Making dolls-wards with their own handsbegan in ancient times. Toys were passed down from generation to generation. It was believed that the folk-dolls had a certain power and family energy, helped in times of misfortune to their masters, brought happiness to the house, saved from evil spirits.
As already mentioned above, Slavicdolls, self-defense. All the toys were dressed up in beautiful dresses. Clothes were made with a special meaning. Each outfit meant something of its own. The clothes must have been red. It symbolized warmth, joy, sun, health. Besides, this color protected from troubles and evil eye. Folk dolls-amulet created by the faceless. Even at the time of paganism, it was believed that if a toy has a face, then a spirit will necessarily enter into it, which can harm the house, family, children. In addition, it is also "extra eyes". However, even without a face, the toys took over the mood of their masters. According to legend, the first doll-charmer was Collodia. It was made in ancient times. People associate a special story with this toy. In the past, it was customary to sacrifice women to pagan deities. But someone once decided to commit a substitution. Before the ceremony they took a log and dressed him in a sarafan, a colorful scarf. He was given to the deities instead of a living woman. From that time on, they began to make such a doll before the New Year and give it to Moroz. At that time, people knew how severe winter could be and frosts in the spring were dangerous. To cajole during the holiday of Frost, the "clad" birch log was burned at the stake, while saying:
Frost, Frost,
Come to Christmas,
Do not ruin the wheat in spring
Every pashnitsu.
Like a log baked, so, it was believed, and a year would pass.This rite went from Western European culture. The Slavs did not burn their dolls. It was believed that the toy personified the patroness of the family, mother. On the eve of the New Year they made a doll-amulet "Day and night". During the daytime, the head of the toy was wrapped in a light kerchief. At night they put on a dark one. This doll was protecting the house.
All Slavic dolls-amulets, with their own handscreated, were simple and uncomplicated. For stuffing used different materials. Basically it was ash, flax tow, grain. From generation to generation, the way of creating toys was transmitted. How did the folk doll, self-defense? For the toys were characterized exclusively by female characters: a long braid, a skirt. An important detail was the breast - it was a reminder of the connection with the cult of motherhood and fertility. The image of toys was recognizable and quite real at that time. It reflected typical characters, peasant life.
Toys were created not only for entertainmentchildren and home protection. The made doll-amulet with own hands attached children to work. In the process of playing girls, for example, learned to sew, spin, embroider. By creating toys on their own, children acquired new skills, developed fantasy. From an early age, thanks to the dolls-amulet, the child learned the meaning of the mother, the woman, began to understand her function of giving life, educating in caring and love, feeding, transferring traditions by inheritance. So from a small age, respect for the home, the way of life of a peasant family, interest in folk culture was cultivated. In addition, the very process of creating a toy acted soothingly - helped to relax, feel the joy of the beauty born in their own hands.
In today's world, the question is quite acuteabout preservation and careful attitude to popular culture. Adults should try to introduce the younger generation to national Russian traditions, customs, history, so that children can understand the grandeur and antiquity. One of the sources of this heritage today may well be a doll-amulet. Revival of the old traditions contributes to immersion in the mysterious and enchanting world of ancestors. How did our ancestors create their own dolls? The master class, which will be given below, will illustrate the sequence with which this process took place. In a fairly simple at first glance, you can see such a depth, which you do not even suspect. In the process there is mystery, because secrets have come down to us from the very antiquity.
Let's start with creating a toy-woman with babies onhands. It was believed that this image was very strong. Such a doll was given with the wishes of peace and prosperity in the family, a joyful, confident and peaceful existence. The toy was symbolized by a married woman and gave birth to children. For our ancestors, the ability to give birth was of particular importance. The joy of motherhood reflected the well-being of women. The toy was created when they either wanted or were already expecting a child. She was also given a wedding, wishing healthy and strong children, as well as honorable guests, thus showing respect. This toy, which has survived from the depths of centuries to our days, can rightly be considered a model of folk art. To simplify the understanding of how to create dolls-wards with their own hands, the master class will be divided into several stages.
Before you make a doll-charm with your own hands, you should prepare everything you need, namely:
- coarse cotton fabric;
- scraps of colored matter;
- lace;
- Canvas;
- sintepon;
- scissors;
- threads of a mulina (red);
- the needle.
The first thing to do is twist.To do this, take a piece of cotton cloth 30x40 cm approximately, bend it in half. Next, you need to tightly and tightly twist the "column". Its height will be 15 cm. Over the entire height, the twine will be tied with red thread. A little rounded then head, taking a sintepon. Denote the neck by threads. Next, take a square of coarse cotton fabric (its size is 20x20). We put it on the head, fix it along the neck line with a red thread. Now you need to make your hands. We turn the corner by a centimeter and a half, fold the edges to the middle. From the edge, at a distance of about 1 cm, make a toy palm and pull the thread of the fabric. After the strapping, the threads do not need to be cut off. Then we make the waist. We are tying it tightly with the place where it will be.
We make a skirt now.To do this, we take a colored flap 12x30 cm. We need to make a line and a small assembly on top of the cut. We will wind our doll with a flap inside the face, we will tie it tightly around the waist with a thread. Then we turn it out and straighten it. Next, we make an apron from the canvas, pulling along the edge of the thread. You can embroider some simple design for beauty. The apron is located in the center of the skirt, inside the face. With the help of a thread, we pull it around the waist and then straighten it. Around the head we tie a piece of lace. Then you need to make a kerchief, for this we cut out a triangle from the fabric and tie it over the head. On the hands it will be necessary to tie the strings - in fact there will be more children, which will have to be kept. Then we do the baby. First we twist a column of a piece of coarse cloth. The size of the flap is 10x7 cm. We twist it tightly and tie it with a red thread. Cut out the kerchief from the white fabric and tie it to the head. For a diaper you need to take a flap 10x13 cm. Gently swaddle, bending the edges inside so that the threads do not protrude. We also do the second baby. Now we give the kids to mother. This is how you create your own doll-charm. Let's consider another variant.
First a few words about the meaning of this toy.The charm in the form of this doll was given to play to the child or hung over his crib. Often it was filled with aromatic herbs. With a growing moon, the pupa was sentenced to health, good immunity, and when decreasing, they were ordered to get rid of problems and cure diseases. How was this doll-wards created by oneself? The diagram illustrating the process is as follows.
Prepare everything you need:
- a piece of white fabric (chintz or coarse calico), measuring 15x20 centimeters (from it we will make a head);
- colored flaps:
Still need a bag full of grass(thyme, wormwood, chamomile, oregano, mint). Its size is about 4.5 x 6 centimeters. To unwind the toy, threads (cotton, wool, flax - any) will be needed, for the cross on the face - colored threads (cotton or floss). If desired, you can take more lace, braid or any ribbon for decoration.
The bag is rewound and tied in a rectanglefrom a white fabric. To wind the cross on your face, you need to hold the thread with your right hand over the head vertically, from front to back, fixing the beginning of the thread with your finger. Then it must be secured, wrapped around the neck. Then, in parallel, lay the thread, winding up from the front. Then we lay this thread horizontally. You need to fix it in the same way - around the neck. Then lay out another color, wrapping the head with another thread, parallel to the previous one. It will be beautiful if the threads fall alongside. Next, we'll put the toy in the bottom kerchief. We fix it, winding again with a thread. Next, make the handle, making a flap several times. Attach them to the doll better crosswise. A skirt can be assembled with a needle on a thread, or you can simply stick it to a toy. Then we fix also apron, we will tie up the upper handkerchief. In the end, we will bandage the doll with a girdle. That's how the dolls used to protect themselves. The master class given in the article shows how simple this process was.
