In the old days, the Slavs had talismans and amulets for all occasions. Protective artifacts protected from the evil eye, saved from damage, scared away dark forces, preserved health, and also brought grace to the house. For themselves, women wove the Doll of Happiness amulet with their own hands, kept it in the house, dressed it up, had conversations, and in gratitude received prosperity and harmony in the family. Happiness for the Slavs was symbolized by a small girly doll with raised arms and a long, voluminous braid.
A lucky charm for a child
Children are especially susceptible to the influence of negative energy from the outside. An unformed biofield cannot reflect an unkind glance or an evil slander. Therefore, even before the baby was born, a small rag doll, Pelenashka, was placed in the cradle so that evil spirits would not settle there. The future mother made it from scraps of her parents’ clothes. Such fabric, saturated with the energy of the father and mother, endowed the rag amulet with great magical power. With the birth of the newborn, the doll continued to “live” in the cradle, protecting the baby from the evil eye. At the same time, it was the child’s first fun; when he grew up a little, the Diaper was given into his hands, and through it he began to explore the world. Making such a talisman is not at all difficult. We'll look at how to do this step by step in our master class.
In our work we use:
- Calico white or flesh-colored 13x13 cm.
- Fabric in a small pattern: 24x10 cm, 14x14 cm, 22x12 cm.
- Scarlet threads.
- Thin satin ribbon.
- A ball of cotton wool.
Let's start making the Diaper.
- Take a square piece of calico and place the filler in the center.
- We tie it with thread to create a “knot”. In this way we formed the head of the doll.
- We wrap the resulting free corners with a 24x10 cm flap.
- We tie the twist with thread.
- Take a 14x14 cm flap and bend it diagonally.
- We put the resulting scarf on the baby’s head and fasten it with a thread along the neck and cross to cross at bust level.
- We place the doll on a piece of 22x12 cm and swaddle it: we make one turn around the body, turn the bottom edge up and twist it completely.
- We tie the baby with a ribbon (you can take scarlet wool yarn) so that a cross is formed at chest level.
The Pelenashka doll is ready, the doll’s height according to the master class is 9-10 cm.
Recommendations: If you are making a talisman, and not just as a souvenir item, try to tear the fabric rather than cut it with scissors. Do not use padding polyester for filler. Such material does not carry positive energy and can be allergic. It is advisable to take the flap into a small pattern.
It is important to know. You can't do needlework on Friday. Do your work on the waxing moon.
The meaning of the Bereginya doll
The Bereginya doll
Bereginya was considered one of the main Slavic rag talismans. It was intended to protect the house from the evil eye, maintain peace and harmony in the family, happiness, and attract prosperity. The doll was placed in the most visible place in the home, opposite the entrance, above the head. They dressed Bereginya in bright clothes and “gave” a bundle of grain into her hands to attract wealth to the house. The doll belongs to the Stolbushka motankas, since the base is thick fabric rolled with a roller. You can give it for a wedding, housewarming with wishes of happiness, harmony in the family and prosperity.
Description, meaning and photo
The Happiness doll is a short girl whose height varies between 5-7 centimeters. It is made so small that it can easily fit into a pocket. It is important to take such a doll with you, especially if a woman is going on a business in which luck would be useful.
A distinctive feature of this doll is the scythe with which she rests on the ground. This braid is a symbol of strength, so it should be thick and tight. One of its appearance evokes a feeling of reliability and protection.
The doll should not have a face. The Slavs believed that the eyes on the doll's face were a passage for evil spirits, so the face was not marked with anything. The only exception is the cross, which was used to cross out the doll’s face for additional reliability.
This doll is designed to attract good luck, happiness and prosperity. Either to the one who created it, or to the one for whom it was created. The influence of the doll extends not only to the owner, but also to his entire family. The Happiness doll can lure the following into the owner’s family:
- longevity;
- wealth in the house;
- minor and major success in business;
- health;
- the well-being of each family member;
- ease of communication.
Every area of life can be influenced by a little doll. She is able to attract the maximum amount of positive energy into the house and transfer this energy to people. The Slavs of yesteryear sincerely believed that the doll of Happiness was lively and brave, despite its small stature. She can go around the whole world in search of happiness for her owner. Below is a photo of the doll:
Lovebirds
Doll Lovebirds
The folk doll Lovebirds consists of two figures - male and female. The basis is a stick or tightly rolled fabric, which forms a single arm on which the dolls are attached. It is considered the personification of a friendly family. In Slavic traditions, it was customary to make such a couple before the wedding. It was made by the mother of the bride or the girl herself. When the newlyweds returned from church, the talisman was placed under the arc of the harness, protecting against the evil eye and bringing happiness to the home. With the birth of a young child, a loop was made on the dolls’ hand. It was not customary to put Lovebirds on display in the house.
When and for whom was the Ten Handle made?
They made the amulet as needed or especially for a celebration. The girls made a doll for the holiday of the Intercession, when the entire harvest had already been harvested, and burned it to gain the strength and agility of the amulet, and the one charmed to complete the task was thrown into the fire after its completion.
The doll was also given to brides preparing a dowry, so that they could more quickly cope with pre-wedding chores. In addition, relatives could present the Ten Handles to a young wife for a wedding, and she would manage the housework, while remaining cheerful, beautiful and full of strength.
Often mature women also made dolls for themselves in order to replenish the energy for doing household chores that diminished as they grew older.
Do-it-yourself amulet doll for good luck
According to popular belief, a woman's strength lies in her hair. It is thick, long hair that concentrates energy, which helps to cope with adversity, be successful, create a favorable environment in the family, and bestow happiness. The doll for good luck is a purely feminine amulet. They made it very small, 5-6 cm, which made it possible to carry it with you all the time. An important feature of the amulet is a long braid curved upward, which is the personification of the constant desire for new achievements. The lucky charm doll has legs shod with small shoes. We'll look at how to make a talisman at the master class.
In this work we use:
- Light calico, 2 squares 10x10 cm.
- Two circles with a diameter of 3 cm made of soft felt or natural knitwear.
- Strip of colored textile 8x15 cm.
- Wool for felting (forming the head).
- Linen tow or natural yarn 40 cm long.
- Red threads.
Let's get to work.
- We roll one of the squares with a roller.
- Fold it in half and tie it with thread in three places: just below the fold and at the ends of the roller.
- We wrap circles of knitted material onto the resulting legs, and at the top we form the volume of the head by wrapping wool around the fold.
- We take the second square, place the blank on it in the center and bend the fabric diagonally, covering the base of the doll.
- We wrap the material carefully around the head, trying to make as few folds as possible, and wrap it along the neck line with scarlet thread.
- We straighten the corners formed at the edges and form handles. We bend the sections and tie them along the line of the intended wrists.
- We hide the lower corners inside and rewind the thread with a cross on the chest and along the contour of the waist. Our doll luckily found a shirt.
- We continue to dress the baby. Take a piece of colored fabric and measure the required height. We bend the excess, tie the material around the body, overlap the edges, form a gather and wrap the skirt.
- Let's do our hair. Take a bundle of flax fiber forty cm long, take out a thin strand from it and twist it slightly. Using this thread we pull the hair in the middle.
- We put it on the head, tie it in the center and evenly distribute the linen, bandage it along the contour of the neck.
- We braid the braid tightly and direct it up and forward. You can take a piece of lace and tie an apron on it.
Instructions for making Ten Handles from threads
Such a doll cannot be considered a talisman and can only be used for decoration, since improvised means are used in its manufacture. Prepare for work:
- twine used as a base;
- thin colored threads, among which there must be red ones;
- ribbons and decorations: beads, beads;
- cardboard for winding threads;
- scissors.
Manufacturing process:
- The threads are wound onto cardboard and cut on either side. A braid is made at one end and a thread is wrapped around the other, creating a body until it compacts and becomes solid.
- 5 pairs of hands are twisted from multi-colored threads, then connecting them in the center. The ends are trimmed with scissors.
- With the hands folded behind the doll's back, they are wrapped in thread, creating a protective cross. The end of the thread is placed behind the back, secured and trimmed.
- Having divided the bun into a braid and a body, a fabric garment is put on the latter, and 9 multi-colored bows are attached along the hem, decorating the material with prepared beads.
The ten-handle is ready, now it needs to be placed in a prominent place.
Doll Bell
Doll Bell
In the old days, it was believed that ringing bells could ward off evil spirits and defeat illness. Therefore, during times of mass epidemics, the sounds of bells were heard everywhere. The coachmen did not set off on their journey unless there was this magical object under the arc. That’s why a doll with that name provides protection from dark forces and protects against diseases. This beauty is called so because it really has a bell shape, which is given to it by three bright skirts placed on top of each other. Brings harmony, luck, happiness to the house. Sometimes there were two dolls; they were tied with one thread and placed at the front door.
The legend of the appearance of the Ten-Handed doll
Ten-handed is a female figurine with a long braid and ten arms.
Some researchers, relying on legends, consider the Ten Handle to be part of the cult of the goddess Makosh. In the old days, as people said, there lived a housewife who, no matter how hard she tried, did not have time to do all her housework. She tearfully prayed to Mokosh, the deity who patronizes women, their labors and handicrafts. Makosh heard her and, feeling sorry for her, gave her 2 more hands. The work began to progress, but the woman still could not finish the planned tasks on time. She received a 3rd, 4th, and then a 5th pair of hands as a gift from Mokosh, but this did not save her.
The goddess got angry and took away the gifts, and in return left the slow woman a doll with 10 arms - the Ten Handle. As soon as the owner’s assistant-amulet appeared, everything went smoothly for her, and she began to finish all her tasks on time.
Subsequently, other Slavic women began to make 10-armed amulets for themselves in order to keep up with everything and not get tired. Using natural materials, the girls made dolls, which they either kept or burned so that their power passed on to the owner.
Nowadays, amulet also matters. Working women would benefit from extra stamina when running a household, since they leave most of their strength at work.
Rag amulets for home and happiness
Metlushka doll
Broomstick is the most popular doll that guards the home. If the hostess noticed that everything was starting to fall out of hand, discord began between family members, she made such a doll. Such a talisman was intended to rid the house of accumulated negative energy, the evil eye or damage. The basis of the Metlushka is a cross made of bast, straw, and twigs. It turns out that under her clothes she has a kind of broom. They dressed the doll in a sundress and made sure to make a long braid. During the ritual, the housewife took the talisman and began to walk around the home in a circle from the walls to the center, making sweeping movements. In this way, she collects all the evil forces in the middle of the room, then “ties them up” in a rag and burns them. They kept Metlushka in a quiet place, away from prying eyes.
Day and night
Day and Night is a talisman consisting of two dolls connected with a thread. One of them was made from a light flap, the other from a dark one. During the daytime, a white figurine was displayed; it personified mobility, hard work, and helped to spend the day fruitfully. The second was brought to the fore at night; it symbolizes calm and protects a person’s sleep.
How do you tell fortunes using a doll?
Few people know that you can also tell fortunes using a talisman doll. This happens as follows:
- The doll is standing crookedly, which means there are financial problems in the family.
- A head that is too big is a symbol of far-fetched problems.
- The head is crooked - there are problems in relationships with others.
- A short braid is a symbol of fleeting happiness.
- A braid that is too long means that good things will happen so often that they will eventually stop bringing you joy.
Such fortune-telling can indicate not only how soon the wish will come true, but also general problems in life.
The Happiness Doll is a wonderful amulet that not only helps a person in life , but also gives pleasure at every stage of creation and being with its owner. Making such a toy is very simple, and it will last a long time.
Desire
Desire doll
An amulet for happiness that accompanies a woman throughout almost her entire life was the Desire. A 13-14 year old girl made it for herself and kept it in a secluded place. They talked to the doll, talking about their dreams. Every time a wish came true, the rag beauty was given a gift in the form of a ribbon or decoration. It was of great importance for the emotional state of a woman. In the modern world this is called art therapy.
When to say goodbye to your doll
They part with the amulet when their wish is fulfilled. It is believed that the doll ceases to function as an amulet if the goal is achieved. If you ask a baby for new happiness, it was believed that the person was being greedy, so for a new dream they made a new Lucky Girl.
They heartily thanked the old assistant and gave her a treat in the form of sweets. It was customary to say goodbye to the talisman without a shadow of regret. A rag doll should not be thrown away, much less buried in the ground.
The doll was carefully disassembled, untying the threads, trying not to tear the shreds. After which all the details were burned, and the ashes were scattered near the house, thanking that the long-awaited happiness had come to them.
