From generation to generation, our ancestors passed on folk traditions. People believed that they carried a strong energy flow. They composed legends, songs, and created conspiracies against diseases. All this enriches the culture and heritage of history. In this article, we would like to talk to you about creating folk dolls with your own hands, show detailed master classes and tell you why small dolls are needed.
Joy Bird
Joy Bird
- a ritual doll that was used to attract Spring. In order for Spring to come, at the beginning of March, married women, who were the main characters in the ritual, and young girls put on bright clothes and went beyond the edge of the village to call for spring. They wore hats in the shape of birds, decorated with fur trims and feathers, that is, the women themselves appeared in the form of birds, because they believed that Spring flies on the wings of a bird.
There was even such a sign - if a bird lands on a woman’s head, hand or shoulder, then she will be blessed with good luck and happiness all year long.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
This doll makes a woman feel her purpose and attractiveness. It is made using birch logs.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Tatyana Bereznaya shows a master class on making a motanka doll “Bird of Joy”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suetn5mfr9Q
Arkhangelskaya Column - a traditional folk doll
The Arkhangelskaya Stolbushka is a Russian folk doll with a pigtail. Similar ones were made in the Arkhangelsk province.
The process is quite easy. A twist of dense fabric was prepared. They pulled out a certain number of threads. The longer the thread, the longer the braid. They tried on a shirt on the finished post and tied it with threads, leaving a cut near the neck. We wore a skirt and decorated it with ruffles. A long braid was woven from threads and tied with a ribbon. Instead of a headdress, a bandage is on the head.
Pre-wedding Arkhangelsk column
Doll-Veduchka or Leading to Life
Veduchka
was always made by a woman who wanted to be a good mother, always wanted to understand what her child wanted and raise him correctly. This doll has a special structure: the hands of mother and child are a single whole. This twist symbolizes unity, close connection, love and closeness between mother and child.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
The mother needs to make the Veduchka doll for her child herself, with her own hands, so that the amulet has more power and protects him more reliably. And any mother who has at least basic sewing skills can make such a doll.
The folk doll-motanka VEDUCHKA can be made according to the master class from the 4preschool :
Children's amulet "Bunnies"
This is a Russian folk doll made by hand from fabric worn by a child. The fabric is placed in patterns towards the master's face. Place a corner inward from the left edge. For the ears, the edge is gathered into a bun and tied with thread. To form the head, take cotton wool and secure it in the same way. The opposite end is twisted for the paws. They are tied to the neck to put the toy on the finger.
Amulet “Bunny” for kids
Odolen-Grass
Amulet doll Overcome-Grass
carries with it a special sign of the Sun - a solar symbol.
It is believed that all sun signs are very strong protectors. Therefore, our ancestors respected this amulet! It is also called the Double Sign of Fire, which is a very important and most important Slavic talisman, because it protects a person from all sorts of diseases and misfortunes. The Slavs dedicated the Odolen-Grass amulet to God Svarog and the Rainbows.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
The effect of the amulet increases when a child laughs or some good deeds are accomplished. It was believed that the Odolen-Grass doll was capable of removing the “evil charm” from a person; in this regard, there was always a special attitude towards him in Rus'!
To enhance the effect of the “Odolen-Grass” amulet, they say:
“Talisman of the Overpowering Grass, help me defeat evil people, so that they don’t think badly of me, so that they don’t wish evil, so that they don’t do evil! Slavic amulet Odolen-Grass, help me take away all the sidelong glances, bad words, and bad deeds!”
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Kubyshka-Herbalist
Kubyshka-Herbalist
is a therapeutic amulet doll that helps purify the air in the house and prevent diseases. Usually it was placed in that part of the house where the air stagnated, or hung over a baby's cradle. It was necessary to crush the bag of herbs before going to bed to fill the room with aroma, and then the air would become healing and everyone would sleep better.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Actually, the body of the Herbal Pot is a bag filled with medicinal herbs. The use of the Egg Capsule depends on the herbs with which the bag is filled.
For example, if you want the doll to have a calming effect, fill it with fresh sawdust, bark, pine needles and buckwheat or motherwort, lemon balm and chamomile.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
For a small master class on how to create a Herbal Pot with your own hands, watch the video from the Development Academy:
Types of herbs and their effects
MINT
- Helps improve mental performance. There is a legend that mint is named after the goddess Menta, who personifies reason, memory and common sense. It was believed that students during exam periods or those studying philosophy, a difficult science, should wear mint wreaths. Mint contains substances that have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, namely phytoncides.
LAVENDER
- has high antibacterial properties, and in addition, lavender has a pleasant aroma. It will help you get rid of severe headaches, high blood pressure, or relieve pain due to intracranial pressure.
MELISSA
- has a mild hypnotic effect, used for heart rhythm disorders (relieves cardiac arrhythmia), and also relieves nervous tremors, which some people experience at night. Melissa also lowers blood pressure and slows breathing.
St. John's wort
- used for insomnia and neurasthenia.
THYME
- has always been considered an excellent antiseptic. Thyme is also anti-inflammatory, analgesic, expectorant, bronchodilator, antispasmodic, etc. It is also used as a mild sleeping pill. Thyme is used for bronchitis and painful coughs.
ORIGIN
- has a sedative effect. It also kills microbial flora in case of sore throat.
Doll Krupenichka and Rich Man
Slavic dolls-amulets Krupenichka
and
the Rich Man
bring abundance to the family. The Krupenichka pupa is also called Zernushka, Zernovushka or Pea. Krupenichka is simple in appearance, but has great symbolic meaning, which is why it has the status of “the main doll in the house.”
The ancient Slavs' main food was porridge, which they believed provided “powerful vitality,” so the process of growing grain was given great importance. So, when sowing grain, the first grains were taken from the bag of this pupa, since they had the meaning of “the saved forces of the Earth Nurse.”
The Slavs believed that since the earth gives (gives birth) a harvest, then the image that this harvest gives is female. This means Krupenichka is in charge, and the Rich Man is at her aid.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Initially, when making Krupenichka, flax or burlap was used, and buckwheat grain was poured inside. And it was highly valued because it was rare and there was a special attitude towards it. Then, towards the end of the 19th century, they began to fill Krupenichka with millet, wheat and peas. This is where the names Zernovushka and Pea came from.
After the new harvest ripened, the doll was again filled with fresh grain, dressed up and placed in the Red Corner or in the kitchen, but always in a prominent place. Krupenichek was always given to guests or given to children to play with, because it was believed that the more people hold it, the more energy the grain inside the doll will be saturated with and then the next year will pass in prosperity for the family, they will have good luck and will not suffer from hunger. Also, charmed coins could be put into the dolls.
DelkiRu channel shows how to make a rag doll Krupenichka (Zernovushka) based on Slavic folk dolls:
Yuliana Bryl makes the Rich Man amulet:
Features of the appearance of amulets dolls
A special feature of amulets dolls is the abundance of colorful colorful clothes. They always have a scarf on their head, tied around their head or a braided braid. A beautiful apron could be worn over the dress. Any amulet doll always has a festive look. In addition to beautiful clothes, there is hair braided in braids, jewelry in the form of beads, multi-colored ribbons, and artificial flowers. It is not difficult to distinguish between two different pupae. Another mandatory feature is the complete absence of a face. Not a single feature is ever drawn on it, even schematically. There is an explanation for this
The ancient Slavs believed that perforating a doll with great interest would attract the attention of evil spirits and dark forces. The faceless doll was an inanimate object, which made it inaccessible to the influence of unwanted forces
There was an assumption that a doll, like a person, is capable of experiencing various emotions, both positive and negative, as a result of which imprinting any specific one on its face is a pointless exercise. Each attribute on the clothes and jewelry of the amulet doll has its own meaning. Rag dolls have great power because they have many symbols, each of which has its own function.
Russian Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga
always associated with evil and deceit, an evil witch who lives in a deep forest. But that's not true! Baba Yaga is a good helper and sensible adviser. She will always tell you where to find living water or the Firebird, how to protect yourself from enemies or find loyal friends.
Baba Yaga can be a very good amulet and keeper of the hearth. It is hung on windows or doors as a talisman at home. As they say, she “let in her own people, but sweeps out strangers,” so they do it with a broom or broom.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
How to make a rag doll “Twist” in a step-by-step master class
This doll is a simple decoration for every home, a talisman and a good play doll for a child.
You can make a “Twirl” doll together with your child, this will develop fine motor skills.
Feature: easy to make, does not require a needle, therefore it is safer, this doll does not have a face painted on it.
Materials:
- 2 squares of white fabric (20*20 cm), intended for the torso and shirt
- A square of colored fabric (20*20 cm), intended for a sundress. You can take two more strips of this fabric, they will be straps.
- Triangle fabric for scarf
- Small rectangle (optional) for apron
- Threads
- cotton wool
- Belt cord
How to do:
- Take a square of white fabric and fold 2 edges inward. The right side is bent more, it will be a thickening - the head. The upper one has a stable body.
- Place cotton wool from the middle to the bottom of the fabric.
- Twist from bottom to top.
- At the level of the neck and waist, tie the resulting bundle with thread.
- Take another square of white fabric, place a round piece of cotton wool in the center of it, place the resulting twist in the center with the cotton wool.
- Wrap the first white square, which has already become a twist, with the second one and tie at neck level.
- Now we make the arms: we wrap the excess fabric inside, and remove the edges into the middle of the doll. Tighten with thread.
- We tighten the loose fabric on the belt with thread
- The doll already looks more like a doll! All that remains is to dress her.
In the end, you should end up with something like this beauty!
You can put a scarf on the doll and tie it with a colored triangle - the doll will be in a sundress!
Doll Rowan
In Rus', the rowan tree was treated with great reverence, just like the Mother! They never broke a mountain ash just like that, because they knew what strong protective qualities it had.
Therefore, the existence in Russia of such a talisman doll as Ryabinka
. It symbolizes motherhood, female wisdom, home, and is a talisman of family happiness, keeping true love from misfortune.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
The Ryabinka doll’s name day was celebrated 4 times a year, and it was made only when the fruits ripened - in the fall, on the fourth name day. A person, not knowing the true power of the rowan, a flexible and small tree, sees in its branch a symbol of Perun’s club (the rowan is the berry of the thunder god Perun.).
The amulet doll will have magical properties if it is made on a cross from rowan branches.
It will be able to relieve depression or damage from the evil eye, and protect from the energy of the dead world. To do this, you need to hang a rowan in front of or near the front door - it, like a warrior, will protect and will not allow negativity into the house.
DelkiRu channel shares a master class on creating a rag doll of Ryabinka:
Simple rag doll
You will need: beige fabric for the face and body, yarn, floss, white cambric, padding polyester or holofiber filling, scissors, needle.
Master Class
- Print this pattern.
- Cut out two parts of the head - front and back.
- Cut out two body parts.
- Cut out two blanks with folds for the pantaloons.
- Cut out four pieces each for the legs and arms. The pattern is first laid out as is, then flipped over to the other side, so the details will be a mirror image.
- When you start cutting out the pieces, fold the fabric in half, this way you will save fabric and time.
- Shape the head in this way: sew the folds on the cheekbones, fold the front and back parts, stitch along the edge.
- Fold two pairs of arms together, step back from the edge and stitch them. Leave the shoulder part unsewn. Make the legs in the same way and do not sew up the top.
- Fill the arms and legs with filler through the holes, and the head through the neck.
- Sew the holes.
- Place the parts in the same way as the finished doll should look like.
- Place the front part of the body on top of the parts, place the back part.
- Place stuffing between the front and back, and then sew the doll up.
- Open the pantaloons, stitch the seams and sew a braid to the bottom.
- Sew a wide elastic band using a zigzag stitch on the wrong side just above the braid.
- Embroider facial features.
- Make hair from yarn by winding strands of the same size and sew them to the back of the head.
- Give the doll a hairstyle and design some clothes.
A simple rag doll is ready! I recommend watching the video master class!
How to sew a doll. Lesson 1 - how to sew a doll's body. Doll based on Susan Woolcott. | Elma-toys
Blessed doll
Well-being
fills the house with joy, brings prosperity and prosperity into it, and blocks the penetration of evil forces. If you want to give this amulet, then give it with wishes of well-being.
The doll must be made in one day; the process cannot be postponed to the next.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
And inside the doll you need to put a coin with the number 5, because 5 is the number of well-being in numerology.
Five-ruble coin inserted inside a doll (author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova)
The Blessed Doll can be placed in a visible place, or it can be hidden. To determine where to place the doll, you need to trust its choice.
Take the doll in your hands and stand in the middle of the room, relax and listen to yourself. Wherever your thoughts lead you, go there.
Even from a distant or hidden place, the Blessed One will always be on guard, will protect the owners of the house and take care of them, because she sits on the Bag of Happiness.
Author - Irina Kolpakova
Master class on creating a Blessed Doll:
Strong amulet
Most often, dolls were created in the form of a talisman and, perhaps, the most famous one is a toy for good luck.
For our lesson we will need:
- scissors;
- threads;
- needle;
- linen fabric (light shade);
- flax tow;
- cotton wool
When you have prepared everything you need, you can get to work. From linen fabric, cut a rectangle for the legs, a square for the head and two small rectangles for the shoes. A large square must be stuffed with cotton wool and tied with red thread. Now fold the corner and tuck the edges towards the center, tie with red thread, the handles are ready. Take large rectangles and roll them into a sausage, then bend them in half, tie them with thread, the legs are ready.
Place small rectangles with a bent corner on your legs. Take colored fabric and sew a triangular sundress for the doll and use a thread to make straps in that dress. The sundress should not cover the doll's shoes. Now let's prepare the braid, take the flax tow, comb it and divide it into two parts. Sew one part onto the doll’s forehead and pull the other back. Gently style your hair and braid it. Our doll is ready.
This doll can be given as a gift for health and pregnancy, and dormouse will also serve as a toy for children.
Plantain pupa
plantain
- This is a ritual doll. It was given on the road so that good luck would accompany the traveler. Most often it was made by a mother for her son or a wife for her husband.
Only the one who made it and the one to whom it was made can pick up the Plantain.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
The image of the Plantain consists of a clean (white) face, like all beregin dolls, so that evil spirits cannot enter through the face, as well as a bag of grain, so that the traveler always has the opportunity to find food on the road. They could put soil taken from their native doorstep, or ash from the stove at home, into the little bag. It was believed that then a person would always be able to find his way home.
The Plantain doll is made small, about 5–7 cm in height, so that it can be conveniently placed in a pocket, backpack or bag, and maybe even in a small clutch or handbag.
Successful doll
Amulet Successful
embodies a person who is successful in any work - in the domestic or financial sphere, and can complete any work efficiently and on time. This knotted doll (motanka) is made to help in any endeavor, to promote career growth, well-being, and luck in your personal life. This is a stately, beautifully dressed, neat doll that confidently stands on its own feet. A fabric bag hangs on her shoulder - it serves as a symbol of the things that she can do.
To ensure that the work you do brings in a stable income, put a coin or bill in the Success Woman’s purse!
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Every time something goes well or you receive a monetary reward, be sure to thank the Successful Girl, share some money with her, or give her a decoration made of ribbons or beads.
Ritual doll “Bird of Joy”
Make a tight twist of fabric. It is tied with threads in 3 places. Wrap it in a white piece, tie it with red thread, dividing it in half. Fold the limb flap diagonally and tie it to the neck. For the breast, roll up a tube and place it under clothing. The shirt is put on the doll, tightened with a belt from below. Wear a skirt and apron. Then they make a headdress. The long side faces upward and is used to make a beak.
Bright poultry joy brings happiness
Doll Thread of Fate
Doll-amulet Thread of Fate
will help get rid of sadness, melancholy and despondency. It will also bring prosperity, prosperity and good luck, and will help in any endeavors, in work and in the implementation of plans.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
If you have thought about how you live, what components are the basis of your life, have decided to look from the inside or from the outside at your behavior, your manners and comprehend all this, then the Thread of Fate doll will help. She will help you cut off everything superfluous and unnecessary and leave only what is spiritual and pure.
See what else it might look like:
Kolyada doll
Kolyada
- solar symbol. This portly woman, who is dressed in everything smart and new, she maintains good relations in the family. The Slavs believed that when Kolyada comes to the house, happiness, harmony and peace come with her.
Kolyada is an ancient Slavic holiday of the Winter Solstice, also called the holiday of the Birth of the Sun. It began 3 days after the winter solstice and lasted until the end of the winter holidays.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
On the eve of the holiday, the ritual doll Kolyada was made as a symbol of well-being, the realization of what one wanted, happiness and, moreover, a talisman against evil forces. It was believed that “God Kolyada comes into the world with light and goodness, having defeated evil and darkness.” Kolyada's fate could be different - she was either left for one year as a talisman, or burned on the last day of Christmastide.
They made carols only from new fabric and on a birch log. Birch is a tree that symbolizes light, femininity and purity, protects against the evil eye and treats melancholy. Kolyada has 2 bags in her hands - the first with grain, the other with salt. These are symbols of goodness, prosperity and fertility.
Rules for creating a protective doll
Making protective dolls is a serious undertaking. These are not simple toys that you can make as you wish! Such work requires special knowledge and skills, although the instructions are quite simple and accessible.
Basic rules for creating a talisman:
- When making a talisman doll with your own hands, the use of piercing and cutting objects is prohibited. It is difficult to comply with this condition, because the doll needs clothes. You need to sew the doll outfit in advance, and then put the needles and scissors away.
- The elements of the doll's body cannot be sewn together; they are simply tied together with threads.
- All material (fabric, thread, yarn) must be only natural. Any synthetics will disrupt the energy of the talisman.
- The woven material should be in bright, attractive colors.
- Faces are not painted on motankas, otherwise evil spirits may enter them.
- A headdress is required for a talisman doll. Uncovered hair contributes to the loss of energy, which is immediately picked up by evil spirits.
- The main color of the thread when making reels is red, which bestows vitality and protects from evil. Green gives the amulet a healing effect, and yellow attracts well-being and fulfills wishes.
- Motanki, which should attract something new, should be made during the waxing moon, and if the craftswoman, on the contrary, wants to preserve the old, then the best time will be the full moon.
- The first amulet doll you make should be left in your home.
Six Hand Doll
Six-handle
considered the patroness of women's crafts. She is an indispensable assistant for those who do needlework. The six-handle will protect your hands from fatigue and help you distribute work correctly so that you have enough energy and time to do everything. Sometimes Shestiruchka is also called Filippovka. She has a bundle of grains and coins hanging on her belt, so that everything she does with her own hands will bring profit.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
No. 4 Interior fabric doll
Such dolls - in the form of a teenage girl - are now very popular. And it’s not difficult to sew it with your own hands - look at how simple the pattern is.
An additional advantage of a pattern is that you can give it individuality and make it look like a specific person. This makes an interior doll an even more interesting gift. After all, with individual traits, she will be literally unique.
Author: Alina Minina.
Here is a clear example of individualization. Other dolls, sewn according to the same pattern, but so different from each other.
Of course, clothing plays a big role here. Perhaps, sewing an outfit is more difficult than the girl herself. It's especially difficult with shoes. Oh, it would be nice if shoes for textile dolls were sold ready-made somewhere. And you wouldn’t have to tinker with it and do everything yourself
Doll Kupalo
Kupalo
helps to find true and bright love, restores vitality, removes sadness and melancholy, treats depression and strengthens the bonds of marriage.
The ancient holiday - Kupala Day - is full of mysticism and omens. And the ignorant, it happened, would find the answer for himself. On a pure holiday - Kupala Day, let trouble burn with fire, And water, like a veil, hide grief forever.
Author - Anastasia Bobrovnikova
Doll Bell
Bell
considered a doll of good news. She is originally from Valdai. From this came the Valdai Bells.
Since ancient times, the ringing of a bell protected against various terrible and deadly diseases. And bells were always hung on an arc at festive troikas. The bells are dome-shaped and resemble the sun on top.
The doll has 3 skirts. They indicate that for any person there are 3 kingdoms - copper, silver and gold.
Happiness also consists of 3 parts - the body feels good, which means the soul is calm, and if the soul is calm, then the spirit is calm, which means the person is happy.
Bell is a cheerful, mischievous doll who brings joy to the home with her enthusiasm. She is a talisman of good mood. Give a bell to someone you wish joy, good mood and only good news.
Basic rules for making a traditional doll
In the folk beliefs of the ancient Slavs, this talisman symbolized the birth of a new life. They create a ritual object out of nothing, which is identified with the maturation of cells that transform into a living person. The body of the toy is “rolled up”, which symbolizes the development of the child in the mother’s womb. In order for the amulet to gain real magical power, it had to be made exactly as every Slav did in ancient times. Otherwise, the toy will not receive protective properties.
To make the folk doll Pelenashka according to the rules, you need to follow the following manufacturing principles:
Only old fabric is suitable for creating a talisman. A product made from the father's or mother's old shirt or sleeping sheet is suitable for a newborn. Ancient ancestors believed that such things attract parental protection, which will be beneficial for the child. Do not cut or sew during production. Threads and scissors will ruin the traditional manufacturing plan, and the doll will not receive magical powers. It is allowed to tear the fabric and wind the threads. Cutting and sewing are not used, which is why the toy is often called a motanka. To make a doll resemble a child, it needs to be given human elements of the image. There is always a head and a navel made of red thread, which is associated with the vitality transmitted from the mother. The diaper differs from other toys in that the navel threads are tied at the top. At the end of the work you need to bite it off with your teeth. You cannot depict a face in the head area. The Slavs believed that if a home amulet is faceless, then evil spirits will not inhabit it. During step-by-step manufacturing, elements of the sacredness of numbers must be applied - the fabric is wound 7 times, the threads are wound 4 times. The head needs to be sketched out to indicate the baby's personality. The talisman is made by a pregnant woman or her mother. It is necessary to make an item in a good mood and without bad thoughts. Otherwise, the amulet will not protect the newborn. You need to finish making the doll in one evening
You cannot interrupt for other things. Fathers are not allowed to wind the talisman. It is important to pay attention to the lunar calendar. The toy is made during the waxing moon or full moon.
Doll Ten Handles
Ten-handle
- a great helper in household chores. Women or girls made ten-handles to increase their strength in housekeeping. The doll was often given to brides as a wedding gift, and if the woman was already married, then it was given as a gift for the Filippovka holiday, which was celebrated on November 27. At the same time, they wanted housewives to succeed everywhere and in everything without wasting extra effort, figuratively speaking, having 10 hands.
The Ten-Handed doll was made for the holiday of the Intercession, on October 14th. It was made from bast wool, red threads, multi-colored ribbons and flax in strands. At the bottom of the sundress, 9 bows made of red threads were necessarily tied. The ten-handle could be made from straw or bast and then it was called Splinter.
When women made a doll, they really hoped for its help, so they put their soul, their intentions, secrets and energy into it. Consequently, the process acquired special significance.
Until the doll is completely ready, do not let it out of your hands, do not break away from the manufacturing process, and it is not even recommended to have conversations with anyone at this time! And when the Ten Handle is ready, read a prayer over it and leave it under the icon overnight.
This doll helped not only at home, but also in the field. They even took her to church to cleanse all the negativity accumulated in her. At home, Ten Hands was placed where the mistress was most often located. She was never given into the hands of strangers and children were never allowed to play with her.
Spiridon-solstice doll
Filling is placed on the fabric. Bend in half and make a ball with thread. They form arms and legs. The flap is folded on both sides and rolled into a tube.
Then the body is filled. You need to wear it from below. The fabric is placed under the doll and the trouser leg is wrapped up. Then they put on the shirt and secure it. They make a hairstyle out of flax and pull on a hat. You just need to wrap it around your head. And tie the wheel to the handles.
Spiridon male doll, improving business
Swaddle dolls
Swaddlers
- These are protective dolls for the little ones. They were always placed in the baby's cradle so that the doll would protect against illness and the evil eye. They also helped women during childbirth.
Pelenashka, like all other amulet dolls, has no face. The Slavs believed that if a doll has its own face, then it can only protect itself, and when the doll is faceless, it protects everyone living in the house, the house itself or the specific person for whom the doll was made.
The diaper is a doll wrapped in a diaper with a scarf and a swaddle belt. Since ancient times, all children were swaddled with a swaddle; this had both practical and protective significance.
Author - Irina Drozdenko
Women made diapers in the last weeks of pregnancy, with positive thoughts about their future child, and immediately put it in the cradle so that the doll could live in it and warm it.
The size of the diaper is such that it can easily fit in a child’s hand. To create the doll, they used a piece of already worn clothing made from fabric made at home and retaining the warmth of an adult, and such fabric could also provide generic protection. No scissors or needles were used during production so as not to injure the doll.
There is a belief that before baptism a newborn must be protected from evil spirits, and Pelenashka must take upon herself all the bad things that could harm the baby.
Having put the Diaper in the cradle, you need to say: “Sleeping - insomnia, don’t play with my baby, play with this doll.”
And when relatives and friends came to look at the child, the doll was placed in the folds of a handkerchief.
When leaving, the guests said to Pelenashka: “Oh, what a good looking doll!”
After the child was baptized, the Diaper was removed from the cradle and stored along with the baptismal robe.
What types of amulets dolls are there?
The list of types of amulets in the form of dolls is almost endless. They protected a person’s life, starting from his birth, when his mother took care of it. The size of the doll depends on how it is going to be worn.
If you plan to take it with you on the road, hang it from your belt, then a large size will be inappropriate. If the doll is placed in a stroller or crib of a newborn child, then special attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the amulet. When the child grows up and the amulet doll begins to be used as a toy, it should be made only from rags, excluding straw, which can prick or cause other harm to an unreasonable baby. Various dolls are made to preserve a happy family or for single women still waiting for their happiness
Inside the doll’s body, you can place various substances, for example, ash or herbs, which give the amulet additional necessary properties.
Making amulets dolls was considered a traditionally female occupation. Men could not observe this process even from afar. There was a belief that the happiness and well-being of the family depended on the quality of the work performed. Before starting work, a woman needs to prepare herself for a long time and read suitable conspiracies.
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Lovebird dolls
Lovebirds
- a ritual wedding amulet doll, which has great symbolic meaning. It is named so because the doll is crafted as a single whole. Both parts, man and woman, are inseparable, they have one common hand, as a symbol of a family union and a common destiny. The doll is usually given as a wedding gift to newlyweds or already married couples to make the family stronger.
A special feature of the Lovebirds is a common hand based on a long wooden splinter. It was made by the bridesmaids as a symbol of masculinity and femininity.
Author - First Museum of Slavic Mythology
Lovebirds are a talisman of a strong family and a symbol of life together; they, as they say, go “hand in hand.” In the same way, a wife and husband should always be one in any situation, both in trouble and in joy.
To this day, there is a tradition of giving Lovebirds as a wedding gift. They make Lovebirds with their own hands and give them from the bottom of their hearts to the nascent family with the wishes to always be inseparable.
According to the ancient Russian tradition, Lovebirds were hung under the arc of the harness of horses carrying the newlyweds to the groom's house from the church after the wedding. Our ancestors tirelessly believed that the fate of any person could be influenced by making a similar figurine for him, both in a negative and in a positive sense. Therefore, special attention was certainly paid to the “wedding train”. Outside the walls of their home, newlyweds were considered especially vulnerable to all kinds of negative manifestations, such as envious glances or the tricks of evil sorcerers. The wedding train was directed along such complex paths, lined with barriers, in order to deceive all these evil spirits and cover their tracks.
The wood for making the torch was carefully selected; not every tree is suitable for such a task. For example, they never took twigs of alder or linden, because, as the Slavs believed, they were related to evil spirits. First the female part is done, then the male part. Then they are attached to this splinter, thereby securing their own position on the family tree. The dolls must have something in common in their clothes - the same pattern on the belts or color.
Lovebirds were not only kept in the Red Corner after the wedding, but also with the advent of children, Martinchik dolls were added to them. Martinchiki were knitted from bunches of white threads. The lovebirds were moved apart in different directions and the children were placed on a splinter between them. There were as many of them as there were children in the family.
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Slavic dolls-amulets The role of the doll in the life of our ancestors. Slavic dolls-amulets were not only used to decorate the interior or to play with in childhood, they have always been very powerful helpers in everyday life, in the social and personal life of our ancestors. Dolls were made on the occasion of folk holidays, for example, for Maslenitsa or Midsummer Day, as gifts or ritual symbols for celebrating family events, such as a wedding or the birth of a child, and were also simply made as companions and guardians of peace, health, prosperity, love.
Ritual dolls were made for various events, such as a new harvest, the passing of winter and other vital stages of the year, and each of them was filled with its own meaning and had its own personal purpose - some dolls were burned as a symbol of purification, and some, on the contrary, filled with cereals and placed in a prominent place to attract wealth into the house. There were a variety of dolls, not only made of fabric, but also made of clay, straw, and even ash.
If a good event happened in the family - a wedding or childbirth, then our ancestors always made dolls - in order to ward off the evil eye, damage, evil spirits and other troubles from a newborn baby, or so that a special doll for newlyweds “lovebirds” would help maintain the integrity of the unity of the new family. The secret of real lovebirds is that they were made from one indivisible square of fabric with a common handle, and during production the red thread of fate was never broken - then, according to legend, the family will never be destroyed - they have a common basis and a common judge. Only when the baby appeared was a separate loop tied. Lovebirds were sometimes dressed up in beautiful festive clothes.
At a wedding, a midwife or an adult relative placed a “swaddle” doll on the bride’s lap in order to protect the unborn child even before conception, so that the evil spirits guarding the married couple would see the “swaddled child” and move into him instead of a real child. Also, the diaper “warmed the bed” even before the birth of the child, and served as the first toy and amulet for the baby. The Kuvadka doll was directly involved in childbirth. When a woman gave birth in a bathhouse, the child’s father imitated childbirth in the dressing room, and the sledgehammer served as a talisman to ward off dark forces from the real child. Evil spirits will come and inhabit the doll, but they will not notice the child. After childbirth, the kuvadkas were burned. If such a ritual was not performed, then the kuvadki were simply tied together and served as a bright toy for the baby.
Pelenashka Kuvadka
Dolls were also made for various other reasons - for example, if the husband was leaving for a long time, then a protective doll of the owner was made in his place and placed in a place of honor in the house. And if a woman in the family could not give birth, then another doll was made - Moskovka, so that with her stateliness and splendor she would help bring and embody in the family the spirit of happy motherhood and fatherhood. And if the wife planned to have a child, then in order for him to appear as soon as possible, she made herself a “pregnant doll”, and the result did not take long to arrive. The secret of a pregnant doll is simple - an ordinary doll was made, and a small “diaper” was hidden in the hem of it.
In order for health to reign in the house, so that nothing could harm it, a “little egg” was made - a beautiful doll sitting on a bag of healing aromatic herbs. If someone got sick, they rubbed the bag with their fingers, walking with it throughout the house, and then they put the bag in the sick person’s bed so that the spirit of the disease would get scared and disappear. For a small child, they always made a small “bunny” amulet. If it was necessary to leave the child alone, then so that he would not be sad or scared, a bunny was put on his finger, and the child was no longer left alone - he was with a talisman, a friend and a toy all in one person.
Egg Bunny
In order for good and joyful news to always come to the house, “bell” dolls were made and several of them were hung up at once. The “day-night” doll protected the peace of sleep at night and gave daytime joy and energy. This doll also carried the philosophical meaning of existence - you need day and night, rain and sun, winter and summer, white god and black god - everything is needed for something, you need to love everything.
Bell Day and Night
And in addition to all of the above, personal dolls were also made for each person - amulets made of fabric by tying, wrapping and twisting. Such dolls were responsible for all aspects of life, helped in all endeavors, and protected from all illnesses. These were the personal dolls of adults, their tireless protectors.
Vepsskaya Spiridon
Rules for making dolls. Bereginie dolls were always made with a white face - so that through this doll it was impossible to transfer evil thoughts and actions to its owner or owner, and the white color figuratively expressed the spirituality and purity of the owners’ thoughts. Bereginie dolls were always made without the use of needles, scissors, knives, glue, etc., so as not to harm those whose health and benefits they would later preserve. The threads were torn off with their hands or bitten with their teeth, and if anything needed to be cut, they were cut first and then applied to the doll.
When making dolls, in no case was the presence of male energies allowed in the room where the sacrament was taking place, and if there were little boys in the room, they had to be busy with their own affairs; in no case were they allowed to be nearby and watch to the manufacturing process. Girls and women gathered, sat down at the table and worked, singing and talking about their own, girlish things. The most important thing in making dolls was not the technique itself, but the images that were put into this process. For example, a craftswoman twirls the neat head of a doll with her fingers, and silently says to herself: “a bright head, clean, filled with goodness, love.” He makes a breast for the doll and puts into it images of happy motherhood, prosperity in the family, and the kindness of the owner. Therefore, such dolls could only be made by those whom the craftswoman loved and from the bottom of her heart wanted good - for herself, her husband, daughter, son, sister, and so on. And if she was already making a bereginya for someone else, then she first had to be imbued with the image of the future owner, wish him or her well and all the best, and then get to work. If in the process of working on the doll something doesn’t go well - a thread suddenly breaks in the wrong place, or it’s impossible to smooth out some fold - it means they said: “misfortune will come to the doll, but I (or the name of the person to whom the amulet was made) will bypass me.” "
Donating a doll. And then the fun begins. If the doll is intended as a gift or made for yourself by a loved one, then you need to fill it with the kindest images, sincerely wish all the best to the future owner of the doll and imagine how this is already being accomplished. It must be remembered that from this moment your doll becomes an independent energy unit, sharing the fate of the future owner or mistress. You must treat her very carefully, remembering her high purpose - to preserve your health, spirit, well-being, love and everything else you want to ask from her.
Selling dolls. If you want to sell a doll, then no matter how much moral and material resources you have invested in it, you must be prepared for any price offered for it. It must be remembered that people’s incomes are very different, but their desires, as a rule, if you look deep into your soul, are the same. Everyone wants love, health, happiness, peace of mind, a strong family, confidence that everything will always be fine. Therefore, you cannot evaluate the doll as an ordinary product. For someone, 100 rubles is a lot of money, and he can only give you an apple - which means this is the price of this doll for this person. But for some, the average salary of an ordinary Russian means nothing. The question of how much a person is willing to give for a doll is not the amount of money, but the percentage of his income from the amount of his faith in the power of the doll. That is, how much the buyer is willing to pay for his bereginya, that’s how much it costs at the moment. Therefore, before selling a doll, you need to think not about the amount of money that will probably be paid for it, but about what strength and energy will come to this person, and create his image of a happy, healthy and confident person. And if the buyer felt the value of his acquisition, realized that the doll will now help him, and this is what he has long wanted, then this is the most important thing, why it was worth starting to do this in the first place. source: https://www.winalite.cc/oberejnie-kukli.html
The Lovebirds doll is a symbol and amulet of a strong family union, therefore it is done as if on one hand, so that the husband and wife walk through life hand in hand and are together in joy and trouble.
Currently, the tradition has been preserved. Now, like hundreds of years ago, despite technological progress, you can make dolls with your own hands and give them to a new family from the bottom of your heart with the wish to never be separated. In the Russian tradition, at the head of the wedding train, carrying the young couple to the groom's house after the wedding in the church, a pair of dolls - wedding lovebirds - were suspended under the arc of the harness. The feminine and masculine principles were combined into a single inextricable whole. After the wedding celebration, this doll couple was kept in the house as a talisman of family relationships and fidelity. master class on making dolls: https://pinigina.livejournal.com/37831.html
The plantain is a man-made guardian angel of body and soul and a good gift for those leaving.
Even today, getting ready for a trip is accompanied by many signs, customs and superstitions: sit down on the path
,
do not hit the road on Monday
, return if someone
cackled
,
returning is a bad omen
. Does everyone know why, why? When leaving your homeland, taking with you a handful of earth or ash from your home has been a long-standing and widespread tradition. At some stage, a protective little doll appeared with a knapsack, into which a pinch of earth or ash was placed. True, a very small pinch, because the doll is tiny, 5-6, and sometimes 3 cm tall.
MK for making a doll : https://pinigina.livejournal.com/54923.html
According to tradition, the Cleansing Doll got rid of “bad” energy in the house. For example, after a family quarrel, a woman would open the windows and doors, pick up a doll and, using it as a symbolic broom, sweep all the negativity out of the hut. This doll, having the image of a person, is as close as possible to a play doll, and children can play with it. And if you make a doll together, saying that the doll will reconcile those who have quarreled, then the child will be included in the opportunity to influence the relationship in such a symbolic way - by bringing the doll to the parents as a reminder. A positive orientation even in conflict situations is very important, and such a talisman doll will contribute to this. Live in peace and joy!
source and MK for making a doll: https://pinigina.livejournal.com/46725.html
Maslenitsa ritual doll. The doll's hands symbolize turning to the sun, and the skirt, gathered in a special way, symbolizes the solstice. The amulet is made for a year, at the next holiday it is burned or floated on water
MK: https://pinigina.livejournal.com/62508.html#cutid1
Here is another wonderful doll - “Herbal Pot”.
The doll is filled with fragrant herbs to keep the air in the house clean and fresh. In the old days, the Herbal Pot was filled with fragrant herbs - St. John's wort, yarrow, mint, oregano or pine needles. The Pot-Herbalist makes sure that the disease does not enter the house. Warmth emanates from her, like from a caring housewife. She is also a protector from evil spirits. She was trusted with the most valuable thing - the health of the family.
The Herbal Pot is considered one of the oldest family amulets.
Source and MK here: https://pinigina.livejournal.com/35629.html or
Doll "Krupenichka"
(other names “Zernushka”, “Zernovushka”, “Pea”) is a talisman for satiety and prosperity in the family.
Traditionally, the doll was filled with buckwheat grain. Krupenichka is the main doll in the family. 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. The meanings of cereals in Zernovushka: buckwheat - satiety and wealth, traditionally the doll was filled with this particular grain; rice - the most expensive grain; for the holiday, pearl barley - for satiety; oats - for strength. You can also add all the cereals. They also sometimes place a coin at the bottom of the doll.
Kolyada doll
Russian carols, which glorified the Nativity of Christ, are perhaps the most joyful, brightest, and most uniting holiday for many people. Kolyada is celebrated from December 26 to January 6.
Kolyada has arrived - open the gates!
MK: https://pinigina.livejournal.com/57925.html
Doll Bell.
They say that this doll is from Valdai, where the famous Valdai bells were cast. The lower part of the bell was called the “skirt”, and the shape of the bell is similar to a sarafan.
So the doll has three skirts made of round pieces of fabric. This doll was considered to bring good news.
source:
MK for making a doll: https://podelki-doma.ru/handmade/iz-tkani/kukla-kolokolchik#odnoklassniki
A doll for good luck. In the traditional Happiness doll, the main thing is the hair, it contains feminine power. The braid twists upward and serves as a support for the doll, making it stable. Few traditional folk dolls can stand on their own. I don’t specify the details, like the braid at the bottom of the skirt, etc., they are obvious, they can be done or not.
Master classes “Doll of Happiness”:
, https://www.oxanafa.ru/narkykla/166-kukla-na-schaste-narodnaya-russkaya-kukla.html, https://www.igolka-modnica.info/22/12/2010/topics/257 /
And another wonderful doll - “Bird Woman” or “Bird of Joy” . This doll is made on a post. It differs from ordinary columns only in the scarf. It should be tied in the shape of a bird. And an odd number of birds must be attached to the doll. This is a spring doll. In early spring, women went out into the field and the bird that landed on it was believed that it would have joy and happiness that year. So they gave such dolls for good luck.
Source:
and many others in the diary wonderful : THANK YOU!
Series of messages “toys-souvenirs”:
Part 1 - Angel Part 2 - Master class “Doll Happiness” ... Part 13 - master class - chicken for Easter egg Part 14 - miniature knitted beautiful things Part 15 - Slavic dolls-amulets
Series of messages “SLAVS”:
Part 1 - signs about the corners of the house. cleaning corners Part 2 - the hidden meaning of fairy tales ... Part 27 - Veles's book Part 28 - Veles's book Part 29 - Slavic amulets-dolls Part 30 - amulet, amulet, talisman with your own hands Part 31 - lynx - this is a talisman symbolism ... Part 34 - Slavic amulets . amulets of our ancestors Part 35 - AllYaSvetnayaGramata Part 36 - so how old is Rus'?
Series of messages "-amulets":
Part 1 - wreath Part 2 - how to weave a talisman from yarn - master class... Part 4 - meanings of swastika symbols of ancient Russia Part 5 - creation of healing amulets Part 6 - Slavic amulets-dolls Part 7 - amulet, amulet, talisman with your own hands Part 8 - the lynx is a talismanic symbolism Part 9 - amulets, sciences... Part 10 - amulets of our ancestors Part 11 - Slavic amulets. amulets of our ancestors
