Folk game sewn doll. DIY rag doll twist

In the abundance of modern toys, the doll occupies an important place, helping the child to realize the role of a person in society, in the family. Our ancestors used the little rag beauty not only as children's fun, but also considered it a powerful amulet.

History of dolls-amulets

Presumably, the first items resembling dolls appeared many millennia ago, when a person learned to process stone and other improvised materials. This is confirmed by a doll made of mammoth bone, found in the Czech Republic, with movable limbs. Sacred dolls of our ancestors were the personification of spirits, pagan gods, served as an integral part of rituals and even sacrifices, were listed as powerful amulets. Such dolls were made from improvised means.

Ash dolls are considered one of the first. Swelling in water, the ash is easily molded into a ball, to which twigs and burlap were attached. Such a Slavic amulet symbolized the hearth, accompanied a person when changing their place of residence. Later, with the advent of linen fabrics, a motanka (nodular) doll was born. The filler was straw, tow, bast, grass.

Different peoples had materials used in the manufacture of magical items: wax, clay, wood.

Slavic amulet dolls

Slavic amulet dolls

The history of dolls is rooted in the Trypillia culture that existed over five thousand years ago. Our ancestors worshiped the Sun, Sky, Water. The bull was considered a symbol of agriculture. The cult of a woman, personifying fertility and motherhood, dominated. Archaeologists have found many clay figurines proving this assumption. Probably, it was in that era that the rag doll appeared. Trypillian culture was quite developed, existed for about two thousand years, traditions and rituals were passed down for generations, so it has come down to our days. Such talismans were widely used as a powerful amulet: they protected from evil spirits, damage, diseases, brought prosperity and abundance.

They made dolls faceless. It was believed that similarity with a person is dangerous, since the negative absorbed by the amulet can pass to the owner. In the southern regions, an amulet cross was depicted on the face of the doll. They made a coil by twisting the fabric in a spiral. Ancestors associated this with the creation of the world.

The methods of making amulets are similar among all Slavic peoples, but depending on the area of ​​​​residence, they had some differences. Could be made from different materials: straw, birch bark, bast. The Ukrainian doll stood out with a large head and was armless. The Belarusian amulet was distinguished by the rich embroidery of the apron and shirt. Sometimes the amulet was made from corn leaves.

Russian folk dolls-amulets

Russian folk dolls-amulets

The Slavic amulet doll accompanied a person from the first days to the end of his life. The mother made a talisman for the child, even before birth, placing a lyalka in the cradle so that evil spirits would not settle there. Later, it was the baby's first toy. The craftsmanship of making coils from fabric is a purely female occupation, men were forbidden even to be around during the process.

The girl made her first doll at the age of 13-14, according to the accuracy of the work, they judged how ready the future bride was for marriage. The people's favorite was dressed up in different ways, depending on the region. The northern regions made amulet dolls in sundresses and aprons, they put a warrior and a scarf on their heads. Southern motanki "wore" a poneva skirt, an embroidered shirt, and a traditional dress.

Depending on the purpose of the doll-amulet, the fillers were different: grain, herbs, salt, ash. An important condition in the work is not to use piercing and cutting objects. It is recommended to tear the fabric and thread. In Rus', the motanka was considered a reliable protector from an unkind look, envy, and damage. She protected the house from evil spirits, brought prosperity, contributed to a rich harvest.

Charm dolls made of fabric, master class

Doll Bereginya

Bereginya - the keeper of the hearth

One of the main dolls was considered Bereginya - the keeper of the hearth. How to make such a talisman we will analyze in stages. We will need:

• fabric with a bright print, preferably a folklore pattern;
• flesh-colored material - coarse calico, cotton, linen;
• dried herbs, cotton wool, tow - for filler;
• canvas;
• scarlet thread.

Step by step we will analyze how to make a Bereginya doll with your own hands

Tear off a piece of plain fabric about 8x8 cm. Fold it diagonally, place a filler ball in the center and wrap the material around it, tying it with a thread at the bottom. We make an odd number of turns - the base of the head and arms came out. We straighten the folds, otherwise wrinkles will appear on the face. We take the corners of the fabric formed to the left and right of the head, carefully wrap the edges inward, wrap them with thread at the level of the intended wrists - hands are obtained.

Let's start making the chest. We tear off two pieces of about 6x6 cm from the bright material. We fold them diagonally, place the filler in the center, then we bandage it according to the principle of making the head. The resulting breasts need to be wound to the base of the doll in a cross way. We fix an even number of nodes at the level of the navel.

We make clothes for Beregina. We measure the doll from the chest to the bottom. We got the length of the fabric along the shared thread required for the outfit. The width must be done with an assembly allowance. We tear off the resulting piece of material, apply it to the doll, below the chest, face down, on the head. We wind the thread along the waist line, not forgetting to assemble, lower the fabric down, with the front part out. We cut out an apron from a canvas and, according to the principle of a skirt, we fasten it under the chest. We measure the circumference of the head. With an allowance of 2 cm, cut off a piece of braid or narrow ribbon. We wrap it over the forehead and fasten it with three turns of thread on the neck. Determine the size of the handkerchief, tear off the canvas and tie in a knot at the back. Bereginya is ready, place it in the front corner of the house. It is a reliable protection against the evil eye, a talisman that brings prosperity and peace in the family.

Slavic doll Zhelannitsa

A doll capable of making bright dreams come true will become a friend for women. It is easy to make a wisher using our master class. We will need:

• natural white fabric;
• multi-colored pieces of material;
• threads;
• pieces of braid, lace.

We take a light fabric, fold the edges inward, tightly fold it into a spiral, which is a symbol of the creation of the world. Wrap the resulting column with the same material, calculate the size according to the length of the twist. Mark the head by bandaging it at the level of the neck.

On the face of the amulet doll we will depict a sacred cross. We wind a vertical line with a black thread, holding the end to the left of the head, in the center through the back of the head we bring it to the initial stage. We make several tight turns. Then we place the thread to the right of the head and continue to work. We repeat the same in green and red. Making a horizontal strip, hold the thread on the back of the head with your finger and change the direction of the coil. With a crochet hook, we stretch the ends through the neck winding, thus securing.

Determine the length of the handles, twist the desired segment into a spiral and attach it to the column of the body. We put the free corners of the fabric extending from the head onto the twisting of the hands, turn the edge inward, and bandage it at the level of the wrist.

We form the chest by placing cotton balls just below the neck. We fix it with a cross-shaped winding, we make a knot in the navel area.

Each turn of the thread is your dream. Think about what you want while making a turn.

The next step is making clothes for the doll. A pattern is not needed here, it is enough to understand the length of the skirt. We wrap a piece of multi-colored material around the head, wrong side out. We make a skein under the chest, at the same time shearing the fabric. We straighten the skirt down. We attach the apron in the same way. Make it on a par with the hem, it is believed that its length is a symbol of prosperity. Get your talisman a beautiful box or sew a bag, keep it away from prying eyes.

Doll Kubishka Herbalist

Revered by the Slavs doll-amulet Kubyshka-Travnitsa

The Herbal Egg is a revered doll that helps restore a person's health, prolong life, and purify the air in the house. It is not at all difficult to make it with your own hands, the main thing is to fill it with fragrant herbs, which contain magical power. The most commonly used are oregano, mountain ash, mint, wormwood, raspberry leaf, currant. In our work we use:

• a piece of natural fabric 17x5 cm - the basis of the body;
• cream or white material 16x16 cm;
• canvas fiber (tow) to give volume to the head;
• wool, cotton wool as stuffing;
• fabric on the apron, scarf, chest;
• threads.

From a natural flap we make a roller, bending the edges inward. We fold it in half, stepping back 2.5 cm from the fold, we wind the thread, fixing it on an even number of knots. We wind the flax fiber, thus forming the head. We take a square piece of fabric, wrap it around the formed ball, fixing it on the neck with several turns of thread. We straighten the folds, carefully pull out the corners located on the sides - these will be the hands. We bend the edges inward and tie with a thread at the wrist.

Let's start making a bust. We take 2 square pieces of fabric in the center, place lumps of filler and tie with a thread. We attach the breast-knots to the frame and fasten them to the waist and neck using the cross method, we tie the knots at the level of the navel. From the fabric into the pattern, cut out a circle with a diameter of 25 cm using a stencil. We collect the edges of the workpiece on a long thread, without completely closing. We put the herbs into the resulting box, insert the body of the Herbal Pod, tighten the assembly. To prevent the skirt from slipping, make a few turns of the thread around the neck.

Cut out the apron and wrap it under the bust. On the head we will put on a warrior made of braid, which we will fasten with a thread along the neck line, and we will tie a handkerchief, we will make a knot at the back. A hand-made amulet doll has a more powerful protective power. It is important that the amulet be made on certain days and in good health. It was forbidden to do needlework on Sundays and holidays.

Doll Krupenichka

Krupenichka represents well-being

Ancestors believed that a doll filled with cereals should be in every home. Krupenichka personified prosperity, abundance, symbolized rich crops. The appearance of the doll spoke of prosperity in the house. Even a novice craftswoman can do this.

We will need:

• cotton multi-colored piece;
• a piece of knitted material;
• thick linen;
• natural threads;
• lace 12-15 cm wide;
• cereals. Cereals;
• ribbons;
• coin.

We sew a “pipe” from a square piece of canvas fabric, collect one edge, tie it tightly, turn it inside out. The size can be chosen arbitrarily, the recommended one is 20x20 cm. We place a coin at the bottom of the “torbka”, pour cereals, and tamp tightly. The bag must be stable. We collect the upper edge on a strong thread, tighten it tightly, tying it into an even number of knots.

We got the base of the doll. We take lace for the lower shirt, wrap it around the body, wrap it at a distance of two-thirds from the bottom. We measure out the desired piece for outerwear from colored fabric. It should not close in front, between the vertical edges the distance is about 3-4 cm. Cut out a rectangle from knitted fabric, roll it up with a roller on both sides, leaving the central part free.

We get a zipun, which we wind to the body in such a way that the rollers turn out to be hands. Measure the required length for the doll. We cut out an apron, on which, according to the scheme, a sacral sign of fertility can be embroidered with floss threads. We put a warrior on the head from the ribbon, tie a simple handkerchief on top, place the knot at the back. Such a handmade doll will become a symbolic gift for a wedding or housewarming.

Symbol of prosperity, satiety, healthy children - Grace

A similar doll is distinguished by raised hands, large breasts. They made it on the eve of the Annunciation, gave it as a symbol of satiety, prosperity, healthy children. Let's make our own rag amulet, following our master class.

We use:

• sprig-spear (American maple is recommended, it has even forks);
• square fabric of dense natural textiles of white, flesh-colored head 10x10 cm;
• two pieces of multi-colored fabric 6x6 cm, one rectangular;
• cotton wool;
• a small piece of braid;
• patches for a handkerchief and apron;
• scarlet wool yarn

We take a horn and wrap the base with threads, starting from the fork to the end. We return and “close” one horn, then the other. We make the winding tightly, otherwise the tree will shine through. Put a ball of cotton wool in the center of the white patch, pull it with a thread. The resulting box, we fix it in a fork - the head of the doll. From colored pieces, according to the same principle, we will make breasts, which we attach to the base of the slingshot, just below the neck. A rectangular piece will serve as a skirt, wrap it around the head with the outer side inward, fasten below the chest, straighten the hem down. We measure out, according to the length of the sundress, the apron, in the same way we fasten it under the bust. We tie a warrior braid on the head, fixing the rope around the neck, put a scarf on top, make a knot at the back. The fabric sizes are approximate, be guided by the size of the slingshot.

Plantain was given to travelers for good luck and an easy road

A similar doll was given to travelers for good luck and an easy way. They made it small, for the purpose of easy storage in a pocket or bag. Such a crumb is easy to make yourself. We will need:

• cotton fabric 6x6 cm, 7.5x7.5 cm;
• cotton wool;
• colored material - rectangular. Quantity is measured by doll.
• Red thread;
• fabric for an apron, handkerchief;
• Narrow ribbon.

We put a ball of cotton wool in the center of the square, bandage it - we get a head. Don't forget to straighten the wrinkles. We put on a warrior ribbon, fixing it with several spirals around the neck. Let's start creating clothes. Wrap a rectangular piece of material around the head inside out, wrap it above the shoulders, straighten the sarafan down. We take a flap of rectangular fabric, fold it four times, tie the ends. We received a blank for the hands, we fasten it with a cross technique to the neck. We put on a scarf. We will tie a basket of grain to the palms of Plantain so as not to starve on the road. Sometimes they were filled with ashes, as a symbol of the native hearth, protecting the traveler from dashing people.

Do-it-yourself amulet doll made of threads - step by step instructions

Do-it-yourself amulet doll made of threads

The doll is diverse in purpose and manufacturing methods. One of the varieties of motanok is a charm made of threads. In March, similar white and red dolls were hung on the trees, symbolizing the passing winter and the onset of spring. A step-by-step master class will tell you how to make a charm doll.

To get started, take the following materials:

• white and scarlet yarn;
• cotton wool;
• piece of cardboard 15x15 cm.

We wind 25 turns of red thread on thick paper, tie it in a knot, remove it from the template. Separately, we weave a pigtail from yarn of both colors, 30 cm long. We securely fasten the ends, leaving a brush. We tie the braid with one to the skein. The next stage is the formation of the doll's head. We put a cotton ball with a diameter of about 3 cm under the pigtail knot and tie it at the bottom. We distribute the yarn on the head so that the cotton wool does not shine through. We make hands - we will wind 15 turns on the same cardboard, we will tie knots on both sides.

Then we remove from the template and drag the ends, retreating from the edge by 2 cm and cut off, creating brushes. We lay the resulting workpiece inside the skein under the head and pull it under the arms - a waist is formed. To decorate the hem, cut the bottom. Such a doll should have a pair. Using the previous instructions, we create an amulet from white yarn and tie it to the second end of the pigtail. As you can see, making a doll with your own hands is simple, it does not require patterns and complex patterns. The main thing is to have a good mood and bright thoughts.

A rag motanka is an example of folk culture, which has a deep meaning.

Hello dear blog readers!

Our ancestors believed that if there is a Bell doll in the house, then joy, fun and laughter will never leave their house. Such a do-it-yourself folk doll, a master class on which it can be made, will only bring good news to your home. Even a child can make it, if he is over 4 years old, so feel free to invite your children to be creative.

They say that Valdai is the birthplace of the amulet, from where the famous Valdai coachman's bells came from. In ancient Rus', it was believed that its ringing protected from evil diseases and frightened away evil spirits. When creating the amulet, neither scissors nor needles were used, but dolls were made from scraps of worn clothes.

In this step-by-step MK from materials are used:

• flaps of fabrics of different colors (cotton, chintz);
• red cotton thread
• scissors
• synthetic winterizer or cotton wool

We place a ball of padding polyester in the center of the fabric square

Let's form the head. To do this, wrap the fabric 3 times with a thread and make 3 knots. Do not forget to leave the ends of the threads so that you can later tie a bell on them.

The doll of the messenger of happiness has three skirts, so we cut out three circles of different diameters from chintz patches.

Fold the chintz fabrics 2 times in half, cut off a small corner of the top.

We pass the body of the pupa through the cut hole. In order not to lose the skirt, we wrap it with a thread around the neck three times and make three knots.

We tie it around the neck three times and make three knots. We form handles.

We bend - first the corner of the fabric inward, then two sides to the center, like a paper airplane. Tie at the wrist with a red thread.

Tie a ribbon around the waist on the left side.

In the old days, women girdled on the left side.

We put a handkerchief on the head, tie it around the neck with a thread, fixing the warrior.

A povoinik is an ancient headdress for married women. It is a soft cap that completely covers the hair.

We tie a scarf on the head in a woman's way.

We should have left the ends of the threads when they tied a ball of synthetic winterizer around them. Here we will fix our bell on them.

If desired, we fix the braid for suspension.

Having presented the messenger of happiness to your loved ones, you wish them to receive only good and joyful news.

Good news to you!

There is a special doll for the destruction of mold in barrels of pickles - Akila-cucumber. His head is stuffed with mustard seeds and is therefore heavier than his body. Akila swims upside down in the brine, and mustard prevents mold from growing.

For Akila, undyed fabrics and threads made from natural fibers are needed.

Lady

The Barynya doll belongs to the so-called "folded" dolls, that is, made without sewing with a needle.

For older children, they made rag dolls, which they called "Ladies". First, the torso was made (without sewing with a needle), covered with a white cloth and tied in three places, then they took a long flap, covered part of the torso with it, bandaged it, separating the head. The remnants of the fabric on the sides were cut into three parts and braided pigtails - these were the hands. A skirt, an apron were put on the doll, a scarf was tied on her head (tied at the back).

Bereginya, Stolbushka

Protector of the family hearth. From ancient times it was believed that the house from the evil eye keeps the column. 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.

Doll Bereginya had a special meaning.
Bereginya - from the word "protect", "protect". This doll is traditionally placed in front of the front door, above the heads of people, so that it meets all those who enter and does not let evil forces into the house, protects the family from dark forces, quarrels, and diseases.

Despite the simplicity of the manufacturing technology of traditional dolls, they all turn out to be different, with their own character, so you need to choose from several dolls, for which “eye will catch”, the one that attracted attention, take that one, because she herself chooses her owner.

A sincere gift is a wish for good, joy, comfort, well-being, happiness.

birch bark

This is a doll-amulet with a prayer (slander) in a female form for the home. It is stored near a window or at a door behind platbands.

birch

Birch is a tree that was worshiped and used in all kinds of rituals that ensure a happy life. For divination, they made a Birch doll from a birch wood, a symbol of a birch. This is a chrysalis of one day, they guessed from it. In the morning they did it, in the evening they took it apart and left it on a birch.

Several girls made a doll together, they guessed from it. The doll was beautifully dressed up, decorated with birch branches, grass with inflorescences.

Insomnia

This is a magical lullaby doll.. When a baby started crying 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 child
And play with this doll.

The Insomniac doll was created from square pieces of fabric stuffed with soothing herbs.

Such a doll remained in the house forever.

Grace

Doll Grace - the Good Giver is made as a gift for Christmas or for the feast of the Annunciation on April 7th. 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.”

To be given with the words "Never lose heart and do not give up."

The Grace doll brings the good news to the house, the good and reminds the woman of her main task of Giving Good. For this, she has made a large soft chest.

A woman takes strength from the sky, so her hands are raised up and form a funnel. It seems that now, now ... she will spin.

The doll is made on a birch or mountain ash horn. Both trees are protective.

The doll was made bright, cheerful, joyful.

Rich

This pair of Zernovushki comes from the Moscow region. The rich man is an amulet doll. When creating it, they thought about their family, ancestors, and set a specific task: profit and prosperity for the next year, protection of the well-being of the family, etc.

They made a doll on the eve of the harvest festival of Osenina, the holiday of the Family and the family, timed to coincide with the day of the equinox on September 22.

God's eye

The most ancient amulet doll of our ancestors. God's eye is only indirectly connected with a person, so it is called a doll rather conditionally.
At its core, God's eye has a cross - a very ancient symbol. In this case, it personifies the spread of protective forces to the entire space - to all four sides. These are also the four helper elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. The number of multi-colored stripes is the forces called for help, as well as a symbolic designation of the 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 bars on your home God's eye.

God's eye is placed above the front 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 incoming, who forgets about the bad intention towards the owners of the house.

When creating the God's Eye, you must be guided primarily by your desire, because. a person intuitively feels what kind of 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 as heavenly fire, blood (life force)

Green- life, nature.

The black- Earth

Gold- sun

Blue- the color of the sky, water.

Violet- the color of higher spiritual abilities, enlightenment and reason.

Venichek well-being

This doll was made on Christmas Eve. To make it, you need a bast (bast), pieces of fabric, threads, braid and a variety of cereals (the more types of cereals, the more prosperous the coming year will be). This cereal was poured out at night in the red corner, it was believed that in the morning it would acquire healing power. In the morning, the cereals were collected in bundles (each separately), there should be an odd number of them, and hung on the doll.

They kept Venichek well-being away from the eyes of strangers, and only the hostess knew where he was standing. Groats in bundles were saved as a last resort, if one of the household was seriously ill, then these grains were added to his food. And since this is Venichek, the hostess could “sweep” everything bad out of the house secretly from everyone.

Veps doll cabbage , or Karelian rvanka

The Vepsians are a small ethnic group living on the territory of Karelia, the Leningrad and Vologda regions, who have retained their traditions and rituals, many of which are similar to the North Russian ones.

This doll belongs to their ancient culture. This doll is interesting in that it is both protective and playful. It was made from old mother's things and was small in size - just under the child's hand. The doll was intended to ward off spoilage and to play, accompanying the child for so long until it was torn or spoiled. Before the birth of the baby, 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 does not dry out, protecting 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.

No wonder they say that children are found in cabbage. So, the girls made a Vepsian doll when they realized that it was time for them to get married, and put it out the window so that the guys knew that it was time to get married. Another Vepsian doll 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 home Beregini, who, saturated with the energy of positive events and, existing in the emotional field of the family, gives confidence, balance, a sense of security to the entire space of the house.

Verbnitsa, Easter doll

The doll is made for the holiday of Christ's Bright Sunday, or Easter.
Making a doll is equivalent to painting Easter eggs and such a doll can be given as a gift for a holiday.

The willow branch in the doll represents growth, multiplication, fertility. That is why children were lightly "quilted" with willow branches so that they would grow faster. In ancient Rus', people swallowed willow buds, which, according to popular belief, relieved them of ailments and drove away any disease.
The Verbnitsa doll, as it were, consecrated the willow, with it the children went for willow branches before Palm Sunday.
The face and hands of the doll were made of red fabric, which personified Easter and the Renaissance.

stonefly, Ovsen small 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 took place widely, because the beginning of the new year was a symbol of the beginning of a new time.

From that day on, it was possible to start a new cycle of field work, to 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 (Vesennitsa)

Sometimes it was made on the day of the vernal equinox, when, in accordance with the mythological views of our ancestors, the doors of Iriy opened and larks flew to the ground - heralds of rebirth and the fact that the whole space around woke up after the winter torpor.

It was then - on a fine spring day - that the girls went out to needlework on the street and made stoneflies - bright dolls of the most incredible colors. Vesnyanki were amulets of youth, beauty, therefore they had a perky, bright, cheerful image. Their obligatory attribute was a long braid of iridescent shades, the same braid that people have long been talking about - girlish beauty. Therefore, the doll's braid was certainly decorated with ribbons, beads, and the first flowers. The scythe 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 guess about the coming year from the springflies - they collected all the dolls in one place, and the girls with their eyes closed took the first one that came across - they made predictions about their future by the color of her dress and hair. Red and green stoneflies were considered especially lucky, because they foreshadowed a meeting with a betrothed, as well as mental and physical prosperity.
Vesnyanka is a talisman of youth and beauty. Having presented such a doll to a man, you wish him to remain young and cheerful for a long time, to a woman - to always be charming and attractive.

girl-woman

The people call her a Changeling, Pinwheel. 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, a girl, then the second, a woman, is hidden under a skirt; if the doll is turned over, the woman will open, and the girl will hide. That is, the doll symbolizes the transition from a girl to a woman, but vice versa - from a woman to a girl - this refers us to the motif of birth - a woman gives birth to a girl who herself will become the successor of the family. Not without reason, 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 young until old age.

The girl is the embodiment of beauty, carelessness, fun, she is open to the world and gives everyone beauty and joy. And the woman is economic, sedate, she has all the worries about the house and family, she reflects a different state, she is turned to herself, to the unborn child, she protects the harmony and peace of the family.

The doll served the children as a detailed explanation of the difference between the girl's costume and the clothes of a married woman, since it did not require careful elaboration of details, but carried the most general characteristic: bright fabrics, a braid, ribbons are suitable for a girl, and darker tones, two braids for a married woman , twisted into a hairstyle and covered with a scarf (or even two).

Each image of the chrysalis performed its own function. If you turn the doll over with the “woman” side, then it will help in household chores and
protect the family. And if suddenly fatigue has piled on, and the days have become grayer, then you just have to turn the doll with the “girl” side - and the forces will return, and life will sparkle with rainbow colors, and the husband or loved one will present a pleasant surprise.

Devka fun

Such a doll was usually made by teenage girls, in whom the spiritual life moved to a qualitatively different level, their own non-childish questions, thoughts, and problems appeared. And not all of them wanted to share with relatives or girlfriends. Then the girl herself created an interlocutor for herself - a patchwork doll, which listened attentively to stories about the sorrows and joys of the young mistress. In a conversation with a doll, the girl, in fact, talked to herself, learned to independently find solutions to issues.

The doll helped to 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 ribbons and beads to this unpretentious doll, create jewelry, so Devkina's fun was the first step towards understanding herself and her place in the world, in continuation of working on herself, the Zhelannitsa doll was usually created, which already helped to gain control over your thoughts, feelings and desires.

Day and night

Dolls "Day and Night" - dolls-amulets of the dwelling. Pupae protect the change of day and night, order in the world. During the day they put forward light, and at night - dark.

Doll "Day" - young, lively, active, hard-working and cheerful. She is the mistress of the day, and she makes sure that on weekdays people work, work, have fun on holidays, sing, dance, play, so that the sun shines during the day. The chrysalis follows the life of people in the light of day, protects the day. So that the day does not pass in vain, but really. Then the doll is happy, and people are fine.

Doll "Night" - wise, thoughtful, calm, she is the mistress of the night. The night is magical. 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, open. The most heartfelt conversations drag on after midnight. But most importantly, people sleep at night. Night makes sure that everyone calms down and goes to bed, rest from daytime activities, gain strength. She gives sleep and protects him.

tenhandle

A multi-armed producing doll, that is, designed to help girls preparing a dowry, or young women in their needlework: knitting, sewing, embroidery, weaving, so that they can do everything, and everything goes well with them, and there was always order and prosperity in the house.
It was made from bast or straw on October 14 on Pokrov, when it was time for weddings and needlework evenings. They could be made by the bridesmaids or by herself from a 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 dressed up brightly, they could even “give her a present” in the form of beads around her neck, so that the tireless assistant would become even more diligent.

In the manufacturing process, wrapping the doll’s handles with threads one by one, the craftswoman mentally determined the sphere of help for each: “This one will help me spin, and this one will cut and sew the dress, and this one will help me make fancy embroidery on my beloved’s shirt on time ...”

After being made, the doll was traditionally burned to materialize her help, 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, carol, kolidnik) is a sheaf tied in a special way, a sheaf from the last or from the best sheaf of the harvested crop of wheat, oats, rye or flax, decorated with dried flowers or ribbons. The number of bundles (ears in a bundle) should be a multiple of seven, since Didukh symbolizes the seven tribes of the clan.

The tradition to put in Didukh's house dates back to very old pre-Christian times.

Didukh began to be woven after the harvest and kept until Christmas. On the Holy evening, the owner of the house solemnly brought him into the hut, saying: "Didukh to hati - bida iz hati." Didukh was placed on the straw in a place of honor. His presence brought a festive mood, comfort and tranquility to the family.

The festive sheaf was 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 the grains intended for sowing, and fruit trees were tied with the resulting straw so that they would bear fruit well next year.

Straw amulet - Didukh, a symbol of a good harvest, peace and harmony in the family and prosperity in the house, has become an indispensable attribute of folk fairs and is beginning to take its rightful place among Ukrainian national traditions.

Wishlist

This doll, trimmed with ribbons, beads, buttons, was endowed with the power to fulfill wishes and was in the village of every girl. Intimate (necessarily hidden from male eyes), she hid in her own wicker box, sprinkled with essential oils. The hostess, taking it out of 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, what a beauty you are. And for a gift, fulfill my desire. And the desire was certainly fulfilled, and the doll returned to its place - in its box.

The choice of the type of desire depended on the temperament of the hostess and on the fulfillment of desires. The Wishful Woman could be a Poskakushka - light and fast, fulfilling wishes in the rhythm of the dance, made on a crosspiece from birch, mountain ash, cherry branches. Moreover, the type of wood also made its own adjustments. Birch gave the doll healing features. She provided assistance in matters of health, caring for loved ones, in family matters. The wisher on the mountain ash is a fighter. Her sphere of influence was the defense of interests, protection from negative influences, envy and malice. The wishful woman on cherry twigs - in a very feminine way, helped to maintain charm and attractiveness.

The second type of desire - Tiny-Khavroshechka - on a birch bark or cardboard cylinder. Its design made it possible to keep notes with desires inside. She is unhurried, but reliable, more thorough, economic and responsible. She was approached with desires of a material nature. She helped to increase goodness (both monetary and spiritual).

The Wishlist is a mechanism of working with desires, ingenious 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 important and unimportant, and then let go of the desire without driving it inside herself, transfer it to the doll, relieving excess stress from herself.

And August was considered the best time for making a wishful woman. And they made such a doll most often once in a lifetime, then carefully preserving their faithful assistant and keeper of secrets.

Wishlist - do it yourself

Feminine essence

In a house where they are waiting and wanting a child, there was this doll.
They put it in the bedroom in a conspicuous place. 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 must demonstrate a well-fed, rich life, must be smartly dressed. Her legs are very thin, always in shoes, her hands are in mittens, her body is plump (a well-fed girl).

The obligatory part in this doll (in fact, why it is called "female essence") is the left hole at the bottom. From which the filler sticks out - a tuft. On the apron is embroidered Rozhanitsa - Lada, giving birth to Lelya. In addition, the sign Ognevitsa was used, burning women's diseases, Vseslavets, symbolizing a strong family, symbols of the Sown Field, Moraine crosses, symbolizing the Transition of Hypostasis.

Bunny-to-finger

The Russian people had dolls in which people saw their helpers and considered them to be a talisman. Such dolls were made throughout life, starting from early childhood. They were twisted from old clothes worn by a father or mother. And dolls lived in houses, becoming not just a toy, but part of the world and a member of the family. Therefore, they turned to them even in difficult moments of life, talked, shared sorrows, and did not forget in joy.

A bunny on a finger was made for children from the age of three, so that they would have a friend, an interlocutor. The bunny is dressed on a 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. It is both a friend and a guardian. Children are very responsive and see a kindred spirit in their favorite toy, open up and talk like with a living person.

This is such a bunny, quite difficult.

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 turned on 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 linen is very environmentally friendly with its natural properties and, taking the disease upon itself, helps a person to get better.

This doll is maximally simplified in terms of manufacturing technique and is not decorated with anything. She is characterized by a long braid. For winding the entire doll, one thread is used, which is not cut or torn anywhere, of protective red color. On the chest of the doll, with the help of such a thread, a protective cross is applied - a sign of healing and protection.

She does not tolerate fuss, but on the contrary, it must be done, trying to stay in a state of goodness as much as possible, concentrating on thoughts about the sick person for whom this is being done. You can light a candle and read prayers or conspiracies. If the child is sick, the doll is placed in the crib, he can play with it, and as soon as the illness goes away, the doll is burned. Braiding a braid at a doll, one must say: "To health, to health." At the end of production and upon transfer to the patient, it is also necessary to repeat: "To health"

Porridge

Doll Kasha is the image of a girl of seven years. At the age of seven, the girl began to cook porridge for the whole family. As an assistant, they made a doll in the form of a bag. This doll was a measure.
Groats were poured up to the legs, water was poured up to the waist up to the neck - porridge was obtained.

How can Kasha help us?

Of course, organize cooking. You can ask the doll what to cook for dinner, how I can organize a weekly menu, ask me to help prepare a festive dinner for guests.

The doll is made from linen. The height of the doll is about the saucepan where the porridge is boiled. The doll is filled with grits.

The value of cereals:

rice - wealth,

buckwheat, barley - satiety,

oats - strength.

Goat

This doll is a calendar doll - 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 Christmas round of courtyards, disguise, since these animals among the Slavs have long been associated with the cult of fertility. The goat was a symbol of vitality, and she had to bring this power to the owner of the hut and his land, the field, so that bread would be better born.

The goat was usually portrayed by one of the guys. They put on a sheepskin coat turned inside out with fur, smeared his face with soot, put on any hat to which straw horns were attached to his head. The guy-"goat" sat astride an arc - so carolers took him from hut to hut. At the same time, the goat danced, and her retinue sang.

The goat necessarily brought happy changes, joy, prosperity, fortitude to its owners, because it was a symbol of the newly born sun.

It is based on a wooden cross, and the muzzle, horns, beard are made of bast or straw.
The Goat was dressed in a special bright dress, on top of which ceremonial objects were fastened: pipes, hurdy-gurdies, tambourines, horseshoes as a gift for good luck, bells, bells, wooden beads, earrings, gift bags, well-being wreaths with small red bags with cereal grains, 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. From there came the Valdai bells. In the old days, it was believed that the ringing of a bell protects people from plague and other terrible diseases. The bell rang under the arc on all the celebratory troikas. The bell was associated with a small sun, because it has a domed shape, and from above it resembles the sun. And inside the chrysalis there really is a real ringing bell.

The bell is a cheerful, perky doll, its task is to bring joy and fun to the house. This is a charm of good mood. Giving the 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 incoming one touched it, a protective ring was heard. And the doll itself was the ancestor of the bell, and it is not for nothing that even now the tradition of hanging bells at the door is preserved.

The doll certainly made three skirts. And this is no accident, not only wealth and contentment were emphasized by this excess. The fact is that happiness also consists of three parts. Ancestors believed that a person consists of three parts - the soul (our inner "I", which thinks and feels), spirit (some divine power present in every person) and body (physical shell). In this regard, happiness is the harmony of all three parts. If the body is well, the soul is joyful, the spirit is calm, then the person is completely happy.

Kolyada

Calendar winter doll, the creation of which is timed to coincide with the winter solstice - December 25th. 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 joy and optimism, expressed the belief in the inevitability of the victory of good principles over the forces of evil. To help Kolyada defeat and ward off evil spirits, the celebrants burned bonfires, sang and danced around them. Next, the carols began.

This doll is a symbol of the sun and good relations in the family. She was a portly woman, dressed in everything new and smart. On her behalf, carolers wished happiness and prosperity. They sang joyful songs glorifying the owners.

In some areas, carols ended near the fire with good wishes for themselves and loved ones and the burning of Kolyada. In other areas, she was left until the next year, so that she kept the harmony and sunny atmosphere in the family. Since they believed that with her arrival happiness, peace and harmony between family members would settle in the house.

The doll is anthropomorphic, in bags suspended from the belt, there are grain and salt (the very bread and salt with which guests are traditionally greeted). A broom is stuck in the belt, with which Kolyada drives away evil spirits.

Kostroma

Kostroma was the name of a straw doll, which in the summer was worn by girls in a round dance, they sang special ritual songs for it, and then they carried it to the river, drowned it in water or burned it at the stake. The celebration of the funeral of Kostroma was one of the main ones in the cycle of summer folk festivals.

It is believed that under the guise of the funeral of Kostroma - a straw effigy, the ancient custom of spring sacrifice to Yarila was preserved among the people. Churchmen severely persecuted such festivals. 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 pronounced meaning. The village guys also made the sacrum. The doll was made at the end of December, during Christmas time. According to popular beliefs, it was on Holy Week that demonic forces were released. The most reliable way of cleansing was considered to be bathing in the hole on Epiphany (January 19th).

According to belief, the water on this day became holy or sacred. People believed that when bathing in an illuminated source, evil spirits leave the human body. So that the evil and insidious demonic forces would not again take possession of a person, people made the sacrum doll. She was a "deputy" person. The sacrum was placed in snowdrifts near the hole. In order to attract the attention of evil forces, the cross was decorated with bright colorful ribbons and rags. Since young healthy guys mainly participated in winter bathing, the sacrum doll began to symbolize a man.

Krupenichka

Simple in appearance, the doll is a small one, but made with great love, it has a deep symbolic meaning, being a talisman for satiety and prosperity in the family. It was usually given for Kolyada, Christmas, and sometimes for holidays associated with the harvest. The doll was necessarily filled with grain (which symbolized the saved forces of the nurse-earth), preferably buckwheat, wheat or grain of all sorts at the same time, so that the harvest was rich in all types of crops.

The doll was made of burlap - a small bag was filled with grain and dressed up, a coin could be put on the bottom of the bag. Krupenichka kept highly valuable and rare seeds of the future harvest, she was carefully placed in a red corner. A guest entering the hut could determine by the chrysalis whether the family lives well. If the pupa was thin, then the family was in trouble, because in difficult times they took grain from the pupa. She served for a year, after the harvest season she was again filled with selected grain.

When sowing, the first handfuls of grain were taken from a bag sewn in the image of this chrysalis. The grain in it symbolized the saved forces of the Nurse of the Earth.
After the harvest season, the chrysalis was again filled with selected grain of the new crop. She was dressed up and carefully kept in a conspicuous place in the red corner. They believed that only then the next year would be full and there would be prosperity in the family.

In times of famine, they took grits from the chrysalis and boiled porridge from it. It was believed that this porridge transmits the powers of Mother Earth.
A guest entering the hut could determine by the chrysalis whether the family lives well. If the doll was thin, then the family is in trouble ...
And today this doll will help you to have prosperity in the house.

Values ​​​​of cereals in a cereal:

buckwheat− satiety and wealth,

rice( the most expensive grain) - for a holiday,

pearl barley - for satiety, oats - for strength.

Krupenichka - do it yourself

herbal pod

In order for the air in the hut to be clean, they made a useful chrysalis "Kubyshka-Travnitsa". They hung it where the air stagnated or over the cradle of a child.

The sphere of influence of the herbal capsule is protection from diseases, it must vigilantly monitor the physical health of all family members. This is a protector from evil spirits of illness, and a good comforter. Some special warmth and homely atmosphere emanates from a cozy round and soft doll, like from a good housewife. It really creates a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere in the house.

Her thick round skirt and knots in her hands are stuffed with healing fragrant herbs. Our ancestors believed that the aroma of grass drives away the spirit of illness, for this the chrysalis must be crushed in the hands. If someone gets sick in the house, they put it at the head of the patient's bed, if a child was sick, then they made such an herb for him to play or hung over the cradle.

When the Doll was first brought into the family house where it will be, it was certainly given to all household members who inhaled the aroma of dry herbs, tried to guess what the egg-pod was filled with, and asked to protect the house from diseases.

The doll can be put in a wardrobe, then its smell will perform another protective function.

The herbalist can delight with the smell of herbs and a beautiful outfit for a long time, because the doll is valid for 2 years.

Kuvatki (kuvaki)

Dolls that accompany the child from his very birth. Approximately two weeks before the birth, a woman made a twisted doll out of multi-colored shreds and laid it in a cradle in order to “warm up” the space in this way, to prepare it for the appearance of a new person. When the baby was born, the father of the child, in order to distract and deceive the evil spirits that could harm the woman in labor and the baby, performed a rite - "kuvada" - imitating the process of childbirth.
Bright kuvatka dolls were hung on the walls, because, in accordance with the beliefs, spirits angry with deceit brought down their indignation at the first thing that came their way. Kuvatkas should have been such a talisman. After that, the pupae were burned. And new ones were made, which were hung over the baby's cradle, performing the same protective function, distracting unkind looks.
Kuvatki were the first educational toys and rattles, they were strung together in whole bunches mixed with bright beads and shreds, so the baby received the first lessons in a variety of shapes, colors and textures.

Later, when the ancient rites 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 - colorful patchwork dolls were still instructed to protect the baby from hostile forces.

Kuzma and Demyan

Dolls about which Agaeva Irina Vladimirovna told

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 - patrons of the family hearth and crafts

In the central provinces of Russia, there were traditional rag dolls Kuzma and Demyan. Name days of Kuzma and Demyan 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 anguish of people, treated animals, and free of charge, for which they were called unmercenaries.

Kuzma and Demyan are considered patrons of the family hearth, holiness and inviolability of marriage, organizers of marital

Master class "Folk rag doll - spin"

Master class is calculated for children of the preparatory group of the kindergarten, educators, parents.

/A master class for children is possible after the preliminary formation of labor skills: folding, twisting, wrapping, tying/

Purpose: play doll for a child; amulet; handmade gift; decoration of a favorite corner in the room.

Target. Extraction of beauty from ordinary, seemingly junk scraps, scraps of edges of matter.

Tasks.

1. Learn how to make a rag doll in a seamless way, showing imagination and creativity.

2. Arouse interest in folk art. Restore and preserve for new generations such a phenomenon as a folk traditional doll.

3. Consolidation of labor skills in children: folding, folding, twisting, wrapping, tying.

4. To interest parents in the revival and preservation of folk traditions of family needlework.

Materials.

2 squares of white fabric (20x20) for the torso and blouse;

One square (20x20) and two strips of colored fabric for a sundress;

Rectangular patch for the apron and triangular for the scarf;

White threads;

Cotton wool for volume;

Tape for a belt.

“He who does not play with dolls does not know happiness” / saying /

Now I'll tell you about the folk doll,

And if you like it, I'll show you how to make it.

Man-made dolls have accompanied the life of Russian peasants for centuries. They were carefully kept in chests and passed down from generation to generation. Mothers, older sisters, grandmothers sewed dolls for small children, “... with all their incredible busyness, they found time for this. The child was specially taught the traditional methods of making a doll, and from the age of five, any girl could make a simple rag doll. And girls began to learn how to make dolls from the age of three.

The main feature of the doll is that it is made without a needle and faceless. For a child, a doll will be a toy-girlfriend and a talisman at the same time, therefore it is not worth pricking it with a needle, and according to popular beliefs, it is impossible to make a face, since such a doll can find a soul and become dangerous. A "faceless" doll is considered an inanimate object and cannot harm the child. A doll made with love with her own hands will be the pride of her craftswoman.

The doll is just a feast for the eyes

To the surprise of all children

If you want to learn

Make this doll

You don't have to be lazy

And put in the effort!

Materials.

Doll making technology

We take one square of white fabric and bend the edges inward, as shown in the photo. Where the wider edge is folded in (on the right) will be the base. It will turn out thicker so that the doll is stable.

We put cotton wool in the middle so that our doll is not too thin.

We perform tight twisting.

It turned out a twist - a steering wheel. This is the "body" of our doll.

At the level of the neck and belt, we tie the twist with a thread.

We take the second square of white fabric, place a twist and a piece of cotton wool in the center to make the head more round.

We tie with a thread at the level of the neck.

Straighten the fabric. We will try to remove extra wrinkles from the doll's face.

We form the hands: we determine their length and wrap the excess fabric inward. We remove the edges of the sleeve in the middle.

We measure the size of the palms and drag them with a thread. We tie the free corners around the body with a thread on the belt, trying to distribute the fabric evenly.

The base of our doll is ready. But the outfit is your imagination and creativity. I made a sundress for the doll. We take two narrow colored strips of fabric and place them crosswise over the shoulders on the chest and back. We tie a thread on the belt.

We turn the square of colored fabric in half, placing the thread inside.

We tighten the thread, apply the fabric to the belt, evenly distributing it around, and tie it.

We tie a scarf to the doll, tie a belt and the doll is ready.

Another variant. The scarf is tied around the head. The doll is decorated with an apron. The ornament is drawn with a felt-tip pen.

But my doll is sad: there is no one to dance with.

Make friends for her, the doll will have more fun.

Publication date: 22-05-2014

Update date: 05/22/2017

Article author: Ivan Sukharev

Number of views: 18199

Each nationality or nationality has always had, has and will have its own special features. We are used to the fact that this applies, first of all, to the color of the skin, the characteristic features of facial features, language, rules of conduct and social structure. But many unique things and objects are also found in everyday life among many peoples. The Russian rag doll is one of the most striking confirmation of this.

The doll accompanied our ancestors all their lives. Even before the birth of a baby, a doll appeared at his future cradle, driving away evil spirits. Infancy, childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood, old age - all life stages a person lived in the presence of dolls and their active participation. Even after death, the doll was there, accompanying the deceased to another world.

The Russian national doll participated in literally every action of a person's life, and not only in festive events or the most important stages, but also in the most ordinary, routine ones. That is why dolls fully and completely reflect the essence of human life, and not just its manifestations. To understand the doll, its character means to find out the secret of the ancient Slavs - the mysterious Russian soul, incomprehensible to many other peoples.

Yes, that's right, because the Russian traditional doll often remained the only protector, keeper, healer, adviser and interlocutor of a person. The doll was the first to tell secrets and shared secret desires with her, it was she who kept the family hearth and well-being in the house, and only the doll took all his illnesses and misfortunes from a person, taking them with her into fire or water. Therefore, people had an appropriate attitude towards dolls - they were loved, respected, revered and cherished.

Features of the Russian rag doll

The traditional Russian doll has its own characteristics, the main of which are the following:

• ritual dolls and amulets were made without the use of piercing and cutting objects;
• the dolls had no facial features;
• the lack of a personal name for the doll, there was only a name;
• the overwhelming advantage of female images for making dolls.

In order to make a rag doll, they used pieces of fabric torn from a whole roll or from clothes. This was done on purpose without scissors, because by cutting off some flap or excess fabric from the doll, it was possible to deprive it of its integrity in the semantic sense. For the same reason, needles were not used, all parts were tied with threads or fastened with a knot.

Such requirements were obligatory in the manufacture of ritual dolls, amulets and most play dolls. Gift options, especially from expensive fabrics, could be sewn with expensive jewelry using a needle to attach a large number of decorative details.

Despite such a seemingly fragile design, Russian rag dolls, with proper handling, existed for several decades. Many families had generic dolls passed down from generation to generation. It seems that time itself gave them strength, prolonging the life of puppet guards and coastlines.

On the face of the dolls did not draw eyes, nose, lips. This was done for two reasons. Firstly, extra eyes and ears were not needed in the house, because through them evil spirits could penetrate into the doll and then it would itself become a source of misfortune. Secondly, an unsuccessful facial expression will not only spoil the character of the doll, but also leave it like that forever. Therefore, the face of the doll was invented by themselves, depending on the circumstances. Now, against the backdrop of a huge number of modern dolls, this seems unusual and strange, but it’s worth talking a little with a faceless doll, and everything becomes clear.

The faceless doll lived a full life - she was happy and sad, slept and was awake, laughed and cried. Such a doll could not help but like its owner - the facial expression and its features were, after all, invented by him. Therefore, it is not entirely true to say that the doll does not have a face - it does, but you need to make friends with the doll in order to see it.

In recent centuries, starting from the nineteenth century, faces were still painted on rag dolls, but this concerned only playful or decorative options. This came from the desire to humanize the doll as much as possible, to make her appearance very similar to us. But even in these cases, they used only a symbolic display of the eyes, nose or mouth, embroidering them with a cross and straight lines.

Dolls in Ancient Rus' were not given names, it was believed that by naming a doll, it can be used to the detriment of that person who will have or have the same name. This was used by dark sorcerers - they called the doll the same as the object of influence and performed their rituals on it. In addition, by giving the doll a human name, it was possible to disturb the spirit of a deceased relative with the same name. Therefore, play dolls were simply called dolls, lyalkas, tsatsks, etc.

A very limited number of male figures in the puppet art of our ancestors does not at all mean a dismissive attitude towards the strong half of humanity. If you “dig deeper”, study the history of the appearance of dolls and their structure, it turns out that all female splendor, softness and beauty are fixed on a rigid and solid basis in the form of tight twists or sticks.

In this way, the masculine essence is in every doll, but it is hidden inside, which reflects the very significant sacred meaning of the doll. That is why there are very few puppets with clearly male images, and in some puppet actions, just a stick wrapped in cloth was used as a male puppet.

Materials for making a rag Russian doll

Russian folk dolls were made from improvised materials. The most common of these were the following:

• scraps of fabric or old clothes for amulets and ritual dolls;
• scraps of new fabric for souvenir, decorative figurines;
• bunches of grass or hay;
• wooden sticks, logs, logs;
• as a filler - ash, rags.

Of greatest interest are rag dolls, reflecting in their appearance the peculiarities of the culture of the area where they were made.

The meaning of the Russian rag doll

The Russian national doll was divided into three large groups:

• play doll;
• doll - amulet;
• ritual doll.

Any of these groups includes several dozens (!) of dolls, each of which will differ from the others in its structure or retained meaning. The purpose of the doll determined her future life, it never changed and very rarely combined. So, ritual dolls were never played, just as play dolls were not used in rituals. But the amulet doll was sometimes given to children as a toy. Most often this happened with healing dolls stuffed with medicinal plants.

Russian rag doll

The main purpose of the play doll is to distract the child while adults are doing their own thing. All the children played with dolls - both girls and boys. For the little ones, special dolls were made to develop fine motor skills and motor functions. For example, small puppets worn on a finger or puppet pendants in the form of a garland of small knots. The child instinctively squeezes the handle with such a toy, which simultaneously regulates muscle tone and occupies the baby.

In principle, any playing folk doll carries an additional load. Some dolls train dexterity, for example, the same finger figures or dolls with a base on a wooden stick.

Such dolls could be twisted in the hands, holding it by the stick - so the girls acquired the skills of spinning, and the boys' hands were preparing to weave bast shoes. For these purposes, dolls were made - dancers, and for boys - fighters, on whose hands small bags were fixed.

Play dolls were made, as a rule, by adults, but children also took an active part in this process. Therefore, kids from an early age knew a lot about the cultural traditions and customs of their people. The doll was the most popular gift for children, and it always had a certain sacred meaning. A gift doll could be very simple, for example, for a birthday in poor families, they could give a baby such an angel:

In the period of adolescence, with the help of folk dolls, children studied all the main events of human life. To do this, they gathered in whole groups in the winter in a barn or hut, in the summer - on the street. Each participant brought a box of dolls with him, all the roles were distributed among themselves, and the action began. Even weddings with all its stages were played out in this way, strictly following the sequence. Both adults and children already trained in such games could lead such an event.

Children were prepared for adult life, forming in them in advance all the basic ideas about the future. Children up to 6-7 years old wore shirts - both boys and girls. During this period, they also had the same dolls. Putting on trousers, the boys began their first male life stage, and during this period, their dolls performed mainly male work - they plowed, sowed, harvested, defended the territory.

During this period, girls began to actively learn family life - how to organize a home life, how to take care of children, what to wear and on what occasions, etc. All these questions were assimilated with the help of the Russian national game doll.

A handmade rag doll participated in the games not only of ordinary village children, they were also in the families of merchants, clergymen and even Russian rulers. Princely, boyar and royal children are just ordinary kids who, like everyone else, need love, affection, attention and, of course, games. And the doll of the Russian people is the first toy.

Russian rag doll: Stolubushka doll

The traditional Russian doll in noble families was made of expensive fabrics, decorated with precious stones and various accessories. The puppet games of the royal children were in their meaning the same as those of the village children, only some played royal events, while others - the lives of ordinary people.

Many dolls were made specifically so that children from an early age would understand what is happening around them and what will happen to them. The most striking example is changeling dolls. They are called differently, but the most popular is the name "Girl-Baba". On the one hand, there is a rosy, cheerful, well-dressed young woman, but, turning her over, we see a modest woman, tired of everyday worries.

Russian rag doll-amulet

Our ancestors were very jealous of the relationship between good and evil forces. And the point here is not at all ignorance and lack of education. Apparently, now we are simply not able to see that thin line separating parallel worlds, from where unknown entities visit us. Oh yes, of course, we are now literate and educated - each of us has 2-3 educational institutions behind us. We, devoid of prejudices, boldly and resolutely move towards the cherished invented goal, which in the end turns out to be only a step towards the true goal.

We, the people of the 20th and 21st centuries, have been carefully and systematically cultivating disdain for our history, the traditions of our people for about 100 years. This is both a social system that deprives a person of everything spiritual, and an implanted religion that leads the remnants of this spirituality into a completely different direction. Our ancestors, free from these shackles, saw around them and understood much more than we, modern intellectuals, who live in slavery to our own illusions of omniscience and omniscience.

And forces unknown to us make no difference who is helped or harmed - a simple plowman or a blacksmith, or a manager or a president. For them, people are all the same, so we must know and use in practice those means that the ancient Slavs invented and used long before us.

To protect against intentional or accidental evil, there were special items. They were made with a specific purpose - to protect a person from adversity. Therefore, they were called so - amulets. The most common amulets were special symbols in the form of amulets or patterns applied to the body or clothing. But, since the doll was next to the person almost constantly, she also had to perform protective functions.

Doll Happiness is a small doll with a big braid. Our ancestors believed that our strength is stored in the hair. Therefore, such a doll is a powerful amulet that protects a woman from adversity and brings her happiness. Doll Happiness is intended only for women, it was not given to men. In the manufacture of the doll, special attention was paid to the hair, and in this case the braid turned out to be a little larger than the figure itself. You can learn more about this in the article.

Russian rag ritual doll

Rituals occupied a special place in the way of life of our ancestors. Rites were performed on all the most important events in human life. At the same time, there were public, public ceremonies involving a large number of people, and personal, secret rites - not tolerating the presence of strangers. Almost any ritual was performed with the participation or in the presence of dolls specially made for this purpose.

The ceremonial doll, as well as the amulet doll, was made to protect against troubles and misfortunes. In some cases, the ceremonial doll was burned or drowned in water after it had fulfilled its purpose. In others, such dolls could be used all their lives, then both functions were combined in it - ritual and security.

In the format of this article, we will only talk about some ritual dolls, because otherwise the article will turn out to be huge. You can get additional information by reading the articles in the "Ceremonial Doll" category, and you can start with the overview article "".

During the period of drought, the best way to bring the long-awaited rain was a special conspiracy. In this case, it is necessary to act with an assistant, who, with her whole appearance, should symbolize rainy weather. This is how the Russian rag ritual acted. It was made by specially selecting a fabric that resembles rain in color and texture.

One of the most common rites was the Kuvada rite. It was performed during childbirth in order to protect the newborn from the encroachments of an unclean spirit. played a very important role in this.

Likhomanki - they were made at once by several pieces - from 12 to 100. The names of the dolls were given the appropriate ones - Decrepit, Stupid, Looking, Lenya, Nemeya, Ledeya, Shaking, Dozing, Fire, Vetreya, Zhelteya, Aveya, etc. These dolls were hung behind the stove, each of them lured the evil spirits by whose name it was named. Therefore Likhomanok tried to make more. On January 15 of each year, the amulet was burned and new Likhomanok were made.

Krupenichka or Zernushka was responsible for the prosperity in the house, the safety of the harvest, and the increase in wealth. It was made from a bag of grain, which was used for sowing next year.

Krupenichka in freestyle

The traditional Russian doll is very important in bringing up the best human qualities in a child. It does not cause aggression, like the monstrous monsters and robots that flooded the shelves in stores. Rag dolls don't program kids into a bohemian lifestyle like super trendy Barbies, Winxes or Moxxies. Our dolls teach spiritual beauty, harmony of human relations, love for your neighbors, and distant ones too.

That is why traditional dolls should be in every family, regardless of material well-being or social status. It is necessary to revive the traditions of our ancestors, focused on the education of a holistic, morally positive personality. A child who has learned from childhood to love and respect a folk doll will not grow up to be a Nazi or a maniac.

In addition, by making such a doll yourself, you will experience an amazing feeling of joy from creating something both simple and mysterious. In addition, both adults and children like the Russian traditional doll, because only she has the energy we need with a big plus sign. Spend half an hour of your time making a regular simple rag doll and see for yourself.