Ceremonial doll cuckoo. Ceremonial dolls Cuckoo and Birch

The main attribute of ritual actions was a cuckoo doll or a character dressed as a cuckoo. Most often, the "cuckoo" was depicted in the form of an anthropomorphic doll, less often - in the form of a bird. It was made from plant material: from the grass "cuckoo's color", or "cuckoo's tears", birch branches, straw. A human or bird figurine was decorated with colorful shreds and a scarf. A stuffed cuckoo or a live sparrow was sometimes used as a ritual attribute. The doll, as a rule, was dressed in the clothes of one of the participants or in a specially tailored dress, the elements of which corresponded to the girl's costume.

Mandatory details of the attire were a pectoral cross and decorations - ribbons, beads, monista. Sometimes the "cuckoo" was swaddled and tied with ribbons like a child, or dressed up in a wedding dress with a veil. In the Kaluga province, the doll was dressed like a widow or an orphan - in a sundress of dark colors and a black scarf; at the same time, the ritual emphasized the absence of a married couple in the “cuckoo”. In such cases, they said: "The cuckoo is a widow, because her husband was not enough for her." In the Belgorod region, on the contrary, two dolls representing a married couple participated in the ceremony: the “cuckoo” was dressed in girl's clothes, and the “kukuna” - in men's. It happened that the doll was wrapped in a shroud, like a dead person.

The ceremony began with the collective production of a "cuckoo": each participant brought a patch and a ribbon for the doll. The girls together collected the necessary plants, sewed clothes for the cuckoo. They pooled together money to buy material for the doll and food for the meal. The finished doll was often fixed on woven birch branches or under a tree. From above it was covered with scarves and towels. In a number of places, the "cuckoo" was placed in a small coffin, painted on the outside with paint, and upholstered with cloth inside; his girls made themselves or ordered. Sometimes a candy or soap box was used instead. Laying the "cuckoo" in the coffin, some participants in the ceremony wailed, as if mourning the deceased, others sang and danced nearby.

A feature of the ceremony was the procession of girls and young women with a "cuckoo" through the village. During the rounds, the girls collected from each inhabitant an egg or money for their meal. The procession was accompanied by songs:

At le-le-le, we are going to the meadow,

Wu le-le-le, we are carrying a kokushka

At le-le-le, and the kokushka is pockmarked

At le-le-le, and to whom are you godfather.

In some areas, the cuckoo procession resembled a funeral procession. At the same time, the coffin with the "cuckoo" was carried in the backyards so as not to meet fellow villagers. At the head of the procession was a girl with a coffin lid on her head, followed by another, portraying a priest and mournfully fulfilling prayers. Two participants carried a stick on their shoulders with a coffin tied to it with towels.

The procession went to the forest, to the field, to the river or to the cemetery, where the "cuckoo" was "baptized" or "buried". During the “baptism”, one or several crosses were hung on the doll, the sign of the cross was made over it three times and dipped in water. At the same time, “kuma” and “kuma” were chosen for the “cuckoo” - a boy and a girl, after which the girls themselves flirted with the “cuckoo”.

At the "funeral of the cuckoo" in the forest or on a rye field, they found a secluded place, dug a hole there, covered it with beautiful shreds and then buried the "cuckoo" with a "funeral". The girl dressed as a “priest” read prayers, and the rest sang special songs:

Farewell, farewell, little cuckoo

Goodbye, goodbye, ryabushka,

To new to birches,

Until the red before dawn

To the new to the grass.

dove girls

Gossips-friends,

Twist you wreaths

An article about the spring-summer rite called the cuckoo's funeral, or cuckoo's baptism

Marina Altshuler, researcher at the Folk Music Center of the Moscow State Conservatory

Ascension is coming soon, in a peasant way "ushestye", or "sixth Thursday". Here is a cuckoo doll for you, this was done in some places in the south-west of Russia precisely on the Ascension, and then they were solemnly buried. This doll was made for us by a grandmother from the Lyudinovsky district of the Kaluga region.

"Cuckoo"

Why cuckoo? Certain mythological representations have always been associated with this bird. The cuckoo differs from other birds in that it does not build nests and does not breed chicks, it is believed that it is for this that birds drive it out of the forest on St. Peter's Day. The most stable beliefs are that the cuckoo is the embodied soul of the deceased or the messenger of the world of the ancestors. In the north-western regions (Pskov region, Polissya) there is a custom of field calls with a cuckoo, addressing her as a deceased relative or passing her news 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 to predict the future.

The rite appears before us in several versions - "cuckoo's funeral" and her "christening". we are such an abychay that they harassed us. And in non-Katari villages it was called "baptized poop." There were christenings. Well, make a poop and make a cross for her. How a child is baptized. And Abed, and walk. If they are baptized, they will not bury it.”

A couple of times it was possible to record, apparently, the complete version of the rite, in which the doll made on Ascension was baptized and buried, and commemorated on Trinity (sometimes tearing it apart). In many villages, under the name "baptize the cuckoo", only the third stage of the rite remained - the actual wake with fun in the forest; so the rite was transformed into a holiday. They made the doll in different ways. If in other places where the rite was used, the “cuckoo’s tears” grass often became “cuckoo”, and in rare cases even the actual stuffed bird, then in the Lyudinovsky district it was a rag doll, based on a forked birch (sometimes alder) twig . According to the performers, she is “swaddled”, that is, she is wrapped in beautiful rags that the girls bring (“who is what mahorik, caress”) - it was impossible to sew at the same time.

It is interesting that sometimes the doll was made with heels, that is, the end of each of the two branches forked again; it is possible that this is an ornithomorphic detail denoting bird legs. “Legs” were necessarily swaddled with a red rag, then they made a traditional girl's costume. 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 slips many times in the replicas of the performers - “put the girl down and better.” In the phrase "we give the girl in marriage" echoes of the ancient sacrifice are heard, although the grandmothers themselves, of course, do not think about it. They explain the meaning of the actions they perform by the tradition: “I usually do. And forever, forever!”.

Baptism was rather conditional: "spray, remember her." Then they put the made doll on the window or put it on a bench, made a coffin, covered it with straw, which, according to popular notions, “warms the dead”, made a pillow stuffed with straw. Then everything was done according to the traditional funeral rite - the coffin was carried on a stretcher, lowered into a hole on towels, etc. Buried most often in a rye field, which directly indicates a connection with agrarian magic.

The ceremony with the cuckoo was one of the women's spring rites, girls and young women took part in it; in parallel, girls could do their "cuckoo funeral". The ceremony was performed secretly, men, guys could not be present at it and know about the place of "baptism" and burial of the cuckoo. For this, they buried early, before sunrise: “and then we rise to the Ascension, the wound is interrupted. And we’ll save it so that the guys don’t find us!”.

Guys (in later versions - children) guarded the girls on the roofs, tried to peep and ruin the burial place. Sometimes it turned out to be secret even for the participants: the funeral was carried out by one or two chosen girls. Particularly courageous girls made a fake grave with sewage. A real grave was trampled down so that no one could see, and if they put a cross, then so that it was not visible in the rye. Previously, the secrecy of the actions performed was necessary; according to the description of the beginning of the 20th century, “Not a single peasant woman confesses that she knows how to “unload and avenge the cuckoo”.

If the grave was still torn, the guys brought the doll, mocked the girls, sometimes mockingly nailed it to the post, along with the bast shoes in which she was buried there. With a serious attitude towards the ceremony, 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 ceremony is the commemoration, and in some places the solemn digging of the cuckoo a week after the Trinity. Everyone gathered for the remembrance - both the guys and the girls, made a common table, and the obligatory ritual food was eggs - “mother to boil a couple of eggs and bake a drashchenu”. There are already “so many people, there is so much noise, there is so much fun!”, “and accordions, and songs, and dances, and suffering, fsyo!” .

During the funeral, the cuckoo was sure to lament, while choosing the most skillful pullet in this matter (“well, why should we cry? Nada Manka cry!”). At the same time, as often happened, the crying begins symbolically (“What seems to be wrong”), but how “to start lamenting and crying in all truth. And to charge, and we will charge ".

You can participate in the rite of baptism of the cuckoo on the Trinity, June 12, 2011. at the Hollow Hills Festival

More recently, they talked about, which is actually called the Lark. It was not in vain and not at all by chance that the ancient Slavs used such images, noting the features, advantages and negative qualities of each of them. They used all this in their rituals and customs to improve their share or get rid of negative energy.

Judging by this introduction, today we will have something similar? - asks Veselina.

Yes, that's right, - I answer, - moreover, you will like it, because the Cuckoo doll, the heroine of today's publication, is a doll designed specifically for girls.

Wow! - she exclaimed, - we haven’t had anything like this yet, but I didn’t understand why there are two dolls with the same names at once?

This is because the Cuckoo doll took part in several rituals, while they differed in essence. Therefore, in one case, the doll took the form of a bird, and in the other, it was made like a girl.

Well, let's figure it out.

Doll Cuckoo - history and meaning

Everyone knows that the cuckoo differs from other birds in its, to put it mildly, peculiar attitude towards its own offspring, laying eggs in the nests of other birds. The situation, although repeatedly encountered in the animal world, is very unusual. At the same time, the hatched cuckoo in the very first hours makes its place under the sun, pushing all the other eggs or chicks already living there out of the nest. In this regard, among the ancient Slavs, the cuckoo began to be associated with the unfortunate fate of a person living without a family, alone, without children and relatives.

No one wanted such a life for themselves, so our ancestors performed the “cuckoo funeral” ritual, the name of which fully corresponds to the process of its execution. The cuckoo was indeed buried, that is, buried in the ground in the hope of never adopting its inherent qualities. The main object of the ceremony was the Cuckoo doll, which was made in the form of a bird from plant materials - grass, hay, straw, bast, flax, and so on. This ritual is one of the stages of the initialization of a girl into a girl, when she consciously accepted the responsibility and importance of family life and motherhood.

I must say that in different regions it was always present in folk traditions, despite the fact that it was performed in different ways. In some places, it was obligatory to perform it in secret not only from men, but also from the majority of fellow villagers, and the discovery or destruction of the burial place of a doll was a sign of various misfortunes. Other people, on the contrary, before the funeral of the Cuckoo, demonstrated it to the whole village, solemnly carrying it through the streets, and the discovery by the guys and the opening of the grave was the next stage of the ceremony, ending with a joint meal.

Between these two examples, there are about a dozen more variants of the cuckoo's funeral, which are different to one degree or another. Such changes occurred, most likely, from the stratification of other customs and the influence of the generic features of the life of various Slavic peoples. This only says that the rite of "funeral cuckoo" is a very ancient Slavic tradition. By the way, those of our readers who were born in the twentieth century will surely remember the childish fun of burying all sorts of hiding places and secrets in the ground. But this is nothing but the echoes of the rite we are discussing. So here it is.

The peculiarities of the life of the cuckoo allowed the ancient Slavs to endow it with special mythological properties. This bird was assigned the role of the embodiment of the soul of a deceased person who did not live the years allotted to him in full. Therefore, this messenger from the world of the dead wanders around the white world, finding no shelter anywhere. In this regard, the cuckoo was endowed with the gift of foresight and prophecy, and today everyone knows the ritual when, during the cuckoo, they asked the bird about the number of years left to live.

The cuckoo's cuckooing time is from early May to mid-June, at which time the cuckoo's funeral ceremony was held. Later, the layering of Christian customs more accurately defined this period - from the Ascension to the Trinity, that is, from 40 to 50 days after Easter. In general, the time for celebrating or celebrating the end of spring took place “from Yegory to Peter” - in the period from May 6 to June 12.

On the same days of farewell to spring, the ancient Slavs performed the “cuckoo baptism” ceremony, during which cumming took place, that is, two girls, and sometimes a boy and a girl, confessed their sympathy to each other and promised mutual friendship over the next year. The Cuckoo doll, made in the image of a girl, was a witness of this ceremony - this is the second version of creating a doll. Apparently, and above all - by name, this custom has nothing to do with the ancient Slavic traditions, but appeared after the Christianization of Russia in the process of eradicating, replacing and perverting the meaning of true customs. Too many absurdities in it. Okay, back to dolls.

Therefore, we have two Cuckoos - a bird and a girl? - Vesselina sums up this part of our conversation.

Quite right, since Russian people have been doing this for many centuries, we cannot neglect it, - I answered, - and now let's look at these dolls and find out how they can be made.

Cuckoo doll - how to make

Looking at the dolls, you can immediately understand that they are made according to the same principle - by type in the Central Russian version. In addition, if you are familiar, then you will note the obvious similarity of the design. Therefore, I will probably not say a lot of words here, so as not to tire readers with repetitions. We will tell only about the features and details of the creation of these dolls.

Doll Cuckoo, two options - a girl and a bird.

In the Cuckoo doll in the form of a bird, the main differences are a small beak and a horizontal position. The beak is made from a small bundle of the material you have chosen, and this is grass, hay, straw, bast, flax and the like, which is inserted into the bend of the doll's base, pulled over and cut off in the form of a cone. For beauty, you can divide the wings and tail into several bunches, dragging them with a red thread. Finishes work with the doll by putting on a scarf on her head.

Doll Cuckoo, the basis for the design of both options is Kuvadka.
Doll Cuckoo, bird - with a beak, fluff wings and tail.
Cuckoo doll, we make out the girl's hands with palms.

The Cuckoo doll in the image of a girl is also made on the same basis. The doll is dressed in accordance with the customs that were accepted in the region where it is made. Therefore, at this stage, you can act freely, at your discretion, but within the framework of traditional options. A rather widespread option is when short bundles are tied to the hands of the doll, pointing down, thus imitating wings. For reasons unknown to me, my doll was clearly opposed to such additions, and I already understood that such things need to be listened to and given due attention to them. Therefore, this Cuckoo turned out without imitation of wings.

Well, we flew, - Veselina said contentedly, playfully trying to perch on the Cuckoo bird.

Oh, well, okay, so I’ll get there, goodbye, - she defiantly scraped on the threshold and, under the reproachful look of the Cuckoo girl, proudly left the workshop.

She was not in a hurry at the same time, so both Cuckoos quickly caught up with her, and before reaching the turn they were already chatting and giggling animatedly about something.

Well, that’s all for me today, once again I urge all visitors to our site to make dolls, be interested in the customs and traditions of our ancestors, study the history of our people - you will notice that your life will become more pleasant and interesting.

Thank you all for your attention, I wish you a good rest over the summer, get enough vitamins and good impressions for the year ahead.

Natalya Ovsyannik
Published in the journal "Unknown World"

Cuckoo ... Everyone has their own associations with this word. It would seem that a bird is like a bird. Inconspicuous, grey. But how many of these birds live in our forests? There are thrushes, and robins, and woodpeckers, and jays. There are birds more vociferous, more elegant. Why is it with the cuckoo that there are so many signs and winged (like a bird) expressions? What do you have in common with this bird? Let's guess:

The cuckoo knows how long I should live

And she doesn't want to raise her own children! She throws them not just to grandparents, but to completely alien (I almost said “people”) birds. That, in fact, is all the knowledge of most of us about this amazing bird. There are, of course, special cases of relationships with cuckoos, but this is an exception. I will talk about some of them later.

But why was the cuckoo in a special position among almost all peoples with ancient highly developed cultures? Among the ancient Hindus, it was dedicated to the god Indra, among the Germans - Thor, among the Greeks, Zeus appeared in the form of this bird. These gods signified the life force that nature is full of. All peoples recognized the cuckoo as a kind of heavenly messenger, anticipating not only the phenomena of nature, but also predicting the course of human life. However, this concerns a rather late period in the history of mankind. Much earlier, during the reign of the Great Mother, under matriarchy, it was the cuckoo that was the symbol of the Goddess.

All these considerations came to my mind when I thought about the Cuckoo doll and the rites and rituals associated with it. And among the dolls, as well as among the birds, the Cuckoo has a special place. First, it refers to cleaning dolls. Most other dolls are made to collect and preserve some valuable energy, quality or substance for a person. Such dolls are kept in the house in an honorable (or secluded) place. They are talked to, admired or played with. Often such folk dolls are, in the apt expression of one of my good friends, Zenon, “canned happiness.” The cuckoo is made in order to get rid of it right away.

Secondly, rituals associated with the cuckoo were widespread. According to the testimony of old people, "cuckoo's funeral" and "cuckoo's christening" were celebrated in every village in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. At the same time, the external signs of the action could differ significantly even in the villages located in the neighborhood. It is noteworthy in this regard to note that completely different plants could be called "cuckoo's tears": orchid, plantain, agave, wild cereal grasses, or even insects! But these same “tears” were always present everywhere.

What is the basis of such rituals and dolls? What elements of ethnopsychotherapy can be seen here? How will the genetic memory of modern man respond to an attempt to reconstruct the rite in accordance with the descriptions of ethnographers? After careful preparation, I decided to look for answers to these many other questions during the next summer intensive held by the Berkana studio.

When was the feast of the cuckoo celebrated in the old days? There is no exact timeline. Most often, the “cuckoo” holiday was timed to coincide with the Trinity. But "Cuckoo" could take place a week before the Trinity, and much later. Obviously, it would be fair to compare the holiday with the traditions of the Mermaids or “green saints” (Ukraine), which, in turn, are oriented towards one of the most important points of the octal wheel of holidays of the solar cycle. This is the summer solstice. In some places, it was also held on the eve of the wedding.

At the heart of each such rite is the "Cuckoo". Its external forms are extremely diverse. It happened that at the festival the Cuckoo was portrayed by a girl with her hands raised above her head: her wrists touched her head, clenched fists were folded together and tied with a scarf. In a number of places, the figure was made from a colorful scarf, pieces of cloth. Such a doll was also called Marinka, Marynka, Arinka. In the Bryansk region, she was distinguished by her large size and represented a "healthy girl made of rags." These names of Cuckoo give reason to assume that the custom is associated with Marena, the Slavic goddess of the night, dark moan of being.

The cuckoo girl or her realistically made counterpart, obviously, indicates that in ancient times, at the moment marking the transition of nature to winter, our ancestors sent living messengers to the gods and ancestors in advance to ask them for help in the upcoming difficult cold season. Why a girl and not a guy? Because the second half of the year is the time when the powers of God gradually decrease, and as the night lengthens, the influence of the Goddess grows.

This mission was honorable and responsible. For her, they probably chose the best and purest girls. But, despite the certainty that the shining, beautiful Vyry or Svarga awaits the envoy, the parting was sad, and cuckoo's tears watered the envoy's last journey.

Occasionally, a stuffed bird, usually a cuckoo, could be used as a Cuckoo doll, less often - a live bird - a sparrow. In recent times, Cuckoo was still called a doll, which was based on the grass "cuckoo's tears", "dawn", "cuckoo", "dream". They also added an iris flower, birch branches, and straw to it. The collected herbs, often uprooted, were specially braided, giving them the appearance of a human or bird figure. Decorations were indispensable elements: ribbons, beads, monista. In some villages, the cuckoo was swaddled and tied with a sling like a child. In other places, they dressed in a belted shirt and a black scarf, less often, in a sundress of dark tones, like a widow or an orphan.

And it is absolutely difficult to recognize a living messenger girl in a plant decorated with ribbons, beads, scarves, be it a spruce, a branch of a birch, bird cherry, mountain ash, elderberry, willow or pine. A bouquet of herbs and flowers could act as a Cuckoo, as well as a wreath tied with a red ribbon, which certainly included the herb "cuckoo's tears". In the Tula province, the Cuckoo was even called a building like a hut, which was based on two cut bird-cherry branches, “buried” with both ends crosswise into the ground. The branches were decorated with colored rags, flowers and, again, "cuckoo's tears" grass.

It is curious that the orchid plant, most often popularly referred to as "cuckoo's tears", is now also called "Cossack Viagra". Its root consists of two ovoid tubers, of which one is larger, old and flabby (black), and the other is young, juicy (white), many thin roots depart from it. It is said that the fresh juice of young tubers excites sexual feeling, while old tubers suppress it.

"Cuckoo's tears" were used for magical purposes. To improve relations between spouses, the wife needed to drink her husband with an infusion of this root. This belief is based on the notion that the plant's double root signified a husband (black) and a wife (white).

This plant was also used for divination. The young women guessed about the gender of the unborn child by its dug root: if the root is long, then there will be a boy, if more rounded - a girl. They also drank a decoction of this root, saying: "Kokushka, bear me a son-daughter." Fortune-telling was carried out during the rite of "cuckoo's funeral", which will be discussed at the end of this publication.

The two-leafed love is very close to the orchid, it has only two leaves, like a lily of the valley. Lyubka grows most often in deciduous mixed forests, among shrubs, in thickets, less often in meadows. In Ukraine, the two-leaved lyubka is called "night" or "love me, don't leave me" for the fragrance that intensifies at night when the flowers bloom. Less commonly, love is called a night violet or "cuckoo's tears."

Dried orchis and lyubka retain their aroma. Orchis and Lyubka help the malnourished and the elderly well: "The orchis in bad weather calls for happiness."

There is an ancient legend that the one who, with the sunrise, along with its first rays, will enter the waters of the lake, along the banks of which the orchis blossoms, will gain beauty and health, and eternal youth.

They say that the heart of Prince Igor was forever given to a simple girl-carrier Olga, when she gave him a sprig of orchis, "cuckoo's tears." This is the power that plants bearing such a modest name contain.

It is a pity that the orchis, as well as Lyubka, are now endangered. So that our children and grandchildren can admire and recharge with vitality from these wonderful plants, they are listed in the Red Book in Ukraine.

Doll Cuckoo - bird

From the whole variety of Cuckoo dolls for the reconstruction of rituals, I chose three. I'll tell you more about each of them.

The first doll Cuckoo is a bird. Let's remember "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" - a wonderful monument of medieval Russian culture. Here, in her weeping, Yaroslavna would like to fly like a cuckoo along the Danube, moisten the “be bryan sleeve” (i.e., decorated with a martial ornament) in the Kayala River and wipe the bloody wounds of her husband, Prince Igor, with it. The magical power concentrated in the sleeves of the shirt, in scarlet ornaments, should heal, heal wounds, fill the body with strength, bring health and good luck. It is important for you and me that Yaroslavna chose the image of a cuckoo for the alleged magical action.

The first lesson dedicated to the Cuckoo-Bird doll was conducted by a mixed team: men and women. Despite the fact that, as a rule, the “cuckoo” holiday was purely for women, researchers described cases when men also took part in them.

At the very beginning, all participants were asked to think about who the cuckoo will learn about the number of years of life left for us? Why in ancient times, even before Christianity, in the form of a cuckoo, people represented sadness itself for the departed, and, in particular, for dead people? In many old songs, the cuckoo flies to grieve over the souls of the dead. Among the Serbs, on wooden grave crosses, it was customary to depict as many cuckoos as relatives are sad for the deceased. All peoples recognized the cuckoo as a thing, a heavenly messenger, anticipating not only the phenomena of nature, but also predicting the course of human life. She is equally aware of the worlds of the living and the dead.

It is noteworthy that in the lesson, which took place in nature, in an amazing place of power, Besh-Tash, the cuckoos themselves took a lively part. Everyone noticed that as soon as the discussion began, this bird spoke very close by. She noted especially successful statements with cuckooing and boisterous screams. It was fun and amazing, and gave what was happening a kind of mystical authenticity.

So, during the discussion, we suggested that the Cuckoo could become our personal messenger to the world of our ancestors, to the temporal depths of our Family. She can convey to the ancestors what our soul asks for.

For the first Cuckoo, we prepared armfuls of grass-ant and ribbons torn from the fabric used earlier in the family.

The design of the Cuckoo Bird is not at all complicated. It is based on a kuvadka (the simplest folk doll) with winged arms. With the help of rags-ribbons, the head and beak are formed in a certain way. The body is “wound” with red yarn, on the chest there is an oblique cross.

The first shock for the participants, especially those new to puppetry, was the amazing variety of Cuckoos that came out. We did them for only a few minutes, and discussed much longer. Cuckoo birds made of simple grass differed in size, wingspan, fatness, and elegance. Someone used only leaves, other Cuckoos flaunted a variety of carefully selected spikelets, some were thoroughly “rooted” (grass that escaped with roots, according to custom, is woven into the doll). The discussion in pairs provided a lot of food for thought.

The next stage of the ball was the transmission of messages. We tied colorful ribbons on the wings of the Cuckoo. And each of them carried something secret. Someone, taking advantage of the opportunity, said hello to one of the recently (or long) departed relatives. Many sent sincere gratitude to the world of their ancestors for inherited talents, health, native land, just for their lives. There were also those who asked for support from their ancestors. Indeed, in the family of each of us (and therefore in our genetic memory) there are many talents, skills, and various abilities. We only need to truly believe in it and want to activate the potential of the family in ourselves.

“The Cuckoo is chirping. About what? What is he singing about? What is he grieving about? What is broadcasting? Or call someone? Children abandoned, but not forgotten? Relatives gone, but standing behind a tree with kind eyes. Look around - you will see, you will remember.

So I don't look back. Once. A life. City. Care. Where are you? - dad, grandparents, those whom I have never seen, but knew; who did not see and did not know? What to tell you? How to choose words and are they needed, words?

I take grass, spikelets. They smell of earth and childhood. I'm making a doll. A tail made of spikelets, wings made of grass. One ribbon for those whom I don’t know and haven’t seen, one ribbon for those whom I didn’t know, but saw in old grandmother’s photographs. A few beautiful ribbons for my unborn children: the first son that has been standing before my eyes all my life. Daughter and son, whom she did not allow to be born. Eh! I would be smart, like now ...

Dad ... I didn’t love you enough, I didn’t understand. And you are already younger than me ... Grandmothers, grandfathers! I love you.

Grandma Manya! I even remembered your mud hut under the thatched roof... And I won’t find the grave!..

Fly - fly, Cuckoo! Tell my family that I love them and ask for forgiveness.

It is so difficult and so simple from grass - ants to send a letter to loved ones and the departed.

And the impossible becomes possible.

They thought that the memories of the departed would be sad and sad, but it turned out to be light and joyful. Having greeted and thanked the departed generations, we seem to have received support and blessings from them.

Now all we had to do was send the Cuckoos flying. To do this, we dispersed through the surrounding forest-fields in order to find a place for our messengers. And here, as it turned out, it was not we who commanded, but our grass birds. Someone's Cuckoo wanted to stay very close to the place of his birth. My messenger, took me far into the steppe, and wanted to be on a small, slender wild pear. And only when I hung it on a branch, I saw that from this place an unusual view of the entire Besh-Tash and the surrounding steppes opens up.

The most surprising was the case with one of our men. His Kukun led to a tall acacia and wanted to establish himself almost on its top. The man climbed to the desired height in a couple of minutes and, having secured Kukun, just as quickly descended. And only standing on the ground, he saw that the trunk of the southern acacia was densely studded with long thorns. It is impossible to believe that the climber escaped even a small scratch. Not otherwise than Kukun raised him on his wings!

And our sorcerer Veleyar saw with his own eyes: as soon as he hung the messenger on a branch, a transparent silhouette of a bird separated from him and soared into the heavens. There was only a bunch of grass left on the branch.

Cuckoo - girl

The second Cuckoo is associated with the so-called "conspiracy of women." So, according to tradition, they call the existing (and, of course, existing) secret female mysteries. They are among the most ancient and mysterious. Once upon a time, all over the planet, on all continents, women gathered in order to perform the sacraments aimed at the birth, continuation and preservation of Life. And, of course, to recognize the greatness and express respect for Death. Life and Death are two great Women, inconceivable one without the other. That which is not born cannot die, and that which is born cannot but die. These sacred mysteries are originally associated with a woman and through her come to the male world. It so happened that over the centuries of patriarchy, the women's mysteries fell into decay and were almost forgotten. Traces of them have been preserved only in fairy tales and village holidays that existed until recently. And, of course, in our genetic memory. We then decided to awaken her with the ritual of "burial" and "baptism" of Cuckoo.

We managed to find a wonderful place not far from the camp. On the border of the field and the forest, the inclined crowns of the trees formed a shady and at the same time light grotto-temple. The floor of this natural temple was covered with a thick springy carpet of silk grass. In the center, as if by order, a small tree grew, marking the altar. But before going to this green temple, we talked about the second aspect of the cuckoo - the mother who tosses her children into other people's nests.

Why is the cuckoo doing this? - Probably the ornithologists have their own answer. But we reasoned from the point of view of women.

Obviously because she does not have her own nest.

Where are the nests of other birds?

The male makes them!

Do male cuckoos exist?

Interest Ask! In this regard, I remembered how, once looking out the window, I saw woodpeckers “making love” on a spruce branch growing opposite. I caught myself being sincerely, childishly amazed: after all, all woodpeckers are “men”! So are all the cuckoos in my mind "women". And not only in mine. Something I don’t remember a single song or proverb where the “cuckoo” would be masculine.

So what are the qualities of the mysterious “kukun” or “kukui”? Suddenly, one of my students came to the rescue. A city dweller, a professional artist with appropriate powers of observation, she said that for several years now she has been observing scenes from the life of cuckoos in her dacha.

It turns out that the male during the mating season shows miracles of ingenuity and perseverance. He is unusually beautiful courting, demonstrating devotion and "the most serious intentions." But, having barely achieved what he wanted from his chosen one, he instantly loses interest in her and evaporates. And she, no worse than Yaroslavna, remains for a long time in the place where their stormy romance unfolded, plaintively calling on her lover who has flown away. How it all ends, we all know well.

The only thing she manages to do for her child is to endow his egg with a shell of such a color that the adoptive parents do not recognize it as a foundling. And this “orphan with living parents”, having barely been born, is forced to survive as best he can. And, despite the selfless care of foster parents, in due time he will again repeat the family scenario of biological mom and dad. Isn't it a painfully familiar story?!

So what was the “cuckoo funeral” ritual aimed at in the old days? This is what we tried to learn from our own experience.

The entire female population went to the green temple. They greeted the Great Goddess, the mother - the cheese of the earth and the sister-voditsa. A sacred ceremony began: the creation of a creature generated by the Earth and a woman. The external difference between this Cuckoo and the previous doll is small. This is also a kuvadka, but she is a girl, not a bird. Her hands, although they resemble wings, are not. And instead of a tail - a skirt.

These dolls turned out to be more dexterous and also with their own character. Women of all ages participated in the process. Were among us very young and exchanged fifth dozen. But at some point, everyone turned into girls. We showed each other our dolls, calling them by name (Cuckoos are called the same as their creators). It was necessary to say how old Tanya (Natalyushka, Svetlanka) is, what kind of character she has, what she dreams about and what she hopes for.

And so, when all the Cuckoos were introduced and got to know each other, and it was a lot of fun, I offered to tie on their heads, pre-prepared scarves from black shreds. And silence reigned ... The women, shocked, looked at the suddenly changed dolls.

I asked questions: What happened? Why did Svetlanka put on a headscarf? How old is she now? How does she feel? And how are you?

Women looked into themselves, and answers were born from within:

She is just as young, but she is a widow. She has been married for nothing. It's hard for her. She doesn't know how to live...

Now there is a big war... Many men died. But mine hasn't lost anyone close to me. She just does not want to stand out among other women and respects their grief.

And mine aged overnight. She is very old, but she has only become stronger. Like stone.

Natalyushka went to the monastery. She dedicated herself to God and people. She gave up family happiness, so that the orphans would also have a place to lay their heads. She is calm and bright.

Where did these answers come from? From what depths? From what lives? From what great-great-great-women of the family? And each personal story made it possible to cry out tears that had dried up in the depths of the soul or to feel the strength and courage of a woman who endured the blows of fate and did not break.

When it seemed that our dolls told everything about themselves, I again proposed to make changes: to put on them the stocked scraps-reserves (aprons, aprons). Another metamorphosis! The dolls have changed. Now, despite the black handkerchiefs, they looked smart and businesslike, more secure, as everyone present noted. Here it is, the magic of folk costume! Now we wear an apron only to keep clean clothes from getting stained. And more recently, a spare tire or apron was an indispensable part of a festive outfit. It was decorated with ornaments that help not only protect the most important part of the body for a woman, but also strengthen and increase her childbearing power. Isn't it true, what a contrast with the modern fashion for the maximum exposure and "pulling away" of the female body? Is this not the source of the quagmire of barrenness that engulfs Europeans? Perhaps this is the price for neglecting the wisdom of the ancestors?

But back to our Cuckoo-women. Now they looked mature, but still girlishly slender and light. I suggested to my friends, looking at their cuckoos, think about what women's problems each of the participants cannot cope with? What girlish character traits prevent you from putting things in order in your life? What mistakes do we keep making with a consistency worthy of better application? And remembering all this, in a certain way, hang your burdens (tufts of grass) on the right hand of the Cuckoo. And then - an indispensable reflection:

What do you feel?

What do you see?

What do you think?

The next step concerned our merits. Indeed, it often happens that, having achieved definite success, we then do not dare to leave the cherished peak and get stuck in place. And imperceptibly the peak turns into a trap. It was possible to move further, but, enjoying the triumph, we missed the moment. And the train left.

Looking at Kukushki with a burdened right wing, we recalled our former "female" merits.

- “Fifteen years ago, tight trousers suited me (or rather, to ...). Maybe it's time to switch to skirts?

- “I am a caring mother, who is aware of all the affairs of her child. But the child has become an adult. Maybe it's time to let him make his mistakes while I start learning Japanese?

“For many years I have been proud of my unsurpassed talents in accounting. Maybe, finally, allow my husband to take responsibility for the family budget, and finally, I can seriously engage in the study of astrology?

And if there really was a feeling that we could try to let go of the outdated "perfections", we tied them to the left hand-wing of the Cuckoo.

Our Cuckoos got an unusual, fabulous look. Toli wings, toli sleeves of a magic dress. Remember: Yaroslavna's “be bryan sleeve” ?!

It would seem that you can let our beauties fly, but something was missing. What? And here we will look for the answer in a fairy tale. Do you remember the stories about the "Babin's" daughter and the "Did's" daughter? The poor stepdaughters, before receiving well-deserved rewards and happiness, left their home to pass tests and meet with Baba Yaga, Aunt Metelitsa, Morozko or the fairy godmother. In fairy tales, the evil stepmothers were the reason. But somehow it always turned out that it was the persecuted stepdaughters who turned out to be the winners, and the terrible "Baba Yagas" - the true benefactors. You probably already guessed that in these fairy tales these evil stepmothers were not strangers at all. So why did they drive their daughters out “to look for snowdrops in winter”? And why did the good fairy appear on stage every time, even if she is Baba Yaga?

The institution of godparents has always existed (and not only with the adoption of Christianity). They were spiritual parents. They were responsible for their goddaughters, but the lack of blood relationship made this relationship free from parental fears, guilt, prejudice, and much more that happens (and is necessary for survival) between biological daughter-mothers.

An integral element of the Cuckoo holiday was kukuska. We decided on our own experience to check how this mechanism works. When the Cuckoos with the names of the participants were ready, I suggested that everyone carefully look at each other's faces and choose a godmother for their girl. Interesting choice! Perhaps the most difficult and most natural thing in the world. It is difficult for those who seek to enlist some kind of mandatory features or rules for leadership. It is easy for those who take a step, looking into their own heart. And it is rarely wrong. In our ritual, when choosing, however, one rule had to be observed. It was impossible to choose a participant who already had a goddaughter as a godmother to her Cuckoo, and to her godfather. Thus, each woman received one ward Cuckoo and two godfathers: the first, which she chose herself and the other, who chose her.

The choice of kuma is something from a long, long time ago. Remember: on the bank of the river or in the sandbox, you, five years old, see a girl or a boy, it doesn’t matter. This little man is enthusiastically building a sandcastle. You suddenly and strongly want to join, and without hesitation, you say: “Let's be friends!” and hear - "Come on." In a minute, you are laying a new road together, building a tower, or planting a park. It doesn’t matter if this friendship lasts an hour or a lifetime (it happens). The main thing is that you are together and the world has become fuller and more exciting, and safer from this. Now, as adults, it takes us months and years to forge the path of friendship. Embarrassment, suspicion, embarrassing misunderstandings, or simply mental laziness prevent us from receiving and giving the friendly support that is so necessary for us and our children. And also the prevailing opinion that female friendship does not exist.

And there, in our green cozy and solemn temple, women, slightly embarrassed, peered into the faces of their comrades in order to discern the sparks of a kindred glow. In turn, we crossed the circle, and, kneeling down, looking at the girlish smiling face through a special “cumulus” wreath “bond”, we said: “Be my (Cuckoo’s name) godmother, and my godmother. So that we never quarrel and help each other in everything! Then they kissed through the wreath three times and handed the goddaughter to the new "fairy".

To give away, to let go of a being that has become so dear, a particle of yourself. To see how other people's hands carefully take the airy grass figurine, gently press it to the heart, carefully cover it with a handkerchief. Glowing with tenderness, excitement and unexpected pride, the face bows to a small head and lips whisper some strange, ancient and very important words. The love and care of a fairy godmother can give support on the path of growing up. And it's so important to get it on time. And in this green temple, each of us miraculously learned how it is to have a fairy godmother, to be such a godmother and become a godmother, at the same time gaining a godmother.

“And again the grass is an ant. Thin, soft. Cuckoo like a girl. She herself is thin, fragile, and her hands are confident, her head is slightly to the right. It seems that all the worries will part with his hands. My heart hurts, it’s hard, but it will come out - morocco boots, hands on hips and spin and sing, and dance: “Look at me! It's hard, but I'm dancing! Scary, but I'm dancing! So I will cry. And I'll do it!"

I took a closer look. Someone Cuckoo reminds. Or maybe it's me? Yes, and each of the girls looked at her own and seemed to recognize herself in the portrait: both the face, and the stature, and the character.

I will give my worries to the Cuckoo, my pain and fears. Yes, I'll give up the past. So that it does not interfere, does not lead astray, and opens the way for a new one. I will tie three bunches of grass on each hand and give everything with them.

The cuckoo got heavy. It seems to have become stronger. Yes indeed. Troubles, joys ... All mine! I'm just becoming more stable.

Cuckoo - a girl was born, but no godmother. I will choose a godmother for her, and I myself will become the godmother of another girl. I will become a support, and I will be supported.

I gave my Cuckoo to my godfather. We kissed through a wreath - it became warmer. I took the Cuckoo from another godfather. Totally warm!

In accordance with the law of "female conspiracy" men are not supposed to know his secrets. These include the Cuckoo pupae. The godmother talks to her ward, revealing women's secrets and tricks, takes her for walks, puts her to bed. And all this happens away from men's (even one's own husband or son) eyes. Our goddaughters were to remain secretly with us until the approaching day of the summer solstice. Then the Kupala fire will be lit. Thanks to its pyramidal shape, it is designed to carry our gratitude, joy, hopes for a good future and love for our native gods into the sky. Together with the flame of the Kupala bonfire, our Cuckoo-girls, goddaughters, will also rush into the sky. And each godmother, by the light of the moon, laying the doll on the fire that had not yet flared up, gave her last parting words. And when the merchant flared up with a bright flame, along with his crimson tongues, Annushka, Svetlanka, Marishka flew off into the starry skies on their “brown” sleeves, carrying away our imperfections and perfections, from which we have already grown.

Goddaughter cuckoos flew away, and we became a little cleaner and more stable. And we also got gossip sisters, with whom we became related in these amazing Kupala days.

Cuckoo - mermaid

The third Cuckoo was completely different. It is made one for all from a stocking filled with rags. At the same time, each participant brings a shred of her clothes for a common doll. The design of the Cuckoo is very fast: a dense rag cylinder with a barely marked head, swaddled like a baby. It turns out if it’s a baby, if it’s a larva, if it’s a little mermaid. A scarf is put on the head, certainly red. The red color here is not just a symbol of life, but it is also a signal of excitement, anxiety and even danger. I understood this only after living through the entire ritual associated with this Cuckoo. Another distinguishing feature is her face. After all, traditionally folk dolls are faceless or their faces are decorated with solar crosses, like Ukrainian motankas.

I knew that ritual dolls do not have faces, because each of them has an invisible face of its owner. And if you draw a face, then the doll will live its own life or open access to the owner's inner world. And if someone takes possession of it, he will receive power over it. This theoretical information was initially taken into account by me. I did not break the rules, but as it turned out, I did not have a deep understanding based on personal experience.

And here is the Cuckoo-baby, on the stocking face of which you need to draw a face ... We again gathered in our green temple. Now a black scarf with a beautiful large floral pattern is spread out in its center. Our married ancestresses covered their heads with such Khustins. In the center of the scarf lies a faceless diaper, a little smaller than an elbow. Green body, scarlet handkerchief, white face. The assembled women look at her and at me with curiosity: what's next?

I take the doll in my hands and draw wide-open eyes with long eyelashes with a blue felt-tip pen. And a miracle happens! The doll looks at me tensely and attentively. She listens! I know for sure that I don’t need to draw anything else: the mouth and nose are superfluous.

From ethnographic materials, I know that young girls trusted such Cuckoos with their girlish fears, disappointments, resentments. After all, every girl dreams of a prince, or at least a good fellow. She is preparing to live in white-stone chambers with a caring mother-in-law and a kind father-in-law. And he dreams of healthy, obedient and smart children. And she herself will never grow old, and life will be bright and festive. And, of course, the self-assembly tablecloth will save her from dirty, boring, thankless homework.

Every girl believes that this is how it will be for her. And when the exciting period of grooming ends and the wedding dies down, like a bolt from the blue, the question arises quite unexpectedly: “Who will take out the trash?!!!” This is where the fairy tale ends. And often the last hour of a wedding is the first step towards divorce. This means that there is one more Cuckoo in the world. And she will cuckoo for a century alone or with a cuckoo thrown to her grandmother (maybe also an elderly cuckoo). And only lonely, slightly shed Kukuns will occasionally land on its branch.

Our ancestors were well aware of this danger. After all, every girl should have a dream. It is she who will allow the young wife to bring notes of a fairy tale into her life and family. But business time, fun (fairy tale) hour! And there was the Cuckoo holiday, during which the girls buried unnecessary girlish illusions and carelessness along with the Cuckoo doll. Similar ceremonies were held in the Russian week. They were attended by girls who had reached childbearing age (12-16 years). Such holidays were accompanied by processions through the village. Upon their completion, the girls were considered girls and moved into the category of potential brides.

"...That was a long time ago. The father had three daughters: Maryushka, Daryushka and Arinushka. The feast of the Trinity came and, as usual, they wove wreaths for themselves from azure flowers and went to the river to guess at their betrothed, mummers. Wreaths are floating, floating along the river, and suddenly - a bright falcon flew in, grabbed Maryushkin's wreath - and carried it to heaven. A gray-winged drake flew after him, grabbed Daryushkin's wreath - and carried it away over a steep mountain. And only Arinushkin's wreath floated, floated along the river - and suddenly fish emerged from the water - green eyes, and Arinushkin's wreath was carried away into the abyss of water.

The sisters came home and told their father about the wreaths. The father thought, and said to them: “Well, Maryushka, the boyar son will woo you. A merchant's son will woo you, Daryushka. And Arinushka, you know, Vodyanoy woo...”

The matchmakers arrived: the boyar's son wooed Maryushka. Soon the merchant's son also betrothed Daryushka. And Arinushka - no one woo. One day she went to the well to draw water. As soon as she lowered the bucket, she hears a voice from the water: “Girl, girl, I’m your soo-u-married! ..” Arinushka asks: “Who are you?” - “I am Vodyano-oh-oh ...” - “No, I will not marry Vodyanoy!” - Arinushka shouted and ran away from the well.

And the next day she went to the forest, for berries. She went to the spring to get drunk, and from the water again the same voice: “Girl, de-e-e-e-evushka ...”. She threw down her basket and ran home from the forest.

And on the third day she went to the river to rinse the linen. She leaned over the water - and suddenly a green hand seized Arinushka - and pulled into the water! And the voice again: “Girl, de-e-e-e-evushka, I am your betrothed ...” Arinushka was frightened, she sees: on the shore, a willow is standing. Arinushka asks the willow: “Willow, willow, bend your branches over me, save me from the Water One! ..” And the willow to her: “I’m afraid of the Water One.” Arinushka sees: the deer went to the river to get drunk: “Deer, Oleshka, save me from the Water One bend your horns over me!” And the deer was afraid of the water one: “Yeah, he will drag me with him later ...”

A cuckoo flew over the water, took pity on Arinushka and crowed: “Waterman, Waterman, let Arinushka go, otherwise I’ll bore you with death!” - “I’ll let go-oo-oo-oo,” said Vodyanoy, “as soon as she becomes ... a cuckoo: she will yearn for a century - cuckoo in the forest!” And Arinushka told him: “Better to be a cuckoo than to live underwater with a merman!” He hit her with a green water hand - and she turned into a cuckoo. The cuckoo fluttered - and flew into the forest.

The cuckoo flies, about the father, yearns for his sisters, cries about his misfortune. She could not bear her will ... She fell from a height to the ground, hit - and crashed. And then a flower grew in the place where she fell, and they called it "cuckoo's tears."

Since then, the girls have been looking for "cuckoo's tears", dress them up like a girl in elegant dresses, and bury them to the song:

"Don't cry, little cuckoo, don't cry, little ryabushka,

The Trinity will come - it will take away all sorrows ... "

In some areas, village girls retired to the forest before the wedding. They danced and sang sad ritual songs. The main content of these songs was that marriage would be a burden and a heavy burden, that the lost girlish freedom was fraught with slavery and all sorts of sorrows. The negative aspects of marriage, the rudeness of men, the hardships of a slave position in the household, family, raising children, etc. were described in detail. All this was entrusted to the Cuckoo doll, and after general mourning and mourning, she was buried in a certain way, and girls with a light heart and a sober attitude could start a family life. This allowed the young wives to avoid cuckoo, gave the necessary margin of safety, and the new family of stability.

It is unlikely that any of the modern women at the right time took part in such rites. Now we had to experience its effect for ourselves.

So, sitting on the grass carpet of the green temple, I hold in my hands the blue-eyed Cuckoo. Inside her, along with rags, are particles of each of the women present. I know that the Cuckoo can be trusted with what is hidden in the farthest corner of the heart: resentment, disappointment, vulnerability of a girl's soul. What has been accumulating for years and, having no way out, was hiding from me myself.

I take in more air into my lungs and ... exhale it without a single word. I take a breath again, and again I can’t say anything out loud. Tears boil in my soul, helplessness and real despair. Now, if you knew the words of the song, which could help express! But I do not know. Inside the words sound, but there is no strength to say them aloud. At the same time, I understand that the women in the circle are waiting, and if I cannot pronounce my innermost, no one will say. And I exhale: “Oh, Cuckoo, why are all men so weak?! Why is there no one to rely on at all? .. ”The dam has been broken and lamentations are pouring in half with tears. And the cuckoo listens intently. And every word penetrates into her cuckoo soul and finds a response in it. She absorbs my sorrows and disappointments, and understands everything. Finally I can say it. And with every phrase, an emptiness arises in the soul. She is light and easy. I pass the Cuckoo to my neighbor and hear a deep, drawn-out sigh: “Oh, Cuckoo…”

The cuckoo walked around the circle and again found herself in the center of a black scarf with red flowers. Now we will put her in a secluded place under a bush. Here she will remain until dawn. If any of us would like to complain about something else to her, it can be done. As far as I know, that's what happened. During the evening, first one woman, then another, disappeared from the camp and returned after a while with an enlightened face and eyes shining with tears.

I said that we would bury the Cuckoo at dawn and that I would not wake anyone. When at five in the morning I got out of the tent, all our women were already waiting for me - elegant, with their heads covered, in skirts. Excited and solemn.

We silently went out into the field. The sun had just appeared over the horizon, and on each bright leaf of young corn huge sparkling drops of dew trembled. "Cuckoo's Tears!" - I thought.

We moved in single file to the temple. The cuckoo was in place. She stood, in her scarlet handkerchief, and from her open blue eyes, it seemed that female pain and bitter resentment were about to spill out. But she persevered! So small and so strong. And then our tears flowed like a river. We again passed the Cuckoo from hand to hand. They said goodbye, thanked, told her about their love. And she died...

I walked in front, behind me on a scarf the women carried the Cuckoo. Each of the girlfriends held his edge. According to the rite, seeing off the Cuckoo, they sang special songs. But we don't remember them! And I just played a melody on the ocarina that poured from my soul. And the women sang along without words. It was a song about female weakness and strength, about love and pain, about faith and hope. About Life and Death.

Waist-deep in dewy grasses, we descended into the lowlands. There, at the bottom of a rocky gorge, flows, overgrown with reeds, the purest crustacean Karatysh (“Black Stones”). I lowered the Cuckoo into its spring water and covered it with a wreath, through which the contract of sisterhood was fixed. The chrysalis, like a mermaid, hid in the water.

In the minds of our ancestors, the cuckoo was associated with water mavkas, mermaids. And they were representatives of the world of the inanimate, incarnations of unborn (destroyed in the womb) or unbaptized children who died. The baptism and solemn farewell of the Cuckoo doll freed the shackled fruitful power. The Great Mother could now send the women who turned to her, the souls-embryos of future children.

And now the reed has closed over the fast water, and the Cuckoo has gone to the Great Goddess, taking away our sorrows and sorrows. We returned to the camp with a feeling of lightness and youth. Ahead was a life free from unnecessary insults and childhood disappointments.

“And here is another Cuckoo. All of it is from what is hidden deep in us. From pieces of cloth that touched the body, from our insults and sorrows. The eyes of the doll are huge, as if filled with tears ...

Listened to each one. And what did they say? How in life they stumbled, how men offended, how children did not understand. They told about the betrayal of loved ones, about their uselessness to relatives. The Cuckoo listened to everything, but she won't tell anyone. Our tears dry on her cheeks. How can you tell about this - words are not enough. And why would anyone else know about it? After all, the Cuckoo will die tomorrow and fly straight to the Great Goddess. He will tell her and ask for protection, love, understanding for his girls ...

The Cuckoo lived with our grief during the night, but in the morning she was gone. The heart could not bear the pain. They buried her with sad, heavy songs. They carried it on a scarf to the river and put it on the water ... Let the Cuckoo swim.

Tell, Cuckoo, Mother Goddess how painful it is for her daughters to live on earth. Tell their grief, shed their tears, give away their insults. Let her kind, gentle hand stroke her daughters, and remove sorrow and pain.

Swim, Cuckoo, and we let you go. Let us remember with a kind word, a warm thought, an endless hope.

Irisha

At breakfast, we arranged, as it should be, a cheerful commemoration. To do this, they prepared an obligatory ritual dish - "Vanyushkin's scrambled eggs" on the fire. Eggs are broken into boiling water. This means that life, locked until then in the Egg, is released, and our energy, fettered by resentment, has returned to us in the form of awareness and life experience.

So the messenger of the gods revealed to us some of her secrets. Seeing off - meeting, funeral - birth. For a girl to be born, the girl in her body must die. In order for a wife to be born, a carefree girl leaves. In the old days, at each of these important and difficult passages, we were seen off and met, accompanied by rituals, songs, appropriate outfits and hairstyles. From this, life had more certainty and order, and not the soul - peace and security. The old cannot be returned ... Or is something still possible? After all, the participants in our experiment became lighter and easier! As if they cleaned carefully in their souls, as in the upper room before the holiday. Dust and cobwebs from the far corners were swept away and flowers were removed. Maybe those that are called "cuckoo tears"? Do you want to try? Maybe we'll see you next summer?

And now thank you, Cuckoo! Thank you, distant ancestors for your wisdom! Thank you, gossips - girlfriends! And thank you, dear reader!

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

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

The sun gives us the opportunity to exist and act. Nourishes all living things with light. It endows us with such qualities: responsibility and punctuality (the Sun shines for everyone the same way 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 A man helps to manage (rule) affairs, household, business, etc. The doll is given to a man for skillful business and changes in Life.

It is advisable to put 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.The cost is 500 rubles.

In the central provinces of Russia, there were traditional rag dolls Kuzma and Demyan. Name days of Kuzma and Demyan 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, skillful doctors, they healed the mental and physical torments of people, treated animals, and free of charge, for which they were called unmercenaries.

Kuzma and Demyan are considered the patrons of the family hearth, the holiness and inviolability of marriage, the organizers of married life. They are also the patrons of crafts - "handicraftsmen", especially masters of blacksmithing and women's needlework.The cost is 300 rubles.

Doll Cuckoo, Cuckoo

An ancient rite of "funeral cuckoo". This is the initiation of 12-year-old girls into girls and their entry into the world of adulthood. This ceremony was performed before the Trinity. It consisted of the following: the girls went into the forest and made sure that no one followed them. There they danced round dances, sang songs and made friends. As a sign that two girlfriends became godmothers for 1 year, they exchanged wreaths and dolls specially made for this purpose. These dolls were a reflection of the hostess, because by 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 clear up, removing the obligations of a benevolent attitude towards each other, but this happened extremely rarely. How can one be angry with a godfather if, along with her doll, she is entrusted with a part of her own soul! After all, when making a doll, the girl made an effort, thought about her, put all her skill into this work, and now she is given to her friend!

After the exchange of dolls, the girls dressed up in rags and shreds, a straw doll specially made for this occasion. It was made from dried grass "cuckoo's tears". Then the girls buried her, they didn’t necessarily bury her, but in the sense they hid her, got 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 fate of her offspring. After the ceremony, the girl is considered a girl. Thus, this rite demonstrates the rejection of "cuckoo", the proclamation of motherhood. Girls say goodbye to their childhood by making a commitment to “not be a cuckoo”.

The Cuckoo doll was considered a cure for longing and loneliness. Their problems were "slandered" at her, and then burned.

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. Men's - in the sense that a man was depicted, but he was intended for girls. Such dolls were called puppets. This doll is made on the basis of a kuvadka. There was such a doll in the Tula-Kaluga region, which is why she has the name Tula-Kaluga man.
The Tula-Kaluga peasant is a play doll designed for fun for children.The cost is 100 rubles.

Pupa Sudarushka

There is a legend about her.

One woman's daughter fell ill, and nothing helped, the daughter was melting day by day. The woman despaired, 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 that, the girl recovered.

Doll Sudarushka - refers to play dolls. Sudarushka is dressed up in those clothes that are closer to the Soul or at will.The cost is 800 rubles.

Doll "Novgorod Princess"

(or "Novgorodskaya Bereginya") refers to amulets, some rituals are associated with its manufacture.

At weddings, the young were equated with the prince and princess. If a 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 roll in the bath. The water from the sick woman was poured onto the 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 being the case, birch bark does not rot. Therefore, during the ritual, the woman drained herself of the disease, 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 Sadko Novgorod festival.The cost is 800 rubles.

Simeon the Stylite

Simeon the Stylite - ritual doll.

It also has a name - Simeon the Pilot, Romeol the Stylite.

This amulet is a symbol of the infinity of life, the masculine principle, without which the feminine is weak and fruitless. Later, a tradition appeared to give this amulet - the Simeon the Stylite 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 bride arrangement began, at the time of general festive festivities. Kuklak mounted on the top of the pillar, on which the guys climbed, demonstrating their strength and valiant prowess. The winner was awarded Simeon the Stylite and admiring attention of the best brides of the village!The cost is 200 rubles.

Boy Column

A column boy - a play doll was made by her girls in order to understand how guys work and how they differ from girls. And in order not to be afraid of these differences, because without this "secret" the emergence of a new life is impossible.The cost is 300 rubles.

Doll Lady

Doll Lady- play doll for older children. It is made in a sewless way from a rag twist. A distinctive feature of this game Lady's dolls are braided hands. Doll quite simple, but at the same time difficult for young children. Therefore, it was made exclusively for older kids. Costume dolls It was a skirt, an apron and a scarf tied in a summer style.The cost is 300 rubles.

This is a traditional play doll. This name of her "Madonna" is used by modern craftswomen. She is the image of a mother. From childhood, girls play with dolls, often games are called daughter-mothers, losing, trying on the image of a mother, learning to handle a child on a doll. This doll shows the purpose of a woman, to raise children, which is why girls are so responsive to her.The cost is 200 rubles.

Doll Kolyada

ritual doll

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

The celebration of Kolyada took place from December 25/January 7 (Christmas) to January 6/19 (Epiphany). At this time, the most severe frosts were observed, according to ancient beliefs, coinciding with the revelry of unclean spirits and evil witches. The celebration of Kolyada, with its fun 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 win and drive away evil spirits, those who celebrated his day burned bonfires, sang and danced around them.

All Christmas carols went with Kolyada. This doll is a symbol of the sun and good relations in the family. She was a portly woman, dressed in everything new and smart. Bread and salt are in bags suspended from the belt. A broom is stuck in the belt, with which Kolyada drives away evil spirits. On behalf of Kolyada, carolers wished Happiness and Prosperity. They sang joyful songs glorifying the owners.

Carols are made of two types. 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

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

It is no coincidence that from this moment the time of Weddings begins, which lasts until Maslenitsa itself. Amulets are prepared for the fall - in order to avoid a prize and diseases, old things and worn shoes are burned, and children are poured 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 mutilate or jinx it. The more bast shoes, the more reliable protection. And in the room, onions are hung with lashes 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.

“In the early morning, when the sun had just illuminated the tops of the surrounding mountains, girls and women in Slavic sarafans embroidered with protective symbols went out to the river with songs to meet Mother Osenina. They took out a loaf, breaking which, the eldest let it flow along the river. And sonorous voices sounded over the morning smooth surface of the river: “Hello, Osenina-Mother, harvest giver, filling the granaries, turning the yearly ring in winter! You bring rest to the beast, and the bird, and the green grass, and the mighty trees, and to us relatives! You make the forests golden, you make the fields yellow, you deepen the rivers! Hello, Mother Osenina! And then they climbed to the clearing, where the idol of the guardian of the Family stands with three symbols, Nav, Yav and Rule - the three essences of the universe - denoting. And the sorcerer of the community appealed to the gods, praising them for a bright summer, for a rich harvest, and each brought into the fire a sacrifice of grain, bread and kvass.

And after the brave fellows, the path to Nav was for the potion of life for Dazhbog-sun, so that the rider on the golden horse would return to the people with a new spring. But on the Kalinov Bridge, which is across the Smorodina River, blocking the path to Nav, the guard Naviy was waiting for the daredevils, giving trials to the daredevils. Having passed these tests, the daredevils met new ones, Naviya's mistress offered for the potion. And when they coped with this, and took the potion, and set off on their way back, the guard on the Kalinov Bridge demanded that one of the walkers be left in Navi. And only after fulfilling his requirements, the travelers returned, bringing a potion of life for Dazhbog. And they gave this potion to a bird, created from herbs and branches of the forest, so that, having burned in the flame of Krada-bonfire, it would bring the potion to the sun ... And there were after dances around Krada, and jumps through the cleansing fire, and fun games, and a mountain feast ..." The cost of the Tausen bird is 150 rubles.

Changeling doll. Mistress-worker

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

The Bird of Happiness

This is a lovely spring greeting. Since ancient times, birds knitted from bast, straw or rags have been an invariable attribute of the rite of "calling" spring. Our ancestors believed that birds bring happiness and good luck- the souls of deceased relatives who love us and help us in earthly life can enter birds.
The doll is made by hand in the traditional way from a bast, and the feathers are braided with colored threads, according to the protective symbolism.
The cost of the bird is 200 rubles.

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

According to Slavic traditions, a horse is a particularly revered animal. An indispensable helper in everyday life and a faithful companion of a warrior-hero, the horse was presented to our Ancestors in the guise of a golden sun, and a magnificent mane developing in the wind resembled the sun's rays.

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

Horseshoes, bells, attributes of a horse were considered strong amulets.

harness.

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

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

The cost of bast - 150 rubles.The cost of the horse - 200 rubles.

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

Having chosen the product you like, you need to make an order to Master Ruslana by writing a letter. After that, 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. Specify the name of the amulet and their number.
2. Specify 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.

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

Slavic amulet dolls: 3