A doll-amulet made of threads is made according to a simple scheme. Even a novice needlewoman or a child can cope with the work. But in the process of preparation it is worth choosing the right colors, threads and additional materials. Since the composition will have a magical meaning, every detail must be taken into account - the knot, the thickness and color of the thread, the mood with which the symbol is made.
- Dolls-amulets made of threads: the history of the appearance of the amulet
- Features of the amulet doll
- What types of amulet dolls are there?
- What does the color of the threads mean?
- What you need to make a yarn doll with your own hands
- How to make a doll from threads
- What else can you make Slavic amulet dolls from?
- When to say goodbye to a doll
Dolls-amulets made of threads: the history of the appearance of the amulet
Dolls made of threads were actively used in Rus' and were used in rituals, holidays, everyday life and children's games. Often such small homemade toys played the role of powerful amulets and talismans.
Important! Amulets made of threads were faceless. It was believed that evil spirits could not enter a doll without a face.
The first such items appeared during pagan times. They were made from twigs and burlap. The dolls were placed near the stove in the corner with a sheaf of wheat. This was a symbol of the hearth. They gradually moved on to other, more beautiful materials – threads and fabrics, where only partially natural materials were used in the form of herbs and twigs.
Later, motankas appeared, which were made from linen homespun fabric, scraps of woolen textiles. These later models are about 5 thousand years old. This means that the thread figurine appeared even earlier. And straw and grass ones can date back to the times when the first inhabitants appeared on the lands of Rus'.
Features of the amulet doll
A thread doll has many features. The first is the manufacturing principle. All parts are formed without using a needle and scissors. Therefore, even a child can handle such work.
The second feature is that there are several types of such products, each of which is determined by the purpose of use. The last unique feature is the color scheme. Each element of the composition carries its own magical load, which is activated and spreads to a person, a home.
What types of amulet dolls are there?
Dolls made of fabric or threads are called motankas, as they are formed by winding and tying parts together. In this design, 3 types of dolls can be distinguished:
- Play. Used in children's games. For this purpose, you can create multi-handles, unusual figures to amuse the baby.
- Ritual. It is made and used in rituals of individual holidays (Ivan Kupala, wedding, Solstice).
- Amulet. They were formed for placement in the house. Each version had its own purpose - to protect health, offspring, wealth in the house and family.
In turn, ritual and protective ones can be divided into the following:
- Wish-giver (for the fulfillment of wishes);
- Herbalist (made from charmed herbs and intended for healing the sick);
- Ten-handed (amulet for girls who want to find love).
Both boys and girls can play with such products, and in the form of talismans they can also be used for various purposes.
Please note! Additionally, clothing items can be made, such as a papakha, a sarafan, a scarf, a necklace. This helps to classify the item as belonging to a particular type of doll.
What does the color of the threads mean?
The best option for making a doll from threads is cotton (mouline) or wool base. It is also worth paying attention to the color. The Slavs put a sacred meaning in color preference:
- Red - attracts love and wealth. A powerful color that helps to strengthen energy and attract positive emotions. If you tie a red thread around the belt of such a doll, you can protect yourself from the evil eye, damage, bad influence and problems.
- Green – is considered a symbol of nature. Helps to calm the nervous system. According to the Slavs, the presence of this color in the doll will help a person reconnect with nature, open himself to new achievements, find peace and harmony in the soul. Cleanses energy and gives peace.
- Yellow – is read as a symbol of the sun and all life. Additionally, it is a “magnet” for luck and wealth. Patronizes people who are looking for themselves and trying to find spiritual harmony. Symbolizes happiness and prosperity.
Important! Using different colors, you need to try to get a bright figure to activate the positive energy of the amulet (talisman) and further strengthen it.
The ancient Slavs believed that it was the bright colors and the presence of several colors in the weaving that could protect a person and ward off trouble. Pagan symbols of that time were often additionally colored with natural dyes if the threads of the desired color were not available.
What you need to make a yarn doll with your own hands
Before making a doll from threads, you need to prepare all the necessary tools and materials. The basis can be knitting material, which is used in the manufacture of socks, hats, sweaters.
The manufacturing technology also involves the use of other types of threads – floss, silk and sewing threads. An important condition is that all components must be exclusively natural. To create a doll from threads, you need to prepare:
- linen threads;
- floss, sewing or silk;
- knitting threads made of wool;
- satin ribbons of different colors;
- scissors;
- a piece of hard cardboard.
Additionally, it is necessary to prepare a drawing or sketch, according to which the work will be done. For a modern type of doll, other finishing materials may be needed - lace, bright fabrics.
How to make a doll from threads
Making a doll from yarn with your own hands is quite simple. For example, for women the best helper and amulet will be the Desyatiruchka doll. Such a figurine was passed from mother to daughter, who got married and had to move to her husband's house. Such a product also helped in family life.
Additional information! According to legend, such a doll was given to a woman by the goddess Makosh.
A simple and accessible master class on making a doll-amulet from threads with your own hands:
- First, you need to prepare a cardboard template. It should be a rectangle with a side length of about 15 cm.
- It is necessary to wrap the workpiece along the long side with linen thread. The number of turns should be a multiple of 3 m.
- Cut the threads on one side and carefully remove the rectangle. Gather the threads into a bundle and place them on the table.
- Step back from the cut place about 2 mm, wrap the bundle with red thread, which is fixed with several knots on the base.
- Cut the bunch of threads on the other side. Braid and fix the workpiece in the same way as in the first case.
- Four more elements are made in the same way, only a different color of floss is used as a binding.
- Place the resulting parts together and determine their middle, tie them together in the center with linen thread. The handles are ready.
- The body is made in the same way as each arm. You can even use the same cardboard template. Only the winding should be more than 200 turns, and fixation after cutting one edge is done in the center.
- Then you need to separate a small number of threads and place them at the top relative to the place of the central ligature. Tie the separated part with a red thread.
- Divide the rest of the winding into 2 parts and pass the bundle of hands through it. At this point, cross-wind the main skein with tape so that the hands are firmly fixed.
- Below the cross-shaped bandage of the base, tie a strip of natural lace. From the remaining threads, below the lace apron, braid a multiple of 3 thin braids. A large braid should be braided from the threads left at the top. Everything is fixed with red threads.
This instruction manual can also help in making simpler models of dolls from threads.
Please note! After manufacturing, a ritual must be performed to help activate the toy. As a result of a special spell, each hand is assigned its own function - washing, cleaning, raising children.
What else can you make Slavic amulet dolls from?
A yarn doll that can be used as a talisman is a modern alternative to those that were used before. If you look at presentations of old ritual or talisman dolls, it is easy to see what the Slavs used to make such things from:
- Dry grass or soft straw.
- Thin twigs or branches of fruit and forest trees.
- Willow was often used as the main material.
- Scraps of fabric and threads were actively used.
You can even use all of the listed materials at once. Additionally, aromatic herbs or flowers are woven in. If there are cut threads left, you can weave thin braids from them, which in turn can be tied with red ribbons.
When to say goodbye to a doll
A doll made of threads does not belong to the category of home amulets that can be kept for a long time. And the Wish-a-doll should be completely eliminated immediately after receiving what was asked for.
In some cases, the doll is stored for only a month from the date of manufacture. If no positive changes occur, the figurine should be burned away from the house. There are several reasons for this - all the rules were not followed when creating the amulet or the doll simply does not correspond to the energy of the house (person).
No action will be performed by the motanka if the master has not performed the necessary ritual. You should not buy ready-made products of this kind - you need to make them yourself, since the figurine is charged with the energy of the person who made it.
According to Old Slavonic instructions, a figurine made of threads with woven herbs and branches had to be changed every year if it was a guardian of the hearth. When doing so, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the amulet: if it starts to deteriorate, then it is time to burn such a base, since the magical object took on all the negativity that was sent to the house.
When making a motanka, a doll made of threads, it is worth using certain step-by-step master classes, since even the smallest knot can affect the effectiveness of the product. When making such a talisman or amulet, it is worth considering a lot of nuances and rules that were passed on by ancestors to obtain a real "magic protector".
