Doll and stuffed carnival: the meaning of the amulet

A lot of tradition is connected with Shrovetide week. One of the main ones is the burning of the ritual doll on the last day of the week. To understand where the tradition of burning a straw effigy on this day came from, you need to turn to the history of the holiday.

Shrovetide is a traditional pagan holiday that later took root in Christian culture. The exact date of the celebration varies from year to year.

On the last day of this week, people traditionally made a Maslenitsa effigy. Few people know, but earlier it was customary to make two dolls at once for a holiday. One, a large one, was burned on the square on the last day of Shrovetide week. The second was smaller. She was also called the Daughter of Shrovetide. This home doll looked more attractive and elegant. Usually it was placed in a prominent place in the house. There she stood until the next Shrovetide week. It was believed that this doll could:

• protect the whole family from damage;
• attract good luck to the house;
• keep your home cozy.

A small doll called the Daughter of Shrovetide was also made at the end of winter. It was made either a few days before the holiday, or right during it. Women worked together with children to create the amulet. Men have never been trusted with this assignment. A year after its creation, the amulet was burned or launched on water. It was believed that in this way the family gets rid of all the troubles that have plagued it for a whole year.

A large Shrovetide doll is always burned on the last day of the festive week. This tradition was dedicated to seeing off the cold season. The Shrovetide doll symbolizes the face of winter. That is why they tried to make her as scary and harsh as possible. So people tried to convey the severity of the outgoing cold weather. The ancient pagans, in the form of a straw doll, embodied the image of the goddess Morena - the patroness of the night and frost.

There is also an assumption that Maslenitsa, together with Ivan Kupala, Semik and Trinity, arose as an agricultural rite. The idea behind it was that people burned all unnecessary things, and then used the ash as fertilizer.

Besides, it was previously believed that the dead, being buried underground, can somehow affect the fertility of the soil. Therefore, people tried to appease the dead. To do this, they carried pancakes to their graves, and also left them on the windows. On Sunday, which is still called Forgiven, it was customary to go to the cemetery. There people asked for forgiveness to the dead and tried to appease them in every possible way.

Now, on the last day of Maslenitsa week, many cities are trying to organize holidays according to interesting scenarios. As before, people are burning brightly dressed stuffed animals, singing, dancing and having fun. Small fairs are often organized in cities for this holiday.

Preparing for the celebration of the last day of Maslenitsa, you need to learn how to make a thematic scarecrow. The process of creating a doll consists of several stages.

According to folk tradition, the Maslenitsa effigy in its appearance was supposed to resemble a richly dressed up evil young lady. They dressed up this ceremonial woman in shabby old costumes. To decorate the doll, they used fur coats turned inside out with fur, colored dresses and shirts. Thus, people also got rid of all unnecessary things that were stored in their homes. The face of the scarecrow was painted with charcoal and beets.

The process of creating a Maslenitsa effigy is very simple. It is made according to the same principle as the garden scarecrow. Two large boards are used as a basis. One of them should be longer, the other short.

They are connected together in the form of a large cross. For reliability, the structure is fastened with strong ropes or tape. This is done so that the hands of the figure do not fall off at the most inopportune moment. A scarecrow of this type burns very quickly.

When the base of the figure is ready, you can start shaping the body of Shrovetide. The best way to do this is using straw. The workpiece is completely covered with it. The lower part of the figure should be slightly fluffed up. Using twine, you can make a stuffed waist and arms. To create a craft, you need to take well-dried straw. It ignites faster and burns longer. To make the craft more voluminous, it is supplemented with dry grass and unnecessary paper.

The head of the figurine is made from a regular bag of a suitable size. It is stuffed with straw, tied up and attached to the base of the body. When the face is ready, you can paint eyes, red lips and ruddy cheeks on it. Previously, this was done using everything that was at hand. The dolls were pretty scary.

After that, the figure must be dressed up. Use bright fabrics to decorate the stuffed animal. The best option is things with patterns or floral prints. The upper part of the figure is usually wrapped in a light-colored cloth.Very often, the finished craft is decorated with an apron of a suitable color. Hands can be supplemented with old mittens stuffed with hay remains. They are attached to the ends of the stick with ordinary ropes.

From pieces of brown or yellow cloth, you can cut into several long strips and braid them into braids. They are attached to the head. You can also tie colored ribbons to the finished doll. Previously, everyone who attached a ribbon to a scarecrow made a wish in the process. If a colored piece was burned to the end, one could count on it to come true.

Separately, it is worth talking about how the Home Maslenitsa is created.

1. No artificial materials can be used to make the doll. Preference should be given to natural threads and fabrics. In addition, threads and needles are not used in the creation of such toys. The fabric is torn to pieces by hand. The attachment points are not sewn up, but wrapped with threads. It was believed that piercing and cutting objects make the doll weak and exhausted.
2. By tradition, when creating amulets, dark and dull colors are never used. Home Shrovetide is no exception.
3. The finished doll should be faceless. It is believed that if her face looks like the face of someone close to her, it can bring trouble to the person. That is why rag dolls have always been made without a face. People were also afraid that a brownie or a demon could easily be possessed by a humanoid doll. It is not for nothing that in our time, various toys, which are infused with dark forces, are found in many horror films.
4. In the process of creating a doll, do not swear. You need to start working on a figurine in a good mood. In this case, the amulet will turn out to be really strong. It is recommended to do it in pleasant company.

Children played with ready-made dolls throughout the whole Shrovetide week. In addition, it was customary to give such crafts to newlyweds. It was believed that such a doll would bring prosperity to a young family, and also protect their future children from all troubles.

They kept the Pancake Day amulet in the "red corner". This is how the most holy place in the house was called. Bereginya, Successful and Krupenichka were also located there. Each of these dolls was made at a different time of the year. Nowadays, figurines are most often placed in the living room or right at the entrance to the house.

Having finished the big stuffed carnival, they put it on a pole and carried it on sleds around the neighborhood. This ritual was accompanied by songs and dances. Everyone could join the company and take part in the farewell to winter. Very often the Shrovetide train consisted of hundreds of people.

The doll was usually burned in the main square or outside the village. Before the destruction of the doll, everyone could take out their anger, accumulated over many years, on it. In this way, people released all their negative emotions and said goodbye to grievances. When the doll was burned, old and unnecessary things, as well as torn clothes, were thrown into the fire with it. This helped clear negative energy from the house.

On the last day of Shrovetide week, it was also customary to put a wooden wheel on the pole. It was a symbol of the sun. Burning this wooden circle, people tried to bring the onset of spring closer.

Besides, at the end of the festive week, they burned all the remnants of the fast food. The remnants of pancakes, dumplings and other dishes that could not be finished in a week were thrown into the fire. This helped people to abstain from food during the first weeks of Lent. In order to attract wealth into the house, coins were also thrown into the burning fire. Many, after the fire burned out, also tried to find them in the ashes.It was believed that such a coin would be an excellent talisman against poverty and various problems.

Previously, the torch, which is used to set fire to a scarecrow, was only given to the head of a city or village. Now anyone can set fire to a scarecrow. The main thing is to adhere to simple safety rules during the event. You should choose a secluded place for a holiday. You should always keep an eye on the fire. People tried to adhere to these rules for a long time.

When the figure burned out, the youth, taking the opportunity, jumped over the fire. In this way, couples tested their love. It was believed that those who did not open their arms during the jump were able to withstand any trials of fate. This is how couples who met in the previous six days tested themselves.

Now, not everyone knows about the history of the holiday and the meaning of the doll. But the tradition of burning a straw effigy on the square has survived in many cities. Anyone can take part in such an interesting show. If a person does not have the opportunity to fully celebrate the end of Shrovetide week, he can always make a beautiful amulet doll for himself.