Thanks to written sources and legends, the memory of Slavic amulets, created by hand, has survived to this day. Poor peasant families could not afford expensive metals and stones, so often scraps left over after cutting and sewing were used for talismans.
Some amulets were traditionally created from certain clothes, and were also decorated with river pearls, which were awarded to hardworking people by clean reservoirs. Nowadays, you can also turn to needlework, following the example of ancestors.
DIY amulets
The tradition of making amulets with your own hands goes back to the distant past. The first mentions of Slavic amulets from scrap materials were found in the manuscripts of the 10th century. Also mentioned are rituals for creating pupae, which date back to the 6th-7th centuries.
The long-standing origin of this tradition can be explained by the way of transferring information from mouth to mouth, adopted at that time. Fathers taught their sons about the art of cultivating the land, about owning tools, while mothers taught their daughters to cook, sew, tidy up, and create little helpers from various materials available.
An integral part of the life of the ancient Slavs was worship before the pagan gods. Even after the baptism of Russia, this tradition remained strong, therefore, along with the belief in a single God, signs and superstitions took root on Russian soil. People believed in the power of amulets and talismans, and amulets created with their own hands possessed special power.
Among the southern Slavs, there was a legend about how the Goddess of Fertility herself taught women to make idols. She went from one village to another in smart clothes. In the evenings, she repeatedly showed local girls, women and grandmothers how to make a Slavic amulet with her own hands.
The invested efforts and efforts turned into the power of a magical thing. The most diligent craftswomen received a reward from the Goddess in the form of a coin, a beautiful ringlet, or good news about the imminent birth of a healthy and strong baby.
The generosity of the lady of the earth was also learned in other villages. Then the craftswomen began to make their own amulets, changing their appearance. The peasant women hoped to receive a reward from a powerful sorceress, and she, in turn, gave her admirers material gifts or strong protection and help.
The sulfur Slavs have preserved another legend explaining the origin of the amulets created at home. At the beginning of the 7th century, the wrath of the gods fell upon several villages at once. Along with crop failures, a serious illness came to the earth.
Whole families died, but the disease seemed to bypass some houses. They began to look closely at these genera and noticed that mothers have long been made from scraps of pupae, whispered to them, and then given to their daughters.
We tried to do this in other families, and it helped. Then people realized that the gods lacked worship and faith in them, and homemade idols became a substitute for traditional rituals. Now, in every house, craftswomen made different amulets, reviving them with the help of conspiracies.
Over time, confidence in the effectiveness of amulets spread throughout Russia. Talismans appeared, invoking the power of other pagan idols.
Do-it-yourself Slavic wooden amulets
Slavic amulets made of wood are special talismans that are usually kept in the house. Then they will protect all household members from misfortunes and diseases. Most often, these products are made from birch, but some require oak or willow wood.
- Bliskavka. This amulet is recommended for those who often endanger their lives. Previously, such figures were often used by the military during campaigns against the enemy. To create a talisman, you need a bar. It is necessary to cut the face of the old man and the helmet on it, and mark the beard around the 'head' with scars. Instead of combat uniforms, you can depict another helmet. It is also recommended to put on a hat made of soft material on your head if you have to work in adverse weather conditions.
- Dukhobor. To create it, you need to cut a figure out of plywood according to a sample. After that, it is recommended to paint the amulet in blue, green or beige, decorate with ribbons or artificial flowers. Such an amulet draws its strength from the environment, therefore, when imitating living nature, its strength will increase. The symbol cut from a flat board can be hung in the car or in the kitchen.
- Eagle or eaglet. The figure of an adult bird is for a man, and a chick is for a son. Such paired amulets are created from a cylindrical piece of wood. It is important to clearly cut out the beak and eyes of the bird, and it is enough to schematically outline the feathers and wings. Such a talisman is most often created from oak, which indicates the courage and stamina of the owner. Also, do not cover the talisman with varnish or paint, because this will reduce the power. The eagle and eaglet must be periodically put together on the same shelf, then the relationship between father and son will improve.
A special type of wooden amulets are flat boards with symbols burned on them.
To create such an amulet with your own hands, it is recommended to use a special device for burning wood. Especially often at home they create:
- Protected mind. It will help protect households from gossip and rumors. Such a talisman will protect everyone who enters the house from evil tongues and evil eyes.
- Perun's Shield or Prophetic Oleg's Shield. There is still no single option for how this talisman should look. Each craftsman decorates the surface with different symbols at his own discretion. Another feature of a wooden product is that it will perform those functions that are most needed by the owner at one time or another.
- Bear, lynx or raven, burnt on a birch plank. A charm made with love can be presented to your girlfriend as a sign of loyalty and long-term protection. So the man will show that he is ready to take on some of the difficulties of the chosen one.
DIY slavic amulets made of thread
Most often, the amulets of the ancient Slavs made of threads were a bracelet on the wrist. However, there were also unusual decorative items, the purpose of which was not only to embellish, but also to protect the premises.
To pick up the amulet, you need to rely on what day of the week the woman had the idea to create a talisman for herself from threads.
- Monday is a day of hard work. Therefore, it is recommended to weave a mandala from threads. Red and white colors are used for the base, yellow is also added as a symbol of wealth, green is a sign of long life, orange is intelligence and resourcefulness, blue is a designation of moral qualities.
- On Tuesday, our ancestors wove a gray horse from gray or beige threads. To do this, you need to cut off many pieces of 18 centimeters and put them in one armful. Then roll the threads in half – you get the body of an animal. The head (10 centimeters) and legs (8 centimeters) are created in the same way. When placing the pieces on top of each other, they must be secured with red or purple threads.
- Wednesday is the day when mothers worry about future offspring. To ask higher powers for the birth of a child, you need to tie a pigtail of ribbons. To have a daughter, they use gold, green and white colors, and for a son – brown, red and purple. The longer the resulting braid, the healthier and stronger the baby will be. It is recommended to store the amulet in the bedroom next to the woman's headboard.
- On Thursday, the higher powers ask for a groom or a bride. It is necessary to create a pupa of the opposite sex from threads. It is enough to cut off a large armful of threads, 20 centimeters each, fold in half. Pull back 1.5 centimeters from above and tie a thread across – this will be the head. Slightly below, pieces of rope 7 centimeters each are placed in the middle of long threads folded in half. These will be hands, they also need to be secured with thread or tape across. The girl is already ready, and for the young man figure it will be necessary to distribute the threads remaining below in half, imitating the legs. The owner must give free rein to his imagination and decorate the amulet with artificial flowers, beads or ribbons. Only then will the doll gain its strength.
- On Friday, it is customary to create wide bracelets from threads. The combination of white and red will protect against financial problems, and beige and blue – from conflicts and disputes within the family. To make a talisman, you can follow the advice of the masters on weaving from ribbons, or you can create jewelry using elementary weaving techniques and connecting braids to each other. The main thing is to put your soul into the amulet.
- On Saturdays, it is customary to tie a thick thread. Alternating bows and ordinary knots, you need to remember to yourself all the negative moments that happened during the week. This cannot be interrupted. After the completion of the ritual, the person will feel relief, because the magic talisman will absorb the experiences of the owner. The used thread is tied with a large bow and left to be stored in an inconspicuous place. When a lot of such amulets accumulate, they need to be burned and at the same time said 7 times: 'I let go of everything bad, I let my happiness into my life.'
- Sunday is a day of rest, so the girl does not have to load herself with work. It is enough to unwind several decimeters of thread from the ball so that it can wrap the owner's wrist 9 times. The beginning and end of the rope are held together. Every time an important event occurs in the life of a lady, as well as on every birthday, you need to weigh a small pendant with the image of a Slavic symbol on the bracelet.
Other do-it-yourself amulets at home
The most popular amulet for a girl was a doll made of scraps. It is made from many scraps, attaching them to each other with a thread. When creating for yourself, you need to repeat kind and affectionate appeals to the future amulet. Then the talisman will be filled with positive energy and will spread goodness and joy to the household.
To attract wealth to the house, you can create a grain doll. Grains are poured into the bag, the neck is tightly tied and the fabric remaining on top is released. With the help of threads, the body is modeled, separating the head. Depending on how richly the amulet is decorated, the owner's income will increase.
In early times in Russia there were different beliefs about where the tradition came from to create amulets with your own hands. However, this ritual is firmly entrenched in the Slavic people, therefore, recommendations on how and what kind of talisman to create have survived to this day.
Making an amulet at home does not take much effort, time or money. However, it is important to sincerely believe that the magical power will spread to each of the family members. If the owner is not sure that the created object will protect and help, then the amulet will become a useless piece or piece of wood.
