The meaning of traditional Slavic patterns. Slavic patterns

As far back as the Paleolithic period, mankind has known the art of ornamentation. Valuable information was invested in a repeating pattern. Such an image is capable of evoking associations that are intertwined with each other, helping to understand the full depth of the work.

Ancient Slavic culture in patterns and ornaments

They have absorbed many sacred, magical meanings, have a special energy. Magi used signs for sacraments and rituals. With their help, shamans could erase the boundaries between worlds and travel to a dark or bright world, communicate with the gods, pay tribute and respect to the forces of nature. A man who lived among nature continuously watched her, transferred her lines to fabric, dishes, household items. Each line was non-random and endowed with its own meaning. The ornament helped the ancient Slavs to protect their homes, themselves and their families; for this, patterns were applied to window and entrance openings, clothes, towels.

Traditional colors in symbolism

The ornament was applied to clothes with special trepidation, as it protected the one who wears it from evil spirits. The ritual pattern was applied to vulnerable parts: neck, collar, hem, sleeves.

Red

Most of the embroidery was red, as a symbol of life and love. This color protects the living. Red is also a sign of energy, fire, that is, the sun. He gives a healthy body, warmth, removes any evil eye.

It is not for nothing that ordinary phenomena were endowed with the epithet “red”: the red sun, which gives life to all living organisms; spring is red - the personification of the beginning of life; red summer - dawn, life triumphs; red girl - a beautiful girl, healthy, full of strength, etc.

Black

In combination with red, it enhanced the protective effect of the ornament. Black is the fertile Mother Earth, this color was assigned the role of protecting a woman from infertility.

The sign, embroidered in a black zigzag, means an unplowed field, it was worn by girls who need to be fertilized. Wavy black lines - a plowed field, ready for the grains to germinate, that is, for fertilization.

Blue

The blue color protected from bad weather and natural elements. It was used mainly for men's clothing, because it was the man who was often away from home, getting food or being at war. blue water- this is heaven on earth, its reflection. The blue embroidered ornament on the man's dress tells us that he embarked on the spiritual path of self-improvement.

Male color, a sign of readiness to protect a woman. If a young man gave a girl a blue embroidered handkerchief, this meant that he had the most serious intentions, he was ready to protect his chosen one for the rest of his life. Important point: the man himself necessarily tied a gift on the head of the girl, thereby confirming his intentions.

Green

The green color was endowed with the power of plants and helped protect the body from wounds. Symbol of the Forest, youth and rebirth. Green depicted the World Tree, sown fields and young shoots.

The Slavs had names: - a green garden meant blooming life; - the deep sea is green, the same as "beyond distant lands", very far away; - green wine had a negative connotation - strong alcohol intoxication. But, at the same time, this color denoted the space of a stranger, places inhabited by evil spirits.

In the southern area, the Slavs had conspiracies that helped drive out evil spirits on the “green grass”, “green tree”, “on the green mountain”. Green parts of the body were also mythological heroes: the hair and eyes of a mermaid and a goblin, and the merman himself was all the color of sea mud.

White

The dual color is white. It is associated with everything pure, bright, holy, but at the same time it was considered mourning. Any other color is combined with this color, so white is a symbol of harmony, reconciliation. Also White light- this is the space that is intended for human life.

People with pure thoughts and bright thoughts were described as follows: white hands, white face, white birch tree. Everything that is sincere, bright and kind in the world, everything is reflected in white: - white tablecloths protect against evil thoughts guests; - white sheets protect from death; - underwear white color creates a barrier to grief and disease; - a white apron is able to protect the female organs from the evil eye.

Slavic symbols and their meaning

Alatyr Another name is the cross of Svarog, an eight-petal star. This is the Eye of the Family. It was applied to the clothes of people in charge, the sign acted as a talisman on a dangerous and long journey. The cross combines all svargas, two-headed and triglavic and many other sacred symbols, as it is the basis of all things.

Bereginya

This symbol has many names: Rozhanitsa, Mother of the world, Goddess of the house and others. She protects her entire family, family, hearth, children. Beregina is allowed to host in heaven, in nature, she was responsible for fertility. female image embroidered with raised or lowered hands as a sign of a talisman and blessing.

The embodiment of the Universe, the center and axis of the world, the personification of the entire Genus. Women, so that the family is strong and healthy. In the minds of the Slavs, the place of the World Tree was given in the center of the world, in the middle of the ocean on an island of land. Branches stretch to the sky, gods and angels sit in the crown. And the roots go deep underground, to the Underworld, where demonic entities, demons live. Bereginya and the Tree of Knowledge were interchangeable. Often the Goddess of the house was depicted with roots instead of legs - a sign of the earth.

Kolovrat

The well-known sign of the swastika originates from the Slavic peoples ( negative meaning he acquired thanks to Hitler and the Nazi army). Kolovrat, or Solstice, is the most ancient and deeply revered pagan amulet. It was considered the most powerful protective sign that personifies the unity of the Family, its continuity, the Rotation of everything and everyone. Thus, the idea of ​​the Eternal Revival received a symbolic embodiment.

In the direction of rotation of the swastika (salting / anti-salting) determine the Sun in summer and winter. The aspiration along the course of the sun (Reveal) is bright, it is a Creative force, a kind of symbol of energy control, superiority over existing matter. She is opposed to the left-sided swastika (Sun of Navi), this is the triumph of everything earthly, the superiority of the material essence and instinctiveness of things.

Undoubtedly, the most common were the symbols that brought happiness. Orepey (or Arepey) is one of them. The comb rhombus received this name in the Ryazan region. In other regions, it is known as oak, well or burdock. The rhombus itself in the Slavic ornamental tradition has many interpretations: agriculture, fertility, it was believed that it was also feminine, the sun.

A sign with a dot in it meant land planted with seeds. On the robe of a woman in the shoulder area, Orepey denoted the World Mountain, Alatyr-stone with a god sitting on it. Gates to another world were embroidered on the hem. On the elbow means ancestor. Often the rhombus pattern ended with crosses. So the Slavs believed that they spread happiness and good on all four sides. The symbol of a sown field brought prosperity, success, wealth to the Slavs, increased vitality, gave a person self-confidence.

Thunderbolt

The sign of Perun (the god of thunder) was depicted as a cross with six ends, which was inscribed in a hexagon or circle. At first, only men could use it and exclusively in a military environment; it was depicted on the weapons and armor of warriors. It was believed that Thunderbolt had a detrimental effect on female energy. Later, the ornament began to be applied to simple clothes and dwellings in order to protect themselves from destructive lightning. Often this sign was decorated with shutters and door jambs.

Makosh

The Heavenly Mother of God is the arbiter of destinies. With her daughters, Shares and Nedolya, she weaves the threads of fate for gods and people. Those who adhere to a righteous lifestyle, honor the saints, know the canons, draw a good lot, and Makosh gives them a Share, a good fate. For those people who follow their desires and selfishness, Nedolya will be the mistress of fate. Makosh patronizes fertility, women's handicrafts, on her shoulders is the responsibility for the crossroads of the Interworld.

The symbol helps to call for help the power of the gods, it protects, heals, helps to find harmony and happiness. A noose-like sign is able to connect torn, confused and broken parts into a single whole.

Water

Water acted not only as an element, it is knowledge, the beginning of which is in the Interworld. The personification of the Currant River, which serves as the border between Yavu and Naviu, a river that carries the knowledge of ancient ancestors, oblivion and death. The river Ra is a bright road to God. Brings knowledge top level and the milk river in Iria grants immortality.

A strong amulet, personifying the union of two Clans. This ornament was always present in wedding embroidery. The pattern means the eternal spiritual, mental and physical merging of entities: two newlyweds and two Clans. The threads of the Body, Soul, Spirit, Conscience of both Clans are intertwined into a new created Life System.

Strong and weak beginnings in the wedding are indicated by color: male - red (fire), female - blue (water). The unification of the energies of the two Elements generates a new universal energy and is a manifestation of infinite life in time and space.

fireworks

In the culture of the ancient Slavs, Ognevitsa was a strong female amulet. A beneficial effect was only on a mature female body and a formed soul. The presence of this image on the clothes of young girls and girls was not allowed. Ognevitsa effectively acted on married women who gave birth to at least one child. She protected from everything bad, starting from a random word and ending with purposeful evil deeds.

Carrying a sacred meaning, Ognevitsa was embroidered only on clothes, you will not find it on household items. This symbol is able to take away any trouble from a woman, direct her to positive aspirations. Slavets often performs in tandem with her - a swastika solar symbol that helps protect women Health. The Slavs knew that Ognevitsa enhances the action of the energy flows of the protective symbols that are next to her.

Stribozhich

Stribozhich directs his creative energy to protect against the elements (hurricane, snowstorm, storm, drought, and others). The amulet gave immunity to the entire Family and the Household of the Family. Sailors also loved this symbol. They carved signs on sailing ships, and Stribozhich gave them good weather. He was revered by farmers and farmers. Embroidered on work clothes, the pattern called for a cool breeze in the hot midday heat. There is an opinion that the blades of windmills were built in accordance with the location of the petals of the symbol. This allowed the most efficient use of wind energy.

The Slavs attached great importance color scheme. The red blades of the sign are solar energy, activity. The inner space of white color means unity with the Universal heavens, the place where energy originates. The outer blue color speaks of sacredness, the highest level of spiritual development. This wisdom is not given to everyone, it is given only to the elect.

Spiral

The spiral is a sign of wisdom. The blue pattern meant sacred wisdom. The ornament, made in other colors, was a talisman against evil forces and the evil eye. Slavic women loved to embroider spiral images on their headdresses.

The spiral itself is the oldest symbol of the Universe, because many galaxies are arranged according to this principle. And mankind since ancient times has been developing in an upward spiral.

A little more about symbols

It is possible to comprehend the beauty of the protective Slavic symbols if you study their meanings. Watching the patterned embroidery, considering the bizarre interweaving of ornaments, the eye loses focus, and the picture becomes "holographic". Attention switches between dark and light signs. Where the dark is all earthly, and the light is the heavenly world.

In order to decipher the meaning inherent in the patterns, it is necessary to take into account the fact that, depending on the location of the protective symbolism on the clothes, its interpretation also changes. The Slavs accepted a three-part division of the world: Yav, Nav and the world, where a place is reserved for man. Accordingly: the neck, the shoulders are the highest divine light, the hem is the Underworld, the sleeves are the middle human world.

Placing one sign in different worlds, he acquired and various meanings. Masculine and feminine, light and darkness, earth and sky, top and bottom - such opposites ultimately lead to the fact that the process of movement, development occurs continuously and forever.

The ancient Slavs had to observe the golden mean, to keep the two sides of power in balance. Symbols have been created and improved over the centuries; they have absorbed special sacred meanings, magic, and the works of ancestors. These are strong protective amulets, so their beauty and aesthetics should be judged last. For a very long time, the masters honored the canons according to which the ornament was embroidered, they knew the meaning. But by the beginning of the twentieth century, much was lost.

Modern embroiderers can no longer explain what they embroider, but somewhere in the distant outback the most ancient patterns still live and delight their admirers. There are still people who consciously wear protective clothing, delving into and comprehending the secrets of the past.

Slavic costume has always been admired by overseas merchants. Clothes skillfully emphasized external and spiritual beauty. The rhythm of geometric details plays a significant role. To know the truth, to feel harmony and splendor is possible through creativity. However, you should not look at the mysterious ornament on the run. This requires a special mood, a spiritual attitude, when a person hears his heart and is ready to follow his call.

Knowledge is most often hidden in symbols, images, numbers, notes, letters, patterns. Speech, song, rituals, embroidery, carving are woven from signs and images. Not everyone knows their deeper meaning, but the feeling of harmony, measure and beauty through creativity are the right steps to the truth. And everyone can master it.

Solar embroidery, "Deer with a tree of life", - Nevreva Claudia Petrovna

Symbolism is a legacy of the history of mankind, when people began to express their thoughts, their worldview through conventional signs. The study of ancient cult symbols reveals spiritual world human societies in the preliterate era. Similar cult symbols and ornamental motifs are widespread. Quite often, similar or even identical elements are found among related and unrelated peoples.

Mass migrations of people contributed to the dissemination of ideas and experience. But sometimes even a small tribe of aliens passed rich information to the population. Therefore, the migration of the spiritual phenomena of culture: language, myths, rituals, religion took place on a larger scale than the migration of people. It is difficult to trace the history of symbolism. Is it because the materials used for the images are not durable? bark, leather, wood, clay. Most examples of the symbolism of antiquity have come down to us from 2-1 thousand BC. e., when there was already a departure from the use of symbols and began to be used as an ornament or as sacred signs fixed by custom.

Ancient symbolism is a layering of motifs belonging to different eras, and interweaving of plots of various ethno-cultural origins. It is difficult to establish the chronological sequence and geographical ways of their distribution. And yet, in the exhibits and traditions that have come down to us, along with the general picture of the world, there are their own original shades. There is a great similarity in patterns among the East Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples.

Symbols, signs, ornaments - an amazing book about the life and beliefs of our distant ancestors, the leaves of which are mostly lost. And, apparently, what was left to remain, what is eternal.

Ornament is the language of millennia, it is older than all works of art. Academician B.A. Rybakov said this about it: “Looking at intricate patterns, we rarely think about their symbolism, rarely look for meaning. It often seems to us that there is no more thoughtless, light and meaningless field of art than ornament. Meanwhile, in the folk ornament, as in ancient writings, the thousand-year-old wisdom of the people, the rudiments of its worldview and the first attempts of man to influence the mysterious forces of nature were deposited.

Our material world is currently decorated with floral and plot ornaments, but the most ancient ornament is geometric.

Sockets different types- a favorite ornament in architectural decoration and applied art. The disk served as a designation of the sun in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, although it must be borne in mind that in the Bronze Age a circle, a disk and a rosette could mean the sky. B. Rybakov believes that the sign in the form of a six-beam rosette ^ was obtained as a result of a combination of a circle, supposedly symbolizing the sun, and a snowflake scheme, supposedly symbolizing the sky. Both the Slavs and the Dagestanis depicted a six-petal rosette on salt shakers, and salt is a product associated with the sun. The socket-wheel is almost always depicted on a spinning wheel.

The Rigveda says that the sun "rolls like a wheel". The sun is compared to a wheel in Slavic, Polish and Lithuanian songs. Such a sign can be found on an old boat, wagon, chariot, on everything that moves. All European peoples with Slavic influence retain the tradition of lighting the wheels on Ivan Kupala and letting them go from the mountain into the river as a symbol of the fading sun from that day on.

A wheel with teeth and a cross means the sky, rain clouds and the sun. In the Rigveda, the sun is called the divine eye, in the mythology of the ancient Greeks the sun was represented as the eye of Zeus, among the ancient Germans - Odin, among the ancient Egyptians the sun and moon were represented by the eyes of Horus, among the Romans - by the eyes of Jupiter. But all of them are connected with the concept of "light-eye". In this case, the luminary was designated by a circle with a dot and a small circle inside.

In the sun, our ancestors felt two principles - male and female. The feminine is indicated by a circle, the masculine by a square or a triangle (which is rare).

Spinning wheels with the image of the Universe - the Earth and the Sky ("white light")

Sometimes the sun is depicted through a spiral - the movement of the sun across the sky.

Zigzags and divorces can often be a symbol of heavenly water if there is a cross among them

IN Ancient Rus' the fire was called Svarozhich, and the sun was called the son of Svarog, that is, fire and the sun had the same epithets. The fires lit at the festivities of the summer and winter solstices symbolize the heavenly fire-sun. This is confirmed by the fact that there were customs to light the wheel at the top of the pole or roll it burning down the hill. Ritual fires were lit not only on holidays, but during any disaster, in order to propitiate the god who was embodied in fire and was considered the source of these disasters. At the same time, it was supposed that nine various breeds tree and for 9 people to participate, and the number "9" was associated with the god of the underworld. On These examples show that fire can be the personification of the sun, and god, and the underground ruler. The burning of the wheel on the pole is the union of heaven and earth by fire.

Geometric figures that make up the simplest patterns once carried a great semantic load, personifying the forces of nature and being security signs. They decorated all household items, clothes and the house itself.

In rhombuses, crosses, squares, dots, repetition in certain numbers is observed first of all. Counting, rhythm help to feel and explain the structure of the world. Numbers are elements of a special numerical code with which you can represent the whole world and a person, that is, numbers can be one of the images of the world. These numbers are: 3 - the image of the Absolute, the divine Trinity, three spheres of living space (heaven, earth, underworld), time (past, present, future). The number 4 is an image of integrity, an ideally stable structure: 4 cardinal points, 4 elements, top-bottom-right-left, 4 seasons. 5 - sacred number - 4 sides + center - balance. The number 7 has become a symbol of harmony. Through it, mankind has been given 7 colors of the spectrum, 7 notes in music, 7 days in a week. From the product of the numbers 3 and 4, the number 12 arises - 12 months, 12 zodiac constellations. Accordingly, all these numbers, and not only in the ornament, are considered lucky.

The number of teeth, rhombuses, crosses was necessarily associated with this series magic numbers or a multiple of them.

The laws of the cosmos, the mutual influence of the elements and their connection with man were also reflected in the ornament. And more often the elements are depicted in their correct combination: fire - air, earth - water. Earthly images were placed below, heavenly images above. The laws were also reflected in the observance of color (in embroidery, painting). There were no invented and unnatural shades, only the colors of nature, and their arrangement in the folk costume corresponded to the trinity of the world (the bottom from the ground is darker, and the higher, the brighter the color).

In Slavic arts and crafts, a cross is often found. A straight equilateral cross is an image of the sun. The terminal cross is associated with earthly fire, which was represented as a kind of heavenly fire. If the cruciform patterns in the center of the circle and square can also mean the illuminated four cardinal points, then the swastika 4-6-8-1 2rays is always the sign of the revolving sun. And they still call it a rot. Kolovorot is an ancient Slavic sign of the sun. Considered a talisman from all dark forces. The word "kolo" in Russian means "circle", "wheel", "turn" - rotation. An equilateral cross is a sign of justice, goodness, balance. More often he is depicted with tips rotating in right side, is a sign of active, real justice.

In the design of Russian fairy tales, we can often see a symbolic dome - this is a diagram of the sky. Ancestors represented the sky as a transparent dome, and under it life. In the domes, as a rule, the letter "Ж", called in the Slavic alphabet "lives" - "life". The letter is made up of plant weaves, also symbolizing endless life. In the arches you can also see scenes from the life of gods and people, scenes of sacrifices. On the diagram we see Simargl (Semargl).Semargl from the word "seed". portrayed him winged dog protecting crops and seeds. Semargl was also the personification of "armed good", fiery, always ready to protect peaceful fields. Later, the archaic Simargl was called Pereplut. It was associated with the roots of plants and is closely related to the theme of water - mermaids. Under the domes, mermaids were also depicted - winged maidens, at that time they were deities of irrigation of fields, rains or damp morning fogs.

Knot weaves are often found in Russian ornamentation and the design of capital letters - red. Among other peoples, the dome of the sky was depicted as a circle, with waves or a cross - the sun and rain clouds.

Schemes of the water element are recognizable and varied. The ancient water ornament is geometric, this is the time when people could not draw smooth lines. They especially liked to decorate bowls for water, drinking, wine, sacrificial bowls with such a pattern. Rhythmically and in a special way, the “traveling wave” of different slopes looks beautiful. Divorces on the bowls can also have a free character (the Trypillian bowls). Favorite and snake theme. The snake among the Slavs is a symbol of the first water, spring, warmth. Seasonal calendars often reflect the image of snakes. Snake means spring, summer, rain. Consider a few more examples of water-themed symbolism.

Single, double and triple clouds carrying heavenly moisture were depicted with and without rain. In carving, such patterns are usually called "heavenly abyss". Rain clouds look and feel female breast, because the rain was considered heavenly milk, feeding the earth.

In all patterns, the theme of the fertility of the earth prevails. First of all, these are images of women in childbirth, giving harvest and benefits. The bottom of such an image is decorated, as a rule, with a seed or sprout.

The rhombus among the ancient Slavs was revered as a universal symbol of fertility and childbearing, i.e. a symbol of the feminine in nature, inextricably linked with the ideas of the Mother-ancestress, who was also thought of as Mother Nature. In a geometric ornament, this is embodied in a rhombus figure with hooks on the upper and lower peaks. Women simply call it "frog" or "rhombus-frog".

With the transition of the nomadic tribes to settled life, pens-sheds, fenced with poles, and log-houses appeared. The greatest discovery was made - the principle of the quadrupleness of time, space (four cardinal points, four seasons) was discovered. From here, the rhombus was associated among the ancients with ideas about the cyclical nature of time, when a person was already aware of the beginning and end of a certain period; I was also aware of the basic provisions in the daily movement of the sun - sunrise, zenith, sunset. As in nature, in a person's life, periods of birth, prosperity, maturity, fading - old age are successively replaced. Generation succeeded generation, just as nature flourished and died from year to year.

But the cycle that people live in their “age”, nature experienced before their eyes several dozen times .. Therefore, the ancient farmers saw in nature only a regular repetition. Not change, not disappearance, but repetition was the defining motive of their consciousness and behavior. And this is conveyed in the image of a rhombus with hooks on the tops.

B. Rybakov, who writes: “The ubiquitous bone images of female progenitors ancient man I saw them covered with a rhombic pattern of natural origin, inherent in the very structure of the tusk, from which the sacred figure was carved.

The rhombic pattern, therefore, united two important concepts in the eyes of the primitive hunter: the mammoth (the source of life, satiety, prosperity) and the sacred image of a woman (a symbol of fertility, continuation of life, counting kinship). The rhombus and rhombic meander in themselves became symbols of vitality and prosperity, the first ideogram of Life and Good in the history of human thought.

On the other hand, for the farmer, 4 cardinal points were associated with the sides of his rectangular dwelling. It is known that in the hut the logs in the log house were stacked with the remainder, this remainder looked like a horn, a fork. The Russians even have a riddle: “Outside - horned, inside - kamola” (hut). With the laying of the first crown, space was ordered, its isolation, impenetrability for external, evil forces was ensured, chaos turned into space (that is, order). It is noteworthy that even when the hut was cut down without a trace, the first crown, ground, was necessarily horned. Apparently, the immediate proximity to the "underworld", the "house of the dead" required security from such a neighborhood, from possible evil "intrigues" of the "inhabitants of the underworld". Moreover, the earth was given the remains of enemies killed in battles during raids, and the ancient Slavs burned their relatives on a funeral pyre. Burials of the log type are also known. Hence it is clear why the presented rhombus motifs with sides extended at the corners, with a marked middle, called “rhombus-burdock” (also known as “small lattice”), symbolized a log house, a fenced space with a hearth or an altar - the habitat of ancestors.

And a rhombus of a different configuration of three pairs of intersecting lines is a funeral or sacrificial pyre, which was a sign of the Sacred action during burning - according to the belief of ancient people, contact with ancestors is established during this rite.

A rhombus with dots is a sign of a sown field. Crosses are often seen at the ends. This is a typical four-part scheme for spreading the good in 4 directions.

Very often in geometric woven ornaments there is a motif of a hand (palm). This motif played a big role in the art of the ancients among many peoples. The palm - the hand - was synonymous with the brush (bundle) of plants, which was relevant for the consciousness of early farmers. It is well known in Russian plot embroideries female figure, often depicted with enlarged palms and with a head - a radiant rhombus, with solar rosettes in the middle of the figure. Academician B.A. Rybakov associates with the embroidered goddess the weekly festival of light - Sunday. This goddess could be only the Great Goddess, and such a title has been preserved in Russian folklore behind Lada.

Lada was revered as the goddess of marriage, marriage, fun, consolation and all prosperity. She, Lada, is still called in many traditional rituals, they sing songs, hitting her hands on her hands or on the table. Apparently, by clapping their hands (palm - Lada) or hitting the table with their palms, the pagans thus “established” a connection with the deity, asking her for a cheerful, blissful life. And the image of crossed palms on the patterns of towels are signs this deity.

Serpentine pattern. Trypillian culture bowls

The land in the sense of a plot that yields a crop was represented in the form of squares, rectangles covered with a dense grid, i.e. sown. Grains were placed between the strips of earth and water. main topic Earth, fertility, childbearing prevails in the Russian pattern. The image of the Earth is a favorite in embroidery.

TREE. The image of the sacred tree is found among all the peoples of the world. In one of the Russian fairy tales, the hero climbs a tree to heaven. Siberian shamans put a tree in a ritual place and performed actions near it. On the Christian holiday of the Ascension of Christ, Russians baked small stairs from dough and imagined that one could ascend to heaven by a tree or stairs. The Bible calls the sacred tree the "Tree of Life", while it is said that it is "in the middle of the garden", under the clouds) which means the center of the world. In the hymns of the Rigveda and the Edda, a snake dwells between the roots of a tree. The roots of the Tree go to unknown depths, its top goes to the sky. The snake is a symbol of time, spiral movement and repetition, wisdom and caution, and it all starts from the roots of a person, nation, humanity. Therefore, you can find the image of the Tree entwined with the Serpent.

In the most ancient dwellings of the Slavs, there was always a tree-pillar holding the roof. The pillar tree symbolized a woman, the ancients always believed that a house, a dwelling rests on a woman. The pillar supports the roof of the house, like a world tree - the sky. The world tree is the pillar of the universe, the pillar supporting the sky.

Plant motifs predominate in wood carving and embroidery of the southern Slavs. Endless sprouts of sacred herbs and flowers are shown in the process of germination and flowering. Sprouts are depicted, as a rule, strong, strong, and they are guarded either by a lion or a bird of Syria, since only they are trusted to guard the infinity of life. Vegetable world- the image of Reveal, manifested life, sprouts and flowers? symbol of earthly life. The images of plants are different, it depends on which plants are considered pure, sacred in a given area. In the south - rose, periwinkle, in middle lane- cornflower, fern, in the north - coniferous twigs, bathing suit.

Deities with a spiral, sitting astride a wolf, were found on the territory of Russia, Prikamye. The images of the wolf and the snake were the embodiment of the demons of the underworld. And the labyrinth is a trap, the path along which you need to find a way out. But the labyrinth is also considered a home, a fortress. The labyrinth of many nations also reflects the sky. The floor in many temples is made like a labyrinth. Is the floor ground? reflects the sky. Both the Sky and the Underworlds, where everything is subject to perpetual motion, repetition through the life and destinies of people, were presented to the ancestors in the scheme of the labyrinth.

“Spiral codes were passed down from generation to generation, from people to people, from worldview to worldview, from religion to religion. The spiral is one of the oldest symbols of the universe. And the cosmos itself is dotted and permeated with spirals - galaxies, vacuum quantum vortices. According to the torsion theory, the Universe as a supercomputer forms with human brain a kind of biocomputer operating in accordance with torsion laws, that is, according to the principles of the same twisted spiral. 0

Hello dear readers!

At first glance, it may seem that the figures and ornaments in the pattern are only a figment of the imagination of its author. In fact, all its constituent elements are symbols of ancient knowledge.

They are part of mythology and cultural heritage one people or another. And today we will look at some Buddhist patterns and find out their meaning using the example of Buryat ornaments - ugalza.

Definition and functions performed

The word ornament in Latin means "decoration, pattern." his main characteristic feature is that it is not independent, that is, it cannot exist separately from the object it decorates.

But decoration is not the only function of this image. It also serves for protection, as a talisman and for the transmission of certain information that reveals the properties of objects or phenomena, the qualities of a person.

Not every pattern is destined to become an ornament. For a pattern to fit this definition, the patterns in it must alternate or repeat in a certain order.

creative sources

Where do the ideas for this type of creativity come from? Usually they are drawn from the folk faith, the natural environment of many generations, their way of life.

All patterns are divided into:

• cosmogonic (natural);
• zoomorphic (animalistic);
• geometric;
• vegetable;
• cult.

Variety of constituent elements

The most popular motifs are suggested by nature itself. These are rain, thunder, water, wind, sun, moon, stars, fire, rainbow, mountains, as well as mythical animals elevated to the rank of deities.

Animals may not be depicted in their entirety. Some part of their body is often taken as the basis. The most popular is the "horned" pattern, where the image of the horn is repeated.

The oldest motifs are a variety of geometric shapes:

• straight,
• zigzag lines,
• spirals and curls
• different types of crosses
• circles and circles
• diamond patterns.

They symbolically convey natural phenomena associated with fertility. For example, round shapes represent celestial bodies, zigzag and wavy ones represent the air environment, reflecting the influence of wind, clouds and clouds on getting a good harvest.

Plant patterns include images of leaves, flowers, stems, shoots, fruits, trees. special sacred meaning for any Buddhist has an image of a lotus flower. It usually forms the throne of the deities on Buddhist icons, on which they sit or stand.

Since the green world draws strength from nature, floral motifs usually personify motherhood, vitality, and powerful energy.

The peoples who professed always tried to live in harmony with nature. She inspired them to create unique and original drawings. Buryat patterns are similar to the motifs of ancient and modern South Siberian and Central Asian nomads and semi-nomads.

Elements in iconic images

Speaking of Buddhist ornamentation, one cannot fail to mention 8 auspicious symbols that can be found everywhere both in temples and on altar tables in the dwellings of believers. This

• white umbrella,
• two goldfish,
• treasure jar,
• sink with right turn,
• endless knot ,
• victory banner,
• golden wheel.

8 symbols of Buddhism

In different Buddhist cultures, these objects are interpreted differently: in China they are associated with the internal organs of the Buddha, in Tibet - with parts of his body. Also, each of these items has many more independent meanings.

Description of some images

All Mongolian-speaking peoples, including the Buryats, prefer geometric shapes. Among them, the most common patterns are:

• hammer (alkhan hee, meander),
• braid (ulza),
• (has).

Hammer motif has many varieties: the ancient Greek classics, the options are simpler and more complicated than it. The meander contains the idea of ​​continuous movement:

meander pattern

The ranchers also expressed their respect for the artisans and their love for the craft itself by using the name ancient instrument- hammer in the designation of this ornament.

It is a well-known fact that the nomadic tribes became famous as great craftsmen in the manufacture of jewelry and horse harness.

The scope of the meander is wide. They decorate both hard objects and soft ones. This:

• parts made of wood;
• furniture;
• felt products;
• embroidery;
• cloth;
• utensils;
• harness;
• musical instruments.

Patterns on the dwelling of nomads

If earlier the hammer ornament was found only on things dear to the heart, then in the age of working people it can be seen everywhere.

Swastika- symbolizes:

• the path of the sun around our planet;
• four Seasons;
• life;
• light;
• abundance;
• generosity.

The two Sanskrit words from which the "swastika" came from, together mean "welfare."

The image focuses on the winter and summer solstices and on the four cardinal directions. The swastika can show movement both clockwise and counterclockwise. Accordingly, it symbolizes male and female energy, as well as good and evil.

The right-handed swastika dominates the material and controls energy on physical level to prevent lower forces from manifesting.

The left-handed swastika gives freedom to both physical forces and instincts, which interferes with the impact higher powers. She personifies black magic and negative energy.

This symbol can be seen in all places associated with Buddhism: on statues, rocks, in temples, on, in caves.

Ulzy- This is an image in the form of weaving, which is a symbol of prosperity and longevity. The sign can be framed with floral motifs. It can be placed on an object made of any material, it can be woven from beads. In Buddhism, it means infinite, which echoes the meaning of the meander.

Ulzy

Tattoo in Buddhism

Many Buddhist images look spectacular on the body in the form of tattoos. The attitude of the Buddhists themselves to this is ambiguous.

Some branches of Buddhism are neutral about stuffing, others are sharply negative, especially when sacred patterns placed by people who do not adhere to the Buddhist faith, on their feet.

However, in southeastern countries there is the practice of Sak Yant - applying sacred images to the body.

A specially trained Buddhist master applies the desired design using bamboo sticks and either oil (if the client wants no one to see him) or ink. At the same time, he reads prayers, and at the end he becomes the spiritual teacher of the customer. The image plays the role of a talisman.

Getting a tattoo at the Sak Yant festival in Thailand

Among the popular tattoos there is an image of an unalome. It symbolizes enlightenment. Winding lines represent the vicissitudes of fate, and a straight line - victory over weaknesses and desires and spiritual purity.

Conclusion

Buddhist ornamentation has not yet been sufficiently studied. If all its mysteries are ever revealed, the understanding of the unique Buddhist culture will certainly expand significantly.

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Ornaments and symbols are still very popular today. Since historical times, people sacredly believed in evil spirits and spirits. In order to protect themselves from otherworldly far-fetched characters, the people came up with protection in the form of various amulets on clothes depicting different signs and unusual characters.

Different details of embroidery carry a completely unique significance: from birth to the last journey of a person.

Drawings traditionally passed down through generations are divided into four types:

• plant origin
• geometric ornaments
• vegetable mixed with geometric
• patterns representing the gods in the form of animals

Needlewomen most often use floral and geometric embroidered ornaments. Among knowledgeable embroiderers, patterns of plant origin have the following interpretations:

Symbolism of the rose

Since ancient times in Ukraine, the rose has been considered the most revered sunny flower. Red roses, resembling blood, symbolize life.

Ornaments and symbols created by noble needlewomen included rose flowers and leaves and were embroidered with a closed strip, resembling an endless wreath, denoting uninterrupted life, rebirth and renewed movement of the sun. Sometimes roses were depicted in a geometric pattern in the form of stars collected in an endless sky.

bunches of grapes

Grape patterns are recognized throughout central Ukraine. Kiev, Poltava, Chernihiv regions are famous for embroidered shirts and towels, decorated with large bunches of vines.

This vegetation means the joy associated with marriage, the well-being of the future family, the world. Garden - grapes are marked by a vital field. Here the husband is the sower, the earner, and the wife is the keeper of the hearth. A bunch of grapes reminds family tree with healthy and numerous members of the genus. Ukrainian history of embroidery goes on from ancient times and reveals the meaning of ornaments and symbols.

Poppy

The poppy was considered the most magical flower in Ukraine, protecting the family from the evil eye and problems. Consecrated poppy seeds were scattered in the house, the master's yard, showered with residents and animals.

The red color of the flower represents the blood of the dead. Poppy pattern, boxes with seeds, leaves represent protection from evil intent or the memory of the fallen warriors - members of the family. Young women from the family of the deceased soldier wore wreaths of seven poppy flowers. Such an action meant an oath to protect and continue the family.

White Lily

The tenderness and fragility of a lily flower is equated with girlish innocence, charm and beauty. The image of lilies and a pair of white swans look touching - a sign of pure sincere love and endless fidelity. The lily is embroidered like a flower, leaves and a bud, symbolizing the mystery of the birth of a new life and personifying female energy, as a symbol of purity, charm, virgin purity. The line drawing can be supplemented with a cross blessing the young family. The image above the drop flower prophesies fertilization.

Oak

Even in ancient times, Perun was considered a powerful, formidable, omnipotent God. symbolic sign the aforementioned God is an oak tree, which is considered a symbol of masculine strength, powerful vitality, and inflexibility.

Clothes, towels and men's household items were decorated with oak patterns, making Ukrainian men strong and courageous, proudly defending their family. Oak is a powerful plant, personifying the sun god, development and life. Oak and viburnum combine girlish beauty and masculine strength. They often embroider shirts.

Kalina - a symbol of the family

Kalina - a shack glorifying the Ukrainian race, reports girlish beauty the birth of life. Viburnum berries mean the immortality of the Ukrainian people. A bush with life-giving flowers and fruits was planted in the yard. The old Slavs came up with a name for the sun - "kolo". It is believed that viburnum took this name for herself. Juicy clusters of the aforementioned berry denote a healthy and strong family. Ukrainian craftswomen embroidered wedding towels, all kinds of shirts with clusters of red viburnum.

Symbolism of hop leaves

Embroidery in the central part of Ukraine - Podol is famous for the pattern of hop leaves. Hops are a sign of youth, carrying a positive energy supply of feelings of love and rebirth. Hops were used to decorate shirts and towels intended for weddings. It can be considered a wedding symbol, personifying the course of life and a young strong family.

Bereginya

The strongest amulet in Ukrainian embroidery is a flowerpot with flowers, birds and Bereginya - magic flower, marked by maternal strength, reflecting the savings of the entire human race. Ukrainians honor the symbol of the coast, combined with their mother, her gentle and gentle hands. The Bereginya of the human race is depicted as a flowering plant or a female silhouette. This is a sign of healing, purification, protection. Embroidered with red thread with the addition of black. Shades of red signify the sun and purifying fire.

The history of embroidery with a creative image and the meaning of amazing ornaments and iconic symbols is interesting. Chernobrivtsy are healing flowers that heal spiritual experience and bodily illnesses, personifying love for wildlife.

Ornaments and symbols of the Sun and Water

Slavic embroidery uses patterns that symbolize the Sun and Water - the forces that support earthly life. Sun and Water are parting symbols, similar to an octagonal flower. This striking ornament connects the elements that support earthly life. Signs are perceived by solar and water parental energy. A flower of eight corners or a rosette is the Sun, and a twisted one is Water.

geometric patterns

A popular type of embroidered pattern of the Slavic peoples is a rhombus. National folk embroidery is famous for the image of rhombuses. This is a strong amulet that brings happiness and good luck. The symbol is widespread and is used in the embroidery of the ethnic clothes of the Slavs.

When embroidering all kinds of significant patterns, Ukrainian needlewomen often used geometric patterns, the meaning of which has been made public.

• The Earth and the Sun, supplemented by Water - the symbols that give life to all living things, are indicated by symbolic rhombuses, which mean the fertility of the Earth, heated by the heat of the sun.
• The stars represent solar system and the universe, characterized by order and harmony.
• A rhombus crossed by lines - a field, a land plot.
• Rhombus with dots in the center - fertility, fertilization.
• The circle is a symbol of the Sun and harmony.
• Wavy contours - water sources.
• Radiation - well-being, blessing from heaven, well-fed life.

Mezen painting is one of the most ancient Russian art crafts. Folk artists decorated most of the household items with it, which accompanied a person from birth to old age, bringing joy and beauty to life. She occupied a large place in the design of facades and interiors of huts. Like most other folk crafts, this painting got its name from the area in which it originated. The Mezen River is located in the Arkhangelsk region, between the two largest rivers in Northern Europe, the Northern Dvina and Pechora, on the border of taiga and tundra.

This painting was called Mezenskaya because its homeland is the village of Palaschelye, located on the banks of the Mezen River, which was first mentioned as a center for wood painting in 1906. Therefore, in encyclopedias and various books on fine art, you can find the second name of the Mezen painting - Palaschelskaya. In Mezen itself, they did not do painting.

First of all, Mezen painting is its own original ornament. This ornament attracts and fascinates, despite its apparent simplicity. And the objects painted with Mezen painting seem to glow from the inside, exuding the goodness and wisdom of their ancestors. Every detail of the Mezen painting ornament is deeply symbolic. Each square and rhombus, leaf and twig, animal or bird - are exactly in the place where they should be to tell us the story of the forest, wind, earth and sky, the thoughts of the artist and the ancient images of the northern Slavs.

Symbols of animals, birds, fertility, harvest, fire, sky, and other elements come from rock paintings and are a kind ancient writing conveying the traditions of the peoples of the North of Russia. So, for example, the image of a horse in the tradition of the peoples who have inhabited this area since ancient times symbolizes the sunrise, and the image of a duck is the order of things, it takes the sun into the underwater world before dawn and stores it there.

Traditionally, objects painted with Mezen painting have only two colors - red and black (soot and ocher, later minium). The painting was applied to an unprimed tree with a special wooden stick (vice), capercaillie or black grouse feather, and a human hair brush. Then the product was oiled, which gave it a golden color. At present, in general, the technology and technique of Mezen painting have been preserved, with the exception of the fact that brushes began to be used more often.

The origins of the symbols of the Mezen painting primarily lie in the mythological worldview of the peoples of the ancient north. For example, the often occurring multi-tiered structure speaks of following the shamanic tradition. Three tiers - three worlds (lower, middle and upper or underground, terrestrial and heavenly). This is the basis of the shamanic worldview of many peoples of the north. In the Mezen painting, the lower and middle tiers are filled with deer and horses. Top tier - birds. The rows of black and red horses in tiers may also mean the worlds of the dead and the living. Numerous solar signs placed around horses and deer emphasize their unearthly origin. The image of a horse among the peoples of the Russian north is also a talisman (horse on the roof), as well as a symbol of the sun, fertility, a source of life's blessings.

The tiers are separated by horizontal stripes filled with a repeating pattern. Elements of such patterns, as well as some other frequently encountered elements of Mezen painting in the figures below.

Earth. A straight line can mean both heavenly and earthly firmaments, but do not be confused by this ambiguity. By location in the composition (top - bottom), you can always correctly determine their value. In many myths about the creation of the world, the first man was created from the dust of the earth, dirt, clay. Motherhood and protection, a symbol of fertility and daily bread - this is what the earth is for a person. Graphically, the earth is often depicted as a square.

Water. No less interesting is the celestial design. Heavenly waters are stored in overhanging clouds or are poured onto the earth in slanting rains, and rains can be with wind, with hail. Ornaments in the oblique strip most of all reflect such pictures of natural phenomena.

Wavy lines of the water element are present in abundance in Mezen ornaments. They certainly accompany all straight lines of ornaments, and are also permanent attributes of waterfowl.

Wind, air. Numerous short strokes scattered in the Mezen painting on ornaments or next to the main characters - most likely mean air, wind - one of the primary elements of nature. poetic image a revived spirit, whose influence can be seen and heard, but which itself remains invisible. Wind, air and breath are closely linked in mystical symbolism. Being begins with the Spirit of God. He, like the wind, rushed over the abyss before the creation of the world.

In addition to the spiritual aspect of this symbol, specific winds are often interpreted as violent and unpredictable forces. It was believed that demons fly on furious winds that bring evil and disease. Like any other element, the wind can bring destruction, but it is also necessary for people as a powerful creative force. No wonder the Mezen masters love to depict the harnessed elements. Their wind strokes are often “strung” on crossed straight lines, which is very similar to windmill(“Caught wind,” say the children).

Fire. Divine energy, purification, revelation, transformation, inspiration, ambition, temptation, passion - a strong and active element, symbolizing both creative and destructive forces. The ancients considered fire to be a living being that feeds, grows, dies, and then is born again - signs suggesting that fire is the earthly incarnation of the sun, so it shared much of the solar symbolism. In the pictorial plan, everything that tends to a circle reminds us of the sun, fire. As Academician B. Rybakov believes, the spiral motif arose in the mythology of agricultural tribes as a symbolic movement of the solar body across the firmament. In the Mezen painting, spirals are scattered everywhere: they are framed by numerous ornaments and wind in abundance around heavenly horses and deer.

The spiral itself carries other symbolic meanings. Spiral shapes are very common in nature, ranging from galaxies to whirlpools and tornadoes, from mollusc shells to patterns on human fingers. In art, the spiral is one of the most common decorative patterns. The ambiguity of symbols in spiral patterns is great, and their use is more involuntary than conscious. Compressed coil spring - symbol hidden power, ball of energy. The spiral, which combines the shape of a circle and the impulse of movement, is also a symbol of time, the cyclical rhythms of the seasons of the year. Double spirals symbolize the balance of opposites, harmony (like the Taoist sign "yin-yang"). The opposing forces that are visually present in the whirlpools, whirlwinds and flames are reminiscent of the ascending, descending or rotating energy (“rotary”) that governs the Cosmos. The ascending spiral is a male sign, the downward spiral is female, which makes the double helix also a symbol of fertility and childbearing.

Interesting and beautiful ancient signs of fertility - symbols of abundance.

Wherever they were not placed, and everywhere they were in place! If the zhikovinu (overlay on keyhole) to hang this form on the door of the barn - it means to wish it to be full of goodness. If you depict a sign of abundance at the bottom of a spoon, then you wish that there was never hunger. If on the hem of wedding shirts - wish the young a large complete family. The sign of fertility can be found on ancient cult figurines depicting young pregnant women, which was placed where the child is with the expectant mother. Almost all Mezen ornaments are connected in one way or another with the theme of fertility and abundance. Plowed fields, seeds, roots, flowers, fruits are depicted in them in a multitude and variety. The ornament can be built in two rows and then the elements in it are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. An important symbol was the rhombus, endowed with many meanings. Most often, the rhombus was a symbol of fertility, the rebirth of life, and a chain of rhombuses meant the family tree of life. On one of the Mezen spinning wheels, we managed to see a half-erased image of just such a unique tree.

Patterns in a straight cage
Geometric ornament is widely used in folk art. Especially often it can be found in weavers and embroiderers. The basis of the ornament is rhombuses, squares, crosses and swastika images. The rhombo-dot ornament among the agricultural peoples is a symbol of fertility.

Simple elements
Not a single painting is complete without depicting all kinds of zigzag and spiral shapes. They are especially common when depicting the world tree, or the "tree of life." Researchers believe that spirals and zigzags are nothing more than the image of snakes that are always present in such plots.

Patterns in oblique cage

The motif of a bird bringing good news or a gift is widespread in folk art. A bird on top of a tree can often be found on Mezen birch bark tuesas. The bird is perhaps the most favorite motif of folk craftsmen. In addition, it is customary for northern peasants to hang wooden birds made of wood chips in the red corner of the hut. This is a relic of the same motif - "a bird on a tree", since a revered tree was associated with the red corner of the house.

Quite often there is an image of several trees or a lone tree, often spruce, on Mezen spinning wheels. Of particular interest is the composition of three trees: two identical trees are located symmetrically with respect to the central tree, which stands out relatively big size. The fact that such a plot is not accidental on Mezen spinning wheels is evidenced by the fact that the same plot takes place in the painting of antique furniture in Mezen houses.

Among the most common and favorite images, most often depicted by Mezen masters, one should include the image of horses and deer. The horses of the Mezen murals, to a greater extent than the images of horses in other peasant murals, are separated from the real prototype. Most of them had a red-orange color, unusual, as you know, for horses. The body of a black horse was often covered with a solid lattice pattern, further emphasizing it. unusual origin. unnaturally long and thin legs horses ended at the ends with the image of feathers, similar to those that were drawn on birds.

Often the horses were depicted not following each other, but opposing each other. Sometimes riders were drawn fighting each other on rearing horses. The fact that the horses depicted on the spinning wheels are of unearthly origin is also evidenced by the numerous solar signs placed by the draftsmen over the manes and near the legs of the horses.

Images of animal figures are very similar to each other. The whole difference between deer and horses is that instead of a mane, branched horns are drawn behind their backs with the same black strokes. Children copy the proposed image of a deer or horse. Each subsequent image of the animal differs from the previous one in the appearance of additional details.