Birch bark is the outer layer of birch bark. Many people have been familiar with this material since childhood; you can use it with your own hands to make many crafts, toys, baskets and other things that are indispensable in everyday life. Previously, in Rus' they wore bast shoes as shoes. The bast shoes are also made from the bark of this tree. Our ancestors believed that birch bark took away pain and gave a person health; it was endowed with supernatural properties. From this material they make amulets and talismans with their own hands, which can influence a person’s life and bring positive changes to it. The amulet will protect you from dangers and prevent unpleasant surprises, and will help you feel like a happy person.
Sharkunok made of birch bark
The bark has a complex structure; it has several layers. Each of these layers is quite thin and is formed during a certain period of tree growth. The approximate age of a tree is determined by the number of layers of bark. As the tree grows, the color of the tree's rings will vary due to changing weather conditions. The outside bark is white with small dots in the form of dashes. They are also often called lentils. Gas exchange occurs through them and the tree breathes. Next, you will learn a lot of interesting things about this material and get acquainted with all the nuances of its preparation.
Amulet sharkunok
The word "sharkunok" comes from the Russian sharkat. The first production of this item occurred many centuries ago. It could be made in two ways:
- by weaving using birch bark;
- in the form of wooden prefabricated elements.
Initially, the sharkun was used as a rattle. Apple seeds and peas were placed inside. But it was also used as a talisman against evil forces. More complex sharkunk designs served as a kind of puzzle for children.
Some used the sharkun as a musical instrument.
A bark bark was given to small children. For girls, a small figurine in the form of a bird was cut out at the top of the object, for boys - in the form of a horse.
It is believed that the amulet was first made by a small, distinctive ethnographic group of the old-time Russian and Finno-Ugric population on the shores of the White Sea. They are called Pomors. On the day when the first sharkunok was created, the Pomors were waiting for the storm to end so that they could then go out to sea.
What does a shark look like?
People needed to pass the time somehow, but there were no special tools at hand. Everything that was used to make the amulet was an axe, knives, wood. The first sharkunok is made of birch.
TOYS OF OUR GRANDFATHERS
Pomors are amazing people! They have their own language, “Pomeranian speaking”, their own folk crafts, unique culture and their own values. Including family ones. The life of the Pomors was never rich - only the most necessary things, but they always had a special attitude towards children, and they tried to give every child an education. Even ordinary toys had their own meaning and carried knowledge. I want to talk about one of these traditional northern games – the wooden sharkunka.
Sharkunk (sharkunok - from the word “shuffle”, that is, to make noise, pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable) has several purposes. First of all, this is a baby rattle. It was given to the child at birth. For a girl - with a bird carved on the top and revered by the inhabitants of the North as a symbol of the sun and light. For a boy - with an image of a horse, reminiscent of the powerful forces of nature: wind, lightning and storm.
The second function of the sharkunk is to serve as a talisman. It was believed that the noise it made drove away evil spirits from the child. It is even possible that in the distant past it was a ritual object of a shaman or sorcerer. Today, they are often used as musical instruments by folk groups: depending on the contents of the internal cells (pellets or peas), sharkunkas can produce different sounds.
And, of course, sharkunok is an entertaining puzzle for children and adults. A sort of “Rubik’s cube” from the shores of the White Sea or 3D puzzles with riddles in the Pomeranian style. Removing the locking rod that closes the dies system allows it to be disassembled into its component parts and then reassembled.
It was as a puzzle that this toy interested me.
For several years now I have been interested in making wooden crafts https://scraptools.com.ua with various tricks that require me to “rack my brain,” but one day I wanted something new and original, not replicated on the Internet. I turned for advice to my school teacher, the famous master of ancient crafts Sergei Yuryevich Bogatyrev. He advised us to make a shuffle. The die is the main structural element of the sharkunk. The length of the part L depends on its complexity and tiering. To make the toy shown in the following figures, we will need 18 dies 41 mm long and four dies 77 mm long. Shuffle handle
I started searching for information and... I found practically nothing useful on this topic. No diagrams, no photographs... In one old book about folk crafts I came across only a small picture with approximate dimensions and a brief description revealing the basic principle of assembly and disassembly. Then we had to fantasize and figure it out on our own. At first I thought that it was impossible to make such a toy from wood based on the dimensions indicated in the original source - it would be too small, so I doubled them.
The shark turned out to be large, but... its upper part was constantly falling off, although all the parts were fitted very tightly. To achieve the first positive results, it took me several months to develop the technology, select tools and manufacture devices.
In addition, I changed the design of the prototype, made the handle one-piece, achieved the optimal thickness of the dies and determined the dimensions of the elements for sharkunks with a large number of tiers. As a result, having gone through a difficult path, I have developed some “production secrets” that I am ready to share with the readers of “Model Designer”.
To make sharkunks, I use birch wood - anyone who does carpentry probably knows its properties. With the modern development of woodworking machines and their availability, it would be foolish to refuse them, so at the preparatory stages of work I use a planer-thicknesser, a milling machine and sometimes a band saw. As for hand tools, I use flat chisels, a plane, a knife, a fine-toothed hacksaw, a miter box, a caliper, sandpaper blocks and a specially designed metal gauge to control the size of the dies.
Let's consider sequentially the entire process of creating a toy. Its total length along the handle is 250 mm and this size can be considered optimal for a gift to a child or education. More complex, multi-tiered structures are built in a similar way, but they, of course, consist of a larger number of elements.
So, we will need 18 short dies, four longer dies and a handle - their dimensions are indicated in the drawings. The technological chain consists of several operations. I start by planing a “board” 5 mm thick on a planer-thicknesser machine. (By the way, I note that not every thickness planer can “take” such a thickness.) I mark it and cut it with a hacksaw into several parts corresponding to the lengths of the future dies (in this case, 41 and 77 mm). At each stage, I make sure to check the dimensions with a caliper, and if they turn out to be a little larger (most importantly, not smaller!), then I bring them to the desired value with an emery block. After this, using a permanently mounted router, I select a groove in each workpiece to a depth of 2 mm, checking it with a gauge, and then using a hand plane with a sharpened knife, I remove the chamfer from the edges.
The most “tricky” part of the toy is the final die with a slot on the side. Using a miter box, I cut the workpieces into separate dies 16 mm wide, and then slowly use a plane to increase their width to 15 mm and don’t forget about the caliber - this is important! And to make a handle I use a drilling machine and a Forstner drill with a diameter of 15 mm, but there are probably no special tricks here.
Now let's try to connect the individual elements into a single structure.
This may seem difficult at first, so for practice I recommend holding the handle of the toy in a small vice. We lay out the dies, a handful of shot or dried peas on the table (they will provide the shuffle with a “voice”), and... go ahead! However, I see no point in describing the sequential installation of dies - if you have already reached this point, you will figure it out further on your own, especially since the photographs show the entire assembly order. Whether the shark will come together or not depends on how accurately the conjugate dimensions of all the connected elements of the shark are maintained. To control them, it is best to use a gauge made from a metal block. The process of assembling a sharkunk is a fascinating activity, especially for the first time!
The main thing is to understand the principle and take your time. The arrows show: photo 22 - moving the top plate forward, photo 24 - moving it back, photo 28 - installing the lock plate Although one “secret” still remains.
Foremost! This is a locking die. Its installation ends the assembly, and the disassembly of the sharkunk begins with it. The lock is a slot in the side face of the final die. It is done locally, at first small, then a little larger. You need to ensure that the die snaps into place. The most “tricky” part of the toy is the final die with a slot on the side.
And one more thing. I place the lock in the location shown simply because it is more convenient for me. But every master can show his own imagination in this matter. Otherwise it won’t be interesting – it’s a puzzle!
Sergey REPKIN,
Velsk, Arkhangelsk region.
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The tree is part of Russian national wealth
In ancient times, nature and man were one. Wood was used by people to build houses, wells, furniture and other things. The tree served as an object of worship for ancient people.
It was believed that the tree was associated with the ancient forces of the “beregins”. In those days, thanks to wood, people had shelter, warmth and tools. Therefore, it is not surprising that they worshiped trees so much.
People have long noticed the influence of different trees on human health and condition. Then special horoscope calendars were compiled. Everyone had their own tree depending on their date of birth.
However, it was noticed that birch is suitable for everyone, regardless of gender and date of birth. Today the birch is an unspoken symbol of Russia.
The amazing properties of birch bark were discovered a long time ago. It has antiseptic, bactericidal properties, is lightweight, does not rot and has a healing effect.
In China, birch bark is considered Russian ginseng, which has long been used to treat malaria, hepatitis, and stomatitis. Thanks to the properties of birch bark, wounds were healed, headaches were relieved, and blood pressure improved.
Sharkunok made of birch bark
Unlike other types of wood, birch bark does not cause skin irritation and does not accumulate static electricity. That is why headbands, hairpins and other decorations were made from it.
There is an opinion that birch bark also has calming properties. To do this, you just need to hold it in your hands. Birch bark amulets, including the sharkun, were popular then.
In Rus', amulets were made in the form of an amulet, which was hung in a lullaby near newborn babies. Then it was believed that this amulet not only had a calming effect, but also protected.
Sharkunok is one of the ancient amulets made of birch bark. This item began to be used as a talisman in the Arkhangelsk region. Sharkunok was a talisman against evil spirits and the evil eye.
A birch bark shark is still used today; some people wear it around their neck, hang it in their home, or in their car. Well, for the most part, sharkun today is just a souvenir.
Collection of birch bark
Collecting birch bark
Birch bark for an amulet cannot be bought in a store, so it is better to spend time and prepare it for the winter. This is the first stage on the path to creating such decoration.
In order not to harm nature and others, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations when procuring raw materials:
- There is no need to stock up on a large amount of bark; try to take as much as you know you will use. Birch bark can retain its properties only for 3 years;
- The tree must have a smooth trunk before harvesting;
- The best period for collecting raw materials is spring and early summer.
There are many ways to remove bark from a selected tree.
Bark removal options:
- In a spiral. An incision is made on the tree trunk as high as possible, the width of which is approximately 5 cm. It should have the shape of the letter P, laid on its side. Next, the bark is removed from the tree in a circle.
- Layering. This method of removing birch bark from a tree involves several cuts. Two of them are made transversely at a distance from each other, and the third is made along the birch trunk. To better separate the bark, it is convenient to use a spatula.
You should be careful when storing birch bark. It is better to initially divide it into layers and store them unfolded under pressure. This way the bark will last longer, its appearance and properties will not change.
Making the sharkun amulet
The production of birch bark amulets and jewelry is carried out by elderly people who have adopted traditions and experience from their ancestors. However, there are often people of the younger generation who are interested in this subject of history who make a sharkuk from birch bark with their own hands.
To make a sharkunka in the form of a box on a pendant you will need:
- birch bark pieces;
- scissors;
- ruler;
- PVA glue;
- awl;
- rope;
- rubber bands.
To make a sharkunk you will need a piece of birch bark.
First you need to make a pattern. It is necessary to cut out four parts of different sizes: 74*30 mm, 90*30 mm, and two parts of the same size 54*8 mm.
On the reverse side of the birch bark is white, and this is where the design should be applied with an awl. You can find the pattern online.
To make pieces of birch bark elastic, immerse them in boiling water for a few seconds.
Using a ruler, bend the birch bark along the marked lines on the wrong side. All parts are connected to each other using bends.
To fix the sharkunk, rubber bands are used, like those for banknotes. To ensure that the structure of the sharkun stays in place and its elements do not fall apart, we lower the sharkunk again into boiling water for a couple of minutes.
After this, you need to remove the product from boiling water and let it dry. Having bent part of the sharkunka, we place several peas in it.
A braid of the required length is inserted through the upper edge of the sharkunk. The product can be supplemented with any decorative elements as desired. A drawing or inscription will look beautiful.
Birch bark jewelry (continuation of Nadezhda Fedorova’s theme, weaving)
Hello Hello! Yes, yes, yes, I repent, I repent! I looked at the “beautiful” dolls and abandoned the promised topic about birch bark jewelry. But I pulled myself together and went ahead! For mines... oh, sorry, for decorations! If you haven’t forgotten about me yet, then we parted somewhere here: https://babiki.ru/blog/interesting/54649.html At first, I wanted to distribute the jewelry, so to speak, “by variety”, beads - separately, earrings - separately, but very soon I realized that there were so many decorations that it was simply impossible to sort them. Yes, I don’t think it’s necessary. In ancient times, people did not wear jewelry made of birch bark or wood at all. It was believed that the tree was alive and who knows what kind of “spirit” could inhabit it. Therefore, they tried to apply something unknown to “their beloved” as little as possible. Over time, having studied the healing properties of birch bark, people began to use such decoration as “ochelye”.
The name comes from the word
“chelo”
- meaning face. Ochele - around the face.
It was worn to replace previously used leather headbands, held hair, absorbed sweat flowing from the forehead while working and... perfectly eliminated headaches. And thanks to the phytancides included in birch bark, it protected against viral diseases (analogous to garlic beads for children during a flu epidemic). As a result of all this, it was immediately included in the category of “amulets” and has gained wild popularity to this day. It trudged, and still trudges, like this:
By the way, the photo clearly shows what to do if one of the stripes ends prematurely. The next accessory that won the trust of people, namely women, was beads. Ochelye was originally worn by men, in the field, at the forge. Women also wanted to “get involved” and they began to weave beads from thin strips and collect all sorts of beads, which also helped to support the immune system during infectious diseases in the house and instantly became a “healing amulet”
Years passed and little by little people stopped being afraid of “someone out there” who supposedly could, but it is not yet known whether they did, “inhabit” the tree and decorations firmly took their place in everyday life. A great variety of hoops, earrings, hairpins, bracelets, pendants appeared... Yes, you never know what comes into the head of a creative person! Craftsmen began not only to weave jewelry, but to use mixed techniques and glues and varnishes and stones and combinations with wood. In short, enough theory, look:
decoration.
Well, that’s it, I’ll stop talking, I’ll stop talking, admire: It may not be Faberge, but it’s also a very delicate work.
And even a Christmas tree in winter may not go unnoticed.
Somehow like this!
It is clear that these are not all possible options and delights. Anyone here has enough imagination! And thank you for your attention!
