Folk doll cuckoo. Baptism of the Cuckoo

The baptism and funeral of the cuckoo is a maiden and women's rite of the spring-summer cycle, which is a variant of the Trinity ritual, in the center of which is a ritual object called the “cuckoo”.

Dates of the ceremony

The most common dates for the ceremony are Ascension - Trinity; the actions of the initial stage also took place on the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth Sunday after Easter, the second Monday after Easter, St. Nicholas Day, Trinity, Spiritual Day, the final - on Spiritual Day, Tuesday after Spiritual Day, All Saints' Day (see All Saints' Day) week), Peter's Day.

Making a cuckoo doll

A cuckoo was most often called a doll that had an anthropomorphic, less often an ornithomorphic appearance. It was usually based on plant material: the grass “cuckoo blossom”, popularly known as “cuckoo tears”, “dawn”, “cuckoo”, “dawn”, “drema”; iris flower, birch branches, straw. The collected herbs, often uprooted, were specially processed, giving them the appearance of a human or bird figure. The number of blades of grass used to make the “cuckoo” had to be even. In a number of places, the figure was made from a colorful scarf or pieces of fabric; such a doll was also called Marinka, Marynka, Arinka. In the Bryansk region, she was distinguished by her large size and was a “healthy girl made of rags.” A stuffed bird, usually a cuckoo, or less often a live bird - a sparrow (Bryansk) - could be used as a cuckoo. The cuckoo was also depicted by a girl with her arms raised above her head: her wrists touched her head, her clenched fists were folded together and tied with a scarf (Zhuravleva E.A. 1994, p. 32).

The doll was necessarily dressed in bright patches and lace, in clothes taken from one of the participating girls, and in a specially made dress. The latter corresponded to the girl’s outfit that existed in the area, it included a shirt, a sundress (sometimes missing), a belt, a scarf, the indispensable elements were a cross and jewelry - ribbons, beads, monista, braids; The color scheme of the suit is pink and red. In some places the cuckoo was swaddled and tied with ribbons like a child; dressed up in a wedding dress: “...we’ll put a veil on it, we’ll take it off like a bride” (Belgorod); they dressed in a belted shirt and a black scarf, less often in a sundress of dark colors, like a widow or an orphan - “the cuckoo is a widow because she didn’t have a husband,” said the Kaluga peasant women; they wrapped him in a shroud, observing all the rules for dressing the deceased.

Often the cuckoo was a plant decorated with ribbons, beads, scarves - a spruce, a branch of birch, bird cherry, rowan, elderberry, willow, pine; in local traditions it was also called “burdock” or “loaf”. In addition to decorations, bells were sometimes tied to a fluffy pine branch (Belgorod). As a cuckoo, they used a bouquet of herbs and flowers, as well as a wreath tied with a red ribbon, which certainly included the herb “cuckoo tears”. In Novosilsky district. Tula lips. A cuckoo was a hut-type structure, based on two cut bird cherry branches stuck crosswise into the ground at both ends. The branches were decorated with colored rags, “cuckoo tears” grass and flowers. In Oryol province. the term "cuckoo" was also used to refer to the leaves of plantain and agave.

Participants in the ritual action

The main participants in the ritual action were young girls 10-16 years old, sometimes they were joined by women who had been married for no more than one year and had no children, whose presence in some traditions was considered mandatory. An elderly woman, often a widow, led the ceremony. In a number of places, the participation of women of all ages, even old women (Belgorod) in the ritual was recorded. In this case, women were divided into groups according to age and marital status, each of which performed the ritual separately from the others, sometimes joining with them at one of the stages of the ritual action. So, in the city of Bolkhov, Oryol province. At the same time, but in different places, girls and girls performed the “baptism” of the cuckoo.

Sequence of ritual actions

The ritual began with the making of a cuckoo, in which all the girls took part. Each was given a specific place in the ritual action. Some of them performed more important functions than others. So, only “knowledgeable” girls made the cuckoo, although each participant brought a piece of scrap and ribbon to make the doll. Girls were specially chosen, who looked for a place where they subsequently collected - "scorched" - the necessary plants - "in the groves near the fields", or "on the rusty patch" - in the swamp - or baptized the cuckoo; They noticed the necessary herbs in forests and gardens, plucked or uprooted them, gave them shape, sewed clothes for the doll, pooled money to buy material for the doll and food for the meal. In some places, girls invited guys to harvest tree branches used in making cuckoos.

The cuckoo was equipped, or “spotted,” usually in a forest, field, or less often, in a settlement - in the house or garden of some woman or girl. During the ritual, the finished cuckoo doll was often mounted on a tree, intertwined branches of birch or hazel trees, as well as under a tree, covered with scarves, towels, and fabrics. In Oryol province. On the top of a birch tree or on its curled branches, a cuckoo in the form of agave leaves (Bryansky district) or plantain leaves (Orlovsky district) was hung along with decorations. A rag doll was sometimes planted in the middle of a bouquet of flowers consisting of birch trees and cuckoo's tears grass.

In a number of places, a cuckoo in a shroud, as well as in the costume of a child, bride or widow, was placed in a coffin, which the girls made themselves or ordered. It was small in size, painted on the outside, and upholstered in calico inside. Sometimes it was replaced with a box, a box of chocolates or soap. Hay was placed at the bottom of the coffin, covered with calico or a white rag, and at the head was a hay cushion. The doll, placed in a box, like a real dead person, was “freed up to cross his arms on his chest,” but was not given a stone, which is certainly placed in the coffin of every deceased person. As they laid down the cuckoo, some girls wailed, while others sang and danced nearby.

A characteristic feature of the ritual was the procession of girls and pullets with a dressed cuckoo through the village. Sometimes they were joined by boys, men, children and old people. The cuckoo was usually on the head or in the hands of one of the participants in the ritual; in the latter case it could be placed on a plate. In some places, during the procession through the village, several “cuckoos” were carried, made by different groups of women, divided according to age (Belgorod).

A procession of girls with a cuckoo usually made a tour of the village, during which they collected money for a meal or an egg from each resident. The walk was accompanied by songs:
"U le-le-le, we're going to the meadow,
U le-le-le, we are carrying a cockatiel,
U le-le-le, and the cockock is rippled
U le-le-le, and who are you godfather." (Bryansk)

"The nightingale conspired with the cuckoo:
Don't fly, cuckoo, into my green garden
A young man was walking in my little garden,
The fellow walked and walked, not very cheerful,
Why should I, a fine fellow, be cheerful:
The priest scolded and scolded me, I don’t know why
I wanted to give mother a soldier.” (Kaluga)

"We want, we want to cross the cuckoo
We want, we want to put you on a toy
We crossed the cuckoo
They put me on a toy,
You are a bird cherry, a bird cherry, a bush,
There is an azure flower on the bird cherry.
Far away the field is white,
Turns white, turns blue,
All over the field, on four sides."
(Belgorod).

In the Belgorod region. At the head of the procession with a cuckoo, a boy and a girl walked hand in hand, portraying the bride and groom. The marriage couple also consisted of two dolls, one of which, the cuckoo, was dressed in a women's wedding suit, and the other, the cuckoo, was dressed in a men's suit.

In some places the procession was a funeral procession. In this case, the coffin with the cuckoo was carried, as a rule, in the backyard, avoiding meetings. If a guy met along the way, the participants in the ritual returned back. The procession was led by a girl with a coffin lid on her head, followed by another who portrayed a priest and mournfully sang psalms; Next came two girls, on their shoulders they held a stick to which the coffin was tied with towels; Also in this tradition, they wrapped the coffin of a deceased child in towels and carried them.

During the procession, the cuckoo was usually carried to the forest, field, river, or cemetery.

The further ritual action is known under the names: “kstat”, “baptize”, “bless”, “see off”, “lead”, “bury” the cuckoo. During “baptism”, they hung a cross (several crosses) on the cuckoo, made the sign of the cross over it three times, chose a godfather and godfather for it - a boy and a girl, worshiped it themselves, dipped it in water, similar to the ablution during Christian baptism. Residents of Borisov district, Belgorod region. they connected the ritual baptism of the cuckoo with a church ritual: they explained that “they went into the forest as if before church” (Zhuravleva E.A. 1994, p. 33).

In the city of Bolkhov, Oryol province. the term “baptize the cuckoo” was used to denote the actions of equipping and burying a ritual object, the latter was performed in imitation of the Christian tradition; a costumed priest performed the funeral service for the cuckoo and sang “Holy God” over it. Local residents explained the burial of the cuckoo by the desire to hide it away from prying eyes. “So we hide this one, we hide the cuckoo, we bring it into the rye and hide it there, we bury it. We dig a hole, and then we do it so that it won’t be noticed” (Bryansk; Zhuravleva E.A. 1994. P. 33). They also found a secluded place in the forest, dug a hole, and covered it with “the best, certainly new scraps”; The cuckoo was buried with songs:
"Goodbye, goodbye, cuckoo,
Goodbye, goodbye, hazel grouse,
To new birches,
Until the red dawn
Until the new grass.

Girls are darlings
Gossips are girlfriends,
Make some wreaths
From weeping grass,
From white birch...
We will fold wreaths
Like this, like this."
(Kaluga).

In Oryol province. the coffin with the cuckoo was buried in the cemetery, on the edge, near the fence, where suicides were usually buried, or in the garden near the house where the cuckoo was made/baptized/mourned. It could be hidden in a forest or field without burying it, or it could simply be left in the same place where the ceremony took place, knowing that, according to tradition, it should be hidden from outsiders. Sometimes two or three chosen girls were trusted to “bury” the cuckoo. They hid the place of “burial” even from their friends. In a number of areas, the cuckoo was thrown into the river.

Kumlenie

The ritual of the “baptism of the cuckoo” in almost all cases accompanied the ritual of “baptism of the cuckoo” and could take place during the manufacture, “baptism”, “burial” of the ritual object, as well as before or after the above-mentioned actions.

The time, place of action and ritual object were carefully hidden from the male part of the population. The behavior of the boys is characterized by the desire to find and destroy the cuckoo; the girls tried to prevent this and keep their actions secret. In Oryol province. the cuckoo was not hidden; here the ritual destruction of the cuckoo by boys was practiced after a girl's cumulation.

Dispossession

After a certain period of time, sometimes on the very next day, the second part of the ritual was performed, which corresponded to the dispelling (see Dispelling). The girls went to “watch” the cuckoo. It was removed from the tree, dug out of the ground, and discharged, which meant the termination of the relationship established during the ritual; the process was supplemented with the usual actions and words for dispossession (see Dispossession). At this time the following songs were sung:
"Cuckoo-grouse,
Weeping bird,
Spring has come to us,
Spring is red,
She brought us grains,
We need to go to the threshing floor
In a canvas box
The girls will have red linen
Hemp for old women."
(Kaluga).

The used weed was left on the tree, buried back in the ground, or taken home to the eldest of the women and stored. “Cuckoo tears” were used for magical purposes; In order to improve relations between spouses, the wife needed to give her husband an infusion of this root. This belief is based on the idea that the double root of the plant signified a husband (black) and a wife (white). The coffin and clothes were kept in the house of one of the participants in the ceremony. The discharged branch was thrown behind the “eaves” or into the attic to be used, as well as the cuckoo’s coffin and clothes, the next year. In a number of places, the cuckoo-doll and the cuckoo-wreath were shared among all participants in the ritual.

Fortune telling

A distinctive feature of the cuckoo holiday was the fortune-telling of pullets, young women in their first year of marriage. Using the root of a dug up cuckoo's tears plant, they guessed about the sex of the unborn child: if the root is long, then there will be a boy, if it is round, then there will be a girl. They also drank a decoction of this root, saying: “Cock, give me a son or daughter.”

Ritual meal

Just like other women's rituals of the Trinity-Semitic cycle, the “baptism and funeral of the cuckoo” was accompanied by an obligatory ritual meal with the obligatory scrambled eggs, and youth festivities. The meal was often prepared by the woman who led the ceremony; she usually provided her house for festivities. Boys and men took part in them everywhere. In Peremyshlsky district Kaluga province. the joining of the guys in the meal was of a ritual nature: the guys and boys watched the girls from behind the bushes, while cooking scrambled eggs they jumped out into the clearing, knocking over the dishes with laughter and jokes.

The fact that the ritual belongs to the “farewell-funeral” rituals and the performance of songs with agrarian themes allows us to talk about its agrarian-magical orientation and elevate it to the cult of dying, resurrecting vegetation. The persistent motif of the harvest spell is also associated with the call of rain and moisture necessary for the growth of plants. A number of researchers believe that it is based on more ancient ideas of the Slavs. In the image of the cuckoo, as well as in the image of the Trinity birch tree, they see one of the incarnations of the female deity, who endows women who turn to him with the embryo souls of future children. Therefore, the baptism of the cuckoo can be considered a local variety of Trinity rites with the birch (see Trinity Birch), which is confirmed by a set of ritual actions: they choose material for the cuckoo, mainly plant material, decorate it, take it to the village, to the fields, leave it in the fields, forests, throw it into bodies of water The mermaid, a representative of the world of the dead, in whose image the souls of dead unbaptized children are seen, was also identified with the cuckoo. In the Trinity-Semitic rites, she was a fertile force, capable of giving a woman a child, whose soul was baptized during the rite. The mermaid, like other pawned dead people, was credited with the ability to send rain (see Semik).

The ritual of “baptism and funeral of the cuckoo” was widespread in the Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, and Tula provinces, was found in the Kostroma province, and was noted among the Kursk settlers of the Tomsk province.

Tatyana Zimina

“Baptize the cuckoo”, “bury the cuckoo” - Yu.Rus. a spring rite, including elements of a calendar ritual “seeing-off”, symbolic funeral, cremation (see Farewell; Symbolic funeral; cremation). Distributed in the Kaluga, Oryol, Tula, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions. Most often timed to coincide with Ascension, Trinity, Spiritual Day, less often - on Nikolin (9/22.V) or Petrov (29.VI/12.?II) days.

Popular names for the ritual: baptize the cuckoo, bury the cuckoo, baptism and funeral of the cuckoo, carry the cuckoo, lead or see off, cuckoos, etc.

Structure of the ritual

The basic structure of the ritual was reduced to the following actions: making a ritual symbol called the cuckoo; taking it out into the forest, field, or to the river, where the symbolic “baptism of the cuckoo” and the communion of the ritual participants took place; imitation of a “funeral” (the “cuckoo” was buried in the ground, sometimes drowned in a river, planted on a tree, and taken to a cemetery). Individual stages of the ritual could be spaced out in time: for example, they made a “cuckoo” for the Ascension, and baptized and buried on Trinity or Spiritual Day; or they buried it on Ascension, and after some time (the next day, after 2-3 days, after a week) they dug it out of the ground, left it on a tree, in a rye field and returned to the village, where they had a joint meal, one of the obligatory dishes of which there was scrambled eggs.

Cast

The feminine nature of the ritual, in which girls and young women usually participated, was widely noted. It was not customary for women who had children or had been married for more than a year to take part in it. If it happened that at the time of the ritual there were no young girls in the village, the “cuckoo funeral” was not performed at all. Rare accounts reported the participation of all women in the village or the obligatory presence of an even number of girls. Guys were allowed only at the final stage when organizing a meal, in general youth games, and occasionally during rituals. In many versions of the ritual, its secretive, secret nature was noted; its performance was especially carefully hidden from the guys.

Making a "cuckoo"

When making the “cuckoo”, in most cases, plants with popular names were used: cuckoo, cuckoo flower, cuckoo tears, dawn, drowsiness and a number of others (meaning herbaceous plants from the family of carnation, orchidaceae, kokushnik). Early in the morning on Ascension, the girls went to pull out the grass they had chosen in advance, pulled it out by the roots, discarded the top, and began to dress up the root and stem, trying to give the appearance of a female figure: they put on something like a shirt, a sundress, and tied a scarf. In the outfit of the anthropomorphic “cuckoo,” the signs of a deceased girl, dressed like a bride, were clearly visible (a wreath or veil was placed on the doll’s head; an apron was not put on, explaining that “dead women are not buried in aprons”; or the figurine was wrapped in a “shroud”; the attire could accompanied by funeral lamentations). Sometimes two dolls were prepared, depicting a married couple - “cuckoo” and “cuckoo”.

In some versions of the ritual, the “cuckoo” was a birch, rowan, willow or bird cherry branch, decorated with ribbons and beads (orlov., tul.) or a young tree. In the Bryansk region, such a ritual symbol could be a bouquet of wildflowers or a grass root, hung with monists. There is evidence that the “cuckoo” looked like a wreath of “cuckoo’s tears” grass, tied with a red ribbon.

Less common are variants of the “cuckoo” in the form of a fabric doll or a bird-like figurine (made from a plant or from a stuffed real littsa), which were also dressed up in a girl’s outfit.

"The Baptism of the Cuckoo"

The dressed figurine was taken to the outskirts of the village, where birch trees grew, they planted it on a tree (they placed it under a birch tree, laid it on the ground on a spread out scarf); above the “cuckoo” they often built a kind of hut made of branches, an arch of plants, or the branches of two neighboring birches were woven over it. Following this, the ritual of cumulation began: the girls put a small cross on the “cuckoo”, took off their pectoral crosses and hung them on woven branches; those who wanted to kiss each other in the arc of branches above the “cuckoo”, exchanged crosses or scarves, while saying: “You are godfather, I am godfather!” or they sang ritual songs: “Cuckoo-kuma! Are you going? "You, cuckoo pockmarked, who are you godfather to?" Sometimes the cuckoo took place in the cemetery: colored eggs were broken over the “cuckoo” and left on the graves. Ritual nepotism between girls retained its relevance most often for several days, after which they “disassembled”.

"Cuckoo's Funeral"

A ritual object called a cuckoo (a doll, a branch, a tree, a bouquet) was thrown into a rye field, planted under a bush or on a bush, tied to a growing tree, and thrown from a bridge into the river. The anthropomorphic figurine was buried directly in the ground or placed in a small coffin or box and buried. This moment of the ritual was performed secretly. From the group of girls, two or three stood out, who tried to escape into the forest unnoticed by everyone (especially the guys) and buried the “cuckoo” in a secluded place. In the villages of the east. The Bryansk “funeral” boiled down to the fact that a cloth doll, called a cuckoo, was taken to a rye field and left there or buried in the ground: “Make a doll. Well, put it on a twig, and into bread, take it from your life, from the rye. . Well, that’s it. And the cockatiel was buried.” In many cases, the expression to bury the cuckoo was understood to mean hiding: “So we hide this one, hide the cuckoo, bring it into the rye and hide it there, bury it.” Where plants (a branch, a bouquet) played the role of a ritual symbol, they were thrown onto a tree or into the water.

In some villages of the Bryansk region. beliefs were recorded that the “cuckoo” turns into a mermaid, therefore, having planted the “cuckoo” doll under a bush, the girls outlined themselves, that is, they drew a line along the ground with a stick, “to block the mermaid’s path,” “so that no one would approach to the cuckoo."

In a number of places, it was customary to visit the burial site of the “cuckoo” the next day or several days later (often this was done on Spiritual Day). The purpose of the visit, in some cases, was to make sure that no one discovered or stole the doll; in others, the participants themselves dug it out of the ground, put it on a tree (threw it into a rye field, buried it again in the same place, etc.) .

Judging by the motives of the songs that accompanied the ceremony, the girls realized that they were worshiping not only with each other, but also with the “cuckoo”, which is called a “maiden” in the songs: “I have a new godfather! / I have a cuckoo godfather, / I have a pockmarked godfather!"; “Gossip, my dear,/Sergius the cuckoo!/Come on with you, girl,/Let’s kiss each other.” The song motifs reflect the idea that the establishment of a kind of kinship through the godfather is preserved for the whole year: “Godfather with godfather, / So that we don’t quarrel all year long, / Let’s fight - we’ll be sinners, / Kakushka will feel sick.”

At the “funeral” they sang songs in which they said goodbye to the cuckoo until the next summer: “Farewell, goodbye, cuckoo, / Goodbye, goodbye, hazel grouse, / Until the new berea, / Until the red dawn, / Until the new grass!”

The semantics of farewell and “farewell” characteristic of the ritual correlates with the ancient beliefs that on Peter’s Day the cuckoo stops crowing and disappears or turns into a hawk. The ritual funeral of the cuckoo is interpreted as a sign of a certain calendar boundary, the change of seasons. According to the views of the residents of the eastern districts of the Bryansk region, as soon as the cuckoo stops calling, spring ends and summer begins. Too early a spring cuckoo (or one that lasted beyond Peter's Day) was universally regarded as a harbinger of trouble: "They bury her so that she doesn't cry 'cuckoo'." If by the time the ritual was performed, cuckooing could still be heard, then the girls would say: “Cuckoo, cuckoo, little cuckoo, but stop, and we are going to punish you.” The general symbolism of the cuckoo, associated with the feminine principle, the other world, the appearance of the soul, as well as the structural elements of the ritual, the timing of its execution, plant equivalents of the “cuckoo”, etc., allow us to note similarities and general semantics between the rites of “baptism and funeral of the cuckoo” , "curling" of the Trinity birch tree and "seeing off the mermaid".

For May - ritual doll CUCKOO.

An ancient ritual of “funeral of the cuckoo”. This is the initiation of 12-year-old girls into girls and their entry into the world of adulthood. This ritual was performed before Trinity. It consisted of the following: the girls went into the forest and made sure that no one followed them. There they danced in circles, sang songs and worshiped. As a sign that two girlfriends became godfathers for 1 year, they exchanged wreaths and dolls specially made for this purpose. These dolls were a reflection of the owner, because when making this doll, the girl put a piece of her soul into it. After kissing three times, the girls exchanged dolls and were considered godfathers. However, after a certain time and if desired, it was possible to make amends by removing oneself from the obligation of a friendly attitude towards each other, but this happened extremely rarely. How can you be angry with your godfather if, along with your doll, she is entrusted with a part of her own soul! After all, when making a doll, the girl made an effort, thought about it, put all her skill into this work, and now she was given to her friend!
After exchanging dolls, the girls dressed up a straw doll specially made for this occasion in rags and rags. It was made from dried grass “cuckoo tears”. Then the girls buried her, not necessarily buried her, but in the sense of hiding her, getting rid of her. Thus, they got rid of those qualities that are inherent in the cuckoo. She is known to throw eggs into the nests of other birds, and does not care about the further fate of her offspring. After the ceremony, the girl is considered a girl. Thus, this ritual demonstrates the rejection of “cuckooing” and the proclamation of motherhood. Girls say goodbye to their childhood, taking upon themselves the responsibility of “not being a cuckoo.”
The cuckoo doll was considered a cure for melancholy and loneliness.

FOR JUNE - RITUAL DOLL - BIRCH.

Doll of Chernsky, Plavsky, Efremovsky districts.
They made it on Trinity Day, on this day they decorated the house with birch branches. The girls got up early, before sunrise, and went to fetch water. They put birch branches in buckets of water and carried the water home, being afraid of spilling it. And at home everyone tried to get drunk and wash themselves with this water; whoever gets drunk first will be happy this year.
For fortune telling, they made a Birch doll from a birch log, a symbol of the birch tree. This is a one-day-old doll, they used it to tell fortunes. They did it in the morning, in the evening they took it apart and left it on the birch tree.
Several girls made the doll together and used it to tell fortunes. The doll was beautifully dressed up, decorated with birch branches and grass with inflorescences. Three birch branches were tied in front. One is dry, the other with earrings, and the third is beautiful. With their eyes closed, the girls removed twigs from the doll. If you come across a dry branch, then the husband will be old, if it’s beautiful, then he’ll be handsome, if with earrings, then he’ll be rich. After the fortune telling, the doll was dismantled and left on a tree, and the clothes were taken away.

This ritual doll is made to bring about desired changes in life. It is believed that Spiridon-Solstice can change life in the right direction by turning the wheel.

In his hands in front of him he holds a wheel representing the sun.

The sun gives us the opportunity to exist and act. Nourishes all living things with light. Endows us with the following qualities: responsibility and punctuality (the Sun shines equally for everyone and always rises on time), where there is responsibility, there will be prosperity.

Responsible for order, career growth, leadership qualities, Health, Cheerfulness. Happiness.

Spiridon Solstice helps a man manage (rule) affairs, household, business, etc. The doll is given to a man for skillful management of affairs and changes in Life.

It is advisable to place Spiridon in a place visible to the owner in the house (near the workplace or on the east side). The doll can be made of bast or material, as desired.Cost 500 rubles.

In the central provinces of Russia there were traditional rag dolls Kuzma and Demyan. Kuzma and Demyan's name days are celebrated on November 14 and are called autumn Kuzminki. After the harvest in the villages, it was time for rest and weddings.

Saints Cosmas and Damian are Asian brothers, originally from Asia Minor. Their mother Theodotia raised the children in the Christian faith. Well-educated, skilled doctors, they healed the mental and physical torments of people, treated animals, and for free, for which they were called unmercenaries.

Kuzma and Demyan are considered patrons of the family hearth, the holiness and inviolability of marriage, and organizers of married life. They are also the patrons of crafts - “handicraftsmen,” especially masters of blacksmithing and women’s handicrafts.Cost 300 rubles.

Doll Cuckoo, Cuckoo

An ancient rite of "funeral of the cuckoo". This is the initiation of 12-year-old girls into girls and their entry into the world of adulthood. This ritual was performed before Trinity. It consisted of the following: the girls went into the forest and made sure that no one followed them. There they danced in circles, sang songs and worshiped. As a sign that two girlfriends became godfathers for 1 year, they exchanged wreaths and dolls specially made for this purpose. These dolls were a reflection of the owner, because when making this doll, the girl put a piece of her soul into it. After kissing three times, the girls exchanged dolls and were considered godfathers. However, after a certain time and if desired, it was possible to make amends by removing oneself from the obligation of a friendly attitude towards each other, but this happened extremely rarely. How can you be angry with your godfather if, along with your doll, she is entrusted with a part of her own soul! After all, when making a doll, the girl made an effort, thought about it, put all her skill into this work, and now she was given to her friend!

After exchanging dolls, the girls dressed up a straw doll specially made for this occasion in rags and rags. It was made from dried grass “cuckoo tears”. Then the girls buried her, not necessarily buried her, but in the sense of hiding her, getting rid of her. Thus, they got rid of those qualities that are inherent in the cuckoo. She is known to throw eggs into the nests of other birds, and does not care about the further fate of her offspring. After the ceremony, the girl is considered a girl. Thus, this ritual demonstrates the rejection of “cuckooing” and the proclamation of motherhood. Girls say goodbye to their childhood, taking upon themselves the responsibility of “not being a cuckoo.”

The Cuckoo doll was considered a cure for melancholy and loneliness. They “talked” their problems at her and then burned her.

The cost of the doll is 200 rubles. The cost of the bird is 100 rubles.

There are very few male dolls in folk art. Male - in the sense that a man was depicted, but he was still intended for girls. Such dolls were called dolls. This doll is made on the basis of a squash. There was such a doll in the Tula-Kaluga region, which is why its name is Tula-Kaluga man.
The Tula-Kaluga man is a play doll intended for children's amusement.Cost 100 rubles.

Doll Sudarushka

There is a legend about her.

One woman’s daughter fell ill, and nothing helped; her daughter was melting away day by day. The woman was desperate, did not know that she could help, she made a doll for her daughter and put it in her bed. She asked her: “Mother Sudarushka, help my daughter!” After a while, she saw the girl sitting on the bed and playing with the doll; a blush appeared on the girl’s cheeks. After this, the girl recovered.

Sudarushka doll - refers to play dolls. The sudarushka is dressed up in the clothes that are closer to the Soul or at will.Cost 800 rubles.

Doll “Novgorod Princess”

(or “Novgorod Bereginya”) refers to the amulets, and some rituals are associated with its production.

At weddings, the newlyweds were equated with the prince and princess. If the young princess fell ill, a special doll was made. The base of the doll is birch bark. The healing power of birch is birch bark. She curled up in a bathhouse. The water from the sick woman was poured onto birch bark, the doll was dressed in a rag from the woman’s costume, then the doll was buried in the ground. It is believed that the disease will go away when the doll rots. Unfortunately, this is far from true; birch bark does not rot. Therefore, during the ritual, the woman shed the disease from herself, which goes underground, and the woman herself recovers thanks to the cleansing procedure.

Today, the Novgorod Princess doll is a souvenir that carries the hospitality of the Novgorod land and is a symbol of the Novgorod Sadko festival.Cost 800 rubles.

Simeon the Stylite

Simeon the Stylite - ritual doll.

Also has a name - Simeon the Chronicler, Romeol the Stylite.

This amulet is a symbol of the infinity of life, the masculine principle, without which the feminine is weak and barren. Later, a tradition arose of giving this amulet - the Simeon Stylites doll - to men so that their strength would never run out.

The doll is a symbol of male strength and endurance. It was done on September 14 for the New Year according to the old calendar, when field work ended and the time for matchmaking and brides’ agreement began, during the general holiday festivities. The doll was hoisted onto the top of the pillar, along which the guys climbed, demonstrating their strength and brave prowess. The winner received a reward Simeon the Stylite and the admiring attention of the best brides of the village!Cost 200 rubles.

Boy Column

Boy column - a play doll made by girls to understand how guys work and how they differ from girls. And so as not to be afraid of these differences, because without this “secret” the emergence of a new life is impossible.Cost 300 rubles.

Lady doll

Lady doll– a play doll for older children. Made using a sewing-free method from twisted rags. A distinctive feature of this game Lady dolls are braided hands. Doll quite simple, but at the same time challenging for young children. Therefore, it was made exclusively for older children. Costume dolls It consisted of a skirt, an apron and a scarf, tied in a summer style.Cost 300 rubles.

This is a traditional play doll. This name “Madonna” is common among modern craftswomen. She is the image of the mother. Since childhood, girls have been playing with dolls; games are often called mother-daughter games, losing, trying on the image of a mother, learning from a doll how to handle a child. This doll shows the purpose of a woman, to raise children, which is why girls are so responsive to her.Cost 200 rubles.

Kolyada doll

Ritual doll

Kolyada is a Slavic holiday of the winter solstice and, apparently, a deity of the same name. The winter solstice falls on December 25th. And the holiday of Kolyada is celebrated from December 25 to January 6 (Veles Day). The holiday of Kolyada is otherwise called Dazhdbozhiy Day or Karachun.

The celebration of Kolyada took place from December 25/January 7 (Nativity of Christ) to January 6/19 (Epiphany). At this time, the most severe frosts were observed, which, according to ancient beliefs, coincided with the revelry of unclean spirits and evil witches. The celebration of Kolyada, with its joy and optimism, expressed the faith of ancient Russian pagans in the inevitability of the victory of good principles over the forces of evil. To help Kolyada defeat and drive away evil spirits, those celebrating his day burned bonfires, sang and danced around them.

All Christmas carols were sung with Kolyada. This doll is a symbol of the sun and good relationships in the family. She was a portly woman, dressed in everything new and elegant. Bags suspended from the belt contain bread and salt. A broom is tucked into his belt, which Kolyada uses to ward off evil spirits. On behalf of Kolyada, the carolers wished Happiness and Prosperity. They sang joyful songs glorifying the owners.

There are two types of Kolyada. The first is made of bast or straw, and then it is burned at the end of Christmas time. The second type is a traditional twist, dressed in everything new; such a doll was kept at home for a whole year and brought happiness, peace and harmony between family members.

The cost of a bast doll is 150 rubles. The cost of a doll made of material is 500 rubles.

Bird Tausen

On September 21, Autumn was celebrated - the day of the autumn equinox and the harvest festival. Autumn is rich and satisfying. Fruits ripen, chicks and forest and field animals born in spring and summer grow up. In autumn, the sparrow has a feast. Therefore, autumn is not only a harvest festival, but also a festival of women in labor - Lada and Lelya, mothers and daughters - Goddesses of Fertility.

It is no coincidence that from this moment the time of Weddings begins, which lasts until Maslenitsa. For autumn, amulets are prepared - to avoid ghosts and illnesses, old things and worn-out shoes are burned, and children are doused with water on the threshold. In the old days, worn bast shoes were hung under the roof of a house or barnyard so that no one would spoil or jinx them. The more bast shoes, the more reliable the protection. And in the room, onions are hung with weavers so that the air is clean and no infection penetrates.

Below is a description of how Mother Osenina’s Day is celebrated and what role the Tausen bird plays.

“Early in the morning, when the sun just illuminated the tops of the surrounding mountains, girls and women in Slavic sundresses embroidered with protective symbols went out to the river with songs to meet Mother Osenina. They brought out a loaf, and after breaking it, the eldest woman set it down the river. And ringing voices began to sound over the morning surface of the river: “Hello, Mother Osenina, giver of the harvest, filling the granaries, turning the annual harvest for the winter! You bring rest to the beasts, and the birds, and the green grass, and the mighty trees, and to us human relatives! You gild the forests, you turn the fields yellow, you deepen the rivers! Hello, Mother Osenina! And then they went up to the clearing, where there is an idol of the guardian of the Family with three symbols, Nav, Reality and Rule - the three essences of the universe - denoting. And the sorcerer of the community appealed to the gods, praising them for the bright summer, for the rich harvest, and everyone brought the required sacrifice of grain, bread and kvass into the fire.

And then the bolder fellows would go to Nav to get a potion of life for Dazhbog the sun, so that the rider on the golden horse would return to the people with a new spring. But on the Kalinov Bridge, which crosses the Smorodina River, blocking the path to Nav, the guard Naviy was waiting for the daredevils, giving tests to the daredevils. Having passed these tests, the brave souls met new ones, offered by Navya for a potion. And when they dealt with this, took the potion, and set off on the way back, the guard on the Kalinov Bridge demanded that one of the walkers be left in Navi. And only after fulfilling his demands did the travelers return, bringing the potion of life for Dazhbog. And they gave this potion to a bird, created from grass and branches of the forest, so that, having burned in the flames of the Krada-bonfire, it would bring the potion to the sun... And after that there were round dances around Krada, and jumping through the cleansing fire, and merry games, and a feast on the mountain ..." The cost of the Tausen bird is 150 rubles.

Changeling doll. Lady-Worker

Play doll. This doll shows how a real Woman manifests herself in the Family and in Life. That a Woman is essentially a Mistress, a Caregiver, a Mother, and most importantly a Goddess. Always knows how to behave, what to do and how to create Comfort, Love and Harmony.Cost 1000 rubles.

The Bird of Happiness

This is a nice congratulations on spring. Since ancient times, birds knitted from bast, straw or rags were an invariable attribute of the ritual of “invoking” spring. Our ancestors believed that birds bring happiness and good luck– birds can include the souls of deceased relatives who love us and help us in earthly life.
The doll is made by hand in the traditional way from bast, and the feathers are braided with colored threads, according to the protective symbolism.
The cost of a bird is 200 rubles.

The solar horse is very simple in appearance, but with surprisingly warm energy.

According to Slavic traditions, the horse is a particularly revered animal. An indispensable assistant in everyday life and a faithful companion of a warrior-hero, the horse was imagined by our Ancestors in the guise of a golden sun, and its lush mane, developing in the wind, resembled the rays of the sun.

WITH horse there were many proverbs and signs associated with it. In fairy tales and epics, the magic horse spoke in a human voice, helped its owner in every possible way, and influenced his fate.

Horseshoes, bells, and horse attributes were considered strong amulets.

harness.

Horses were the embodiment of everything violent, restless and wise. Only a strong and confident rider could tame the mighty horse.

The solar horse is a symbol of fertility and powerful power, brings good luck and happiness to the house, protects against evil misfortunes and dashing people.

The cost of bast is 150 rubles.The cost of a horse is 200 rubles.

So, you have decided to order a doll amulet. What is needed for this:

Having chosen the product you like, you need to place an order to Master Ruslana by writing a letter. After this, the product can be received by cash on delivery by Russian Post.

To do this, you write an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Where:

1. Indicate the name of the amulet and their number.
2. Indicate your detailed address (zip code, address and full name).
3. If the product needs to be charged, indicate the purpose for which it needs to be charged.

After this, you will receive confirmation of your order. Then within 2-3 days we will send you by postal parcel cash on delivery to the specified address. About sending to you Master reports additionally. The payment will include the cost of the product you ordered + postage, which in Russia averages 200-400 rubles.

Slavic amulets dolls: 3

The Cuckoo doll was considered a cure for melancholy and loneliness. They “talked” their problems at her and then burned her.

Here's the information from the site: Derbenevka(folklore and ethnographic center):

Why cuckoo? Certain mythological ideas have always been associated with this bird. The cuckoo differs from other birds in that it does not build nests or hatch chicks; it is believed that this is why the birds drive it out of the forest on St. Petersburg Day. The most persistent beliefs are that the cuckoo is the incarnate soul of the deceased or the messenger of the world of ancestors. In the northwestern regions (Pskov region, Polesie) there is a custom of field voting with the cuckoo, addressing it as if it were a deceased relative or conveying news to it for him. Since the cuckoo is perceived as a mediator between worlds, as a messenger from the “other” world, it is endowed with the ability predict the future.

The ritual appears before us in several versions - the “funeral” of the cuckoo and its “christening”. “We have such a habit that they kept it. And in non-Cathar villages it was called “baptized a kakushku.” There were peasants. Well, make a poop and make a christening. How a child is baptized. And abed, and they walk. If they are baptized, they will bury them.”.

A couple of times it was possible to record, apparently, the complete version of the ritual, in which the doll made on Ascension was baptized and buried, and on Trinity they were commemorated (sometimes tearing it apart). forest; This is how the ritual transformed into a holiday.

They made the doll in different ways. If in other places where the ritual was practiced, the “cuckoo” often became the grass “cuckoo’s tears,” and in rare cases even the stuffed bird itself, then in the Lyudinovo region it was a rag doll, based on a forked birch (sometimes alder) branch. As the performers put it, they “swaddle” her, that is, they wrap her in beautiful rags that the girls bring (“who’s a sweetheart, a caresser”) - sewing was not allowed.

It is interesting that sometimes the doll was made with heels, that is, the end of each of the two branches was forked again; it is possible that this is an ornithomorphic detail indicating bird legs. The “legs” were always swaddled with a red rag, then a traditional girl’s costume was made. Like most archaic dolls, the cuckoo was supposed to be “blind”, that is, without a face, but in later versions they began to draw it.

The made doll is a young girl, this comes up many times in the performers’ remarks - “put the girl somewhere better.” In the phrase “we are giving the girl in marriage” one hears echoes of an ancient sacrifice, although the grandmothers themselves, of course, do not think about it. They explain the meaning of their actions by tradition: “I’m doing it. And in due course, in due course!”

Baptism was quite conditional: “spray it, remember it.” Then the made doll was placed on a window or placed on a bench, a coffin was made, covered with straw, which, according to popular belief, “warms the dead,” and a pillow stuffed with straw was made. Then everything was done according to the traditional funeral rite - the coffin was carried on a stretcher, lowered into a hole on towels, etc. They were most often buried in a rye field, which directly indicates a connection with agricultural magic.

The ritual with the cuckoo was one of the women's spring rituals; girls and young women took part in it; at the same time, girls could do their own “cuckoo funeral.” The ritual was performed secretly; men and boys could not be present to find out about the place of the “baptism” and burial of the cuckoo. To do this, we buried it early, before sunrise: “and then rana we rise to the Ascension, rana-prerana. And we’ll clean it up so the guys don’t find us!”

Guys (in later versions, children) watched over girls on the roofs, tried to spy on and destroy the burial sites. Sometimes it turned out to be secret even for the participants: the funeral was carried out by one or two chosen girls. Particularly brave girls made a fake grave with sewage. The real grave was trampled down so that no one would see, and if a cross was placed, then so that it would not be visible in the rye. Previously, secrecy of actions taken was necessary; according to a description from the beginning of the 20th century, “Not a single peasant woman admits that she knows how to “harness and kill a cuckoo.”

If the grave was torn apart, the boys would bring a doll, mock the girls, and sometimes in mockery they would nail it to a post, along with the bast shoe in which it was buried there. If we take the ritual seriously, in this case the holiday was disrupted, this could portend a bad harvest or a failed marriage, the girls cried a lot; later, of course, there was a more playful atmosphere.

The last stage of the ritual is the wake, or in some places the ceremonial digging up of the cuckoo a week after Trinity. As a reminder, everyone gathered - both boys and girls, made a common table, and eggs were an obligatory ritual food - “Mother boil a couple of eggs and bake them.” There are “so many people, there is so much noise, there is so much fun!”, “and accordions, and songs, and dances, and suffering, everything!”.

During the funeral, they always wailed for the cuckoo, choosing the most skilled pullet in this matter ( “Well, why cry? let Manka cry!”). At the same time, as often happened, crying begins symbolically ( “It seems like it’s supposed to be”), but as " start lamenting and crying in all truth. And we’ll get it, and we’ll get it.”.

Addition

Cuckoo doll, Tula province(in the photo on the right - standing behind, gray).

It was associated with the ancient rite of initiation of girls into girls, into adulthood, the ritual of “refusal of cuckooing.” girls, saying goodbye to their childhood, made a promise not to be a cuckoo, i.e. Don't be a bad mother.

The doll was made by 12-year-old girls on the Feast of the Ascension from the cuckoo's tears grass under the guidance of an old widow. Several girls were collecting grass to make a doll, carefully placing stem to stem. At the same time, it was impossible to break the stem and tear off the root. Everyone made the doll together, tying the stems with red thread. Each girl tried to bring something of her own into the creation of the doll. The oldest grass cuckoo in a dark scarf. Later, a grass doll appeared, dressed in a bright blanket and apron. but in a dark scarf. Another version of the cuckoo doll is the image of a middle-aged woman, perhaps a widow, dressed in dim clothes.

On Ascension, the “funeral of the cuckoo” ritual was also carried out. A hole was dug in the clearing and covered with grass. They buried a cuckoo doll, which the girls made on the same day. The doll was placed along with the girls' gifts (ring, scarf, etc.), making wishes for the year. The cuckoo was sprinkled with grass, earth, and the place was marked. They dug up the doll 10 days later, on Trinity Sunday, and looked at their gifts. If an ant crawled into the ring, then the girl will get married. They took their things off the cuckoo and put the doll on a tree.

The girls “celebrated” through the cuckoo and chose a girlfriend for the whole year. The dressed doll was placed under a birch tree, and branches were twisted around it in an arc. Girls who wanted to kiss each other hung their crosses on them. Then they kissed in an arc of branches, saying: “You are a kuna, and I am a godfather,” and exchanged crosses and dolls. After that, the girls were friends for a whole year and did not quarrel. The next year you could choose the same girlfriend or another.

Informant Agayeva I.8

Cuckoo is a ritual doll that was made by girls for the spring rite of baptism and funeral of the cuckoo, which occurs in some areas of the Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions. In the village of Shelayevo, the cuckoo was woven from marsh grass - kugi, in the form of a small triangular-shaped doll. The stems were intertwined in the likeness of a girl’s braid, and legs and a head were made, which were covered with a scarf or decorated with ribbons. Despite the zoomorphic name of the stuffed animal, anthropomorphic features are clearly visible in its appearance, for example in the names of the parts of the body. The cuckoo's outfit also included elements of girlish clothing: a scarf, a ribbon. The fact that a pair was made for the “cuckoo” - a kukona - suggests marriage motives. The “funeral of the cuckoo” ritual symbolizes the end of the spring season.

On Zvesenyo(Ascension) girls/girls gathered in the garden, bringing with them grass picked from the swamp, as well as a bowl of water. Boys also came to them. In the garden, the girls were weaving a cuckoo and a doll. First they made the head and body. To do this, they took a kugi stem the length of a little finger and another stem about 50 cm long, which was tightly wrapped in a loop around the small one. This part was called head. The rest of the long stem was the base for torso And legs. The body was formed as follows: they took another stem and wrapped it around the main long stem, crossing it in front and connecting the ends to the “legs,” repeating these steps until the body reached the desired size. The stems on the “legs” were tightly tied and trimmed evenly. The result was a triangular-shaped doll, braided, with legs measuring 40-50 cm. A scarf could be tied to the head of the “cuckoo”, and the “doll” was decorated with ribbons.

The number of “cuckoos” made for the ritual in the village depended on the number of streets. As a rule, the group of ritual participants consisted of children who lived on the same street. After the dolls were ready, they kstiles(baptized) - immersed in a bowl of water - “like in church.” Then both dolls were seated on a tree branch, and they themselves began worship: a boy and a girl exchanged handkerchiefs. On Trinity Sunday, the cuckoo and kukona were removed from the branch and buried in the ground under a tree. Kstit The girls went to the cuckoo and worship every year until they got married.

Putting on a scarf for the cuckoo was called weaving by analogy with the stage of the wedding ceremony, during which the bride changed her girl’s hairstyle and headdress to women’s. In the southern Russian tradition, this is the climax of the wedding, in which the entire community takes part. In addition, the “baptism of the cuckoo” and the cumulation of the ritual participants were accompanied by wedding songs of greatness “You are my curly boy”, “From under the stone, stone”.

The cuckoo in Slavic folklore is a special bird with pronounced female symbolism. Most researchers agree that the image of the cuckoo embodies the souls of the dead who have not lived out their lives (see Afanasyev A.A., Zelenin D.K.). And the connection between the cuckoo and the cuckoo, whose kinship rights have been violated or lost, is visible in the desire to replenish them in a ritual way [Gura, 687].

The period of cuckoo cuckooing “from Yegory to Peter” (from May 6 to July 12) in popular belief corresponds to the late spring period. Thus, the end of the cuckoo's song is interpreted as the end of spring. In this context, the "funeral of the cuckoo" symbolizes the end of the spring season.

Currently, only old-timers of the village can make a “cuckoo”, who in their youth participated in the ritual of “baptism and funeral of the cuckoo.”