How to make a motanka doll - an easy way to create a doll. A simple doll - a motanka for fun for kids

The history of motanok dolls stretches far into the centuries. They were made long before the baptism of Rus', but it is impossible to establish even an approximate date for the appearance of this amulet. Contrary to popular belief, they were not a purely Slavic property. The peoples of the Caucasus and Asia were also engaged in the creation of rag dolls, which were used in various rituals. The appearance and symbolism of motanok differed depending on local beliefs.

Over the years, the tradition of creating these lyaleks has been forgotten, but now it is being revived with even more greater strength. People are drawn to the heritage of their ancestors, restoring the family connection and trying to find the power that has been passed down from generation to generation. Motanka is a small but important link in the chain of folk memory, so you should learn more about it or even make your own shore doll.

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Varieties of motanok dolls

It is difficult to remember at least one significant event in the life of our ancestors, which would have done without the creation of motanok. These dolls were not only used in rituals, but also became helpers in everyday life, so it is almost impossible to list all their varieties. Going on a long journey, people took Plantain with them - she was called to help the traveler in finding food and shelter and guaranteed a return home.

So that there would be many children in the house and the family would not be interrupted, they made a motanka called Fertility or Family. The second name is not accidental, because it consisted of one large doll, symbolizing the mother, and six small ones tied to her chest, which meant children.

By the holidays they created Easter, Verbnitsa, Maslenitsa, Kolyada. Motanki were also used as intermediaries in a dialogue with the elements, endowing them with the ability to cause rain or calm the wind.

Some dolls were a mandatory attribute and were present in every dwelling. They were designed to protect the owners from all evil, to ensure peace, comfort, well-being and health.

Bereginya




The most famous motanka. It has long been believed in its ability to neutralize bad energy directed towards the inhabitants of the house. Not a single dashing eye, no damage was terrible to those who were under her protection. In addition, she averted misfortunes and quenched sorrows.

Since Bereginya was associated with her mother, her appearance was appropriate. Large breasts - as a symbol of warmth, love, care and guardianship, and a completely covered head. In the process of creation, grains of wheat or money were hidden among the flaps. It was believed that this way you can increase the wealth of the family.

This doll had its place in the house. She was hung or placed opposite front door slightly above eye level. If, for some reason, it was not possible to place Bereginya at the entrance, she was given a corner on the east side.



Bride

The most beautiful and elegant motanka doll. She was created in the form of a young girl in wedding dress. They used lace and expensive fabrics for her, did not spare pearls and other jewelry, because it was believed that what her decoration would be, she would attract such a groom. Be sure to drag long braid, which symbolized the same long married life. The mother of the bride made a doll or older woman in the family, often it was inherited for several generations.

Before the wedding, the motanka was not shown to strangers and was not allowed to touch it. They put her in an inconspicuous place, preferably near a mirror, and the girls preferred to communicate with the Bride alone. After marriage, the doll was taken with them and the newly-made wife had to play with her right up to the appearance of her first child.

Modern tradition decorating wedding cars with a figurine of the bride originated from this motanka. But the ancient rituals have remained for centuries.



Lovebirds




This is a pair of wedding dolls, the likeness of which can still be found today. They are attached to the roof of the car in which the bride goes to the wedding ceremony. Our ancestors did almost the same - they hung these coils under the arc of the harness, but their amulet looked different. His main feature there was one common hand. When making Lovebirds, they were tied to a stick, on which the dolls could move freely, and she played the role of the upper limbs. Unlike the Bride, the women's motanka from this pair was dressed up in National Costume or daily dress.

After the wedding, the dolls were kept in the house as a guarantee of fidelity and family happiness. After the birth of children, swaddling clothes were made and attached between the mothers-parents.

Swaddle

A doll symbolizing a child and designed to protect him from ill-wishers, diseases, evil spirits. In addition to magical functions, it often served as a dummy - for this, bread crumb was wrapped in it. Play Swaddles are also known, they were created specifically for children's fun and were not endowed with magical properties.

Since the cradle was made several weeks or even months before the birth of the baby, and superstition forbade keeping it empty in the house, the pregnant woman made a motanka that replaced the child. After his birth, the Pelenashka was not thrown away, but placed next to it on a pillow. When strangers came into the house, the mother or grandmother mentally uttered the phrase "do not play with the child, but take the lyalka." It was believed that damage or the evil eye in this case would pass to the motanka.

If the child was sick, they made a special Swaddle, into which the illness was transferred with the help of a ritual. Then they burned her.

Buttons, beads, etc. were not used in the creation of the doll. small items which a child could tear off and swallow. served as decoration beautiful ribbon or lace.

benefactor




It is a kind of Beregini and performs similar functions. And here appearance and the manufacturing method is significantly different - the skirt of the Prosperous Lady is made in the form of a bag with cereals and her hands are tied in a knot on her stomach. A coin worth 5 kopecks was necessarily placed inside. This motanka was missing big breasts because she was not associated with her mother.

The task of the Welfare was not so much to attract wealth as to keep it in the house. This explains the shape of her hands - she seems to be clutching wealth to herself, not letting it go anywhere.

Wishlist

This doll was not just an amulet for women, but also an assistant, a girlfriend, to whom they trusted their innermost desires. For their implementation, several rules had to be observed. First, sew a motanka nice outfit, decorate it with a necklace or ribbons - it was a kind of prepayment for "labor". Secondly, clearly articulate what you want, present it exactly as it should be in reality.

The same doll was allowed to be addressed many times. For each wish, she was entitled to a new dress (it was worn over the old one) and jewelry.

An obligatory accessory of the Wishful Woman is a mirror. It was placed in a pocket on her clothes or next to her.

It was believed that, having seen this Lyalka, another person could jinx it, so the Desire was always hidden in a box or a beautiful bag made of expensive fabric. Communicated with her only face to face and did not tell anyone about the requests until they came true.

A feature of such a motanka was the size. It always corresponded to the length of the finger, palm or other part of the body of her mistress. When choosing the size, we were guided not by the scale of desires, but by the planned storage location.

herbalist




It was used to flavor the air in the house, including therapeutic purpose. In her hands, the Herbalist held one or more bags of dried plants, which were also used to fill her skirt. Often this motanka was hung over the baby's cradle, filled with herbs, the smell of which soothed the child - lemon balm, oregano, chamomile. From time to time, the lyalka was crushed in the hands, after which the fragrance exuded by it intensified.

The herbalist was able to fight pathogenic microbes and viruses. This was facilitated by pine needles placed in it, cloves of garlic, wormwood, St. John's wort, celandine and a string.

To make the hut smell pleasant, lavender and mint were wrapped in a motanka. Sometimes such a doll was placed in a chest, not only so that the clothes were saturated with fragrance, but also to protect against moths.

tenhandle

According to legend, the first ten-handled motanka was created by the goddess Makosh and presented to a woman who did not have time to manage the housework. Since then, at least one such doll could be found in every house.

Ten pens were made independently or received as a gift for a wedding. Each pair of hands was assigned a task in which Lyalka was supposed to assist. October 14 was considered the most suitable day for working on a motanka (Pokrov Holy Mother of God).

The hem of the skirt sewn for this doll was decorated with nine thread bows. They were tied with red woolen or silk threads, they also wound a cross around her head. The finished Ten Hands was hung where a woman is most often busy with work.

Symbolism of motanok

Each element of the doll had its own meaning. There was nothing superfluous in it, so the addition or removal of any part of the motanka could radically change its essence.

Lyalka's clothes served to communicate with higher powers. A headdress or ribbons woven into a braid were responsible for the air element, a shirt or blouse influenced the world around people, and a skirt, apron and dress hem related to what was on the ground and below it.

The color of the materials used to make the doll was also important. Red provided protection from evil spirits. Green was usually combined with floral ornaments, because it embodied Mother Nature, was a symbol of youth, growth and health. Yellow was identified with the Sun. Black and brown were associated with Mother Earth, blue with water, and white meant heaven, where the gods live.

In the manufacture of amulets for men, black, red and blue were used as the main color, and for women, white, green, red and yellow were traditional.

The doll has never been painted with a face. It was believed that an object endowed with human features could become an easy prey for evil spirits, which would use the motanka for their evil purposes. In addition, it was easier to bind a faceless lyalka to the owner. Instead of a face, a cross was wound around the head, which strengthened the protective abilities of the doll.

How to make a motanka with your own hands

There are no difficulties in creating such a doll for happiness. First you need to decide what it is for, whether it will be used as a talisman or perform a decorative function in the interior. In the first case, you need to follow the rules compiled by our ancestors and based on the beliefs of those times, and in the second they can be neglected:

1. 1. It is forbidden to wind dolls on Sunday and Friday, since these days are subject to the god Rod and the goddess Mokosh. To choose a date for working with a particular Lyalka, use the lunar calendar. Motanki, designed to protect and preserve something, are made on the full moon, and those whose purpose is to fight disease and failure, on the waning moon. If you need to achieve a certain result with the help of a doll, the period when the night luminary is in the growth phase is most suitable.
2. 2. The threads and fabrics used must be natural. The same applies to the filler - it is impossible to lay synthetic winterizer, foam rubber and others in the basis of the doll artificial materials.
3. 3. You need to start and finish the motanka on the same day.
4. 4. Winding movements are allowed only in a clockwise direction. A doll created with a deviation from this rule will become the destroyer of all that is good and will attract misfortune to the house.
5. 5. While working with a motanka, one should not be distracted by conversations, watching TV, or outside thoughts. You can turn on a good classical music. If this ritual doll, created for one of the holidays, will suit ritual songs.
6. 6. Before creating a lyalka, it is worth considering all the goals in the achievement of which it should help.
7. 7. Consideration color scheme and its meaning.

A prerequisite is a good mood. Dolls made in a state of anger, sadness, longing, rage, envy will never be able to fulfill the tasks assigned to them, moreover, they will support these negative emotions.

Materials for manufacturing

Everything that can be useful in the process of work is prepared in advance and with a margin. Since there are no identical dolls and each of them is wound according to an individual sketch, it is not necessary to use all the decorative materials from the list at the same time.

So, you will need the following:

• linen, cotton wool, corncob, grain or herbs for the doll's body;
• linen fabric to create a body;
• floss threads to imitate hair (if it is a motanka girl);
• a ball of woolen or silk threads for winding Lyalka;
• ribbons for decorating clothes and creating a headdress;
• natural stones(can be chipped), wood beads, small river shells, dried leaves and berries for decoration.

The use of piercing and cutting objects (including scissors, needles) is strictly prohibited. You can divide the fabric into small pieces by tearing it with your hands. It is also impossible to break or tie the thread during work, you need to calculate its length so that it is enough for the whole doll.

Clothes for the motanka are sewn ahead of time. In extreme cases, it is not forbidden to dress the doll the next day, but in no case should you sew a dress and make a doll at the same time.

Step-by-step instructions for making a talisman




Step one. You need to take a piece of fabric, the length of which is twice the desired height of the doll, and twist its sausage. It should be loose and as if flattened. If the basis of the motanka is corn, this step is not performed.

Step two. It's time to start creating the head. To do this, the finished sausage is bent in half, the neck line is marked and several turns of thread are made to secure it, after which you can proceed to winding the cross on the face. If desired, the face of the doll is not forbidden to leave clean. The head of a corn motanka is made from a small piece of matter, in the center of which lies a lump of cotton wool. It is tied to the body so that the edges of the fabric remain free, and a cross is also made, which ends at the neck.

Step three. It's time to make hands for the motanka doll. To do this, a piece of fabric, the length of which is enough for the desired size of the hands, is folded identically to the first step and the ends are tied with floss threads at a small distance from the edge - these will be brushes.

Step four. To assemble a motanka, you need to put your hands between the two parts of the body and, without tearing off the thread with which the head was framed, tie the resulting thread several times crosswise. chest. It is necessary to ensure that both ends of the arms are the same length. A tissue sausage is applied to the corn head from the side of the face and attached in the same way.

Step five. The doll is almost ready, it remains to dress and decorate it. They tie a scarf on the head of a motanka " winter way”, that is, so that the entire head and most of the face are covered. The dress can be fixed with a ribbon belt or an apron with ties.

How to make a Swaddle Doll




This is the easiest motanka to make. For her, you need only three pieces of fabric - the largest for shaping the body, a small one to make a scarf and the so-called diaper. Work on the doll step by step.

The first piece of matter must be rolled up and tied with a floss thread, this will not allow it to deform. A puppet baby is designated a head by wrapping the upper end of the resulting column with a scarf. And the final stage is swaddling, after which the finished coil should be fixed with tape or thread.

So that the Swaddle can be a rattle, before we tie the scarves into a column, insert Walnut, from which the core is taken out and buckwheat is poured instead. For reliability, the nut is glued together with the resin of fruit trees or tied with yarn.

finished doll should be immediately placed in its intended place. If it is made for sale or as a gift, you can put it in nice box(a bag of beautiful fabric) and put it in a closet or on a specially designated shelf.

Unnecessary motankas are not recommended to be thrown away with the garbage. If this is a talisman charm, it must be given to good hands. If there were no people who wanted to acquire an ancient talisman, or if the doll absorbed negativity and illness, it must be burned, thanking for the services beforehand and asking for forgiveness for having to destroy it.

This is one of the oldest symbols that has accompanied our ancestors for hundreds and even thousands of years. The mother put the motanka doll in the cradle of the baby, in the chest with towels and shirts, when the daughter got married. Motanka protected and protects the houses of Ukrainians. The silent doll keeps the secrets of a whole family, because it passes from generation to generation, from mother to child.

The history of the appearance of the motanka doll

More than one thousand years ago, a motanka doll entered the life of our ancestors. Even in ancient times, mothers wrapped a piece of soft bread in cloth and gave it to the baby. They called it a "doll". She calmed the child, until that time, until pacifiers were invented. Subsequently, when the child grew up, he needed something to amuse himself with. Here they tied another piece of fabric in the form of a skirt to the “doll”. Such a doll might not have hands. And what is important, the motanka did not have and does not have legs.

Motanka was made from old clothes- skirts, embroidered shirts of family members. Creating a doll, a woman invested in her sincere feelings. They made it for a happy fate, good health or marriage. Therefore, it is believed that the doll strong energy and she can protect. As an individual, and the whole house. Therefore, it was often hung over the door. Also put on pokuti.

On the territory of our country, motanka dolls were distributed in the Dnieper region. Now these are the territories of Kyiv, Poltava and Cherkasy regions. However, the well-known motanka with a cross instead of a face most likely came to us from Asia, where such dolls were also common.

Motanki and ancient magical rites

Such a charm with strong energy, of course, was used and is now used in various rituals. Some of them can even be called magical. Therefore, a motanka is made without a face. After all, our ancestors believed that having eyes or a mouth, a motanka could be personified with a child who played with her. And consequently - and to bind to itself his soul. And this was considered not very desirable, because it could be used with bad intentions. Therefore, instead of the face of the motanka doll, the cross is a symbol of the sun.

It's hard to believe, but even stuffed animals familiar to the countryside are also ancient amulets. The same applies to an effigy that is burned on Maslenitsa. These and other symbols that surround us are also related to small motanka dolls that protect our family comfort, well-being, and health. Other objects that we now perceive as toys also had a sacred meaning for our ancestors. You can read more about them in the material "".

Photo source: chask.net.

Motanki, which the mother passed on to her daughter, the girl after marriage took in her new house. She was allowed to continue to play with dolls. Our ancestors believed that a young couple would sooner have children. When the baby appeared, the mother put a doll in the cradle, which protected the new descendant of the family.

Sometimes motanka dolls were also made for a specific purpose. For example, to make it rain during a drought. Or for a good harvest. There was also an interesting custom to make 12 small coils and one large one. Each personified some kind of disease. They were made to protect a person from illness. Often, healing herbs for illnesses were placed in the middle of the dolls and children were allowed to play. Usually such dolls, after they fulfilled their mission, were burned.

One of the ancient traditions associated with dolls has survived to this day. Almost each of us had to see beautifully dressed up dolls on the hood of the car of the newlyweds. Now, however, they prefer just flowers or American Teddy bears.

Photo source: euphoria.lviv.ua.

And in ancient times, the doll was tied to a cart, on which young people rode to church for a wedding. And this motanka was special: the dolls depicted a man and a woman. However, their hands were in common.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

This symbolized love and harmony in the future. married life. Indeed, from the moment of marriage, a woman and a man seemed to become one.

What you need to know to make a sacred amulet yourself

Considering that the motanka doll is a sacred amulet, its creation must be approached with good mood and pure thoughts. And for its manufacture, you will need things that can be found in every home: a few pieces of fabric (for the head - white), threads (for hair - floss), a piece of foam rubber, cotton wool.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

We wrap the foam rubber with a white cloth, tie it with a thread. We tie a thread of a different color around the head, creating a sacred cross.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

Next, take the fabric that was prepared for the skirt. It can be multi-colored to make our motanka bright. This fabric, having gathered in folds, is wrapped around the doll. Do not rush to cut the thread. She needs to wrap the waist from the head. With this thread, in the process, you can also wind an apron for our doll.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

For hair we take floss threads. We cut it on one side, on the other hand, we tie a thread in place of the section. We fasten the hair, winding it with a thread to the neck.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

The coastline should have braids, and you can also tie a ribbon on your head or make a wreath for the doll. You can decorate a motanka with beads and in general with everything that fantasy tells.

Photo source: pustunchik.ua.

However, it is worth remembering that it is absolutely impossible to pierce a motanka doll with a needle, pins, and generally sew something on. After all, then the whole meaning of the motanka is lost.

Where to buy a motanka doll

You can make a motanka doll yourself, or you can do it under supervision experienced craftswoman. Usually such workshops are quite cheap, because you only have to pay for the materials that are used. IN last years they have become quite popular.

Often craftswomen arrange master classes or sell motanki at fairs, where they raise funds for the military who are in the ATO zone.

Photo source: cultureno.te.ua.

You can get to a master class on making coils in almost every museum in Ukraine. You just need to follow the announcements of establishments. In particular, you can learn how to make a motanka at.

Where is: Nikolaevka village, Kyiv region.

Master class cost: negotiable.

And in museums, motanka dolls of famous craftswomen are often exhibited. One of them is Varvara Macella. A craftswoman from the Kiev region has devoted the last decades to creating motanok. In the 1930s, when Varvara was still a little girl, she had no toys. Only one straw doll with stone handles was given to her by her godmother. And the doll broke. The craftswoman took up the creation of motanok already in the 1980s, retired. Her works are exhibited in museums not only in Ukraine, but also in the world.

Photo source: qha.com.ua.

Motanka dolls - popular souvenir. Prices for these charms vary. A motanka can cost both 20 hryvnias and 600 hryvnias. It all depends on the material from which the motanka is made, by what master it is made. If the doll is decorated satin ribbons, lace, silk, then the price will be appropriate.

The author's amulet doll can be bought in Obukhov, in the Design store. Masters note: they do not make identical dolls, each is individual in its own way. The doll can be bought directly in the store or ordered online on the site. A craftswoman can spend 5 days or two weeks to make an author's doll!

Photo source: netherlands.mfa.gov.ua.

Where is: Kiev region, Obukhov city, Kyiv street, 119.

In Dnipro and Kyiv, sacred amulets can be bought at Ethnodom. And also choose for yourself national clothes and jewelry for any solemn event.

Where is: Kyiv city, Upper Val street, 58/28; Dnipro city, Dmitry Yavornitsky Avenue, 22.

Usually craftswomen cooperate with souvenir shops. Therefore, the amulet can be bought in shops or online on the Internet. In particular, in this way you can find the pages of craftswomen: Oksana Bogumil, Tatyana Bilokrylets. Also, the works of craftswomen can be easily found in the online communities of hand-made masters in social networks.

The motanka doll, or, as it is also called, the nodular doll, got its name because of the specific manufacturing technique - winding. The history of such crafts is about 5 thousand years old, and the doll itself was popular with many peoples. A doll-monatka is not just a toy or a beautiful craft, it is a talisman that protects a person from trouble and evil.

A magical item has a sacred meaning and great power, since most often it concentrates all the energy that passes from generation to generation. Making a motanka is a symbolic ritual that must be performed strictly in accordance with all the rules.

Varieties of crafts

Motanka is not just decorative ornament, craft or toy. This is a talisman, which, in addition to protective functions, was very often used in various rituals. Depending on the purpose of creating a magical craft, the process of its manufacture and components were adjusted. If a person wanted to get rid of any illness or misfortune, then with words this misfortune was woven into a doll, and in the end the craft was burned. It is believed that in this way a person saved himself from trouble.

According to folk beliefs, such amulets have great power and protect a person from:

• evil forces;
• troubles;
• evil eye;
• diseases;
• misfortune and so on.

The very first doll, as a rule, was made by a woman for a baby. This craft was placed in the cradle and protected the baby from all that was bad. Nowadays, some women tie a red thread around the baby's arm. This custom came from winding dolls, since the crafts usually had a bright red thread on their hand. Little children always carried such a doll with them, and those who were older placed them in the house.

There are three types of coils:

• motanka-baby.
  This craft is made by a mother or grandmother for a newborn and could look like a baby in swaddling clothes. Such an amulet is placed in the cradle and protects the baby from nightmares, the evil eye and diseases. If the child was sick, then they could make another craft with which he played, only while he was sick. It was believed that this doll takes away all diseases and was burned after recovery.
• bride doll.
  This amulet was made for the bride and a hundred years ago it was the same important detail like a shirt or handbrake. The doll was made in a wedding dress, decorated and decorated. The girl had to play with this craft until the birth of her first child. Playing with this, the woman adopted the experience of her mother.
• coastline.
  This amulet was used to protect the family and home from all that was bad. Sometimes a coin or grain was hidden in the doll's head to attract prosperity. For family harmony a cross was wound around the doll's face: first vertically, and then horizontally. They hung a craft in the corner of the house from the side of the sunrise of the sun.

The tradition of making dolls with their own hands existed among Slavic peoples up to the beginning of the 20th century. With the advent of plastic and rubber toys, the popularity of cloth dolls began to decline. However, in Lately there has been a resurgence in DIY crafts and a huge interest in unusual and unique dolls.

Material for manufacturing

In order for the motanka doll to be not just a beautiful craft and a toy, you need to make it following certain rules. And the first point for those who decide to make this magic item with their own hands will be the choice of material. Please note that it is recommended to use materials that are pleasing to the eye and those that are a pleasure to touch.

Most often, fabric, straw, ropes, ribbons, branches, cones and even ash are used to create dolls. It is very important that the motanka is cruciform and does not resemble a real person.

Since ancient times, a person has been using various amulets to protect his home from the influence of dark forces. The most popular of them is the amulet of Lyalka-motanka. There are many types of such lyalek, and they are all designed for different purposes. Some crafts are made to attract wealth to the house, others are for storage. family hearth, and still others help prevent troubles and hardships. To create a real acting amulet, and not just rag doll, you need to know the rules for creating crafts and follow all the recommendations of specialists.

The first and main rule in creating any amulet is pure thoughts and a light soul. If a person is in bad mood or angry at someone, then you can’t start working on the shrine. The second condition in the manufacture of a motanka is complete absence needles, but only winding the body of the doll, hence its name. And finally the third important rule is a ban on face painting diy. Since it is believed that this can attract adversity to the house by depicting the wrong facial features of the amulet.

As a rule, each motanka has a special symbol on its face, which is called a sacred cross. At first glance, its manufacture seems very difficult, but in fact it is simple to make. Also follows great attention devote to filling crafts. A synthetic winterizer can also be used as a filler, but it is best to use any cereals. Not less than important condition in the use of the amulet is its location in the house. Experts in the field of esotericism recommend placing a motanka in a corner or near a wall so that it is opposite the front door. This will neutralize negative energy included in the house.

Making a sacred cross

In this section, we will talk about how to wrap a sacred cross around the face of a talisman doll. To do this, prepare the following materials:

• rectangular pieces of white cloth;
• colored threads of the "iris" type.

Let's get to work:

1. Take one piece of fabric and fold it several times along the length. Then roll the resulting strip of fabric into a roll.
2. Take the finished roll and put it in the middle of another piece of fabric, folding it in such a way that you get the doll's head.
3. The collected edges of the white fabric must be tied with a dense thread.
4. Next, we begin to form a cross from the threads of four colors (yellow, red, black and green).
5. We start by winding the yellow thread, fixing it around the neck of the future craft. It is necessary to make 5 turns around the head vertically, then repeat the same steps horizontally.
6. Next, you should change the color of the thread and do the same steps as in the previous paragraph. Only it will be necessary to do this not over the yellow thread, but along its edges. Thus, four stripes of red threads should be obtained.
7. Further actions will be associated only with changing the color of the threads. They should be wrapped as in paragraph 6.

You need to wind the threads very carefully, holding them and pressing them tightly to the head. The sacred cross can be made with a different number of thread colors. But it is worth considering the fact that it should not occupy the entire face of the craft.

First amulet

If a person has never made lyalka-motanka (amulets) before, then it is best to start by making a simple version of this craft. To do this, prepare the following materials: cuts of white thick fabric and strong threads. The head for the doll must be formed in such a way as was done when winding the sacral cross. To make the arms and torso of crafts, you need to roll two tubes of various lengths and widths from rectangular cuts of fabric.

To connect all the details of the amulet together, it is necessary to fold a long wide tube of fabric in half and insert a narrow tube (across) to its base. These will be the hands for crafts. Next, you need to make a few turns with a thread under your hands and fix it with knots. The next step is to attach the head to the body. This must be done with the help of threads that should be wound around the neck and torso. If you perform all the steps correctly, then in a few minutes a real Lyalka-motanka will be made, but so far without clothes.

small difference

There are some differences between all amulet dolls, but, as a rule, they are not significant, since they do not require either patterns or various types of tailoring. Sometimes they can use separately sewn bags filled with cereals in the form of a torso. But in no case should they be sewn to other parts of the Lyalka, but only wound. Consider another way to form the body of the amulet shown in the schematic drawing.

As you can see, the scheme of the lyalka-motanka shows phased implementation action, which is very good for beginners. As in the previous case, the fabric for winding this amulet should be taken only natural. If there is a desire to decorate the craft with hair, then it is best to make them from dense knitting threads, and then fix them with a scarf or ribbon.

Clothes for little keepers

Not many people know that the clothes that the motanka is wearing are not just chosen according to taste, but have a certain meaning. Studies in the field of occult knowledge and symbols of ancient peoples say that in ancient times, each such doll was wearing a set of special clothes. And each of them had its own meaning. The amulet skirt symbolized the earth, the shirt was interpreted as a connection with the times - past, present and future. The headdress was given Special attention, as it symbolized a connection with heaven, in the protection of which the inhabitants believed very much.

The colors of the outfits also had great importance, because the purpose of the amulet (field of application) depended on the predominance of any color. The doll, dressed in green and gold colors, was intended to attract wealth and abundance into the house. The presence of red and green colors in the outfits of the craft spoke of asking for health for all family members. And if it was necessary to get success in creativity, then the motanka was dressed up in blue clothes.

Charm from threads

Our ancestors used not only amulets made of fabric, but also a special type of protection called “vesnyanka” (thread motanka) was also popular. The amulet received its sonorous name for keeping peace, warmth and sun rays spring days that the doll kept in the house for a year. When exactly a year passed, the amulet was burned at the stake and they began to make a new one.

It takes a little time and material to make stonefly. First of all, you need to prepare the threads of three colors (white, red and blue), they should not be too thin, but especially dense ones will not work either. You also need to prepare 3 small box from cardboard. They will be needed for winding threads. Next, you should proceed to the formation of the amulet, and the master class will help you figure out how the spring lyalka-motanka is done correctly. Progress:

1. Wrap threads on the boxes (along), one color for each. Please note that the boxes must be different sizes in length. For the body of the doll, you need the longest box, for the arms and hair, the same ones are suitable. Threads for the body have White color, for hair - red, and for hands - respectively, blue.
2. Then all the threads must be carefully removed so that they do not get tangled. The red skein must be cut on one side.
3. Red threads should be threaded into a white skein so that the hair threads are divided in half.
4. On a white skein, you need to designate the head by dragging the place in the neck with a thread.
5. Start shaping the hands. To do this, you need to thread a skein of blue threads into a white skein and evenly distribute the threads for the hands, moving them under the neck. Next, you should fix them by applying a cross-shaped winding. At the edges of the hands of the doll, it is worth tying small knots, thus marking the fists of the craft.
6. From the threads for the hair, you need to braid the braid.
7. Clothes for the amulet can be made from pieces of fabric or small hanks of colored thread.

When making a beauty from threads, the ancestors sang songs, said good words and cherished wishes that they wanted to translate into reality. How more people believed in the power of the doll, the more she helped him.

Corn Lady

The ancient Slavs were very kind to all grain crops. Therefore, it is not surprising that amulets for dwellings were made using agricultural crops. As already mentioned in the article, bags of cereals were sewn and invested in crafts. But besides this, dolls were often made on the basis of corn cobs. To do this, they were dried and wrapped in cloth, sometimes corn husks were used.

Many modern people they don’t know how to make corn motanka sustainable. Although it is actually very simple. All you need to do is cut off the bottom of the corncob. But do not forget that you need to do this before making the amulet. When it is already created, you can neither cut nor sew on it. Otherwise, you can call trouble on yourself and your family.

There is not much

Some people practice using more than one amulet in their home, but several. All this is done in order to call into your home not only family happiness but also material well-being, as well as other things. Therefore, they place one doll in clothes in each room. different colors. Although our ancestors did not use so many amulets, in principle, this is not prohibited.

To attract all the necessary benefits to your home, one shrine is enough. In general, any amulet is designed for faith in its strength. If a person does not believe that a motanka will give him what he wants, then she turns from a magic doll into an ordinary craft self made. If, on the contrary, he elevates the product to a cult, then it acts accordingly. It’s just that the ancient Slavs did not yet know this feature, therefore they idolized the work of their own hands, endowing it with mystical properties.

The first motanka doll was made more than 5 thousand years ago. Such dolls can be found in any country. It was not just a toy. It was believed that she protected a person from troubles and troubles. The doll was often used in rituals. When making a ritual doll, everything that a person wanted to get rid of (trouble, illness) was woven into it and burned at the stake or drowned in water.

In any peasant house one could see dolls. They performed different functions- guarded housing, children, sleep, took care of the household. The children loved to play with them.

A do-it-yourself motanka doll is considered one of the most strong amulets. Initially, they were made as various amulets. Now all sorts of souvenir dolls are in demand.

When creating a classic motanka, which should protect housing from unclean forces and / or evil people, the use of scissors and needles is unacceptable - everything comes off and is wound exclusively by hand.

The motanka doll is made without a face. According to ancient beliefs, a doll without a face cannot become someone's double, which means it will never do harm. The Slavs were sure: amulets cannot draw a face, also because an evil spirit can inhabit its owner through the eyes of a doll.

The materials for manufacturing are natural materials(hay, straw, wood, herbs, dry leaves, seeds, grains). Decorated motanka folk ornaments and embroidery.

When creating a motanka doll, you must follow some rules:

A doll - a charm can only be created in a good mood, in a healthy state (except for a doll to get rid of an ailment), with a pure heart and good thoughts

Image formation and goal setting - you need to decide how the doll will help its owner, what tasks it needs to complete (reconcile, cure; bring good luck, etc.);

- Choice of the day the amulet was created (if the goal is fertility, you need to choose the day when the moon is growing; if the motanka doll - the amulet family well-being or successful completion of the case - full moon; if you need to make a lapel from ailments and problems - the doll is made on the waning moon. Required condition- you can’t wind the doll on the day of the Family - Sunday and on the day when Makosh dominates - Friday);

Using only natural threads, material, fabrics, and preferably pieces of old “happy” clothes of older family members (clothes in which something good, significant happened with grandparents, mother);

The started doll must be finished winding on the same day, otherwise the protection will be interrupted and instead of the amulet, its owner will receive a negatively charged object.

The best amulet is a handmade amulet. On the motanka doll, which you will make yourself, there should not be any knots. Let's admit only one - in the symbolic area of ​​the navel. It is a symbol of birth, bandaged, for future life, umbilical cord. By tying this knot, the creator of the doll makes the most cherished wish.

It is possible to allow knots on the doll's arms, but only if they are made separately from her body, and then screwed to it. In the process of winding the doll, no piercing or cutting tools should be used. Otherwise, you will cut off fate or perforate it. Therefore, all outfits for the doll, symbolic embroidery on aprons, skirts are made in advance.

Embroidery on motanka clothes is also a talisman, as well as the color of threads and fabrics:

Red color is considered a talisman (protective). A motanka doll in red will protect you and your home from evil energies and bring good luck.

Green color with floral ornament - a symbol of Mother Nature. Nature was respected, as it gave everything for life and health. Green symbol of growth and birth, health and longevity.

Yellow color - abundance and wealth. Yellow symbolizes the Sun, as the energy of all life on Earth.

- Rhombus with a dot in the middle- a sign of the Goddess of Fate, a call to her to bestow prosperity, well-being;

- Eight-pointed zavod symbolizing the Eye of the Family, a request to grant mercy and support to the ancestors;

- cornflower, embroidered with a cross - helped to cope with vision problems;

- Hop(cross) protected from frequent cases of colds, fever;

- Cross-stitched sign of fiery revolving Cross, reliably protected from the evil eye, damage, love spells;

- oak leaves- a protective sign for a boy or a man who gave him strength of body and strength of mind;

- Peahen- this ornament is always depicted in pairs and means youth and the prime of life. Respectful and beautiful pav or fire birds even today they embroider on wedding towels. They seem to radiate the energy of the sun and life, blessing the newlyweds for family happiness;

- Nightingale and cuckoo very often they find a place on the towels of girls who have not yet found their mate;

- doves and bright roosters are characteristic symbols of a wedding towel. In the ornament, these birds are arranged in such a way that their heads are tilted towards each other. If they hold a sprig of viburnum in their beaks, or sit at the roots of a tree, then this is a sign of the birth of a new family;

- Martin- a sign of good news related to the creation of a family and the strengthening and expansion of the economy;

Pattern viburnum symbolized the immortality of the family, as well as the Renaissance;

-grape bunches personify the joy associated with the creation of a family. Ornament garden - grapes symbolize the field of life, where a man plays the role of a sower, and a woman is a keeper who grows and cherishes the family tree.

One of the main patterns is red poppy. It was believed that embroidery with poppies should protect its owner from any evil.

- Chernobrivtsi refer to healing symbols that can heal the soul and body. Also, their images personify love for nature and all living things.

In total there are three types of winding dolls:

Motanki-diapers (infants) for a newborn. Mothers or grandmothers make them with their own hands to put the baby in the cradle, protecting him from restless sleep, illness, and the evil eye. By the way, after the doll took away the disease, it must be burned so that it does not return. You can wrap a walnut in the head of the doll, and three grains of buckwheat in its middle. So the diaper became a tricycle (rattle), driving away evil spirits with its noise (it is afraid of him).

Motanka bride in a wedding dress . Her young wives kept until the birth of their first child, adopting the maternal experience of the women of the family and driving away the attacks of evil spirits.

Motanka-bereginya , such a talisman, in its most varied interpretation (Easter, Palm, Herbalist, Kolyada, Fertility, Ten Hands, Zhelannitsa, etc.) was used as protection for the house and its household from all evil misfortunes, misfortune, sadness, bad and bad words, evil eye and damage. Such a doll should be located in that corner of the house that corresponds to the sunrise of Yaril (on the east side), just above the level of the head. Or opposite the front door, in order to immediately gladly meet those who entered the house with good intentions, and severely those who came with bad thoughts. Sometimes grains of wheat or a coin were wrapped in it - to attract wealth and prosperity. As a rule, Beregini should have large breasts - a symbol of maternal care and love.

After the doll is created, nothing is cut off on it, it does not break off. This is already a “doll body” and nothing can be removed from it. It can be "get along" by pulling the fabric - where necessary, or by tucking the weave wooden stick. The doll turns out the way it should be for this person at this time.

Special rules on how to deal with a charm doll that has worked out its own or does not like it. In this case, the doll is burned or drowned in the river (the water should not be "stagnant"). Before such a ritual, you need to thank the doll for the work.

Some dolls should rest, for example, at Zernushki-Krupenichek in the spring - in May - the cereal is poured out and used in porridge, the grain is added to the seed - for good harvest, and in autumn, the doll is filled with new selected cereals or grains. In Kubyshki, you need to renew the grass once every two years. New herbs with new powers will protect you.

When making games folk dolls or souvenir dolls, you can use everything that is at hand. “Deviations” from technologies, replacement of materials are allowed. You can be more creative with dressing and decorating the doll.