Ancient patterns. Russian national ornament

Since ancient times, people have decorated their clothes, homes, tools and household items with various ornaments. These were not just drawings, but magic symbols, which were supposed to protect their owners from evil spirits. In addition, the ornament invariably gave things an elegant and festive look.
The most typical patterns of ancient Russian fabric ornaments are plant, zoomorphic, everyday, and cult motifs. From ancient Russian handwritten books one can also trace the history of ornament in Rus'. The ornaments in them were decorated with headpieces for each chapter and initials (the first letters of chapters and psalms). Since the 12th century, new motifs have appeared in book designs - griffins, dragons and other mythical monsters, intertwined with branches, belts, entangled in their tails and necks to such an extent that nothing can be made out.

Wood carving has also been distinguished by a variety of ornaments since ancient times. There are several wood carving techniques: geometric, openwork and artistic. In geometric carvings made in the form of recesses various shapes, pagan symbols were often present, for example, the so-called “rosettes” and “radiances”, denoting the sun. Such images were often found on household items: spinning wheels, dishes, kitchen utensils. Artistic carving was a real drawing on wood and decorated the walls of the house, the ridge on the roof, and the porch. As in textile ornaments, plant, zoomorphic and cult motifs were common in wood carvings, which ancient times were supposed to protect the house from evil forces, and later turned into simply elements of home decoration.

After the adoption of Christianity at the end of the 10th century, Byzantine culture began to spread in Rus', which was reflected primarily in architecture, language and ornament. Even the word “ornament” itself is of Latin origin and is translated as “decoration”. From the 12th century, elements characteristic of Italian, Persian, Indian, and during Tatar-Mongol invasion and ornaments. Mixing all these styles into XVI-XVII centuries gave rise to a special ornamental style, characteristic only of the Russian people.

It contains both geometric shapes and various plant patterns, images of animals, existing and mythical, fantasy patterns of intertwining ribbons, branches, leaves, climbing plants, forming, despite all their intricacy, various figures of animals, birds and people. In different centuries, various ornamental motifs were used to decorate various objects (be it clothing or a handwritten book, a box or a towel), some of them were characteristic only of their time, others have been preserved from ancient times to the present day.

Ornament is the language of millennia. The word “ornament” comes from the Latin ornare and literally translated it means “decoration, pattern.” Academician B. A. Rybakov said this about the meaningfulness of the ornament: “When looking at intricate patterns, we rarely think about their symbolism, we rarely look for meaning in the ornament. It often seems to us that there is no more thoughtless, light and meaningless area of ​​art than ornament. Meanwhile in folk ornament, as in ancient writings, the thousand-year-old wisdom of the people, the beginnings of their worldview and the first attempts of man to influence the mysterious forces of nature through the means of art were deposited.” However, it would be wrong, when talking about ornaments, to reduce everything to decoration (14).

Ornament is special kind artistic creativity, which, as many researchers believe, does not exist in the form independent work, it only decorates this or that thing. Many researchers note that the ornament is quite complex artistic structure, for the creation of which various expressive means are used. Among them are color, texture and the mathematical foundations of ornamental composition - rhythm, symmetry; graphic expression of ornamental lines, their elasticity and mobility, flexibility or angularity; plastic - in relief ornaments; and, finally, the expressive qualities of the natural motifs used, the beauty of the painted flower, the bend of the stem, the pattern of the leaf. Almost always, simple signs that are perceived by our enlightened eyes as circles, wavy lines, zigzags or crosses, actually had a completely different meaning for the creators of these compositions. The artistic, figurative language of the ornament is diverse. Performing a task decorative value, it often plays the role of a social, gender and age marker, ethnicity, and is a means of expressing the people’s worldview (6).

The winding line was often a symbol of water - an unusual substance with mysterious properties, one of the primary elements of the world. The circle represented a solar (solar) sign. The cross was often a talisman that counteracted the forces of evil. An ornament with such signs gave a thing a special meaning, as if immersing it in the fabric of complex relationships between man and the world within a certain picture peace (16).

However, humanity is “growing up” and it is time to believe in the mystical meaning of ancient symbols and in their real strength passed. We know about ancient myths, but we don't believe in them. With the loss of faith in magical power signs from ornaments, their innermost meaning began to disappear, and they really began to turn into one of the decorative elements. However, there are still places on Earth, including in Russia, where the picture of the world “recorded” with ornaments is still reproduced, lives in people and objects, which means that the ornaments created within the framework of this picture of the world have not lost their power and hidden meaning and meaning. One of these places is the settlements of small peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russia (16).

Russian ornament is rightfully called one of the most interesting phenomena in world artistic culture.

He is unique world artistic images. Over the centuries, Russian ornament has been modified and transformed, but invariably amazed the imagination of contemporaries with its poetry and beauty of lines and colors. The ornament accompanied the man in his Everyday life. Floral, geometric, zoomorphic and other motifs decorated human homes, religious and household objects, clothing, and handwritten books. The patterns applied to the object carried the foundations of the universe. The artist comprehended the world around him and sought to express his attitude towards it by combining different elements, varying the line or color ratio. The ornament could fill all the free space with a continuous carpet or decorate only some parts of the product, emphasizing their artistic and plastic expressiveness (1).

The ornament is built on the rhythmic alternation of depicted motifs, a derivative of the form and a structure subordinate to it. The ornament cannot be calculated mathematically; it covers the surface of the object, repeating its curves, emphasizing them or hiding them. It is impossible to calculate what the curl laid by the master will be like. The internal structure of the ornament has a figurative, applied and semantic origin. The pattern always has applied side, it is strictly connected with the function of the object on which it is applied, with its shape, material. And finally, any ornament has one meaning or another. It can have the direct meaning of writing, reflect with its rhythms in a complexly mediated form the real rhythms of life, carry symbolic meanings, fixed by tradition. All ornaments have their own names, which are very stable, taking into account the vast territory of their distribution. To decipher the meaning of ornaments, both the explanations of craftswomen and religious and mythological ideas, as well as stable folklore and everyday expressions are used, since they are based on the same system of ideas about the world. Ideas about the picture of the world are passed on from generation to generation, and it is only partially realized (see Appendix 6).

The time of the appearance of the first ornamental compositions in Russian art is unknown, but it can be assumed that interest in decorating objects developed simultaneously with the development of the surrounding world (4, p.6).

Researchers, Russian and foreign, have made attempts to study the art of constructing ornamental compositions. Archaeologists, ethnographers, historians, and art critics have written about Russian ornament. First of all attention scientific world was turned to the study of art of the XI-XVII centuries. Among the most famous scientists who dealt with the issue of ornament were F. G. Solntsev, F. I. Buslaev, I. M. Snegirev, V. I. Butovsky, V. V. Stasov, the famous French scientist E. Violet-le-Duc . They studied Russian ornament in all its manifestations - not only as a unique phenomenon, but also as an integral part of the form and decoration of various objects. Everything was decorated with ornaments, starting with large works architecture and ending with small household utensils. And the ornament manifested itself most clearly in Russian embroidery (1, p.9).

According to the motifs used in the ornament, it is divided into: geometric, consisting of abstract shapes (dots, straight, broken, zigzag, mesh intersecting lines; circles, rhombuses, polyhedrons, stars, crosses, spirals; more complex specifically ornamental motifs - meander, etc. . P.); plant, stylizing leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (lotus, papyrus, palmette, acanthus, etc.); zoomorphic, or animal, stylizing figures or parts of figures of real or fantastic animals. Human figures, architectural fragments, weapons, various signs and emblems (coat of arms); anthropomorphic, divided into two large groups: a) archaic, reflecting ancient mythological ideas, b) everyday (or genre). A special type of ornament is represented by stylized inscriptions on architectural structures (for example, on Central Asian medieval mosques) or in books (the so-called ligature). There are often complex combinations of various motifs (geometric and animal forms - so-called teratology, geometric and plant - arabesques) (5).

Russian ornament is a poorly studied area; much in it remains unexplored and unclear. Folklore traditions, Christian doctrine, the heritage of Eastern and Western European countries - all this influenced the formation of Russian ornament.

Russian ornaments were perceived heterogeneous elements, enriched and transformed into new forms. The richness and diversity of forms and types of Russian ornament testifies to creative thinking masters and their high artistic taste (1, p.7).

There are many amazing things in the rich collection of fabrics and clothing of the State Historical Museum in Moscow. Also kept there is this lavishly embroidered women's shirt, which a century and a half ago was worn by a Russian peasant woman from near the northern city of Kargopol.

Festive women's shirt. Olonets province, Kargopol district. First half of the 19th century.

Small radiant diamonds are scattered across the sleeves like stars. And on the shoulders, framed by a hot red pattern, the diamonds are already large. Unprecedented plants bloomed around the collar of his shirt, and birds sat among them. The most elegant thing is the hem. In the center of it is a fantastic bird inside some bizarre structure, with large and small birds located near the walls and on the roof. And strange trees grew nearby, funny little men stood frozen with their hands raised up. The entire pattern that goes around the hem cannot be described with a pen - only in a fairy tale!

The style of a festive women's shirt. Olonets province, Kargopol district. First half of the 19th century.

As you know, the shirt in the old Russian village was the main part of the costume, and for young people - sometimes the only one. They usually didn’t embroider it for weekdays, but they decorated it so well for holidays! The girls especially tried, because appearing in public on a holiday wearing an unembroidered shirt was considered a disgrace. And for the day when the whole peasant world went out to mow, they also prepared clothes decorated with patterns. Is it surprising that people associated many different beliefs with the shirt? It was believed, for example, that there was no way to sell it - you would lose happiness. And the wedding shirt was also believed to have healing powers.

The decorations themselves also had a deep meaning. In the middle of the last century, the ritual of “reading patterns” was still alive. Girls from near and far gathered in one of the villages in their best handmade outfits. They put four or five shirts on top of each other with intricate patterns that went from the hem to the chest. Then - a sundress, on top of it - three or four elegant aprons. The guys who came to the festival chose an old woman as their guide and approached the dressed-up girls with her. The woman showed them their aprons and the hems of their shirts, while explaining the meaning of the patterns. The guys judged the hard work and abilities of the girls by their embroidery.

An old northern song tells how one of these needlewomen worked:

I embroidered for the first time
Red sun with hazes.
With warm clouds;
I embroidered for the second time
The moon was brightening with rays.
With frequent stars...
I embroidered for the fourth time
Blue sea with waves...

In her wedding lamentation, the Kargopol bride said that on her white shirt was embroidered “the good rising sun, the morning dawn, the young, bright moon, rivers, all deep lakes.” But no matter how many times we look at old shirts, we will never see such a naturalistic picture of nature, made with a needle and multi-colored threads. Apparently, that girl owned some other figurative language. But how should we understand it? We will try to find the key to understanding it in ancient fairy tales, proverbs, and riddles. At least in this one, where we're talking about about the sun:

Big bright room,
The firebird is burning,
Everyone knows her
And she loves it.

After all, this is the answer to the already familiar image on the hem of the shirt: the lighthouse is the image of the world, the firebird is the clear sun! And the smaller birds (they were called peahens) were like rays around the sun.

The image of birds was popularly associated with the idea of ​​light and warmth. They believed that with their arrival spring came to earth:

Larks,
Quails,
Swallow birds!
Come and visit us!
Clear spring
Red spring
Bring it to us.

It is no coincidence that in the lush plumage of peahens, crosses, circles, and tridents are often visible on their heads: these signs in folk symbolism from ancient times personified fire and the sun.

Let's go further. As if they had fluttered from the hem of a shirt, the peahen birds sat on its collar next to the plants strewn with flowers. This means that with the arrival of the long-awaited birds, and therefore with the arrival of spring, all nature blossoms:

The peahen has arrived
Sat on the lava
Let down her feathers
For any potion.

Yes, as we see, the embroidery contains not only a poetic, but also a visible image of spring. Isn't it true, reflected in the pattern of the shirt? the whole world! This was helped by the art of ornamentation, which gives everyday things a deep meaning. It can make these things either more strict or more elegant. In the patterns of our shirt, which originated from the Kargopol land, famous for arable farming, an image of the world is given that is close to the farmer.

Not just the shirt, but the whole festive costume Kargopol peasant woman was deeply symbolic. On her head she wore a kokoshnik embroidered with gold thread, pearls, beads and colored glass or stones with symbols of the sky - the sun and stars. She tied an apron on which an agricultural calendar was embroidered (see No. 10 of “Young Artist” for 1983), girded herself with a “rainbow” belt and was, as scientists say, a model of the world. The beauty and harmony of the clothes seemed to testify to the wise structure of the universe. They also embroidered other images on the hems of shirts. Let's say, in the center there is the likeness of a fantastic plant, and on the sides of it are powerful animals with clawed paws, frozen in protective poses. The animals seem to be permeated with bright sunlight- even their manes and ears turn golden and shimmer with silk. And around them flutter, slowly and importantly, different-faced peahens sit sedately. This bird kingdom suggests that the entire space of the embroidery is “filled” with sunlight.

But what can either lions or leopards, mysterious to us, represent? In one of the northern conspiracies about such a fantastic beast it is said that its wool is gilded, but gold symbolized ancient art light. On the other hand, a distant relative, the prototype of the lion embroidered on the hem, was the winged dog Simargl-Pereplut from an old myth, the guardian of crops. It turns out that this pattern is also associated with agriculture.

On the hem of another shirt are two birds with fused backs (this composition is called a “rook” because of its shape). From the “boat”, a sprout stretches upward towards the heart-shaped seed, and from the seed grows a fabulous tree with lush flowers and leaves. There are peahens sitting all around, and on the sides, powerful birds seem to be guarding the marvelous plant. The role of these majestic guards seems clear, but what does “rook” mean?

Researchers of Russian folk art know well that there are three types of it: bird, horse and deer. Folklore materials say that these animals and birds in the minds of the people were associated with the image of the sun - as its “servants”. Consequently, our composition is directly related to solar symbolism.

Let's take a close look at the following illustration - embroidery on a towel - and see that the “rook” seems to be moving straight towards us. The heads, necks and chests of the birds are turned to the sides - exactly like those of horses racing in one team. Now let's look at the plant. Anyone who knows Russian embroidery well will immediately see in it the outlines of a female figure with her arms raised up. Before us is a capacious image of the nature native to the farmer - Mother Earth, which for the peasant was like Living being: I fell asleep for the winter and woke up from the hot rays of the spring sun, drank water and gave birth to a harvest. This means that the meaning of the pattern on the towel is clear - it speaks of the arrival of spring, the blossoming of nature and the imminent arrival of the time of fertility.

There was a cheerful ancient custom in the Russian village. In the spring, girls walked in a noisy crowd outside the outskirts. There, raising their hands to the sky, they sang songs - stoneflies and calls, inviting “swallow birds”, which were supposed to bring red spring to their region. And now, on the embroidery of the mantle that adorned the elegant girl’s shirt, we see a female figure with her arms raised to the sky. In the woman’s hands and around are large and small birds. As you can see, the embroidery, ritual and song given earlier have same value. They should contribute to the speedy arrival of the bright spring sun, so necessary for all of nature.

The time for field work was approaching, and the plowmen went out into the field. Take a look at the pattern of another towel: in the center of the embroidery is a majestic female figure(the image of Mother Earth already familiar to us), who holds two horses by the bridle. Riders sit on them, and the gesture of their hands shows with what respect they address both the sky and Mother Earth. Behind the riders are the plows with which the peasants plowed their fields. So, before us is a visible image of welcoming spring.

Yes, Russian embroidery patterns are closely related to the everyday concerns of the agricultural people and carry a deep moral meaning. The reader has probably already guessed that in old village These patterns had not only aesthetic, but also ritual significance. Girls, as a rule, embroidered them only in the spring, before the start of field work. It was as if they asked the sky for a fruitful year and said in the language of ornament: let it always be like this!

It is known that the ancestors of Russian peasant farmers - the ancient Slavs - worshiped “Ubrists”, that is, towels. Or rather, not the towels themselves, but the patterns depicted on them, which were then carefully passed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter. And since the embroidery ornament originates in such hoary antiquity, it is logical to assume that the color and technique are also symbolic.

The most ancient color combination in Russian embroidery is white and red: silver linen canvas and flaming thread of patterns. The color red in folk art was both a symbol of earthly fertility and the sun itself. That is why the same thread is used to embroider both the messengers of spring - peahens, and Mother Earth, as if illuminated and warmed by sunlight and warmth.

Now let's take a closer look at the embroidery technique. On the shimmering silver fabric, stitch by stitch, strictly along the cells of the fabric, as if on a canvas, the outline of the design was embroidered. Needlewomen most often used old samples or chips, thus preserving the iconography of ancient subjects. The second stage is the internal filling of the pattern with a straight grid, in the cells of which crosses were embroidered in a checkerboard pattern. This technique, without emphasizing the materiality of what is depicted, revealed the symbolic significance of the ornament.

Over time, the ritual significance of embroidery was gradually forgotten and its decorative side came first. More and more often, craftswomen fill the silhouette with so-called cast-on stitches, consisting of multi-colored squares, triangles, and rectangles. And then, at the end of the last century, the old counted seams were replaced by a free chain stitch, consisting of a chain of loops, and instead of white homespun canvas, bright red calico was used. All this destroys the ancient figurative system of folk embroidery, although the works themselves change from majestic and solemn to festive and elegant.

A few more decades and ancient myth leaves completely folk embroidery: at the beginning of the 20th century, even the best needlewomen no longer know the true meaning of many of the patterns they embroider. Especially today - it’s good if we know that in ancient times towels “with roosters” were common in Rus'...

However, of course, it is not enough for young artists to just admire these beautiful patterns. It would be nice to copy them into a little album that you should always have with you. And then try to learn more about the spiritual side of the amazing art of your ancestors. Indeed, there is a lot in it that should never be forgotten.

/ Young artist. No. 3, 1985 / G. Durasov, Photo: E. Groshnikova, Y. Robinova

This summer I published a book collected by book historian Antonina Sergeevna Zernova. Today I am starting a series of publications of copies of samples of ancient Russian book ornament - “The History of Russian Ornament from the 10th to the 16th Centuries Based on Ancient Manuscripts.” This collection was collected and published in 1870 by a team of teachers and students of the Stroganov School of Technical Drawing under the leadership of the director of the School, Viktor Ivanovich Butovsky.
The original edition consisted of two volumes of 100 sheets each. The first volume is historical, containing life-size images of ornaments, as they appear in the manuscript. The second volume is didactic and consists of drawings of enlarged fragments of ornamental motifs. I will give only tables from the first volume. The quality of the copies was not very high - we had to retake them in a rather dark room.

In 1860, by merging two drawing schools, the Stroganov School of Technical Drawing was formed. It was headed by director Viktor Ivanovich Butovsky, who devoted himself entirely to the revival of national traditions in production. Butovsky occupied a high position in society - active state councilor, huntsman of the court of His Imperial Majesty, member of the Moscow branch of the Council of Trade and Manufactures, and in last years life - Chairman of the Committee for the construction of buildings of the upcoming All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow in 1882. A historian by education and an economist by profession, he was perfectly suited to the post of director of Stroganov. Of course, the fact that Victor and Alexander Butovsky were related also played a role. Alexander Ivanovich headed the Department of Trade and Manufactures under the Ministry of Finance, which was in charge of the Stroganov School.
Under Butovsky, the work of teachers and students of the Stroganov School was organized to study the artistic traditions of ancient Russian art. They went on ethnographic and archaeological expeditions to sketch ancient Russian ornaments, searched for and copied ornaments of the 10th–16th centuries from ancient manuscripts, and made casts of the white stone decoration of Vladimir-Suzdal churches of the 12th–13th centuries.
In 1870, a publication of copies of samples of ancient Russian book ornament was published - “The History of Russian Ornament from the X to the XVI centuries according to ancient manuscripts” - the first publication scientific research Stroganovka. IN AND. Butovsky personally supervised the search and making copies of ancient illuminated manuscripts - he determined which book depositories to send the School’s students to and who would be involved in executing the copies. “The History of Russian Ornament” turned out to be the first publication in a series of subsequent studies devoted to ancient Russian art and its use in the art industry. Butovsky himself described the significance of this collection as follows: “with the appearance of this publication in the world, the artistic significance of Russia in ancient times from the tenth to the 17th century will be brilliantly revealed in Europe for the first time. The public will become familiar with the Russian style of bygone years and will lay the cornerstone for the revival of this style in the 19th century.”

1. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the collection of Conversations of John Chrysostom, known as Margaret, 10th century. Moscow, Synodal Library.

2. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Discourse of John Chrysostom, a Greek manuscript that once belonged to Jeremiah, the first Patriarch of Constantinople, 10th century. Moscow, Synodal Library.

3. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Gospel of the X-XI centuries. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

4. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From Greek Gospel X-XI centuries St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

5. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Greek Gospel of the X-XI centuries. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

6. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Greek Gospel of the X-XI centuries. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

7. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. 1. From the Word of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, X-XI centuries. 2. From the Conversation of John Chrysostom on the Evangelist John, X-XI centuries. Moscow, Synodal Library.

8. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. 1. From the Conversation of John Chrysostom, XI century. 2. From Chetya-Minea for the month of November, XI century. Moscow, Synodal Library.

9. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. 1. From the Discourse of Basil the Great on the Psalms, XI century. 2. From the Conversation of John Chrysostom on Matvei, 1006 Moscow. Synodal Library.

10. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Ostromir Gospel, 1056-1057. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

11. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Ostromir Gospel, 1056-1057. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

12. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Ostromir Gospel, 1056-1057. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

13. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Ostromir Gospel, 1056-1057. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

14. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Collection of Svyatoslav, 1073 Moscow. Synodal Library.

15. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. 1. From the Four Gospels with interpretation, 1062. 2. From the New Testament, XII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

16. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the New Testament, XII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

17. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the New Testament, XII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

18. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. 1. From the Proverbs of Solomon, XII century. Moscow. Synodal Library. 2. From the Four Gospels, XII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

19. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Yuriev Gospel, 1120-1128. Moscow, Chudov Monastery.

20. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Yuriev Gospel, 1120-1128. Moscow, Chudov Monastery.

21. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Yuriev Gospel, 1120-1128. Moscow, Chudov Monastery.

22. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Mstislav Gospel, 1125-1132. Moscow, Archangel Cathedral.

23. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. 1. From the Ladder of John Climacus, 12th century. 2. From the Gospel written in 1164 Moscow, Rumyantsev Museum.

24. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Gospel written in 1164. Moscow, Rumyantsev Museum.

25. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. 1. From Kormcha, XII century. 2. From the Gospel, XIII century. 3. From the Gospel written in 1164. Moscow, Rumyantsev Museum.

26. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. From the Psalter of the XII-XIII centuries. Moscow province. New Jerusalem Library.

27. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. 1. From Kormcha, XIII century. 2. From the Gospel, XII-XIII centuries. Moscow, Rumyantsev Museum.

28. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Four Gospels, XIII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

29. BYZANTINE ORNAMENT. From the Four Gospels, XIII century. St. Petersburg. Imperial Public Library.

30. RUSSIAN ORNAMENT. 2. From the Gospel of the 13th century. Moscow. Cathedral of the Archangel.

Oh, these Russian folk patterns ! Just as their fine ligature attracts attention, something resonates in the soul! And it seems that these lace ornaments exude the intoxicating aroma of ancient secrets and, shimmering, are trying to say something. Alas! Not many people know the symbolic language of Slavic patterns, not many understand their multi-layered images and their meaning. Slavic patterns are as beautiful as a nightingale’s song in summer, but it’s true that you need to have some kind of spiritual resonance with the heritage of your ancestors in order to hear their quiet music. This article shows whichRussian folk patterns and their meaning were used in the "Northern Fairy Tale" artel to create a model of a women's sweater with protective patterns.

The true beauty of Slavic patterns- in their meaning

Slavic patterns are like a holographic picture - they must be viewed with defocused vision, switching attention first to a dark pattern, then to a light one. Meaning Slavic patterns can only be understood by combining in the mind the meaning of the dark pattern, which “speaks” on behalf of the earthly, obvious world, and the meaning of the light pattern, which “speaks” on behalf of the heavenly world, the world of Rule. In addition, the interpretationRussian folk patterns changes depending on the place where they are located - after all, Slavic clothing had a three-part division (preserved, by the way, in the ancient archaic canons of Mezen painting).

The hem of the clothing symbolized the Sky, the World of Rule, the sleeves and throat were ritually connected with the Earth, close to the world of Navi, and between them is the space of Revealing. Now try to imagine how the meaning of at least one Slavic pattern will change when you “move” it “ different worlds" It is impossible to comprehend the beauty and meaning of Slavic patterns on the run, in a hurry - you need a subtle attitude, a special spiritual state in which a person is open to the call of the heart, the call of nature.

Let's look at embroidery patterns. Thus, on a women’s sweater with protective patterns from “Northern Fairy Tale”, there is a “linked cross” sign, symbolically associated with the First Ancestor. This is a powerful protective sign, its strength rests on the roots of your family tree. It is present in all the “three Worlds” on our sweater (you can see the illustrations below).

On the hem (remember that this is the heavenly world) the Slavic pattern of the First Ancestor is made in white, that is, it is symbolically connected with Heaven. This is the strongest heavenly protection of the Native Gods, the First Ancestors of the Slavs. Further, on the chest, in the territory of the obvious world, the sign of the First Ancestor is already red (dark) in color, these are the roots of your family, supporting the life trunk of your family tree “here and now”, carrying earthly energy, and finally, for the third time, the sign of the First Ancestor appears on the sleeves, woven into a pattern that protects the owner of the clothing from premature departure to Nav. Here the sign of the First Ancestor is precisely red (dark), earthly, holding.

Let's take a closer look at the patterns of Slavic patterns

“Patterns are great travelers in Time and Space,” writes Marina Kachaeva, whose magnificent and thoughtful studies of Slavic patterns served as the basis for the symbolism of a women’s sweater made in the “Northern Fairy Tale” artel.

I will try to tell you as much as possible about this handmade sweater, which even professional knitters can knit in only three weeks.

The first thing you need to see: Earth or Sky?

And, considering the general scheme of the Slavic pattern, evaluate what is more in it - light or dark. In all the protective patterns of this sweater, a balance of dark (red) and light (primary color) is maintained, and only on the large protective pattern on the back there is a predominance of the red color of the Earth. This means that this garment, harmonizing the flows of masculine and feminine energy, still gives its owner a little more feminine softness, so necessary in our cruel world.

In general, remember that:

if there is more darkness, the pattern connects its owner with the earthly world of the living, its purpose is to activate physical processes in the body and energy (let's call it a trance effect);

if there is more light (there are even options for “white thread on white”), then the pattern stretches its powerful connecting threads between the owner and the Sky. This pattern helps spiritual work;

if the pattern includes an equal number of light and dark threads, then its purpose is to harmonize the Earth-Man-Sky system as a whole.

The second thing you need to see: what Slavic patterns are located on the “Earth” and “Sky”

Let's take a closer look at the patterns on clothes with a story from the Northern Fairy Tale artel.

Heaven (Rule the world)

This is the hem of our sweater. It has a dark pattern, made with red threads, and a light one, the main color in equal proportions (an equal number of light and red threads).

What does the light pattern tell us, whose energy is maximum in this place?

The first thing that is important is the “linked cross” of the First Ancestor. Its meaning has already been said; we will simply enjoy contemplating this Slavic ornament, beautiful in its geometry. Here this symbol is “white in Heaven,” which gives it key significance in this ornamental script, symbolizing the patronage of the Gods of Rule themselves. Perhaps Svarog himself is looking after the owner of this sweater? Then the housewife is guaranteed a bright, creative, constructive life and good health- after all, Svarog, the Supreme God-blacksmith is also the God of Fertility; he created Blue Svarga - a country in the skies where our glorious ancestors live.

Prayers are sent to him for an abundance of earthly fruits. Svarog taught people to cook (create) cottage cheese and cheese from milk, which were once considered sacred food, a gift from the Gods. “Bungle” still means to create something new, previously unknown, in a miraculous, masterful way.

And, for the harmony of such a strong energy of the Heavenly Ancestor, the Goddess-Earth herself, the Mother of Cheese Earth, appears to us in the form Slavic symbol"sprouting grain" The meaning of thisSlavic pattern- the power of the Earth, the power of life-giving energy, a clot of earthly, obvious embodiment.

So, meeting on this hem, higher power Earth and Heaven favor the creation of new life. It is no coincidence that this pattern in a sweater from “Northern Fairy Tale” covers the loins, protecting the very center of feminine power.

Now let’s make a mental effort and switch our perception to considering the dark (in our case red) pattern.

Earthly energy, maximally enhanced by the sign of the “sown field”, symbolically associated with the Great Goddess Mother of Cheese Earth, is found here with the Slavic sign “horned”, the sign of Makosh, the Goddess of Fate and Magic. Its appearance gives new depth to the meaning of this Slavic pattern.

It contains the confrontation and unification of the earthly and the heavenly, the desire for a simple, ordinary life and a talent for female magic.

And here it is no longer possible to understand this “intrigue” without digging deeper into the difficult relationship between the two most important female patrons. Cheese's Mother Earth patronizes joy in simple everyday life, and Makosh, the Goddess of Fate- a mysterious companion of women's magic, fortune telling and divination.

Russian folk pattern “Horned” is associated with Makosh, since its influence intensifies along with the Moon. The Goddess Makosh herself was depicted in a “horned” headdress, and the traditional headdress of Slavic women - the “kichka” was the most beautiful decoration, who had pronounced horns in honor of Makosh, the Goddess of Fate and Magic.

• If you want to know more about this, read the article« »

So, interacting “in Heaven,” the two Goddesses came here to give the owner of this clothing their power.

Overall, on In the scheme of the Slavic pattern of this hem, we see the strong influence of Svarog and Makosh, the Gods of Rule, and the light influence of the sign of the First Ancestor is so strong that the support of the “horned” sign, made in the red, earthly version, is sufficient.

To hold and even resist this luminous energy, the sign of the Earth Goddess is repeated twice on this ornament, in white and red, which overall creates a warm protective field for the owner of this wonderful clothing.

The central field of this pattern is framed by two stripes with a “wave” pattern - this is a symbol of water, life, movement.

Earth (border between Reality and Navu)

Nav is the lower world into which the righteous Soul goes, joining its relatives and becoming the guardian of the next generations. The soul is in the world of Navi until its new incarnation. Unfortunately, the Souls of those who lived wrongly and died unjustly also go to Nav. Their existence in Navi reborns them into dark and terrible Navi, striving to return to the manifest world. The meaning of the ornaments in this part of the clothing is very simple - it was believed that the patterns on the sleeves do not allow evil, dark waves to penetrate into a person.

What a magical action is happening right before our eyes, under the enchanting eyes of the wonderfulSlavic patterns?

We look closely at the ornament with white, heavenly energy and see “a germinating grain» Goddesses of the Earth. This sign was “in Heaven” and has now appeared here “on Earth”.Such mastery of the entire space of this sign promises the owner of this sweater health and increased wealth.

The appearance of “orepia,” of course, is also not accidental. This is the sign of Ognedeva, who embodies the strength and vital energy of the entire visible world. And here, on the “territory of the Earth”, it appears in the form of a variant of the drawing, which was called a “labyrinth”. They say that whoever walks through the spirals of the Hyperborean stone labyrinth, holding in his head the obvious intention of seeing the future,while moving, he can feel a hidden but powerful force coming from the ancient stones. The walker seems to be walking through mirages, at first rather blurry, but leaving a noticeable vibration throughout the body, an inaudible powerful roar in the ears, a flicker of light in the eyes, and unprecedented concentration in the thoughts. Measured steps, circles, soft turns, merging in consciousness into some new path according to all conceivable sensations, lead the questioner to the center. A forced stop - and divine illumination, penetration through time and space, will sparkle with a bright flash before the traveler’s mind’s eye.

Perhaps a discerning connoisseur will get the same impression when looking at thisSlavic patternon this sweater.

Much is said about labyrinths as doors to another world. It is dangerous when these doors are open; special rituals are needed to welcome the Ancestors and protect themselves from the Navies. In this pattern, the Ognedeva’s labyrinth is tightly sealed with four locks and securely stores its owner.

• If you want to learn more about labyrinths, read the article

The dark, red pattern, which has maximum power here, includes a “lattice” - giving us new meaning what's happening. Here Ognedeva, who sealed the passage to the lower world with heavenly energy, appears in the image of a luminous Goddess, rushing in a cart drawn by Pribogs. As Marina Kachaeva writes, “she rushes in a fiery chariot harnessed by a pair of Gemini - swans or horses. This image of the Virgin corresponds to lunar cults associated with love magic" An attentive connoisseur of the meaning of Slavic patterns will remember, of course, the energy of Makosh, the Goddess of Fate and Magic, filling the hem ornament.

And, of course, the power and calmness of the “linked cross”, which carries the age-old protection of the First Ancestor.

Here, on the border of the world of Reveal and Navi, it is made with threads of red, earthly, feminine color, it reigns here, beaming with its protective energy. All the Mothers of your kind stand on guard, protecting against unwanted penetration of dark navies.

Let's think about the meaning of the Slavic pattern as a whole. This is the scheme. By connecting and protecting, the sign of the Fire Maiden in the form of a white labyrinth and the red sign of the First Ancestor block unwanted energy from both principles - male and female.

At the same time, here lies the growth of the feminine spiritual principle (white sprout) and the ability to influence men (red Ognedeva, who gives strength in love magic).

Third: look at the patterns guarding the wrist and throat

On the women's sweater from "Northern Fairy Tale", just like on the men's, there is the famous "Russian cross". The patterns in this place are extremely important; they are the ones that hold the Soul in the body. Russian cross is a pattern consisting of female “diamonds” and male “crosses”, and in the correct color scheme– a dark female rhombus and a light male cross. What is there to say for a long time - it turns out that this pattern, harmonizing the feminine and masculinity, holds the Soul precisely by the power of Love, which constitutes such an attractive part of our Explicit life.

Fourth: look at the world of Revealed

Between the hem and sleeves-collar there is a space symbolizing our obvious world in which we exist on the physical plane. In Slavic clothing there were patterns on the chest and back, and, what is important, all clothing was girded with a belt, preferably also patterned.

The sweater from the Northern Fairytale artel already has a patterned protective stripe in the waist area. Let's take a closer look at her treasures.

On the wave of white, male energy, Ognedeva is located here - in the form of an “orepia”, protecting the mistress from unnecessary ill-wishers of the obvious, physical world, and she, on a white chariotin a lattice pattern ", giving the strength to love and be loved.

And look at the feminine powers bestowed by these patterns - the red “horned” one, Makosh, Goddess of the Moon, Goddess of Fate and Magic, repeated twice (in direct and mirror versions) promises an easy, bright destiny in this manifest life.