Straw dolls can be found in the folk art of many countries of the world. Natural material has long been used by people in everyday life and in religious rituals. Weaving appeared in the period of development of human civilization. First, bending branches of trees and shrubs, stems of climbing plants and strips of animal skin were used. Weaved dishes and clothes, shoes and household items, furniture and even the walls of houses.
History of straw weaving
With the advent of agriculture, man learned to grow wheat and other crops on his own. Gathering cereals for food, people after processing the grain must leave straw for household needs. They made litter for livestock, covered the roof of houses, and used cows and goats as feed. I liked this material and craftsmen. Beautiful hats and bast shoes, rugs for legs and baskets or dishes for food were made from straw. Straw dolls were made for children's games, as well as for various ceremonies for the holidays. Gradually, the craft turned into art, because each owner tried to make things from straw not only practical and convenient to use, but also beautiful in appearance, wanting to surpass the skill of neighbors and villagers.
Despite the fact that we live in the 21st century, straw toys can be found both in our homes and in mass festivities. In the article, we consider the history of straw dolls, what significance they had in the life of the Slavic peoples, where they can be seen in our time. Readers will also learn how to independently make a doll for a child to play or at an exhibition, endow it with healing properties or create a talisman for members of their family.
Material value
As you already understood, the Slavic peoples made every possible use of straw in their household activities, but the remnants of threshed grain also had a magical significance for the peasants. People endowed the stalks of cereals with divine power, they believed that the magic of the grain field was enclosed in them. Peasants performed numerous rituals both before planting wheat and during harvesting, begging the gods for favorable conditions for the growth of cereals, because the life of all members of society depended on it.
People decorated the first collected (“zhinochny”) and the last (“pre-zhinochny”) sheaves. There was a tradition to weave the last stalks of wheat among themselves, leaving them untouched on the field. They decorated them with bright ribbons and flowers. They made wreaths of spikelets on the girls' heads, and used them to decorate the premises. Soon, the harvest ritual grew into folk art, traditions were preserved from generation to generation. Huge straw dolls, the so-called stuffed bread, were made from the last sheaf she had collected. It was believed that there is the spirit of bread. Different nations had their own external features. But there was only one meaning for all - to appease the gods in order to get a good harvest.
Shrovetide Celebration
Many traditions of the ancient Slavs are preserved in our time. So, in the last week before Lent, Maslenitsa is celebrated. This is a traditional celebration of the meeting of winter and spring. Farewell to winter cold is celebrated on a grand scale. In addition to delicious pancakes and dumplings, people are going to the ceremony of setting fire to a straw scarecrow, which symbolizes winter.
The last day of the holiday week used to be celebrated differently, depending on the province. Some carried a straw doll in a sleigh so that everyone could say goodbye to winter. Others organized an entire Pancake week train of hundreds of wagons. There is a tradition to mourn a scarecrow during a funeral procession with priests and weepers from behind. A scarecrow of winter was put in a trough or even a real coffin and carried through the whole village so that all the inhabitants said goodbye to him.
At the end of Shrovetide, the straw doll was set on fire. Often a funeral meal was thrown into the fire - boiled eggs and pancakes. The ritual ceremony of burning the "bread spirit" ended with straw and ash being collected and scattered across the field, which symbolized the future resurrection of it in the grains of a new good harvest.
In olden times, people wove small straw dolls and stored them in houses in the most prominent place, dressing them in clothes and scarves. On the last day of Shrovetide, dolls were thrown into the stove and also burned, and the rest of the straw was given to livestock.
Doll weaving
Parents have long made voluminous figures for their kids. In addition to its direct purpose as a toy, the doll was also endowed with the properties of a talisman or drug. So, in the straw during weaving, fragrant herbs from coughing or other adversity were added.
According to the tradition of the Eastern Slavs, such a doll did not depict facial features. According to beliefs, an evil spirit can infuse into a figure with a face, and if it is not there, then the doll was considered an inanimate object, so the spirits will not linger there.
There was a tradition before the wedding to make large figures of the bride and groom and put them at the gate at the entrance to the courtyard. Since straw symbolized fertility, the dolls were supposed to contribute to the appearance of offspring in the family.
Straw doll "Strigushka"
This is the most popular type of straw dolls, often called dancing dolls. Their main feature is that the lower edge of the skirt is not braided, but is trimmed evenly with scissors so that it holds the vertical position well. The children loved to play with her as follows:
- The doll was placed on a flat board. Used the surface of the table or stools.
- The child banged his fist next to the doll and she started dancing - bouncing on the spot and spinning in different directions. It was an impression that she really performed dance moves.
Children in every possible way rejoiced at such a dance, so parents often wove a “ring” for the kids.
Making straw dolls
If you decide to learn the art of weaving from natural material, then we will further consider how to make a straw doll with your own hands. First you need to go to the wheat field after harvesting and pick up a long straw. A small beam will be enough.
The straw must first be held in hot water or under a stream of steam so that the material softens and becomes flexible. Straw has an excellent feature - after twisting the figurine, the wet material dries and takes the necessary shape, keeping corners and bends well.
Work on the figure of the doll begins with laying out a bundle of straw on the surface of the table and cutting the edges so that they are even. Next, a strong frame is made by bending the beam in half. Wet material will do this job perfectly, unlike dry straw, which will crack at the bend of the material.
Woman doll weaving pattern
We will start the straw doll workshop with reinforcing a bundle of straw on the frame. You can use both wire and a wooden stick. A prepared bundle of straw is put on a rod folded in half. Leave the top untouched. This will be the head of the character. At the level of the proposed neck, wrap the wet straw several times tight and tie the knot in the back. Weave the long ends below into the body of the body.
Separately, the wire is made by hands. A bundle of straw is tied around the edges, and the rest is braided with a pigtail. Between the rods of the upper body, just below the neck, insert this braided wire and bend it with your hands down. Then you can either simply dress the straw on the waist line, or create a dress with harnesses through the neck. In this case, another thin beam is put on the finished doll with an excess around the head. The material crosses in front and is tied again at waist level.
The doll can be bandaged with thin satin ribbons, mainly reds are used. Sometimes edging with embroidered ornaments is selected. At the end, trim the length of the skirt and the edges on the hands with scissors. Now you know how to weave a straw doll with your own hands. Following the steps presented above, you can easily cope with the task.
Next, we will figure out how to make a male character.
How to make a boy doll
Getting started resembles the previous version. If you want to make the doll a rounded head, then you can roll a ball from straw and insert it when bending the first bunch. The frame in this case was not used, since the boy from below has straw that will be divided into two separate bunches for the formation of legs.
When a large bundle is folded in half, tie a hemp thread or a straw firmly at neck level. Hands are made separately, only for the male character we will not weave a pigtail, but leave the magnificent sleeves of the shirt untouched. Only the edges depicting the hands are tied.
Tie your waist directly under this bun. Divide the lower "skirt" in half and tie at the very bottom of each bundle with straws to separate the feet. At the end, trim all sections with scissors and the boy's figure is ready!
Ritual doll "Ten-handled"
Such a doll with ten hands, according to tradition, was given to a girl for a wedding. Each hand symbolized some skill of a good housewife. The bride had to be able to do everything around the house - to cook, eat, clean, wash, care for children and livestock, grow a garden and harvest wheat in the field and much more.
Each hand was tied up with a ribbon of its own color and the girl spoke to her so that the doll would help her in her work. If you want to make "Ten-Hand" yourself, then wrap a thread around the body with a cross so that your hands hold tight and do not move.
Now you know how to make a straw doll. Try it, you will surely succeed. Good luck