Alel is a Ket doll, the keeper of the hearth. Part 1 / Traditional folk doll

In the old days, not a single Slavic hut could do without a doll amulet made of rags. An example of such a talisman was the little protector doll Northern Bereginya, which strengthened family ties, reconciled those who had quarreled, filled the house with peace and harmony, and brought happiness, prosperity and prosperity. Outwardly resembling a broom, it swept away evil spirits from the house. This powerful family talisman, which will guard the whole family, is easy to make with your own hands.

The history of the doll

The culture of the ancient Slavs is unthinkable without rag amulets in the form of dolls. Each of them performed its own function and had its own history. But some of them remained an unsolved mystery. One of these dolls was Severnaya Bereginya. The origin of the unusual doll still remains a mystery.

According to one version, Bereginya is called northern because its place was in the northern corner of the house. According to other beliefs, the doll came to the European part from the northern latitudes.

Local aborigines used it in rituals to drive out evil spirits. Northern Bereginya really does not look like Slavic dolls, but this did not make it less valuable to the ancient Slavs.

The ritual doll was also for the Slavic people. Outwardly, the doll looks like a broom, so they walked around the house with it and symbolically swept away evil and evil spirits from it, reading a conspiracy or prayer. And the resemblance to a rattle was used to scare away evil spirits. Considering that the rattle is an attribute of shamans, we can assume that the version with the arrival of the pupa from the northern latitudes is similar to the truth.

History and meaning of the amulet doll

This is a protective Slavic amulet designed to protect family members from damage, the evil eye and other troubles. The amulet combines the masculine and feminine principles:

the pillar at the base is a manifestation of strength and resilience;
the folds of a skirt or sundress are an enveloping care.

The technology of its manufacture was passed on from mother to daughter and served as physical confirmation of the connection between generations.

Bereginya has accompanied the Slavs since ancient times, since pagan times. Her presence is mandatory in every home. She, like other amulet dolls, initially had no face. This way, an evil soul will not be able to move into it, and the doll will never work against its owner. According to another version, facelessness is a Slavic symbol of belonging to the Great Goddess and confirmation of the special status of a conductor of divine power .

To make a doll, scraps of fabric from worn out but beloved clothes were traditionally used. Strong red threads were used to hold the outfit together. This color was considered protective among the Slavs and was suitable for festive attire. At the base there was most often a log or birch bark. That's why the doll is called Stolbushki.

The clan's amulet was always made large, solid and heavy, its size from the palm to the elbow of an adult. The silhouette of the doll resembles a cross: the vertical axis is the base, the horizontal axis is the position of the arms. This sign has nothing to do with Christian themes; it symbolizes the world axis or the prototype of the ancient world tree.

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By its appearance, Beregini can be called the region of its manufacture. For example, the inhabitants of Siberia added a poneva (a skirt made of pieces of fabric with a richly decorated hem) to their outfit; the southern peoples dressed it up over a shirt in a colorful sundress.

The amulet was used by our ancestors not only to protect home and family from external threats. He also maintained internal harmony and tranquility, both for the entire family and personally for the mistress of the house. To protect the newborn, Stolbushka was tied up with a rag baby and special symbols were applied to the clothes. Such a talisman lay in the cradle and protected the child from illness, damage and the evil eye.

The meaning of Northern Bereginya

A multi-layered fabric doll is called a family amulets. The guardian of well-being in the family strengthens the spiritual connection and intertwines the energy of all family members. This interpretation explains the process of making reel.

It consisted of 7 flaps, this figure in the old days was associated with the word “family”. The worn clothes of each family member were torn into shreds for winding. The fabric for the central twist belonged to the most vulnerable member of the family, who needed protection the most. The fabric bundle in the center was pulled together and supported by the flaps of other family members, all together they were securely fastened with a “family thread”. The weak one was protected by the energy circle that the guardian created around him.

The multi-layered nature of the folk doll of Northern Bereginya personified the versatility of human life and its connection with the four elements - air, earth, water and fire, and 3 worlds - Pravya, Navya and Reality. It was believed that the doll united the energy of all family members and connected it with strong bonds. Bereginya warded off misfortune and protected the owners of the house from trouble, the evil eye, damage, and created an atmosphere of calm and mutual understanding in the family.

Holiday world

Currently, many have lost touch with their family, know nothing about their ancestors and are therefore deprived of strength and energy. The Bereginya Roda doll restores the connection from the ancestral roots along the female line and the transfer of the Power of the Rod to its owner, that is, to you. It is precisely that Power that has been accumulated by many generations of your ancestors, but for some reason has not yet been revealed in you, and is not used by you.

The power of your Family with its centuries-old way of life and traditions is concentrated in Beregin. The doll represents an adult, wise woman, with rich life experience. Bereginya is a woman healer who creates harmony around herself, harmony in the family.

At different periods of life, a woman is realized as a daughter, girl, girl, wife, mother, grandmother, Bereginya Roda. Women become Bereginya of Rod after menopause, reaching the age of wisdom. She can direct her power to her entire family. Bereginya lives in every woman.

The root of the word Bereginya is shore. The shore is the boundary between land, water and air. The verb from the word Bereginya means to protect. To protect means to set a boundary, to prevent, to preserve.

Every woman at all times dreams of a family, motherhood, healthy and happy children. It is this doll that protects you, your family, children, grandchildren, both existing and future, from troubles, misfortunes and illnesses. A woman is naturally given the ability to change the surrounding space with her desires, thoughts, and words. The mood in the family completely reflects the state in a Woman’s soul. Therefore, the Slavs treated their women very carefully and preserved the memory of their mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers.

The Old Believer woman wore a light long shirt, which also served as an underskirt. The shirt had long sleeves. She wore an outer skirt or a sundress with straight straps over a shirt. She always wore an apron. The sundress was tied with a belt over the apron. On the legs were stockings, tied at the top with braid, on the feet were shoes or slippers.

The hair was braided into two braids, which were arranged like a halo on the head. She always tied her head with a scarf that covered her forehead. I made tucks on the sides of the scarf and tied it in the front with 1 knot.

Before you start making Beregini Roda, mentally ask for forgiveness from your ancestors for forgetting that they are in your life, for considering yourself smarter than your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and other ancestors, that so you know little about them, their lives, the wisdom of their ancestors.

Thank your Family for what you are and for what you have. Thank you for having their blood flowing through you. Thank you for the fact that you, without realizing it, use the power of your family, possessing genetic memory, for the fact that you are a continuation of their life, you are a continuation of the Family, and your children are a continuation of you and your family.

Bereginya Rod is made with a pure heart and pure thoughts.

The doll “Bereginya Rhoda” is a very powerful, strong amulet doll. The figure of the doll is strong, prominent, good-quality, the size of an elbow, about 40-45 cm. In her hands she has a bag with household goods, inside there is grain (a well-fed life) and a coin (so that everything the mistress of the house does will bring profit), wool, laurel, poppy. The color of the fabric in the doll's clothes is preferably dark blue, as a symbol of wisdom.

The ritual doll Bereginya is made from used clothes of household members so that it protects everyone individually. It was believed that if you take rags from a person’s old clothes, the doll will protect that person even more.

To strengthen the doll, it is necessary to use in its manufacture the fabrics that your ancestors preferred. Birch will also strengthen the doll.

This doll is traditionally placed opposite the front door so that it greets everyone who enters - it does not allow Evil people and evil forces into the house, but it meets and welcomes Good people.

A very interesting doll: almost no one who enters sees it, although it stands in plain sight
In case of problems, the doll must be turned around three times, saying: “Turn away with evil, turn with goodness!”

Beregins, like other rag dolls, were made only by women. Men were not allowed to help and were not allowed to observe the process. It was believed that the presence of male energy could negatively affect the amulet and dispel the interweaving of female emotions and thoughts embedded in the talisman.

The motanka doll Bereginya was also called Stolbushka. This is due to the peculiarity of making the amulet. Usually the doll was made in a large format. Therefore, it had to be strengthened so that the figure would keep its balance and not fall. The doll was supported by a special roll of fabric.

The pillar, which serves as the basis for the reel, concealed a special meaning - male strength. But the skirt, like the sundress, personified feminine energy and, entwined around the masculine, took care of it and protected it. Thus, Bereginya symbolized the unity of two opposites.

According to tradition, Bereginya was wound from old clothes. To do this, they took clothes that no one would wear anymore. They tried to choose brighter fabrics so that the doll would not turn out pale and unsightly. The finished reel was decorated with ribbons, beads and threads to make it elegant, pleasing not only its owners, but also their guests.

Manufacturing secrets:

Motankas are called motankas because they are not sewn, but wound. Use needles and scissors only when preparing doll clothes. After that, hide them away so that sharp instruments do not spoil the energy of the amulet, or it is better to do without them altogether.
Another interesting tradition is not to give protective figures a face. The Slavs believed that navy spirits could inhabit an amulet with facial features. That’s why they made the dolls faceless.
Bereginya is a special motanka. Often she protected not just one person, but the whole family. Therefore, the creation of this doll must be approached very responsibly. It is forbidden to work on the amulet during illness or in a bad mood.
When winding, use only natural fabrics and threads. The energy of nature will strengthen the power of the amulet, but artificial analogues can turn it into a dummy.

Materials:

twisted birch bark for the body with a diameter of 4 cm and a height of 28 cm
white flap for the entire body, arms and face 45x45 cm
flap for an underskirt with lace at the bottom 17x30 cm
2 flaps of thin fabric for the chest and buttocks 12x18 cm
a little padding polyester
flap for the outer shirt 25x25 cm (it can be long, to the floor)
flap for skirt 17x56 cm
square for knapsack 10x10 cm
strip of red fabric for the warrior
necklace made of beads or embroidery
scrap for scarf
belt and apron

Manufacturing

Take birch bark or a birch stick - this is the basis of the doll.

Decorate your head with padding polyester, giving the desired volume.

Important: if you are making a talisman and want to follow traditions, then instead of padding polyester, use flax, wool, cotton wool, or other natural material. If the doll is made for purely decorative purposes, then use the materials at your discretion.

Next, outline the neck, waist and chest, focusing on the fact that the head fits the height of the body 8 times.

Using thin fabric and selected filling, make a breast and buttock pad.

To do this, lay out a piece of fabric, place a rectangle of filler in the center and wrap the piece. Drag it along the sides with a thread and tie it with an even number of knots.

Additionally tie the breast pad in the center.

Glue the fabric onto the birch bark with Moment Crystal glue in the right places to avoid unnecessary knots.

For a protective doll, these parts should be tied.

Cover the base of the doll with a large piece of fabric and decorate the head and arms.

For the head, smooth out the fabric where the face will be, making two pleats on the sides.

Distribute the remaining amount of fabric evenly at the back.

Tie along the neck line with red thread.

To make the arms, fold the excess fabric from the sides inward, leaving the desired length for the arms. Tie the thread at the back of your waist.

Tie the ends together to create palms.

Next, tie a red thread around the doll’s body, crossing the thread on the chest to form a protective cross.

Without breaking the thread, tie the entire body to the very bottom.

Sew matching lace onto the hem of the petticoat.

Tie the skirt onto the doll, wrapping it around the back in the middle of the back and evenly distributing the folds.

Fold the red flap diagonally and make a hole where the neck will be: cut the fabric crosswise.

Place the flap on the doll.

Lift the fabric up so that the corners at the cut site go inward.

Wrap the neckline, securing the corners in this position.

Place the flap down and form sleeves by tucking in the excess fabric. Bandage your hands around the wrist, leaving your palms open.

Gather the outer skirt with a thread and try it on, wrapping it in the back. Distribute the pleats evenly and tie the skirt to the doll.

Tie the doll's head with a warrior and fasten the headband with beads or embroidered braid.

Tie your head with a scarf, making beautiful folds. Cross the ends at the front and tie in a knot at the back.

In Beregini's knapsack, put a coin, grain and what you consider important to protect in your home. Attach the knapsack to the doll's hand.

Secure the apron from the wrong side by lifting it up and tying it with thread. Then lower the fabric down.

Weave a belt from colored threads and wrap it over the apron at the waist.

The amulet differs from an ordinary talisman in that it has special powers. This is partly influenced by the material from which the item was made. But it’s not just him. The Bereginya doll, made with your own hands from natural materials, does not always turn into a powerful amulet. A rag figurine will remain an ordinary toy if you don’t put a piece of your will into it.

It was for this reason that the needlewomen expelled everyone from the room in which they made amulets. This way, no one distracted them or dissipated the formed positive emotions.

To charge the doll for good luck, talk to it while shaking it. Tell Beregina about your family, put in a good word for everyone who lives in your house. Ask Motanka for well-being, prosperity and happiness.

After the Bereginya doll is filled with your energy, you will still need to activate it. Traditionally, conspiracies are used for this. You can use a ready-made plot or create your own based on it.

CONSPIRACY:

“Motanka doll, Bereginyushka doll, protect our home from evil, envious people and homewreckers. Bring prosperity to our home, bring happiness to our home, so that we can live without troubles and misfortunes.”

Important: When coming up with a conspiracy yourself, clearly formulate your wishes. Focus on exactly what you need. That is, instead of “I don’t want to be poor,” ask for an amulet of prosperity.

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Features of address and farewell

In order for the doll to “work”, it was not hidden from prying eyes, but placed in the most visible and honorable place, but always in the northern corner of the hut in the room where the whole family was often present. Bereginya was not a toy in the traditional sense. Children were not allowed to play with it, only the mistress of the house periodically took the amulet in her hands and walked around the hut with it, clearing the room of evil spirits. While pronouncing the spell, in each corner of the room she turned 3 times clockwise, making movements with the doll that imitated sweeping.

The motanka was periodically cleaned of dust; it was believed that any contamination reduced the protective power of the amulet doll. Not only the doll was kept clean, but also the area around it. Both the outer shell of the amulet and the energy of the doll needed cleansing. Bereginya diverted negativity from the family, absorbing it into herself. Therefore, a ritual of cleansing the energy channels of the pupa was regularly carried out. To do this, they used a secret ritual with salt and a candle.

When the time came to part with Bereginya, she was not thrown away. They carefully dismantled the motanka and mentally thanked him for his care. The threads were not torn, but carefully untied, after which the fabric was burned and scattered in the wind in front of the door of the hut.

We have probably collected all types of Slavic motanka dolls for all occasions.

Rag doll Bereginya. Master Class

To make a Bereginya doll with your own hands, we will need the following materials:

for the base of the doll - an old towel, diaper or pillowcase;
a piece of white fabric for an undershirt, measuring 40 by 40 cm;
a piece of colored fabric for an outer shirt, measuring 25 by 25 cm;
a piece of fabric for a skirt, measuring 15 by 50 cm;
2 pieces of fabric for the chest and buttocks, measuring 10 by 15 cm;
filler (cotton wool, synthetic fluff);
a piece of fabric for an apron;
a strip of fabric for a warrior (braid and lace were used in the master class);
a triangular piece of fabric for a scarf;
red threads.

Description of work

The first step is to make the basis for the reel - rag twist. We fold the fabric in several folds, then roll it into a “column”. The twist height in this master class is 25 cm.
Then we need to make blanks for the chest and buttocks. We put filler on a strip of fabric and tie the ends, without cutting the thread. We additionally tie the chest pad with thread in the middle.
We tie the blanks into place and proceed to the most interesting part of the master class - we will put on our reel. First, we put on the undershirt - we tie the white flap around the neck and crosswise on the chest. We fold the fabric on the sides with the edges inward and tie it, forming arms.
Next we will make the skirt. You can immediately tie the flap using the reverse method, or you can first make a basting stitch along the edge, as in the master class. The skirt should be tied with a slight wrap, otherwise you will have to sew the piece along the side seam. This method allows you to make a skirt of any size you like.
To make the outer shirt, we make a cross-shaped cut in the middle of the flap and put it on the reel. We tie the shirt at the neck, along the arms and at the waist. We tie an apron and a belt over the skirt, and put a warrior and a scarf on the doll’s head. The Bereginya doll is ready.

You may not believe the protective properties of reels, but believe me, making them with your own hands is a pleasure. Good luck.

Making Northern Beregini with your own hands

According to ancient descriptions, the amulet doll was made using the traditional method, following the rules for creating rag amulets without scissors and needles. The fabric could not be pierced or cut; it was torn by hand and the threads were bitten off. They made the amulet after the autumn harvest, when there were few chores to do around the house.

The woman chose a free day to stay alone in the upper room and not be distracted. The doll was made in one sitting; the work could not be put off. They dangled Bereginya on her knees, maintaining a good mood while working. The beregin doll was told which family she would end up in and how much her help was needed. By talking with the amulet, the mistress of the house established a connection with him, tuning the talisman to the right wave.

What you need

It’s not difficult to make a Bereginya doll with your own hands. To do this, you can use old Russian diagrams and instructions. To make an amulet you will need to prepare the following materials:

scraps of bright fabric - 7 pieces, 10x22 each;
fabric for headdress – 15x15;
narrow rectangle made of milky fabric - 6x14;
a skein of red thread;
red ribbons (not wide).

It is better to take multi-colored fabric for the body. It is believed that the strength of a doll depends on its color. The brighter it is, the stronger the Northern Bereginya.

We take into account the nuances

Following the ancient rules, the fabric must be torn. If you need to cut the material, it is correct to do this in advance, preferably several days before the main process. The doll cannot be sewn; the parts must be tied with thread. It should be remembered that there must be an even number of turns and knots, and the thread must be wrapped clockwise.

On the day of production, the craftswoman should be in a good mood, she should sit down to work without resentment or envy, keeping in mind the main goal of creating the doll.

Step-by-step master class

The Northern Bereginya doll is created step by step:

Fold 7 flaps in half in half along their long side, so that the front side is on the outside.
Fold the raw edges of the fabric inward for each cut.
Place the resulting pieces on top of each other. There are no strict instructions regarding the sequence; the colors depend only on the imagination of the artist. The alternation of stripes of light and dark shades will combine beautifully.
For the “face,” fold a light strip of fabric in half and roll it into a tube. This must be done clockwise, this will mean “infinity of life.”
Place the folded fabric in the middle of the top flap, then, without separating the blanks and the twist, carefully wrap the colored strips around the “face”.
Fix the flaps together with red thread, forming a “neck”, 1.5 cm below the junction around the twist. You should get a figure similar to a fan, opening downwards.
For the scarf you will need a square cut. It needs to be folded in half to form a triangle. Carefully tuck the edges of the sides and tie each one with a red thread, stepping back a little from the tip.
Place the scarf on the doll’s head and fix it for the convenience of further work, while the corner of the headdress should cover the “back” of Northern Bereginya.
You can tie a beautiful ribbon or ribbon around the thread. It is also not prohibited to decorate the doll with beads or beautiful stones.
Straighten the “handles” and pull them slightly to the sides; they will come out from the sides of the scarf. Flatten the folds of the skirt from multi-colored scraps and make it fuller.

In order for Northern Bereginya to stand in a place of honor without support, the flaps for the base of the pupa should not be too narrow, and the material should not be thin. Thick fabric is better suited, and airy material can be left to decorate the doll.

Who is Bereginya?

As already mentioned, Beregini are traditional Slavic amulets dolls. A rag doll made by a pregnant woman was placed in the cradle to “warm” the place for the unborn baby. When the child was born, the bereginya remained in the crib and distracted evil spirits from the baby, and then became the first toy for him.

In order for the baby to sleep well, the mother read a spell in front of his cradle: “Sleepy, insomniac, don’t play with my baby, but play with this doll.”

Girls began making beregin dolls themselves at the age of twelve. A beautiful and neat amulet indicated readiness for marriage.

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The best specimens were put into a chest and became part of the girl’s dowry. When giving her daughter in marriage, the mother always gave her a hand-made bereginya, thus blessing her for marriage. Sons who went to the army or on a long journey received the same amulets.

Rag dolls were carefully stored and passed on from generation to generation.

What were Slavic bereginiya dolls like? Slavic rag dolls come in several types: play, protective and ritual.

Game dolls, as their name suggests, served as toys for children.

The making of a ritual doll was timed to coincide with the most important events of the folk calendar, for example, the beginning of sowing or harvesting. A protective doll was made for major family events, such as a wedding or the birth of a child. They had to protect and protect the family.

Today, in the age of plastic Barbies, we have almost forgotten the wonderful Slavic tradition of making amulets dolls. But you can try to make a bereginya with your own hands the way our ancestors once did.

It is made without the use of sharp tools such as scissors and a needle, so even a child can be trusted to do some of the work. The baby will be interested in playing with the doll that he made himself.

Goddess or mermaid?

Legends about Beregin have been formed by our ancestors since time immemorial. According to most experts, this name originally denoted a deity whose main function was to protect all living things. Bereginya is the personification of all the good and positive forces of nature.

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It is believed that this goddess protected travelers from the machinations of evil entities in the thickets of forests and swamps, and also sent rain on the sown fields in time.

Bereginya is a good deity for everyone who honors the traditions of their ancestors and respects nature. But even she can be angered if natural resources are used irrationally, water bodies are polluted and forests are destroyed.

In some legends and tales, Beregini are spirits of nature that live in bodies of water. Occasionally they come ashore, usually at night. There they swing on tree branches and comb their long hair.

Origin of Beregin

There are several versions about how Beregini appeared. According to the most romantic of them, pure girls who died before marriage became good spirits. Beregins are often depicted with beautiful but sad faces.

Such images lead to the belief that these creatures are the reincarnated souls of girls who committed suicide or were abused.

According to another version, Bereginya is the spirit of a wise woman with a kind heart, the strongest sorceress of her kind.

Deity symbols

It is worth noting that Bereginya belongs to the lower pantheon of Slavic gods. Our ancestors perceived her, rather, as a mythical helper and protector. At the same time, the image of this creature remains quite abstract, without clearly defined individual characteristics.

There is also a Slavic symbol. Bereginya is a rune that symbolizes fate and fate itself. This sign is often considered a reminder that higher powers can either give life to a person or take it away.

Each Bereginya has a magic comb. She combs her long hair with it. With this item, a spirit can flood any place. Beregin's favorite tree is the birch - a symbol of the Russian land. Folklore often describes water maidens swinging on the branches of weeping willows growing near the water.

Features of using the doll

The motanka must be placed in a visible place in the house, at eye level of those entering the home. Usually, the “red corner” of the hut (house) was chosen to install such a talisman. According to Slavic beliefs, the Bereginya doll immediately neutralized the bad look or evil thoughts of those who entered the home.

Additional Information! The “red corner” should be in the eastern part of the house and adjacent to the northern one.

You can store the doll next to other amulets, for example, icons, Herbalists and Grains. But these dolls should be smaller in size than the main Beregini.