Every little girl knows that a doll is not an ordinary toy. She can not only swaddle, dress up, feed and put to bed. You can consult with a doll, entrust her with your secrets, share your joy and problems. Because she is almost alive. Almost like us.
Growing up, most girls forget about it. But in vain. Psychologists say that dolls help to get rid of complexes and failures. And magicians say that with the help of special, magic dolls, you can ward off any misfortune, protect yourself from curses, attract money, love, happiness. In short, to radically change life.
PUPPETS ARE DIFFERENT
When it comes to magic dolls, the association immediately arises with creepy voodoo dolls, which are used by sorcerers to induce a curse.
A wax figure with a scary face, studded with pins or knives from head to toe, is such an unattractive picture that the imagination draws. But the wax killers are far from the only creatures in the voodoo puppet pantheon. And their worldwide fame can be explained quite simply: horror is now in vogue.
In fact, dolls in the magical tradition of voodoo are very different. The most common are generic. They are now in almost every family. Such a doll is inherited from generation to generation: it is believed that it preserves the traditions and wisdom of ancestors, accumulates energy and protects households from any misfortunes.
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In some families there is another, secret guardian doll. They hide it away from strangers, and each generation supplies such a doll with its own amulets and talismans to provide maximum protection from enemies. Such a doll was usually started by people who were once threatened with serious trouble, or families who were at war for several generations.
Broomstick dolls were in almost every home. Their task is to sweep away all that is bad. Outwardly, they also resembled small panicles - like straw dolls in Europe and Russia.
Love dolls were made in order to attract or return a lover. And wedding - to provide newlyweds with a happy and comfortable life. Such dolls, by the way, are still very popular now. They are made before the wedding and passed on to the guests.
Before the dolls are given to the bride and groom, everyone present must express their wishes to the young and attach a pin to the doll - otherwise family life will not work out. For example, so that love is eternal, pins are attached in the heart area, and so that money is always found in the family - to the pockets of the groom doll. After all the guests have taken part in this ritual, the groom-doll is given to the bride, and the non-West doll is given to the groom. Young people carry them to a new home.
It is believed that wedding dolls will keep the happiness, love and well-being of their owners all their lives. True, there is one but: you need to be completely sure that all guests sincerely wished the young people well. Otherwise, these dolls will bring big trouble to the young family.
If the help of a certain deity is required, a special, cult voodoo doll is made. It is endowed with special attributes, decorations, talismans, and most importantly, they make it as similar as possible to the prototype. Such a doll is made by a priest who puts the necessary energies into it, conducts the appropriate rituals, and speaks. And then the cult doll is placed on the home altar, which is never allowed to outsiders.
There are other magic dolls, popularly called Ju Ju. They are believed to bring good luck and provide all-round protection. You can make them yourself, but in order for the doll to work at full strength, a voodoo priest must consecrate it. Ju Ju is decorated with colored threads, hung with amulets, stuffed with special herbs and roots. Sometimes they are made from dried crocodile heads and chicken bones, sometimes from the bones of a black cat, which, according to voodoo beliefs, is one of the most powerful magical animals.
Naturally, there are many more varieties of voodoo dolls. But, I think, it is already obvious that killer dolls are far from the only ones, and even more so - not the most popular magical creatures of the ancient cult.
OUTLAW
Magic dolls were widespread in medieval Europe, which today, for some reason, many have forgotten. And they were not always used with good intentions. For example, in 1329 the French monk Pierre Ricordi was sentenced to life imprisonment: the servant of God admitted that he created love dolls by mixing wax with a few drops of his own blood and saliva. Then he buried the figurine at the threshold of the house of a woman he liked, and she was given to the monk. At least three victims of his love spells are known.
Other sorcerers did not disdain murder. To do this, the hair or nails of the victim were mixed into wax, they achieved the maximum resemblance to the person they wanted to squeeze out of the light, and sometimes they sculpted wax figures in full growth - just like in modern museums. If the Inquisition succeeded in catching such "puppeteers", they were immediately burned at the stake. However, the servants of the Inquisition were not particularly discriminating: it was possible to go to the fire for a harmless bereginya doll and even for a children's toy.
But despite massive repression, the dolls survived (and so did magic). Until the 20th century, Day-Night dolls were passed down from generation to generation in many European villages. These are dolls: ka with two faces - white, daytime, and black, night. Its task is to guard the home around the clock. The first who wakes up must turn the doll with its bright side, and the last one who goes to bed turns it face up at night.
Men in most countries were not allowed to puppet magic. However, sometimes they also got special dolls. For example, before a long separation (if the spouse went to war, went to work or travel), the wife made a doll for him from her old clothes, often with a lock of her own hair. Such a “wife in a pocket” protected her husband in difficult moments, and also made sure that he remained faithful to him.
Healers and healers actively used dolls. For example, in Muslim countries, doctors did not have the right to examine women, so the patients showed where it hurts on a special doll. In Europe and in Russia, healers stuffed dolls with medicinal herbs and stones that have a beneficial effect on certain organs - patients always carried such dolls with them (often under clothes) until the illness receded. Sometimes dolls-diseases were made: the healer took all the unhealthy energy from a person, transferred it to the doll, after which it was burned, and the patient recovered.
The ancient Slavs were accompanied by dolls throughout their lives. Even before the birth of the baby, a swaddling doll was made: a small piece of wood was cut, wrapped in rags and placed in a crib: so that the future baby would grow up healthy and calm. In many areas, the girl made the Rozhanitsa doll even before the wedding.
They used their own old clothes, but they could not be cut or sewn: so that the child's life was "not chopped, not cut." As the name suggests, Rozhanitsa helped to get pregnant and give birth to healthy children. When the baby was born, a nanny doll (or a nurse doll) was placed next to the cradle: she protected the child from damage and the evil eye. And if the baby did not sleep well, they made an Insomnia doll for him: it was twisted from rags, and then a special conspiracy was read. People believed that an evil spirit that interferes with sleep would play with this doll and lag behind the child.
By the way, about perfume. Our ancestors never made faces for dolls: they either drew or embroidered a cross, or left them completely empty: it was believed that an impersonal doll was safe, but if it had human features, an evil spirit would enter it. Or the doll itself will pull the soul out of its owner.
Almost every girl and woman had a Zhelannitsa doll, which, as you might guess, fulfilled the mistress's cherished dreams. Such a doll was dressed up in a beautiful sundress, decorated with ribbons and beads. And the doll the Friend-Plakushka performed the function of a vest or a psychologist.
For the wedding, couple dolls were presented to the young, or, as they were called in some areas, Lovebirds. Usually they were made by bridesmaids from a torch and multi-colored patches. The Lovebirds had a common hand: a symbol that newlyweds should go hand in hand through life. And wedding dolls protected the family from the evil eye and unkind people.
Young housewives were presented with beregin dolls. Coins, wool, grain were sewn into them so that there was prosperity and prosperity in the house.
Some dolls were made once in a lifetime, others annually. But in any case, if the doll broke, crumbled, became too dilapidated, it was burned and replaced with a new one: it was believed that it had exhausted its resource and would no longer help a person, on the contrary, it could harm.
In some areas, two magic dolls were made - Dolya and Nedolya. The first task is to protect the home and its inhabitants, to attract happiness and well-being. The second should absorb all the negative, including damage, evil eye, curse addressed to its owners.
Nedoli were burned during holidays or rituals (if not broken before). But Dol should be cared for and cherished, not thrown anywhere, not given to small children (so as not to accidentally spoil it) and kept away from prying eyes.
BABY GAMES
It has been noticed that in recent years, many women have become interested in making dolls. It would seem, why would a successful businesswoman or a happy mother of a family make rag toys? There are more exciting and necessary activities. But, according to psychologists, this is, firstly, completely natural, and secondly, very useful. In ancient times, the so-called household magic was an exclusively female affair. Our great-great-grandmothers embroidered patterns (which had a certain meaning), made dolls (protecting the home and family), decorated the home (at first glance, with ordinary trinkets, but in fact - with powerful amulets).
Women put their energy, a piece of their soul into any product - and everyday magic worked. Of course, such things were rarely saved from the spell of a real witch or sorcerer. But from the envious eye of a neighbor - very much even. And today nothing has changed in this respect. With the help of a homemade doll, you can get rid of the burden of the past, become more confident, successful, loved, and attractive.
The main thing is to make it only in a good mood, constantly thinking about fulfilling your dream. We must not forget about external similarity: the doll should remind you (at least to yourself). To do this, you can give her your ring or pendant, put a coin from your own wallet in her purse. You can weave a strand of your hair into her braid.
Another important detail: let your wish come true be embodied in a doll. For example, if you want to lose weight, make her skinny. If you want to get rich, fill your doll's purse with coins, and so on. For those who have recently experienced a tragedy or cannot get rid of certain problems, psychologists recommend sewing a “doll of despair” (or “doll of suffering”, “doll of trouble”).
During work, you must try to put the maximum of negative emotions into your doll, saturate it with your own pain, fear, resentment. And when everything is ready, such a doll must be buried or burned. True, it is better to do this with the support of a psychologist: so as not to harm yourself. And, of course, you should not be engaged in amateur performances when it comes to magic, it doesn't matter whether it is black or white. A magic doll is really capable of removing damage from a mistress, arranging her career and personal life - but a real magician must make it.
Elena BIRYUKOVA
