Learn how our ancestors defended themselves from Likha or Shakes, attracted good luck and maintained health. The Russian word "doll" comes from the Greek "kyklos" ("circle"). This name denoted a certain bundle or bundle of straw, which the girls loved to swaddle and swing, showing a maternal instinct.
Interesting facts:
The skill of creating dolls is rooted in antiquity. The dolls found in the graves of the Egyptians are about four thousand years old. The Egyptians made figures of the god Osiris from clay and were able to create humanoid figures from wax or wood. They had movable joints and hairstyles made of natural hair. Historians call Cleopatra one of the first owners of the collection of author's dolls. In the palace, dolls played the role of mannequins; the queen ordered solemn outfits from their vestments.
In France of the 17th century, dolls were dressed in the latest fashion, they were considered stylish gift and an example of newfangled trends.
In pagan Rus', gods were carved from wood, rag and straw amulets were created. They were an important part of the life of the Slavs. They were worshiped and used as a means of protection from negativity. After a while, man-made characters began to decorate everyday life, pleased the eye and occupied the children.
The primary task of the Slavic folk doll is to attract what is desired for specific person or families. She was used in magical rituals and as a participant in the most significant events in life, as well as for holidays. So, for the newlyweds, “lovebirds” were made - two dolls from one piece of fabric with a common hand. And with the kuvadka doll, the husband imitated the process of childbirth in order to protect the newborn from dark forces. When creating dolls, only natural materials were taken, prepared in a good mood.
Interesting fact:
Initially, the manufacture of amulets was exclusively a female prerogative. Men at this moment should not have been present even somewhere nearby. It was believed that only the keeper of the hearth was able to make a truly strong amulet and put a particle of living energy into it. By skill in creating the first doll, the girl's readiness for marriage was determined.
Slavic wooden dolls
Coastal dolls were carved by men for their beloved women from branches of sacred trees broken by the wind. A spiral of the origin of life and symbols of female fertility were applied to a miniature wooden figurine. The husband put such a doll in a linen amulet, which the woman wore on her belt, so that there would be healthy children in the family.
Slavic straw dolls
Folk dolls "Horse-Fire" from talash and bast. Photo: A. Stepanov / Lori Photobank
Straw six-handled doll
Straw was most often used to make amulets and animals. Goblin, brownie or merman were carefully decorated and used as ceremonial dolls on Slavic holidays. They helped decide family problems, restored health by transferring diseases to the figurine and its further burning.
To keep up with the housework, women made six-handled dolls from straw. In the process of their creation, they certainly sentenced: “I make you in order to succeed in all matters and do them well. I turn this handle so that there will always be order, peace and comfort in my house. I turn this handle so that my husband is always well-groomed and happy with everything.
Slavic dolls from threads
Creating a doll-amulet from threads
Traditional Russian amulet dolls made of natural natural material. Photo: Svet / Photobank Lori
Even small children were able to make winding pupae from threads, which, in addition to favorable magical properties, contributed to the development fine motor skills. They dangled as a talisman on the road and served as a protective decor for the corners of the house. On such coastlines, as on a double, troubles, hardships and illnesses of the owner were wound.
Rag dolls-amulets
Most often in Ancient Rus' rag dolls-amulets were made, which served the owners throughout their lives. Ritual, or protective, doll was considered a powerful talisman for the good of the family.
Beregini dolls were made without the use of needles and scissors, so that they could not harm their owners. The threads were broken by hands or bitten with teeth. Even the fabric in the old days was torn by hand. When they made breasts for a doll, they thought about happy motherhood and abundance. The bereginya was created on the hem, that is, on her knees, in the personal space of a woman, and not on the table, because it was considered a common place.
Each doll was made with a white or plain face, symbolizing the purity of thoughts and the animation of the owners. During the creation process, they said: "A bright head, pure, filled with goodness and love". The Slavs never painted or embroidered their eyes, mouth and nose on their shores, so that evil spirits would not inhabit them and evil thoughts would not be transferred.
grain
The process of creating a Zernovushki doll
Cereals. Photo: G. Markov / Lori Photobank
She has several names - Krupenichka, Pea, Zernushka or Zernovushka - and is considered the main doll in the family. In the process of creation, it was traditionally filled with buckwheat grain. From the bag in her hands or from herself, the first grains were taken for the upcoming sowing. After the end of the harvest campaign, the bag was filled with grain from the new crop. Sometimes the bag was filled with other cereals: oats - for strength, pearl barley - for satiety, rice - for a holiday. Bereginya brought prosperity to the family and made life full. She was dressed up and placed in the most prominent place - in the red corner of the hut next to the icons.
Doll for happiness and good luck
Making a doll "for good luck". Photo: S. Lavrentiev / Lori Photobank
Ready-made charm doll "for good luck"
The youngest and most charming doll differed from the rest by a long braid, symbolizing a long and carefree life. And what longer braid- the greater the protective power of the coastline. According to belief, in female hair was the life force.
dream trap
Charm doll Traveler.
The guardian of dreams was certainly made in the spring. Such a doll was tied with an orange thread, symbolizing the sun's rays, and a protective cross was embroidered on the chest with a red thread. The “day-night” doll was made from figurines of white and black fabric tied to each other. Hanging near the bed, she not only cherished the peace of the night, but also charged with energy and joy for the coming day.
Straw dolls can be found in the folk art of many countries of the world. Natural material has long been used by people both in everyday life and in religious rituals. Weaving appeared in the period of development of human civilization. At first, bending branches of trees and shrubs, stems of climbing plants and strips of the skin of dead animals were used. They wove dishes and clothes, shoes and household items, furniture and even the walls of houses.
History of straw weaving
With the advent of agriculture, man learned to independently grow wheat and other crops. Collecting cereals for food, after processing the grain, people always left straw for household needs. From it they made bedding for livestock, covered the roof of houses, used it as feed for cows and goats. I liked this material and craftsmen. Straw was used to make beautiful hats and bast shoes, rugs for feet and baskets or dishes for food. straw dolls made for children's games, as well as for various rituals for the holidays. Gradually, the craft turned into art, because each owner tried to make things from straw not only practical and convenient to use, but also beautiful in appearance, wanting to surpass the skill of neighbors and fellow villagers.
Despite the fact that we live in the 21st century, straw toys can be found in our homes and at mass festivities. In the article, we will consider the history of straw dolls, what significance they had in the life of the Slavic peoples, where they can be seen in our time. Also, readers will learn how to make a doll for a child to play or for an exhibition, to give it medicinal properties Or create a charm for your family members.
material value
As you already understood, the Slavic peoples used straw in every possible way in their economic activities, however, the remnants of the threshed grain also had for the peasants magical meaning. People endowed the stems of cereals with divine power, they believed that they contained the magic of the grain field. The peasants performed numerous rituals both before planting wheat and during the harvest, begging the gods for favorable conditions for the growth of cereals, because the life of all members of society depended on it.
People decorated the first harvested ("zazhinochny") and the last ("dozhinochny") sheaves. There was a tradition of weaving the last stalks of wheat together, leaving them untouched in the field. They decorated them with bright ribbons and flowers. From spikelets they made wreaths on the heads of girls, they were also used to decorate rooms. Soon, harvest rituals developed into folk art, traditions were preserved from generation to generation. Huge straw dolls, the so-called bread effigies, were made from the last collected sheaf. It was believed that there is the spirit of bread. At different peoples they had their own external features. But everyone invested the same meaning - to appease the gods in order to get a good harvest.
Celebration of Maslenitsa
Many traditions of the ancient Slavs have been preserved in our time. So, in the last week before Lent, Maslenitsa is celebrated. This traditional holiday meeting of winter and spring. Farewell to the winter cold is celebrated on a grand scale. In addition to delicious pancakes and dumplings, people gather for the ceremony of setting fire to a straw effigy, which symbolizes winter.
The last day of the holiday week used to be celebrated in different ways, depending on the province. Some carried a straw doll on a sleigh so that everyone could say goodbye to winter. Others organized a whole carnival train of hundreds of wagons. There is a tradition to mourn a scarecrow during a funeral procession with priests and mourners behind. A scarecrow of winter was placed in a trough or even a real coffin and carried through the whole village so that all the inhabitants would say goodbye to him.
At the end of Maslenitsa, the straw doll was set on fire. Often, funeral food was thrown into the fire - boiled eggs and pancakes. The ritual rite of burning the "bread spirit" ended with the straw and ashes being collected and scattered across the field, which symbolized its future resurrection in the grains of a new good harvest.
In the old days, people wove small straw dolls and kept them in their houses in the most visible place, dressing them up in clothes and scarves. On the last day of Maslenitsa, the dolls were thrown into the stove and also burned, and the remains of the straw were given to livestock.
Weaving dolls
Volumetric figures have long been made by parents for their babies. In addition to its direct purpose as a toy, the doll was also endowed with the properties of a talisman or medicinal product. So, fragrant herbs for coughing or other misfortunes were added to the straw during weaving.
According to the tradition of the Eastern Slavs, such a doll did not depict facial features. According to beliefs, an evil spirit can move into a figure with a face, and if it is not there, then the doll was considered an inanimate object, so the spirits will not linger there.
There was a tradition before the wedding to make large figures of the bride and groom and put them at the gate at the entrance to the courtyard. Since the straw symbolized fertility, the dolls were supposed to contribute to the appearance of offspring in the family.
Straw doll "Haircut"
This is the most popular type of straw puppets and is often referred to as dancing dolls. Their main feature is that the lower edge of the skirt is not braided, but cut evenly with scissors so that it holds a vertical position well. The kids loved to play with it like this:
- The doll was placed on a flat board. Used the surface of a table or stool.
- The child pounded his fist next to the doll and she started dancing - bouncing in place and spinning in different sides. There was an impression that she really performs dance moves.
The children in every possible way rejoiced at such a dance, so parents often wove a "haircut" for the kids.
Making dolls from straw
If you decide to learn the art of weaving from natural material, then we will consider how to make a straw doll with your own hands. First you need to go to the wheat field after harvesting and collect long straw. A small bundle will suffice.
Previously, the straw must be held in hot water or under a stream of steam so that the material softens and becomes flexible. Straw has an excellent feature - after twisting the figure, the wet material dries and takes the necessary shape, holding corners and bends well.
Work on the figure of the doll begins with laying out a bundle of straw on the surface of the table and cutting off the edges so that they are even. Next, a strong frame is made by bending the beam in half. Wet material will perfectly cope with such a task, unlike dry straw, which will crack at the fold of the material.
Scheme of weaving a female doll
Let's start the straw doll master class by strengthening the bundle of straw on the frame. You can use both wire and a wooden stick. A prepared bundle of straw folded in half is put on the rod. Leave the top untouched. This will be the character's head. At the level of the intended neck, wrap the wet straw tightly several times and tie a knot at the back. Weave the long ends below into the body of the body.
Hands are made separately on the wire. A bunch of straw is tied around the edges, and the rest is braided. Between the bars of the upper body, a little below the neck, insert this braided wire and bend it down with your hands. Then you can either simply tie up the straw at the waistline, or create a dress with harnesses through the neck. In this case, another thin bundle is put on the finished doll with a kink around the head. The fabric is criss-crossed at the front and tied again at waist level.
The doll can be bandaged with thin satin ribbons, mainly used red. Sometimes they pick up piping with an embroidered ornament. At the end, trim the length of the skirt and the edges on the arms with scissors. Now you know how to weave a straw doll with your own hands. Step by step following the above recommendations, you can easily cope with the task.
How to make a boy doll
Getting started is similar to the previous version. If you want to make the doll a rounded head, then you can roll a ball out of straw and insert it when bending the first bundle. The frame was not used in this case, since the boy's bottom straw will be divided into two separate bundles to form the legs.
When a large bunch is folded in half, tie a hemp thread or straw firmly at neck level. Hands are made separately, only for the male character we will not weave a pigtail, but leave the puffy sleeves of the shirt intact. Tie only the edges depicting the hands.
Tie the waist directly under this bundle. Divide the bottom "skirt" in half and tie straws at the very bottom of each bundle to separate the feet. At the end, trim all the cuts with scissors and the boy's figure is ready!
Ritual doll "Ten hands"
Such a doll with ten arms, according to tradition, was given to a girl for a wedding. Each hand symbolized some skill of a good housewife. The bride had to be able to do everything around the house - cook, eat, clean, wash, take care of children and livestock, grow a garden and harvest wheat in the field, and much more.
Each hand was tied with a ribbon of its own color, and the girl spoke to her so that the doll would help her in her work. If you want to make a "Ten-Handled" yourself, then wrap the thread around the body with a cross so that the arms hold tight and do not move.
Now you know how to make a straw doll. Try it, you will surely succeed. Good luck!
Master class on the study of various straw processing techniques
Master class calculated for teachers additional education, technology teachers, kindergarten teachers.
Purpose of the master class:
1. for teachers to study with children various straw processing techniques;
2. for use in holiday decoration, for making gifts.
Synopsis of the master class "Straw Sculpture"
Topic: "Knitting a straw doll"
Target: To acquaint teachers, educators and educators with straw sculpture as one of the types of straw processing.
Tasks:
To acquaint teachers with the technology of preparing straw for weaving and making a straw doll.
To teach the sequence of making a straw doll (female or male figure).
- Develop imagination, fantasy, interest in creative activity.
Cultivate artistic and aesthetic taste.
Materials and tools: steamed straws, scissors, twine, lining sheets, disposable plates, napkins, shreds of fabric
Master class progress:
One who created us
Another that we are from the century
We create to the best of our ability.
Straw work - artistic manual labor- has a beneficial effect on the development of intelligence, speech and other mental functions of the child, initiates the ability for independent creativity. beautiful crafts, handmade toys will help children acquire their first labor skills, develop imagination, creative thinking, diligence, patience and perseverance. And do not be afraid that this is a troublesome business, any business is troublesome, it is worth it.
So, to the best of our ability, we will turn into creators-craftswomen - straw sculpture.
Istage. First I give historical note:
Straw weaving of voluminous figures - dolls, animals, birds - has its roots in the distant past.
N. Tsereteli, a researcher of Russian peasant toys, emphasized that in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a straw doll was made wherever bread was grown. Adults made them for their children as amulets. Such dolls did not have a face, and, therefore, they were considered an inanimate object, inaccessible to instilling evil forces into it, and therefore harmless to a child. At the same time, the main meaning of a straw doll is a game, entertainment, fun not only for children, but also for adults. Dolls made of straw are called "haircuts" because the bundle of straw from which they are tied is trimmed evenly at the bottom.
Straw dolls - "haircuts" of a hundred years ago can be seen in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, in the State Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad near Moscow.
Straw dolls are laconic and conditional in the transfer of female and male appearance. Their expressiveness lies in the constructiveness of plasticity, born in a simple and rational way of making a figurine. Most often, dolls are made from only one bundle of straw. The origin of the methods of twisting, bending a bunch of straw is rooted in the labor skills of harvesting. So women twisted a bandage from a bunch of straws, with which they tied a sheaf of ears. The Russian folk name for the process of making dolls is "knit dolls", "Puppets will be tied"- also associated with knitting sheaves.
For centuries, the straw doll was associated only with peasant culture. Its production was limited to the scope of the village, the peasant family and, unlike the production of wooden and clay toys, did not acquire a commercial character.
The ancient customs of making ritual animals and dolls from straw have come into our lives. Became a theme for the creativity of many contemporary masters and artists.
Straw can be used to make various decorative sculptures and toys due to its ability to bend and maintain a given shape.
IIstage.Review of receptions.
Consider the simplest, traditional for folk straw toys, constructive methods for making straw dolls:
1. Doll from one bundle of straw. A bundle of 50-70 straws is twisted in the center into a bundle, bent in half and its ends are interchanged so that a loop is curled in the middle of the bundle. The bundle is tightly tied with threads. To trim the ends of the straws, the bundle is squeezed by hand and the bottom is cut with scissors. The resulting toy doll conditionally conveys a female figure in a long sundress
2. From one bundle of straw, you can make a doll - a toy with conventionally marked hands. A bunch of straw is tied up at the top, it turns out the head of a doll. Two small bundles of 15-20 straws for arms are separated from the main bundle of straw, they are twisted with a pigtail in three strands, bent in a semicircle, attached to the bundle-torso, tightly pulled with a thread along the waist line
3. A doll made of two bundles of straw: the first bundle is the body, the second bundle is the arms, which is inserted into the bundle-torso, previously divided into two parts, one of which, falling on the chest, bends. After that, the parts of the bundle-torso are connected and tightly pulled with a thread along the waist line
4. A male straw figurine can be knitted in the same way as a female one, from two bundles, with the only difference being that legs are made from a bundle intended for a skirt
5. Straw angel. The frame is made in the same way as the frame of a female figure, only a wire is inserted into one of the straws intended for hands in order to subsequently give the arms a bent position. For the wings, take 6-8 straws, tie them in the center and fix them at the back under a small bundle of straw. The frame is also pulled along the waistline
6. A doll made from several bundles of straw. The head and arms of the doll are performed using the technique described in paragraph 3, the skirt is made from a separate bundle of straw, it is inserted inside the bundle-torso and connected to it by dressing along the waist line
7. Another technique for making a doll from several bundles of straw. The head and hands of the doll are performed using the technique described in paragraph No. 3. For a skirt, straw stalks are sewn together in the upper part of the bundle, so that when the skirt is turned, it looks like a fan. The skirt is wrapped with stitching around the doll's waist and tied to the torso.
- Leaves, cones, straw, stones ...
I make such dolls not only in Russia. The Germans are very fond of decorating their country interiors with the help of straw dolls, and even consider them to be their German folk art. It is not surprising, because where grain was grown from ancient times, straw always remained, which local craftswomen used.
Materials:
Dried clean straw is used to make toys. The straw must be dry so that later the product from it does not rot. Multi-colored shreds for clothes and twine will also come in handy. Skewer or stick.
For children's crafts, you can use an ordinary whitewash brush, which is sold in hardware stores.
How to make a straw doll:
- The straws are cut to the same length, and bent in half.
- They tie up the head with a thread or twine, not forgetting to stick a skewer or stick into the knot.
- Straw hands are inserted into the body, dividing it in half and also tied with twine. Handles can be braided or simply wrapped with twine or softer straw.
- Then the ends of the arms can be tied to the belt, defining the doll's waist or left free, as in the photo.
Next, dress up the doll. You can simply decorate your head with a scarf, tying it around your head, or make a hat. In the photographs, the heads are sewn from the material, and put together with the filler over the straw. The face is drawn.
Such a doll will not only decorate flower pot, but will also serve as a talisman for you for a long time. After all, amulets in Rus' were never bought, they were always made only with their own hands.
You can find a lot of material on the Internet and on sites for parents, how to craft with children from straw and what amulets to make. The most common Slavic straw amulet is a decorative broom, which is also not difficult to make, and which we will definitely write about in future articles.
The job took
1 place
This is now the children of toys apparently invisible! Yes, and what you want: from simple mechanical, to the most complex electronic and radio-controlled! Sometimes you can’t drag a child away from a computer at all! And what did the children of the past play with? What were their toys made of? What were these toys? This is what we will be talking about today.
So, what is a toy? “A toy is a thing made for fun, play or fun,” we read in the Dictionary of the Russian Language compiled by V. Dahl. Moreover, it should be noted that toys appeared on earth much earlier than their definition.
At first, toys for children were made at home, from improvised material, then toy masters appeared who began to make toys for sale. But not every family could afford purchased toys, so children from poor families continued to play homemade ones. Rag dolls, wooden logs, clay whistles, straw horses were the favorite toys of peasant children.
Like all agricultural peoples, among the Slavs, straw was an important material in the peasant economy. The roofs of houses, sheds, and barns were covered with straw. She fed the cattle. They made images of pagan gods from straw and met them in the spring, and in the fall they saw off Yarilo - the sun. They were carried with songs around the villages, and then burned or floated down the river on rafts.
Pagan rites have long been forgotten, but the ability to make figurines from straw has been preserved.
For the manufacture of decorative sculptures and toys, both whole trunks of cereal plants and their upper knees, which have the longest straws, are used. Whole trunks go to large products, and the upper internodes - to medium and small ones. In order for the straw to become flexible, it is soaked in water, as well as for weaving, and then wrapped in a damp canvas for the duration of work. Ready-made straw figurines are trimmed with lashes.
Straw weaving of voluminous figures - dolls, animals, birds - has its roots in the distant past. Such dolls and figurines were not only toys for children, but were also used in various rituals. The doll was also used as a charm for children, since it had no facial features. And according to beliefs, in this case, it was considered an inanimate object and evil spirits could not move into it.
Horses, goats, birds, straw dolls are also deities and protectors: the horse is the hero of many beliefs and fairy tales, he always accompanied a man and was his friend, adviser, and protector; the goat is a symbol of harvest and fertility; doll - Mother-ancestress, protector of women; birds are the souls of ancestors, protecting and helping those who now live on Earth.
Throughout the history of its existence, a person could not do without the hope of help and support, incomprehensible to him to the end, supernatural forces. He endowed them with images that accompanied him throughout his life. Straw figurines depicting a rooster, a dove, a goat were placed on the Christmas table. Straw birds were hung over the table. Figurines were given to young people at a wedding, to each other on the corresponding holidays, large images of Maslenitsa, Madder were made during mass ceremonies, sacrificing through burning or drowning. Straw larks were the first harbingers of spring - together with them people called her. Various decorative sculptures and toys can be made from straw due to its ability to bend and maintain a given shape.
"Golden Horse"
A decorative figurine of a straw horse can decorate any modern interior, and at the same time remind you of the ancient origins of folk art. Assemble a figurine from two snopiks. One sheaf is twisted as tight as possible near the end cut with a soft wire, leaving two long ends free (Fig. 35 a). Then all the straws are bent through the wire ring in the opposite direction. In this case, the ends of the wire should be inside the bundle of straw (Fig. 35 b). The bundle from which the head, neck and front legs will be formed is tightly tied with twine and the upper part is bent in an arc (Fig. 35 c).
Having thus made the basis of the head and neck, they begin to manufacture the mane (Fig. 35d). This most expressive part of the decorative figurine has deliberately exaggerated proportions and the shape of the mane. The horse seems to radiate sunshine. This decision of the mane corresponds to folk traditions, in which the horse was revered as a symbol of the sun. The mane is collected from individual straws, and sometimes from small bundles. Each straw is alternately wrapped around the neck of the horse and intertwined with a "rope" - a specially prepared bundle of straw or hemp.
When the mane is ready, they take a new bundle of straw and, having rounded it around the body, pull it tightly with twine (Fig. 35 e). Stepping back a certain distance, the bundle is pulled with twine again, thus marking the body of the horse. The rest of the straw bundle is divided into three parts, from which the hind legs and tail will be made. The two parts of the bundle, in which the ends of the wire should be, are temporarily bent at a right angle to the body and tied with twine not far from the end sections. The third remaining part goes to the manufacture of the tail. It is finally finished at the last stage of work. In the meantime, the front legs are being made, dividing the first bundle of straw in half so that the ends of the wire are in the middle of each half. To indicate the knees, each of the four legs is twisted in the middle with twine and then strips of straw. The ends of the wire sticking out of the straw are either cut with wire cutters or bent and hidden so that they are not visible from the outside. Then the legs are bent so that the impression of a swift run of a horse is created.
At the last, final stage, they begin to finish the figure. Without exception, all the places that were tied with twine are wrapped with strips of straw.
