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This bright doll every year replaces the New Year trees on the main squares of cities and villages. It becomes the center of festivities in honor of the farewell to winter, the end of Maslenitsa week. Around the main heroine of the holiday – Masleny – they dance round dances, sing poems, buffoons dance nearby, everyone is treated to delicious pancakes with different fillings …
Do you want to arrange such a holiday in your yard, in the country or outside the city? We will show you how to make a Maslenitsa effigy with your own hands, tell you which dolls were burned, and which Maslenitsa can decorate your house for more than one year.
When and why they burn an effigy on Maslenitsa
Spending the last week of winter in festivities and feasts, baking pancakes and burning a scarecrow – these customs came to us from ancient pre-Christian times. Over the years, the pagan holiday of seeing off winter has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples, and baking pancakes, treating friends, and gathering for fun gatherings is a good tradition. The culmination of the holiday is usually the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Together with this stuffed animal, our ancestors seemed to drive away the cold, accumulated fatigue, and the bright fire personified new life for them, warmth and called for spring and the sun. The effigy of Maslenitsa is a symbol of the future harvest. People in ancient times believed that he would be born through death. That is why they burned the scarecrow, and with it all the old, unnecessary things, after which the ashes were scattered across the fields.
The figure for burning was made of straw, dressed up in old clothes, tied a scarf, and painted the face with charcoal. Sometimes a pancake was put into the “hand” of Maslenitsa – an invariable treat on Shrovetide week – a symbol of the sun.
Why make a scarecrow of Maslenitsa
One can only guess why our ancestors collected unnecessary rags and made stuffed animals from it. Scientists invest in this ritual a sacred meaning, psychologists explain that in this way people sought to cleanse their lives of fears. Maybe that’s why they made the effigy of Maslenitsa in such a way that it was not a pity to burn it.
Anna Egorova, teacher of the children’s art school says that in addition to a large, not very pretty doll, children in the old days also made a small Maslenka, and in pair with her, a boy Maslenok.
– Our ancestors did not put a negative meaning into these dolls, they did not have to be burned. A bright doll made of straw and patches served as a decoration for the table, dwelling. A Maslen doll could be made as a gift, this tradition has been preserved to this day. Many even consider the little doll a talisman and make wishes by tying knots on the ribbons of her outfit.
To make the holiday memorable cheerful and bright, we will tell you how to make a small effigy of Maslenitsa with your own hands from available materials. What meaning you put into it: burn it at the stake or give it to your loved ones as a symbol of spring – it’s up to you.
How to make a stuffed Maslenitsa with your own hands
For work we will need:
- Bast brush (usually whitewash the walls, you can buy at any hardware store)
- A bunch of straw (can be replaced with sorghum broom rods)
- Scraps of bright fabric
- Thread “Iris” red
- Wooden stick (straight branch of suitable length)
- Satin ribbons in any color
Step-by-step instructions for making a stuffed Maslenitsa from teacher Anna Egorova
Ready “hands”
– In ancient times, dolls were made from everything that was nearby. It is unlikely that our ancestors, and especially children, had threads, needles and scissors at hand. The patches were torn by hand, the straw was twisted, tied with ropes and tow. But we still cut with scissors a bunch of straw or sorghum broom rods to the desired length.
Then we will drag the ends of our bundle with a red thread to highlight Maslena’s “palms”. Tie three knots. This is a sacred number, and it will be better to hold on.
Assembling the figure
– We shake our bast base well, find the right side of the upper part of the brush, this will be the face of our Maslenitsa. We select a part of the bast in front, raise and insert our “hand” blank under this bundle. Now we take the red thread “Iris” and fasten the workpiece to the base. So that the construction does not crumble, we make a cross on the chest of Shrovetide (this can also be seen as a magical meaning).
Putting on an apron
– A scarecrow of Maslenitsa – a female image. What did the hostesses of the ancient Slavic peoples look like? In fluffy skirts, in scarves, in a bright apron. In addition to the main worker, the women had several more elegant aprons. They were worn in layers, one on top of the other. And our Maslena will have two aprons. The lower one is plain, made of a coarser fabric, the second one is bright, with flowers or circles – symbols of the sun. We put two flaps on the “skirt” of our doll with the reverse side, so that part of the apron is bent. Here we will fix it with a thread. Then we throw the flaps with the right side and that’s it. Our doll is beautiful.
We tie a scarf
– For a scarf, we will choose a bright patch, cut out a “scarf” and tie it, covering the “forehead” of the doll. It is better if the fabric is not new, it drapes more easily. We tie a knot at the back. This is how our grandmothers wore headscarves.
“We put” Maslena on the basis
– The effigy of Shrovetide was installed in the squares on large crosses made of timber. The basis of our doll will be the usual straight branch of a tree, cleared of leaves and knots. We just insert the stick into the center of the scarecrow deeper so that both the head and Maslena’s “skirt” are held evenly.
Decorate with ribbons
– A scarecrow of Maslenitsa with your own hands can be made from various scraps of fabric, old things. And to give it a festive look, it is enough to tie bright satin ribbons. We will choose yellow, orange and green ribbons – these are spring cheerful colors that personify the sun, flowers, grass. Optionally, you can tie bells, beads, and other decorative elements to the ends of the ribbons. Our Maslena is ready!