Our ancestors have long known about the existence of good and evil forces. Everyone wanted to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm; for this purpose, every home and shelter had its own protective item. People believed that amulets saved them from illness, failure, the evil eye, and even from raging elements. In addition, they help to live in joy and prosperity.
Anything could serve as a talisman - from simple horse shoes to special prayers and spells. But amulets made with one’s own hands had special power. Every craftswoman knew how to make them for all occasions. This is how rag dolls appeared, at first they were fun for children, and over time they took pride of place in every hut, as strong protectors.
There were many types of amulets dolls; in this article we will tell you about their brightest and most cheerful representative - the Bell doll.
Photo: galka.livemaster.ru
Origin story
The Bell doll is a talisman that protects the house and its inhabitants from bad news.
The doll appeared in Valdai, the birthplace of small bells, which were customary to be attached under the arches of horse-drawn carts. Being a smaller copy of church bells, they were considered amulets capable of driving away evil forces and diseases.
Ringing merrily, the Valdai bells kept the coachmen delivering letters from falling asleep during the long journey and drove away wild animals with their noise. They announced the approach of the cart, bringing good news to those who were waiting for news from loved ones. In addition, bells were always used to decorate festive troikas during folk festivals.
Wanting to bring joy and good news into the house, Slavic women began to make dolls from scraps, hiding bells in their fluffy skirts. Gradually, the amulet became associated with the brownie’s wife, Domakha, who protects the house from bad news, the evil eye, curses and damage.
Appearance of the “Bell” doll
“Bell” is a motanka, which can be easily distinguished from other Slavic amulets. She is dressed in bright clothes, designed to bring joy to those who are nearby.
Meaning
The protective doll has a special meaning:
- Bell shape. It is achieved thanks to fluffy domed skirts that fly out under a thin waist. This form symbolizes the Kingdom of God and the feminine principle.
- Number "3". The doll is dressed in 3 fluffy skirts. This number in Orthodoxy symbolizes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ancient Slavs also treated the troika with reverence, since it reflected the trinity of Rule, Reveal and Navi - the worlds of gods, people and spirits.
- Bright outfit. When looking at the doll, you should get the impression that she is having fun, spinning in a dance. The brighter and more elegant the motanka looks, the more joy and celebration it brings to the house.
- Sound. If you pick up the protector doll, it will ring. Our ancestors believed that the noise it makes drives away bad news, illness and evil spirits.
The protective doll has a fluffy dome-shaped skirt.
Peculiarities
A protective doll is always faceless. It should not be allowed to personify a person, because then it will take on a life of its own and could cause harm.
When making a motanka, white fabric is left in place of the face. This color reflects negative energy and is associated with pure thoughts.
The doll cannot be given a name. It should be called Bell.
The meaning of bereginya
In Slavic culture there was a special attitude towards bells. They were considered a sacred object, without which almost no rite or ritual could be performed. According to the ancient Slavs, ringing bells scared away evil spirits, evil spirits, diseases, natural disasters and inclement weather. It was believed that empty ringing could bring great trouble in everyday life, so children were not allowed to play with ringing bells.
The Bell amulet doll was made in the likeness of a bell, which was a guide to the spiritual world. The lush multi-tiered sundress of the talisman was similar to the “skirt” of a bell. This is what the foundry workers called the cone-shaped wide part of the bell. The body and arms form a cross, which is the most powerful sacred symbol among the ancient Slavs. The motanka sundress was made with three skirts, which symbolized 3 worlds, the energy of which coexisted in the talisman:
- Reality - material;
- Nav – space of spirits;
- Rule is the divine principle.
Bereginya attracted goodness, created an atmosphere of happiness and fun. The rag beauty was a favorite pastime of Slavic children.
Sometimes the external resemblance to a bell was complemented by a ringing chime, hanging small bells on the arms, or hiding them in the wide frills of a sundress. But it was forbidden to pick up the “musical” amulet.
In addition to its protective function, the doll lifted spirits, charged with optimism and inexhaustible vital energy. Feelings of celebration arose in adults and children at one glance at the Beregini’s mischievous multi-colored outfit. She was sure to be dressed as if for a holiday. The doll was often brought as a gift with wishes of good news and happy events.
We have probably collected all types of Slavic motanka dolls for all occasions.
Creation Rules
In order for a reel to become a talisman, a number of rules must be followed when making it:
- The doll personifies the feminine principle, so it is made by a woman, the mother of the family. There should be no male representatives in the room (even the little sons of the needlewoman).
- You need to start working during the waxing moon or full moon.
- Days of religious holidays, Friday and Sunday are not suitable for creating a talisman. Do not do handicrafts during bad weather.
- The craftswoman must be in a good mood and healthy. While working, you cannot be distracted by extraneous matters so as not to dissipate energy.
- The pupa should be made throughout the day.
- To make the details of the amulet, bright natural materials (linen, cotton, chintz) are used. You can take scraps from old clothes, but provided that they were not worn by a sick or deceased person.
- All parts of the craft are fastened together with red thread. The turns should be performed an even number of times, mentally filling the “Bell” with your positive energy.
- To ensure that the threads hold tightly, they are tied into an even number of knots, making a wish for each of them (for love, for health, for wealth, etc.). You cannot break the thread at the base of the knot; you need to leave a piece 2-4 mm long.
- It is advisable to perform all stages of work on your knees. Thanks to this, the talisman will be quickly filled with feminine energy.
The Bell doll should be made by the mother of the family.
How to make a “Bell” doll with your own hands
The master class on creating a protective doll is simple, so even children can make it.
Safety precautions
Do not touch the reel with metal objects (scissors, needles, knives). You should tear the fabric and break the threads with your hands. The material can be cut with scissors before work, and then put away away. The edges of the parts are not hemmed. Nothing will happen if they have fringe on them.
Before starting work, you need to gather your hair in a ponytail or hide it under a scarf. You must not allow even one hair from the needlewoman’s head to get inside the amulet, as this will cause her to lose energy.
The first reel made with your own hands should not be given or given away. This is considered a bad omen.
A “Bell” made for another person should not be touched by anyone except the craftswoman and the person for whom it is intended.
Required tools and materials
Before you start creating a protective doll, you should prepare all the materials and tools that will be useful in your work. For a “Bell” 11 cm high you will need:
- Three circles of bright fabric with diameters of 20, 22 and 25 cm. It is advisable that the largest piece be made of dense, heavy material. Thanks to this, the doll will keep its bell shape.
- White square face patch with sides of 16 cm.
- Thin colorful fabric of triangular shape for a scarf. The length of the longest side is 20 cm.
- Little bell.
- Filler (cotton wool, padding polyester or hay).
- Red natural threads (should be easy to break with your hands).
To make a doll you need bright fabric.
Step-by-step manufacturing instructions
It is easy to make a protective doll if you follow the steps step by step according to the scheme described below:
- Head . To make it, you need to roll the filler into a ball with a diameter of 3-4 cm, then attach a bell to it with a thread so that it hangs freely and can ring. Place the head in the center of the largest circle and tie it with thread. Form a petticoat from the hanging part of the flap.
- Outfit . Do the same with the rest of the circles. The smallest piece needs to be wrapped last. The result should be a figurine with a head, a fluffy three-tiered skirt and a bell hidden under it.
- Face and hands . Fold the opposite corners of the white square towards each other with a slight overlap of fabric. Cover the doll's head with the central part of the resulting figure and secure it under the chin with threads. The sticking sides of the square will be the arms. Their ends need to be wrapped with threads to form palms.
Options for tying a scarf
The last stage of making a reel is securing the gusset. You can tie it in different ways: under the chin, around the neck, crosswise under the arms.
About the traditions of making folk dolls
The bell doll, a master class on making which is presented below in the article, is an interesting doll-amulet; it is considered traditional for our ancestors. This talisman directs its energy to protecting the home. It is an analogue of the Chinese bell - wind chime.
Recently, interest in Chinese Feng Shui has cooled. Moreover, we can say that the fashion for oriental traditions has not caught on. But there is a new surge of interest in native amulets and their history. Finally, Russian rag dolls have taken their rightful place on the shelves of souvenir shops.
Folk rag dolls, also called knot dolls, have been considered amulets since ancient times. Some sources say that they are more than 5 thousand years old. Such “motankas” are popular not only in our country, they are common in many countries around the world.
Small amulet dolls, into which craftsmen attach a wide variety of meanings, are a wonderful tradition that should not be forgotten; moreover, it should be supported and developed in every possible way. Only one’s own native energy and the energy of one’s native land can become a good amulet for a person.
How to use the Bell doll
If the doll is not activated, it has no protective power. In this case, it can be used to decorate the house and interior with folk style elements. In addition, the “Bell” will be an interesting toy for young children.
To use the doll, it must be activated.
The doll can also be used for protective purposes. To do this, you need to charge it and activate it.
Head decoration
When the base is completely ready, you need to move on to decorating the head. To do this you will need a blank of white fabric. Two opposite corners must be connected so that they touch each other in the center, then the part must be folded in half.
Next, you need to put the doll's head in the middle of the workpiece and tighten it with threads so that the fabric is well fixed. For fixation, you need to use red threads, since this color has great protective power. Upon completion of these actions, the doll acquires a decent appearance, and it has a face and arms.
Charging and activating the amulet
Charging the reel must begin at the stage of its manufacture: the craftswoman should talk to it, mentally fill it with love, ask for protection and help. Communication with the amulet will allow you to transfer positive energy to it, which will subsequently protect your home from harm.
When the doll is ready, it needs to be activated. To do this, they turn to the goddess Lada, from whom the ancient Slavs asked for prosperity for their home and family. The activation ceremony is carried out during the waxing moon on Wednesday, Friday or Saturday. Morning time is best for him. Correctly carried out activation will help to call on the world of spirits to help fill the talisman with power.
The ritual is carried out as follows:
- Bread and milk are left under the front door.
- They light a candle, take the doll in their hands and read the plot: “Lada, come to our house, come in, bring happiness and love with you. Give a piece to everyone, protect us from troubles and problems. Give more good news, let the house be warmer and more cheerful. Let everyone be happy both in winter and in spring.”
- The food should lie at the entrance for a day, after which it should be given to pets.
The doll needs to be mentally filled with love and asked for protection.
If you wish, you can come up with magic words for activation yourself. The text of the conspiracy must contain requests that the “Bell” must fulfill.
Conspiracies
The original souvenir is still a bell doll. The master class, of course, talks in detail about how to make it, but in order to make a real amulet or talisman, it must be activated.
When creating a doll, you need to “communicate” with it, share your desires, thoughts and invest your energy. However, this is not enough to create a real amulet. When making a bell, you need to mentally turn to the Slavic gods and ask them for help in household chores.
Everyone must find a plot for themselves that will meet your expectations. Most often, people ask for health, love, prosperity, turning to the Slavic God Perun.
Place for the “Bell” doll
The protective effect of the doll will be stronger if it is placed in a suitable place.
Those who make a motanka to attract good news and protect their home from evil forces should leave it near the front door. For the same purpose, you can hang it on a window (not on curtains or tulle).
To make plants and flowers grow better, the amulet is placed near them.
In a family with small children, the most suitable place for the “Bell” will be the children’s room.
The talisman can be placed in the direction from which you want to receive good news (for example, in the direction of work, school, the place of residence of a loved one).
Where can I buy a “Bell” doll?
If you don’t want to make a motanka yourself, you can buy it ready-made. You can find the doll in souvenir shops and art stores. In addition, you can order a ready-made amulet from needlewomen who sell their products on the Internet, posting their photos on their pages on social networks.
You can buy a ready-made doll in souvenir shops.
A purchased doll, like a homemade one, must be activated before use.
