped to conceive a child or protect loved ones from evil forces. In order to make a talisman doll with your own hands, you first need to understand what it is intended for.
Folk dolls and amulets were considered by our ancestors to be strong magical symbols. They played a very important role in the life of the ancient Slavs. They accompanied a person’s crafts from birth, and some were made by the mother even before the birth of the child.
They kept such amulets throughout their lives and tried to pass them on from generation to generation. These rag crafts were made with our own hands and continue to accompany us to this day.
The meaning of amulets dolls
For modern children, a doll is, first of all, fun and a toy. However, this was not always the case. Our ancestors took handmade crafts very seriously, as they considered them amulets. Folk dolls performed a variety of functions as amulets. Depending on their appearance, they could protect against black magic and troubles. They could also save a person from various diseases or misfortunes.
Slavic dolls had one feature: they did not have a face. It was believed that by acquiring a face, the craft was endowed with a soul, which meant the possibility of using the doll for witchcraft. Therefore, in order not to create a danger for a specific person, the dolls were made faceless.
A do-it-yourself protective doll was not only a home decoration or children's fun. This item was considered an assistant in everyday life and personal life. Dolls were made for almost all folk and personal holidays, such as farewell to winter, Kupala, weddings, birth of a child and others.
Varieties of protective dolls
The ancient Slavs made amulets dolls with their own hands for all occasions. The most common doll amulets are the following:
- - protected family well-being and hearth
- Krupenichka- amulet for satiety and prosperity
- Herbal egg capsule– to cleanse the atmosphere and energy in the house
- Pelenashka- amulet for an unborn child
- Lovebirds– wedding doll for joint happiness
- Desire- a talisman for fulfilling a wish
- - relieved diseases and illnesses
This is not the entire list of protective dolls that our ancestors used. However, it was these folk dolls that were amulets and were protection from negative influences. Nowadays, amulets dolls will help you protect yourself from various troubles and make your life happier and calmer.
If you decide to make a doll-shaped amulet with your own hands, then you should adhere to the basic rules:
- You only need to make a doll amulet in a good mood.
- you need to make a talisman at the behest of your heart, and not because it needs to be done
- It is recommended to make a magical item during the growing month. At this time, the most powerful magical crafts are produced.
- a folk doll should be made without the use of piercing and cutting objects, which may negatively affect its effectiveness.
- the number of knots must be even and for each knot you need to say a good word-wish, such as happiness, good luck, and so on.
- It is recommended to use a cross made from tree branches as a base. The horizontal branch will be the arms, and the vertical branch will be the body of the craft.
One of the very first amulets dolls is the ash doll. People also called her Bereginya. Such a talisman protected the family hearth and well-being. To create it, ash from the hearth was used. The ash ball was the head of the craft; everything else was made of fabric. This amulet was the only doll without a headdress and hair.
This amulet doll was often passed from mother to daughter when she got married. The craft was considered a link between the two clans and conveyed to the girl the experience of her ancestors. In addition, a doll was also made when moving to a new place in order to take the power of the hearth from the old house.
The housewife made a small doll for the whole family. The craft was installed in a prominent place and was a symbol of satiety and prosperity. A magical object was made from fabric, and cereal was used as a filler. This amulet doll was considered the main one in the family.
The krupenichka doll is a bag containing grain. During sowing, the grain from the doll's pocket is used first, and when the harvest is harvested, it goes back until next year.
In modern conditions, it is not difficult to make such a doll as an amulet. It is enough to make a pocket toy out of fabric with your own hands and fill it with cereal. Folk crafts are placed in the kitchen or living room.
From time to time, grains should be taken from the magic item for cooking. It was believed that if the craft is bad, then the family lives poorly, so the Krupenichka doll should always be filled with grain or cereal.
The herbalist doll was in every home and was responsible for clean air and energy.
To make such a doll, you needed fabric and dried herbs. The folk amulet doll was filled with herbs, the aroma of which pleasantly spread throughout the house. A herbalist's egg-little was hung over a child's cradle.
In this way she protected the baby from the evil eye and diseases. It was often hung in the hallway to clear the thoughts of all the negativity of all visiting guests. It was believed that a person with bad thoughts, passing under the doll, would forget about everything bad.
The herb in the craft was changed two or three times a year, which allowed the magical amulet to drive away diseases in time and be always effective.
When a woman found out that she was expecting a child, she made a diaper doll. This folk amulet doll looks like a baby in diapers. The toy was placed in the baby's cradle and took on all the negativity directed at the unborn baby.
When a child was born, a swaddling doll accompanied him until baptism. After which it was put away in a separate chest and used only when the baby was sick.
This folk doll amulet was a craft consisting of a bride and groom held together by one common hand. Lovebird dolls were considered a symbol of a strong union.
These folk amulets were made on one hand so that the newlyweds would always be close and overcome all obstacles together. Today, the tradition has been preserved and in many villages such a folk amulet is given to newlyweds as a wedding gift.
In addition, lovebird dolls are considered an excellent gift for close friends or relatives. With sincere wishes for happiness and prosperity, such an item will bring many benefits to the new family.
A wishful doll is considered a universal craft. This amulet helps to fulfill any desire, but only one. A doll is made from fabric and at the time of making it is necessary to think about your deepest desire. After completing the entire process, repeat your wish three times in front of the mirror with a magic item in your hands.
When the wish comes true, the doll must be burned as it will be useless. As a rule, such a doll was decorated with various ribbons and beads and was very elegant. It was kept in the most visible place until the wish came true. Periodically, this amulet doll was picked up, and the wish was repeated out loud.
According to tradition, a cleansing doll relieved a person of illness or some other trouble. It was made only for oneself, and at the time of making it, one had to mentally weave one’s problem into the craft. The doll was usually made in the image of a person.
When the doll was ready, it was burned with the words:
“Everything bad is leaving me!”
After this, the person got rid of his problem.
Hand-made magical talismans, amulets and amulets were greatly revered by our ancestors. By making folk dolls as amulets, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from negative influences, black magic, diseases and troubles. Naturally, you should strictly follow all the recommendations and rules regarding the manufacture of a magic item.
Slavic folk dolls-amulets (video)
Description of the presentation by individual slides:
1 slide
Slide description:
BELARUSAN LYALKA Educational institution "Borisov State College" Completed by: Alina Aleksandrovna Kakshinskaya, student of group 23-H Supervisor: Tatyana Vitalievna Reshetnyak, teacher of special disciplines
2 slide
Slide description:
The very first motanka dolls appeared more than 6 thousand years ago. The dolls were protective, playful, and ritual. They did not play with ritual dolls. They were kept in chests and handed over on the wedding day. In most cases, a doll is an image of a woman, a goddess, and therefore, of course, the woman had a direct connection with her. A woman gave a doll to a man when he went on a journey or to war. It was believed that the doll protected the man and reminded him of home and hearth. Motanka dolls
3 slide
Slide description:
Motanka dolls Every housewife had a doll in the house in the “red corner”, and when there were quarrels in the family, then, left alone, the woman opened the windows and, as if with a small broom-doll, “swept dirty linen out of the hut.” This is not material garbage, but rubbish, which causes quarrels in the house. Each newborn child had a bright doll in his cradle, protecting the baby from the “evil eye.” But there were also just ordinary play dolls that children played with. In Rus', and indeed among all Slavic peoples, there was a wide variety of dolls. The most common children's play doll is the “haircut”. It was made from cut grass. When the woman went to the field, she took the child and, so that he could play with something, made him a doll out of grass. Often such a doll was used for medicinal purposes. When a child was sick, medicinal herbs were woven into such a doll. And when the child played with it, the smell of the grass had a healing effect on him.
4 slide
Slide description:
History of the rag doll Since ancient times, a traditional toy in village life, even in the poorest peasant families, has been a rag doll. In other houses, up to a hundred of them accumulated. Dolls were not just girls' fun. All the children played until they were 7-8 years old, while they wore shirts. But only boys began to wear portages, and girls began to wear skirts; their playing roles and the games themselves were strictly separated. While the children were small, their mothers, grandmothers, and older sisters sewed dolls for them. From the age of five, any girl could make a diaper doll.
5 slide
Slide description:
History of a rag doll A cloth doll is the simplest image of a female figure. A piece of cloth rolled into a “rolling pin”, a face carefully covered with a white linen rag, breasts made of smooth, tightly stuffed balls, a hair braid with a ribbon woven into it, and an outfit made of colorful rags. They had to attach a braid and weave a ribbon into it if they were sewing a girl, and if they were sewing a woman, then they really took apart the hairstyle. They dressed up beautifully, tying an apron and a belt over the shirt. The girls will have headscarves, the women will wear a headdress. Toys were never left on the street or scattered around the hut, but were kept in baskets, boxes, and locked in chests. They took them to the harvest and to gatherings. Dolls were allowed to be taken as guests; they were included in the dowry.
6 slide
Slide description:
Types and purposes of folk dolls Dolls were divided by size - into: elbow, palm, finger. According to their purpose, dolls are divided into three large groups: amulets, play and ritual dolls. Amulet dolls: 1. Kuvatka 2. Angel 3. Lihomanki 4. Makosh, Paraskeva 5. Vepsskaya 6. Wealth 7. Lyubava 8. Bereginya 9. Herbal pod 10. Krupenichka Ritual dolls: 1. Lovebirds 2. World tree 3. Maslenitsa and “Homemade Maslenitsa” 4. Kolyada, Spiridon-Solstice 6. Martinichki, Freckles 7. Pokosnitsa 8. Kupavka and Kupala Playing dolls: 1. Columns 2. Naked baby 3. Lady 4. “Snatch” doll 5. “Simple-haired” » 6. “Doll with a braid” 7. “Dressy doll” 8. Devkin’s fun
7 slide
Slide description:
Desyatiruchka Desyatiruchka is a Belarusian doll-motanka. It was a doll to help the owner. The ten-handed doll helped a girl or young woman (a girl who had recently gotten married) with the housework. Such a doll was often given as a wedding gift so that the woman could do everything and everything would go well for her. The body was made of white twisted fabric, the handles were made of red. They tied it with red thread.
8 slide
Slide description:
Baby Swaddle Doll For newborns, the mother made a “Baby Swaddle” doll. The doll was made immediately before the birth of the child, with prayer, with thoughts about the future child; the fabrics used for making were original - from a sundress, from a shirt from a father, grandfather, etc. - all this preserved ancestral and genetic memory. The doll was placed in the palm and, clenching his fists, the baby himself massaged the entire inner surface of the palm. A simple-looking baby doll is quite complicated to make and, accordingly, carries a lot of important and necessary information.
Slide 9
Slide description:
Doll "Give-for-a-gift" Doll "Give-for-a-gift" is an educational doll. She helped teach the child gratitude. This was the first doll that a child had to make himself at the age of 3-4 years. Grandmothers taught children to make this doll so that they could give it to someone in return for a gift, or if someone did something important for them. Children also made this doll for their parents, learning from an early age to be grateful to them for caring for and raising them.
10 slide
Slide description:
Vesnyanka doll With the onset of spring, girls made and gave each other bright dolls with hair of unusual colors. These "Vesnyanka" dolls had the power of a talisman of youth and beauty.
11 slide
Slide description:
Desire Doll Every girl in the village had such a doll friend. There was no need to show it to anyone, and if they wanted a wish to come true, they sewed a bead on the doll’s dress as a gift or tied a ribbon, saying: “Look how beautiful you are! And for the gift, make my wish come true.”
12 slide
Slide description:
Doll Wealth, fertility The doll is a multi-component composition: many children are tied to the body of the main mother doll with a belt. It was believed that a large number of children leads to the prosperity of the family, which means that in a house with many workers there will always be prosperity. She, unlike most ritual dolls, was never burned, but was kept somewhere higher in the house - on a closet, on a shelf, not given into the hands of anyone else. According to popular belief, such a doll helps make the desire to have a healthy child come true, and also influences the relationship between existing children and parents.
Slide 13
Slide description:
Doll "Kubishka-herbalist" Doll "Kubishka-herbalist" To keep the air in the hut clean, they made a useful doll "Kubishka-herbalist". The skirt bag was filled with fragrant soothing herbs - oregano, St. John's wort, mint, yarrow or pine needles. A herbal pot was usually hung over a child’s crib so that he could sleep better, saying: “Somnia - insomnia, don’t play with my baby, but play with my doll!” Or they were filled with medicinal herbs and placed near the sick person’s bed so that the herbal smell would drive away the spirits of illness from him. This is ancient aromatherapy.
Slide 14
Slide description:
Spiridon-Solstice doll People said: “Spiridon-Solstice carries a wheel in his hands.” The holiday of Spiridon is a holiday of the winter and summer solstice, a holiday of the emerging or departing sun. It took place with the participation of this doll in the rituals. During the festival, rituals dedicated to the sun were performed. They rolled the wheel down the mountain and burned it along with other symbols of the sun, saying: “Wheel, burn, roll, return with red spring!” At the end of the holiday, the doll was burned without clothes, the clothes were put away for the next doll. They burned it with old things so that the doll would take with it everything old and unusable, freeing up strength for a new life. The doll is a man’s doll and is given to a man so that Spiridon-Solstice can help the owner of the house “steer” in his affairs.
15 slide
Slide description:
Kuvatka doll This amulet doll protects the baby from evil forces. According to tradition, 2 weeks before the birth of the child, the expectant mother placed such a doll in the cradle so that it would warm her and keep evil spirits away. When a child was born, “Kuvatka” was hung over the cradle. Pupae can be hung in clusters, but their number must be odd.
16 slide
Slide description:
Dolls of Fever, Shakers, Fever “Fevers”, “Tryasovitsa”, “Fevers” - this is how the spirits of diseases in the form of women - “shaker sisters” were called in ancient Russian mythology. In the monuments of the 18th century. their names are found: Shaking, Otpeya, Glazeya, Avvareusha, Khrapusha, Pukhleya, Zhelteya, Aveya, Nemeya, Gluheya, Karkusha, Aging. The images of the shaker sisters are associated with the apocryphal motif of the daughters of King Herod - bare-haired women of demonic appearance. “Tryasovitsy” are small pupae on a bunch. They were made in number thirteen. The thirteenth, older sister is Kumoha fever. Kumoha is a portly woman who lives in the forest with her twelve sisters, who resemble each other like twins.
Slide 17
Slide description:
Kumohi dolls People believed that, on the orders of Kumohi, the sisters attack a weakened person. They penetrate the huts through the chimneys, and you can only protect yourself from them by using spells. That is why the making of the doll was accompanied by a conspiracy, which was usually performed either by the eldest woman in the family or by a specially invited sorceress. The miraculous power of the conspiracy was considered effective if, during the entire process of making dolls, the fortuneteller never lost the rhythm, did not interrupt the recitative of the conspiracy, and tied the last knot on the doll at the last word. It was believed that when the shaking sister saw the doll, she would recognize herself and move into it instead of the person. Therefore, the enchanted dolls were placed in a row on the stove near the chimney and kept until the church holiday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Before the holiday they were burned.
18 slide
Slide description:
Doll Zernovushka (Krupenichka) After finishing the harvesting work, the peasants selected the best, selected grains of the new harvest to fill the doll-bag with it. The bag was dressed up and carefully stored until the next sowing in the red corner of the hut, in a place of honor next to the icons. People believed that only in this case the next year would be nourishing and sufficient.
Slide 19
Slide description:
Kupalo and Kupalinka Kupalo and Kupalinka - this ritual pair was made for the summer solstice. Kupalo reflected masculine energy, the image of a man on earth and the summer sun Kupalo at the same time. Kupalinka is female water energy, the personification of mother earth. The dolls were made from herbs, straw, flax, and fabrics. Men made Kupala, and women made Kupalinka. Some sources describe the burning of dolls during the Kupala bonfire. But more often they disassembled them into bundles of straws and took them to their gardens in the form of amulets.
20 slide
1.1.Rationale for product selection
Since ancient times, a rag doll has been a traditional toy of the Slavic peoples. Playing with dolls was encouraged by adults, because by playing with them, the child learned how to run a household and acquired the image of a family. The doll was not just a toy, but a symbol of procreation, a guarantee of family happiness.
The very first dolls (probably at the dawn of humanity) were made from ash. Ash was taken from the hearths and mixed with water. Then a ball was rolled up, to which the skirt was attached. This doll was called “Baba” - a female deity. “Baba” was passed down through the female line from grandmother to granddaughter, and was given as a gift on the wedding day. She was a talisman of a woman, a home, a hearth. When moving to a new place, this doll made from the ashes of the home was sure to be taken with them so that in the new place there would again be a hearth, comfort, and home.
Another very ancient doll is known. When a woman cut her hair, she collected it in a small bag and made a doll. It was believed that when a person fell ill, he had to be surrounded by such dolls, and he would recover. These dolls were not played with. They were kept in chests and handed over on the wedding day.
In most cases, a doll is an image of a woman, a goddess, and therefore, of course, the woman had a direct connection with her. But the man also “had the honor” of using the doll’s power. A woman gave a doll to a man when he went on a journey or to war. It was believed that the doll protected the man and reminded him of home and hearth. Each housewife in the house had a doll in the “red corner” (that was the name of the corner in which the icon and other holy and protective things stood) and when quarrels arose in the family, then, left alone, the woman opened the windows and, as if with a small broom, used the doll “swept dirty linen in public.” This is not material garbage, but rubbish, which causes quarrels in the house.
Each newborn child had a bright doll in his cradle, protecting the baby from the “evil eye.” But there were also simple play dolls that children played with. The most common play doll is the “haircut”. It was made from cut grass. When the woman went to the field, she took the child and, so that he could play with something, made him a doll out of grass. Often such a doll was used for medicinal purposes. When a child was sick, medicinal herbs were woven into such a doll. And when the child played with it, the smell of the grass had a healing effect on him.
There were dolls to help the hostess. In order to make the house nourishing and rich, the housewife made a “grain” or “grain” doll. This doll kept the power of the harvest until next year. The dolls were based on bags filled with selected cereals from the new harvest. These dolls were placed in the red corner next to the icon. It was an admiration for the gifts of the land, peasant labor. They believed that if you make this doll, the next year will be nourishing and rich in harvest. The first handfuls of grain were taken from the “grain box”.
According to custom, such dolls were made by women. Therefore, they belong to women's cleansing and protective household magic. This was explained by the fact that since ancient times, since the era of matriarchy, a woman has been the main keeper of traditions. She stored and passed on knowledge and skills from generation to generation.
The woman made such dolls not thoughtlessly, but in an emotional mood, fervently believing in the power of “what she had done.” After all, the fate of the family and clan depended on the quality of her work.
These were the dolls. They existed as ritual objects containing magical powers. Of course, someone might say that this was all fiction, but people believed. This knowledge lived for a very long time and was passed on from generation to generation. If a person wants to believe and see power in a simple doll, as it seems at first glance, then this doll will become magical for him. And you can make dolls yourself; all you need is a few scraps of fabric, thread and imagination.
During craft lessons and club classes, we often sew Belarusian folk dolls. Several collections have already been created: ritual, amulets, and games. Dolls are not only sewn, but information is also collected about their semantic meaning, origin, and diversity. Thus, a small creative group gathered. We perform in front of our peers, primary school students. We made a lot of souvenirs that we give to veterans and guests of our school.
Every girl has her favorite dolls. I like ritual ones better. It is about them that I decided to talk about in my creative project.
Ritual dolls are bright and colorful. Just making them brings joy and lifts your spirits. And how much delight they cause among those who received these dolls as a gift!
Doll "Ten Hands" was called upon to help the mistress of the house with household chores. Such a doll, made from the hem of her mother’s dress, was given to the bride by her bridesmaids for her wedding, so that she could do everything and everything would go well for her. Such a doll has many, many hands, so that everything can be done smoothly, and there will always be order and prosperity at home.
Lovebirds doll- was a symbol of a strong family union. It was given to newlyweds during their wedding.
At first glance, these are male and female dolls, which seem to be just a couple holding hands. But, if you look closely, you can see that they have one hand and are made of a single rag or stick, and, therefore, they cannot be separated. Such a hand was considered a symbol of unity. From now on, the newlyweds will go through life hand in hand, dividing all their affairs and troubles in half.
Doll "World Tree"- personifies the unity of the whole world. This is a kind of model of the universe and man, where every creature, object or phenomenon has its own place. The world tree is also a family tree. That is why the World Tree wedding doll was made on a branch with two forks: on one fork the groom, on the other the bride. This doll was placed in the center of the wedding cake.
Doll "Freckles"- with the onset of spring, the girls made and gave each other bright dolls with hair of unusual colors. These "Freckles" dolls had the power of a talisman of youth and beauty.
Doll “Spiridon-Solstice”- this is a man’s doll and is given to a man so that Spiridon-Solstice helps the owner of the house to “steer” in his affairs.
People said: “Spyridon-Solstice carries the wheel in his hands.” The holiday of Spiridon is a holiday of the winter and summer solstice, a holiday of the emerging or departing sun. It took place with the participation of this doll in the rituals.
During the festival, rituals dedicated to the sun were performed. They rolled the wheel down the mountain and burned it along with other symbols of the sun, saying: “Wheel, burn, roll, return with red spring!”
At the end of the holiday, the doll was burned without clothes, the clothes were put away for the next doll. They burned it with old things so that the doll would take with it everything old and unusable, freeing up strength for a new life.
Doll "Gift for a gift"- educational doll. She helped teach the child gratitude. This was the first doll that a child had to make himself at the age of 3-4 years.
Grandmothers taught children to make this doll so that they could give it to someone in return for a gift, or if someone did something important for them.
Children also made this doll for their parents, learning from an early age to be grateful to them for caring for and raising them.
Doll "Wisher"- or every girl in the village had a doll friend. There was no need to show it to anyone, and if they wanted a wish to come true, they sewed a bead, a button, or tied a ribbon on the doll’s dress as a gift, saying: “Look how beautiful you are! And for the gift, make my wish come true!”
Centuries later, the image of a folk beauty doll remains relevant among adults and children.
This work can be used as a manual in labor lessons, history, Belarusian literature, in elementary school and at extracurricular activities.
1.2. The purpose and objectives of the creative project
Objective of the project:
Make Belarusian ritual dolls and decorate them in the form of decorative panels.
Project objectives:
. Study the traditions of ancestors in the use and production of Belarusian folk dolls.
. Develop a creative project taking into account novelty, originality and practical significance.
. Systematize knowledge on the technology of making Belarusian folk dolls acquired in service labor lessons.
. To consolidate in practice knowledge on the technology of making Belarusian folk dolls.
. Develop general educational and special skills, abilities and creative abilities.
. Draw up an explanatory note.
. Carry out the work carefully, in compliance with aesthetic standards and rules for the design of the finished product.
Dolls look at us from store shelves. A wide variety of dolls - from Chinese porcelain dolls masquerading as European panenoks of the 19th century, to straw folk ones.
Amulet dolls
Belarusian folk traditions are very ancient. Those souvenirs that any tourist will bring from Belarus - straw or fabric dolls, clay crafts (jugs, bells, figurines) are not as simple as they seem at first glance. Behind them are centuries of history and very rich symbolism dating back to pagan times. And even if it is not a clay toy-conik, made in exactly the same way as hundreds of years ago, but a figurine of a grandmother and grandfather on a stove, the traditions of their making are still the same.
Clay souvenir
Walking through the Stolitsa shopping center, next to the station, near the Red Church and Independence Square, which is where tourists definitely hang out, I came across the Magic Shop. A bench that was hidden at the very bottom, near the escalator. The shop is just like a shop - magnets with the tired inscription Minsk, Russian nesting dolls (if an Italian doesn’t make it to Moscow, he will still buy a nesting doll), beads and bracelets made of various stones. But if you look closely, there are more interesting souvenirs - amulets made of straw and clay, amulets dolls.
Magic shop
Let's focus on dolls. Traditional Belarusian dolls can be of two types (if you don’t count the clay toy - there were also clay dolls, but most often they sculpted animal figures) - straw (in general, straw weaving was very common in Belarus) and fabric.
Fabric dolls, such as in the photo above, were exclusively amulets. They were very simple, they had no faces. Such dolls could be made not only by adult women, but also by girls.
Dolls were made from fabric and thread. The fabric was taken from old clothes, which is also important, because the clothes were imbued with the energy of the person who wore them. The dolls were not sewn together, but twisted and tied with threads. They did not have faces because it was believed that evil spirits could penetrate and inhabit them through the faces of the dolls. Sometimes, in place of the face, a cross was made from threads and ribbons - as a symbol of life and the sun.
Clay bell doll (analogy to rag dolls)
Fabric dolls were divided into several types.
Cleansing dolls or amulet dolls could be hung near the door, thus protecting the house from evil spirits. The “ash” doll was called so because ash from the hearth of her home was placed in its head. Such a doll was given to newlyweds for a wedding, or taken with them on the road to a new place of residence. A doll for good luck - such a doll was always sewn as a gift; it was not large in size - 4-5 cm.
Time has made its own adjustments to the production of fabric dolls. Modern souvenir dolls are no longer twisted, but sewn together; sometimes they even have faces, and their clothes are often decorated with stylized Belarusian ornaments. There are even greater exceptions - for example, dolls can dress in a variety of costumes, like this one in the photograph, in an expensive fur coat.
The Belarusian ornament, which can be seen on the Belarusian folk costume, flag, souvenir dolls, or on such a clay bell in the shape of a doll, as in the photo above, is also a very ancient, pagan thing. Each ornamental pattern, often geometric, carries a specific meaning.
Here are the meanings of some of the patterns:
1 - symbol of the female share
2 - Mother and the Holy Tree
3 - symbol of a strong family
4 - symbol of the sun
5 - symbol of a rich man
6 - symbol of Beregini
7 - Kupalle. Round dance
8 - Kupalle. Fire
9 - Kupalle. Kupalinka in dance
10 - Kupala grass with 3 flowers
11 - symbol of children (protection from misfortunes)
12 - symbol of the Mother
13 - amulet
14 - love song symbol
15 - sign of a birch girl
16 - symbol of the god Yaryly
17 - wedding
18 - symbol of ancestors
19 - a symbol of the beginning of love and a symbol of love in bloom
20 - a symbol of non-reciprocal love and a symbol of memory of love
21 - Tree of life, symbolizes eternity, immortality
22. - Yaryla on horseback. Slavic god of the harvest and vital forces of nature
23 - Zhitnyaya woman. Symbol of productivity and life
24 - symbol of the awakening of nature in spring
25 - symbol of the sun
Charms made of clay and straw - magnets
Clay souvenir