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Video: From Ancient Egypt to Pagan Rus: The History of Dolls That Were To Protect People from Adversity
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In prehistoric times, dolls were not considered children's toys at all, but served as one of the attributes for ritual purposes, played the role of talismans and amulets. Representatives of different peoples, with the aim of self-preservation, were forced to protect themselves and their family from diseases and misfortunes, and their dwellings from evil spirits, to attract good luck, prosperity, health. Each country had its own secrets for this, but for many peoples a doll called Bereginy.
"Doll" - from the Greek "kyklos" ("circle") since ancient times had the appearance of a wooden or clay god, a roll of cloth or a bundle of straw and was an important part of the life of the people. She was worshiped and used as a protector from negativity and an assistant in various matters. They were made in Egypt, Rome and Mesopotamia, in mysterious China and in Ancient Russia.
The very first dolls of the ancient Egyptian civilization
The history of the appearance of dolls is deeply rooted in ancient times. More than four millennia ago in Ancient Egypt, Egyptians sculpted the god Osiris from clay, cast from wax and carved figures of men from wood, and some specimens had movable body parts on hinges.
Thanks to archaeological excavations, we are given the opportunity to find out what some of the oldest dolls in history looked like, which were found in the sarcophagi of tombs. They were used in religious rituals for musical accompaniment in the form of mallets, which, when shaken, created a sound that soothed and placated the gods. It is noteworthy that the sound was made by the hair of the dolls, which were clay beads strung on linen threads.
It is known that Queen Cleopatra was the first owner of a large collection of designer dolls, which are now kept in many museums around the world.
One of the famous ancient African dolls - akuaba, was the embodiment of ideal beauty and a talisman against infertility. This wooden statuette of a woman with a disc-shaped head, possessing magical powers, was given to little girls of African tribes in order to develop the maternal instinct and successfully bear offspring when married. This tradition has survived to this day: infertile and pregnant women of the Ashanti tribe acquire akuaba dolls from sorcerers and tie them to their backs for the successful birth of children.
Doll "Motanka" - a magic amulet
At the dawn of their historical development, the Slavic peoples, living in complete unity with wildlife, felt a continuous connection with the world around them. During pagan times, people, deifying and worshiping her, gave symbols to various powers in the form of talismans and amulets.
One of these amulets among the Slavs was a doll called "motanka", because the threads with which the fabric was fixed were wound on it. The creation of such a talisman was a whole ritual. The main condition was that the amulet had to be made at a time, so as not to disturb the filling with a magical protective charge. And it was believed that only women and girls can make strong amulets, investing in them a piece of living energy.
This doll did not have a face, so it was believed that an evil spirit, in which our ancestors so believed, could not enter it. Craftswomen, making reels, used wood, clay, straw, worn rags, and leather, bast, flax, birch bark, grass, branches and other natural materials were also used.
Each motanka had its own purpose. She could be consolation, teaching, medicine, entertainment, and no matter how beautiful she was, her magical content was important. A feature of some of them was the obligatory guard signs - crosses, stars in the place of the face and on the doll's clothes, which are a symbol of Light Iriy, a symbol of the Creator. After making these dolls, they were consecrated and presented to children in order to protect their pure souls from dark forces.
"Pancake" - one of the ritual dolls, which is an obligatory attribute of the Maslenitsa holiday, when it is burned at the stake. She served as a symbol of getting rid of everything old, old, unnecessary and making room for the young and the new. Interestingly, the big Maslenitsa had a younger sister - the home Maslenitsa. The hostesses entrusted their plans for the year to her and asked the doll to help them come true. Putting the assistant in the most prominent place to serve as a reminder of what is planned to be done by the end of the year. At the expiration of which the "tired" of their duties, the home Maslenitsa was seen off and burned together with a large scarecrow. And to replace her, they made a new assistant doll.
During the wedding, the newlyweds were presented with dolls depicting the bride and groom, called "Lovebirds" … And what is remarkable, in one region they were made from one piece of fabric and all the details were wrapped with a single thread, which accentuated the inextricable union of the newlyweds, their integrity and unity. In another region, the same dolls were made from three identical cuts of fabric, united by a common hand - a symbol of the fact that two people will now go hand in hand in life.
To keep up with the housework, women making dolls from straw or linen twine Ten pens, sentenced:
A doll that fulfills cherished desires has always been in great demand and reverence - Zhelanitsa … HER HID from prying eyes in a secret place. And on occasion, the hostess gave her doll a beautiful bead or ribbon and brought it to the mirror, saying:
When making dolls "Zdorovushka" the craftswoman spoke to her with wishes for health. In her hands is a bouquet or box with dried medicinal herbs, berries and flowers, which were supposed to bring healing and health to the household.
Grain which has several names - Krupenichka, Goroshinka, Zernushka - is considered one of the main dolls in the house, bringing prosperity to the family. It was filled with buckwheat grain or oats, wheat, peas, beautifully dressed up and placed in the most prominent place - in the red corner of the hut next to the icons.
Today, the rag doll is experiencing a revival again, as the ethnic or genetic memory of people began to rebel against mass-produced polyurethane dolls.
However, the variety of designer dolls these days is also impressive. So, articulated dolls of the sculptor Mikhail Zaykov so realistic that it seems - they are about to come to life.
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