Magic shop - about Belarusian dolls and ornaments

Magic shop - about Belarusian dolls and ornaments

Dolls look at us from store shelves. A wide variety of dolls - from Chinese porcelain, masquerading as European panonki of the XIX century, to straw folk ones.

Charm dolls

Belarusian folk traditions are very ancient. Those souvenirs that any tourist will bring from Belarus - straw dolls or cloth dolls, clay crafts (jugs, bells, figurines) are not as simple as it seems at first glance. Behind them are centuries of history and very rich symbolism from pagan times. And even if this is not a clay toy-conic, made in exactly the same way as hundreds of years ago, but a figure of a grandmother and grandfather on the stove, the traditions of their manufacture are still the same.

clay souvenir

Walking around the Stolitsa shopping center, next to the train station, near the Red Church and Independence Square, which is exactly where tourists are, I came across the Magic Shop. A shop that was hidden at the very bottom, near the escalator. The shop is like a shop - magnets with the bored inscription Minsk, Russian nesting dolls (if the Italian does not reach Moscow, he will still buy a nesting doll), beads and bracelets made of various stones. But if you look closely, there are more interesting souvenirs - amulets made of straw and clay, amulets dolls.

magic shop

On the dolls and stop. Traditional Belarusian dolls can be of two types (with the exception of a clay toy - there were also dolls made of clay, but most often they sculpted animal figures) - straw (straw weaving was generally very common in Belarus) and fabric.

Cloth dolls, such as in the photo above, were exclusively amulets. They were very simple, they had no faces. Such dolls could be made not only by adult women, but also by girls.

Dolls were made from cloth and thread. The fabric was taken from old clothes, which is also important, because the clothes were saturated with the energy of the one who wore them. The dolls were not sewn together, but twisted and tied with threads. They did not have faces because it was believed that through the faces of dolls, evil spirits could penetrate and settle in them. Sometimes a cross was made from threads and ribbons in place of the face - as a symbol of life and the sun.

Clay bell doll (similar to rag dolls)

Cloth dolls were divided into several types.
Cleansing dolls or amulet dolls could be hung near the door, thus protecting the house from evil spirits. The “ash” doll was called so because ash from the hearth of the native home was placed in its head. Such a doll was given to the newlyweds for a wedding, they took it with them on the road to a new place of residence. A doll for happiness - such a doll was always sewn as a gift, it was not large in size - 4-5 cm.

Time has made its own adjustments to the manufacture of cloth dolls. Modern souvenir dolls are no longer twisted, but sewn together, it happens that they also have faces, and their clothes are often decorated with stylized Belarusian ornaments. There are even bigger exceptions - for example, dolls can dress in a variety of costumes, like this one in the photo, in an expensive fur coat.

The Belarusian ornament, which can be seen on the Belarusian folk costume, flag, souvenir dolls, or on such a clay bell in the shape of a doll, as in the photo above, is also a very ancient, pagan thing. Each ornamental pattern, often geometric, has a specific meaning.

Here are the meanings of some of the patterns:

1 - symbol of the female share
2 - Mother and holy tree
3 - a symbol of a strong family
4 - symbol of the sun
5 - a symbol of a rich person
6 - symbol of Beregini
7 - Kupalle. round dance
8 - Kupalle. Fire
9 - Kupalle. Kupalinka in dance
10 - Kupala grass with 3 flowers
11 - a symbol of children (protection from misfortunes)
12 - the symbol of the Mother
13 - amulet
14 - love song symbol
15 - sign of a birch girl
16 - the symbol of the god Yarila
17 - wedding
18 - symbol of ancestors
19 - a symbol of the beginning of love and a symbol of love in its prime
20 - a symbol of non-reciprocal love and a symbol of memory of love
21 - Tree of life, symbolizes eternity, immortality
22. - Yaryla on a horse. Slavic god of harvest and vitality of nature
23 - Zhytnyaya woman. Symbol of productivity and life
24 - a symbol of the awakening of nature in spring
25 - symbol of the sun

Amulets made of clay and straw - magnets

clay souvenir

Please, format it according to the rules for formatting articles.

History of occurrence.

Having emerged many millennia ago, the doll has not only not lost its relevance, but having gone through several stages of its development, it has become a subject of deep scientific research. All this testifies to the high interest in the topic of dolls on the part of modern man. One of the first toys that man created was a doll. This is not just a toy, but a part of the cultural wealth of every nation. Character, identity, national traits, traditions - everything was embodied in her image by this beauty, which can rightly be called the image of the nation. Today in Belarus there are several workshops for the production of unique author's and folk dolls. The history of dolls is included in the training courses of the Belarusian State Pedagogical University, the Belarusian State University of Culture and the Academy of Arts. The history of the appearance of the doll is rooted in antiquity. Its first purpose was connected with religion. Dolls were made from natural materials, putting soul and hope into them. Thus, the doll became a talisman of the family hearth - a symbol of people's faith. For example, the doll "Essential Herbalist" was filled with fragrant medicinal herbs. The chrysalis had to be crumpled in the hands, and a herbal spirit was carried around the room, which drove away diseases. The kids loved this toy too. Playing with it, the child touched the history and culture of his people. Not surprisingly, centuries later, the image of the folk beauty of the doll remains relevant among adults and children. Traditional Belarusian dolls were made from straw, flax and wood, depending on the region where their creators lived.

Dolls in New Year's traditions.

It has long been customary to make dolls in late autumn. Upon completion of the field work, women had free time, and they began to needlework. Dolls were knitted, woven and sculpted. Dolls were given to children, and some of them were placed in a place of honor in the house. Thus, toys can be divided into dolls for children, ritual dolls, dolls for weddings and other celebrations. One of the favorite celebrations of our ancestors was the celebration of the New Year. After the decree of Peter I, the onset of the New Year began to be celebrated according to the European tradition - January 1. Preparations for the celebration began in the fall. Each caring hostess did not forget to weave dolls that served as a Christmas tree decoration, brought comfort and warmth to a family holiday.

Doll Festival.

The image of the doll became more and more popular over time. The creators of dolls shared their skills, setting aside special days and times for this. As is customary among the Slavs, "puppet fun" took place with a chic feast, lots of entertainment and music. We can assume that these days have become a prototype of the holiday of the Belarusian doll. At first it was chaotic and spontaneous, expressed primarily in the demonstration of dolls in the New Year and Christmas periods during various festivities. Toward the middle of the 18th century, when Belarus was already part of the Russian Empire, the first centralized and mass holidays appeared, in which the doll occupied a central place. At the "Puppet Fun" craftswomen demonstrated their talents, the ability to create dolls from various materials. Most often, the materials were traditional - linen and straw, but in history there are also descriptions of unusual dolls. "Puppet fun" has always been considered one of the most fun winter holidays. After all, they were dedicated to the one that accompanied people all their lives - the doll.

At the beginning of the 20th century, "puppet games" became a favorite mass festivity. It was then that the idea arose to include this holiday in the common state and church calendar. Thus, the Belarusian doll has its own holiday. By the Day of the Belarusian Doll, each craftswoman tried to make the most beautiful doll - "Zabavushka". After the Civil War, the tradition of holding such holidays disappeared. Having lost support, and actually being among the banned ones, "puppet games" are gradually losing popularity.

Some dolls look after well-being, others look after children. There are those that save from diseases, and those that grant wishes and can even stop time! Grodno resident Olga Sidlyarevich has published a book about Belarusian ritual dolls called “Trust the doll”, writes belsat.eu.

15 years ago, our heroine went to visit a friend and saw some strange twisted doll with many arms at the stove.

- What is this doll? the guest asked.

She helps me to keep up with everything,” answered a friend who, four months later, took a guest to a master class that changed her life. Since then, little linen friends began to help Olga around the house, in love and the fulfillment of cherished desires.

Dolls that make wishes come true

Volga Sidlyarevich, maid of Garadze. Municipality Vasil Malchanau / Belsat

In Slavic culture, textile ritual dolls existed as amulets, as well as meditative objects in family and calendar rituals. The woman who made the doll focused on the problem and created the appropriate mood.

Psychologists say that understanding and a desire well embodied in words turns into an intention that directs a person to the path of fulfilling his dreams. Often, during the performance of the doll, special conspiracies were read, which had to be pronounced from beginning to end, never going astray. The craftswoman also makes special dolls that fulfill the desires of a person.

Lyalka "Zhadannitsa". Municipality Vasil Malchanau / Belsat

“For example, this chrysalis is a “desire”. The girl made such a doll and hid it in a box so that no one would see her. And if she had a desire, such a big, deep, heartfelt one, she took out her desire, played with it, tied some ribbon to her clothes or sewed on a button or a bead. And she said: I will give you a present, and for this you help me to fulfill my desire. She hid the doll and forgot about it. Time passed, and the wish came true. And again the girl took out a doll from the chest to thank ", - says Olga, pulling out her chrysalis doll from the box.

Dolls for any problem

Women, starting from childhood, made dolls based on different needs, along with which they gave them some of their worries. Some women had about a hundred "assistant dolls".

Lyalka “Traunica”. Municipality Vasil Malchanau / Belsat

“This grass doll keeps the kids asleep. Because a blade of grass grows out of the ground and knows well what is going on underground. The sun shines on the blade of grass and the rain pours. So she knows what's going on in heaven. The wind is playing with it. And the wind flies everywhere and knows everything for sure. And this blade of grass absorbs everything. We cut it off at Kupala, dry it and make a pillow or a doll out of it, and when we sleep, we inhale this smell and thus we speak with the whole world. Therefore, there were haylofts. Therefore, baby carriages were always covered with hay. It was easy to change it. And the child always breathed fresh and good air,” Olga captivates with a fabulous story, holding out a “herbal doll”, from which a delicate aroma of wildflowers and herbs emanates.

The next doll looks a bit like a spider because it has a surprising ten arms outstretched. As it turned out, it is this “assistant” who makes sure that time stops. That's what it's called - "ten-handed".

Lyalka "Dzesyatsiruchka". Municipality Vasil Malchanau / Belsat

“She has 10 hands and you don't have to worry about time. You can say: honey, help! And go calmly take on the first thing. Do not worry, do not fly and do not worry that you did not have time, you will not reach it, you will not finish it. She helps and makes sure everything works out.”

Olga holds out the next one, which she calls "Girlfriend", in other sources she is known as "Happiness".

It is noteworthy that textile ritual dolls have one characteristic feature: they all have no face. According to the traditional ideas of various peoples, it is through the mouth, nose, eyes and ears that spirits enter their images. The absence of a face was a sign that the doll did not have a soul, it could not be a double of a living person, and no one could harm a person through such a doll.

“It happens that a girl is far from her mother. And something happened, and not everything can be told to mom. Well, not everything. You won't tell your friend because it's dangerous. A friend may have a long tongue, then they took a doll and whispered everything into her ear. The doll will not tell anyone, because it has no mouth. And she won’t judge, because she doesn’t even have eyes. Therefore, the face was not painted. Because our face changes every second. We are alive. Everything is changing with us: today I’m not so happy, today I’m sad, and the doll will be sad with me, tomorrow I’m having fun, and she will smile at me.

As Olga explains, ritual dolls were usually made by women, so they belong to women's productive, cleansing and protective household magic. Initially, they were filled with the energy of family and clan and carried only a good start. Some of them were made to protect against dark forces, worries, quarrels, illnesses, and often belonged to the red corner. One of these dolls was the "grain", or "grain", which followed the wealth and good harvest.

As Olga Sidlyarevich says, unlike voodoo dolls, the purpose of which is destruction, the Slavic doll is “productive”. This is a family doll, which was made to ensure that the family multiplied, that children were born and there was well-being in the house.

Dolls that helped the sick were called "fever". They were made in 13 pieces, tiny, collected with strings and put on the chimney, which was in fact the border between that world and this one. Each of the pupae got its own name: puffy, bitter, shaking, etc. And if someone from the family started to get sick in the winter, the hostess took the doll, told her: “If the patient does not recover, I will throw you out into the cold!”. The person got better, and the doll took the disease upon itself.

Where people are, so are dolls

As follows from the words of the manufacturer of the traditional Belarusian doll, the oldest Slavic doll dates back to the 16th century, but this does not mean that the dolls appeared then. Unfortunately, the fabric from which the motankas were twisted cannot be preserved for a long time, however, the intangible Slavic culture testifies that the dolls have their roots in the distant pre-Christian past.

Lyalka "Share". Municipality Vasil Malchanau / Belsat

“They were made from everything. From wood, clay, straw - what was at hand. Their knots were woven from threads. I have photos from the museum in Mir. Both in America and in Africa such dolls are found. And they are tied with such a cross, protective. They are the same, that there, that we have in the Slavic territory. Where people lived, dolls were common. And the doll is not only entertainment for the child,- explains the master.

“When a child is born, it is not for nothing that they give him a doll in his hand. A doll is something that goes with us through life. And it is not right that boys today are given a machine gun or a transformer in their hands. Before, boys and girls up to 5 years old played with dolls. Why? They were playing house. They learned to be parents. Everything through the game. Sometimes, for example, a father yells at his son: why are you playing with dolls, are you a woman?! And the child is drawn to the doll. Previously, a woman sprinkled milk from her breasts on a doll. And if she worked in the field, the child with the chrysalis fell asleep, smelling the smell of mother's milk. Here is a guardian for you. Why do kids love dolls? After all, they "love" them. They smell like childhood, they smell like joy, they smell like parents. Such is the magic. Women's magic,” adds our interlocutor.

Olga Sidlyarevich arrange master classes, you can also buy the book “Trust the Doll” from her. Write to the master [email protected]

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In the Korovchinsky House of Crafts, craftswomen keep and pass on the secrets of making amulet dolls. They could be seen during the "Dribin Torzhki".

It is difficult to find a person in whose house there would be no souvenirs. We bring something from trips, something our friends give us, something we just hang up "from the evil eye" or "for good luck". And if we look into the recent past of Belarus, we will find that for any occasions our ancestors created amulets with special energy from improvised materials with their own hands.

She told about the meanings of mascot dolls Valentina Viktorovna Moiseeva, House of Craft Village Methodist Korovchino Dribinsky district.

The way of life in Belarus in ancient times largely depended on the season, harvest, natural conditions - some amulets represent exactly this.

"Corn"- a very important symbol among all, it is a symbol of bread. Inside this doll is grain. On the Feast of the Intercession, when the harvest was already over, our countrymen collected grain in a bag, decorated it in this way and placed it in the house under the images. "Zernovushki" protected the family from hunger and helped to survive the winter. In the spring, the grain from last year's grain was the very first to go into the ground, and at the end of the year they made a new one.

And this - "Martinichki". These two figurines were woven in March from red and white threads. They symbolize the change of seasons from winter to spring, the victory of the sun, the new harvest season.

Of course, health has always been one of the main values ​​of Belarusians, and if a person fell ill, they used all means. For example, there is health doll. It was woven for a sick person from white and red threads, always linen, and placed in his bed. It was believed that she takes away the disease, bad energy. When a person recovered, the doll was burned.

At "padarozhnitsy" bundle in hand. They took it with them on the road as a talisman from any trouble.

At dolls for good luck- a long braid. It was believed that the longer it is, the greater the happiness, so the braids of all such pupae are very long.

Well, another value is family. Its creation is a big step into adulthood for a young couple, and there were also figures for this occasion.

This doll in the form of a curvy woman - "cabbage". It was used as an element of the game - checking the groom for readiness for the wedding. She was handed to the guy, and he had to get under all the clothes and look at the body of the doll - whether all the most important things were in their place.

When the bride and groom are ready for the wedding, they were given such a pair for the holiday itself. wedding dolls- these are young people in elegant, festive clothes, and children with them. Interestingly, the figurines have one common hand, as a symbol of the fact that from the day of the wedding they will go through life only together.

This doll is a symbol of wealth and fertility. Obviously depicts a married woman with children. Children, family are the main wealth of our countrymen.

When children appeared in the family, they were protected from evil eyes and diseases. "diaper"- figurines of babies. Such a figure was placed in the cradle of a newborn. The purpose is the same as that of the doll "for health" - so that neither the evil eye nor the disease touch the child, but switch to a "diaper".

There is also a legendary master in the Dribin region. These two figurines are the same person, Dripsha, a local craftsman. On the first figurine, he is depicted as a poor, simple man, in poor clothes, in bast shoes. So he lived before he began to engage in shapovalstvo, fishing, which is now the visiting card of the Dribin region. And already the second figure - felt boots, good clothes, and life certainly got better, everything was helped by mischief. By the way, felt boots are also depicted on the emblem of the Dribinsky Torzhki.

These wonderful traditional figurines are made in Korovchino.

Our ancestors in their amulets embodied worldly wisdom and simple values ​​that will never lose their relevance. And such figures (they can be easily made at home from improvised materials) keep the warmth of our hands and are simply pleasing to the eye. And the point is not so much in magical power, but in the good energy of such things. And for advice and a detailed explanation, you can always turn to craftswomen from the Dribin region.

Once Confucius was asked: "What would be the first thing you would do if you came to power?" The first thing I would do, - said Confucius, - would return the words to their original meaning. "The loss of the true meanings of concepts has greatly contributed to modern savagery. Not a single monument, not a single symbol has reached without distortion. The most sacred symbols are trampled under the feet of ignorance. The light of knowledge replaced by the conventional formulas of religions, and the man, called the thinker, bows to a dark corner and hangs himself with amulets, without even knowing the symbol of the image.

There are many miracles in the world, but for some reason people do not use them. They think that they are too complicated - these miracles. But for many years of studying the ancient traditions of amulets, I was convinced that a miracle can be born in ten minutes. And an example of this is a rag doll-twist.

A twisted rag doll is called a twist because neither a needle nor scissors take part in its manufacture: there is no need for iron to touch the fabric, cut shreds, from which an almost living creature is about to be born - a protective doll.

There are a lot of rag dolls, and they are all different from each other. Everything is rooted in ancient antiquity - at a time when the world was more beautiful and simpler, and people were wiser and more sincere. Then, under the fingers of the craftswomen, powerful amulets were born - clots of absolute love, enclosed in a touching form of a doll. This doll, presented to a loved one, became his first protector.

With many events taking place in the material world, we can cope, because we more or less know its laws. But about the laws of the non-material world, almost all knowledge has been lost.

It is surprising that amulets made with love, with good thoughts, wishes, and some - according to miraculously preserved ancient traditions, are able to take care of "invisible" events. And the stronger the feelings enclosed in the product, the more power it has, the more reliable it works.

Nowadays, people treat amulets more like souvenirs, but you can try to make a talisman just for the purpose of protection. Will it suddenly work? On the one hand, it will be just a fairy tale, because we have not believed in the ancient gods and their power for a long time, but on the other hand, we believe in the power of nature, that it is able to help a person and protect him. Therefore, you can try to make yourself a charm for a loved one (according to the rules, you cannot make a charm for yourself).

Our ancestors sincerely believed in the power of the amulet, in the fact that it is able to protect a person from trouble in this vast world. Maybe we should try?

A diaper doll made by the hands of a mother is a powerful amulet.

The swaddle doll has the main signs of a person's likeness: the head, body and navel - the center of generic life energy.

The history of Russian amulet dolls and their magical functions

There is a swaddle doll in museums of ethnography and many sources of information about Russian rituals and traditions. Once upon a time in Russia, a diaper was placed in the cradle of an unbaptized baby in order to confuse evil forces. The doll takes on all the misfortunes that threaten the unprotected soul and body of the baby. After the baptism of the child, the diaper was kept together with the baptismal shirt, or it became a doll for the child - a talisman.

How to make a charm doll
The swaddle doll was sewn by the expectant mother in the last month of pregnancy, with good thoughts about the future child. Cloths for making diapers were usually pieces from the clothes of mother, grandmother, father, etc. This provided family protection.
A diaper doll can still be a maternity amulet. It was placed on a groaning woman in labor to facilitate the exit of the child into the world.

Swaddle doll as a birth amulet for a child
In the first months of life, the biofield of a child is especially vulnerable to the evil eye. Until now, mothers of newborns are afraid to show the baby not only to friends, but also to relatives. A baby doll comes to the rescue. When guests arrive at the house, a doll is placed in the folds of the child's bed, and the guests, in order not to jinx it, say: How good is the doll!
But a diaper doll is not only a charm ... It carries a lot of other useful and necessary information.

Making a doll

To make a doll, you need a long piece of fabric, preferably worn. For a daughter, fabric from the old clothes of a mother or grandmother is suitable, and for a son, a mother or father. An ordinary cotton white fabric, like a bed sheet, is also suitable.

The body of the doll is a fabric wrapped 7 or 10 times - a roll. The flap is twisted as tightly as possible, tied in the middle with a belt to indicate the waist, then a knot (navel) is tied in the middle of the roll. The thread is bitten off with teeth. The belt itself is made of 2 narrow patches or strong threads, it can be woolen.

The essential detail is the head. To designate the head, the upper part of the roll is also pulled with threads (about a third of the length of the doll's body). In general, the proportions of the doll are commensurate with the proportions of a baby. A handkerchief is tied on the doll, and then the doll is still wrapped in a diaper.
The process of making a doll symbolizes the creation of man and his appearance in the material world. As stars, planets and matter arise from the mysterious cosmic "nothing", so a doll is born from a shapeless rag. Rolling also symbolizes long-term gestation, and twisting is a symbol of the layered structure of human thin bodies.
In Russia, amulets in the form of diaper dolls were made not only from fabric, but also from wood, straw and bone. That is, any natural material can be taken as the basis for the body of a diaper doll.

grain doll

An amulet for a baby can also be a canvas bag stuffed with buckwheat and other cereals, and then beautifully decorated with embroidery and beads. The principle of dragging the “torso” remains the same: it is necessary to give the bag human signs, designate the waist, head and navel. Such dolls were called Zernovushka or Pea.

doll face

Slavic amulet dolls have one characteristic feature. They don't have a face. This type of doll is not accidental. After all, a face is already a sign of a person's double, a doll with a face can be magically harmed, which will be transferred to the owner. And the doll-amulet has not a face, but a face. A puppet with an "empty" face is fundamentally different from a witch's doll-likeness - a volt. The volts denote eyes, nose, mouth, and sometimes hair. With the help of a volt doll, on the contrary, they nailed (harmed, smoothed) a person.

Veps doll

This doll accompanied the child from childhood until it "left", i.e. not torn, spoiled. It was made from the old things of the mother, and without the use of scissors and needles, so that the life of the child would not be "cut and chopped." The head, arms and legs of the doll are made from raw fabric or rags and twisted with a thread.
Such a doll was made in different places in Russia. This is the image of a married woman, mother-nurse. Her large breasts symbolize the ability to feed everyone.

Before the birth of the baby, to warm the cradle, they put this doll in it. And after the birth, the doll hung over the cradle and protected the baby from damage. The chrysalis symbolized a nursing mother, whose milk does not dry out, and protected the child from hunger. When the child grew up, he played with her. She had to take away all misfortunes from the child.
The girl also made this doll when she gained the desire and strength to get married, continue the race, give birth to children. She put it on the window, and the guys knew - you can send matchmakers.
Karelian rvanka
This is a national charm doll. She took care of a person, they called her that: a talisman or a coaster. As a rule, the most protective were dolls made without a needle and scissors. The fabric for making a Karelian doll is torn, the sound of the torn fabric scares away the evil spirit, creating a clean environment around. Hence the name.
The Fabric itself, from which the doll was made, served the family for a long time, being saturated with the energy of events and the emotional field of family members. She gave confidence, balance, a sense of security. In addition, the doll was a familiar object, made from its own, by ourselves, correctly and on time. Each family kept a lot of dolls, because it was a great sin to throw away an old, worn-out doll, and even more so to spoil it or burn it. Old dolls were kept in the attic.
The traditional rag doll is faceless, her face remained white. A doll without a face was considered an inanimate object, inaccessible to evil, unkind forces, and therefore harmless to a child. She was supposed to bring him well-being, health, joy.
Red was always present in the doll's outfit - the color of the sun, warmth, health, joy.

Master class "Twisting the Veps doll"

For work we need:
Multi-colored fabric: cotton, chintz, linen.
Gauze or cotton.
Thick red cotton threads.
Ribbons.

1. Let's start creating our doll.

Let's start by putting aside all our affairs, laying out everything you need on the table evenly and beautifully, and tune in to work. A light half-smile and a good mood will help to convey a positive charge of energy to the future doll. Well, at least we believe it.

We take a white cotton or linen fabric, tear off a square from it, put a piece of cotton wool or gauze in the center. Then we tighten the contents into a tight, even ball with a red thread, winding it an even number of times. We do not make knots, the long ends of the thread can not be torn off yet. We got the head of the doll. Repeat the operation two more times, twisting the smaller balls, this will be the chest.

2. Let's make handles for the doll.

Take a rectangular patch of white, gray or any other color. Let's make a square out of it, then twist a "horn" out of it, like a bag for seeds. In the wide part we will tie an even number of times with a red thread, we will fill the ends under twisting.

Let's make two such parts, these are the hands of the doll.

3. Twist the parts together.

Let's choose two bright patches and twist the upper part of the sundress over the two breast balls. We twist the "dressed balls" together, and then tie them to the head, pointing the tails down. Do not forget about an even number of turns of the red thread.

Now we will tightly tie our arms under the chest, and we will make them raised up, as if uplifted to the Sky and the Sun. This image was formed due to the representation of this doll in the form of the pagan goddess Makosh, who was considered in East Slavic mythology the patroness of the feminine, fertility, marriage and childbirth. Makosh was a faithful assistant to the hostess in her affairs and women's activities, and also gave an abundant and generous fate to her owner.

4. We dress the doll with a sundress.

Well, let's get back to our doll, Nurse and Beregina. We take a cotton or chintz fabric of bright colors, for example, the one with which we “dressed” the chest, tear off a wide strip. Attach to the doll with the wrong side up. Right under the chest, we tightly tie the thread.

We lower the "skirt" down, opening the upper part of the body. The dress is ready!

5. Let's make an apron.

For the apron, choose a dense fabric of a suitable color, lace or part of a wide ribbon. On the fabric, you can make embroidery, which was a necessary detail of the costume. The main thing to remember is that the symbols in the pattern have always played a very important role. They denoted the sun, water, earth, animals, and so on. and symbolized the connection of man with nature, a rich harvest, long life, etc.

Embroidery was carried out mainly with red threads of different shades. Recall that this color was given a special meaning - "protective". We decided to choose elegant simple lace for the apron, which was also tied to the body of the doll with a thread.

6. Knit a cotton scarf.

With the final touch, we will tie a handkerchief to the doll, tying it under the chin and tying it in a knot at the back.

7. And now let's add small pupae-Children.

A swaddle doll was made from a piece of worn homespun clothes in order to transfer a piece of vitality and warmth to the baby with native, homemade material. Even before the birth of the baby, the doll was placed in the cradle in order to “settle in” and “warm” it, to make it cozy for the little man.

The diaper bears the main signs of a person: the body, the head and the center of vitality - the navel. In this place, the doll was tied with a thread with a knot in front. A handkerchief was put on the head of the doll, and the body was swaddled in the usual way, tightly tied crosswise with a red thread-slinger, thus protecting it from evil spirits.

8. We will twist our doll-Bereginya with dolls-Pelenashki.

To do this, we will place our diaper dolls on both sides of the mother's breast. We will tightly tie the kids right under the chest, passing the thread under the sling. So our doll-amulet is ready!