Russian patterns and ornaments - symbols

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Russian folk patterns and ornaments are the keepers of deep archaism. They take us back into the depths of centuries, into pre-Christian Russia. These signs of antiquity can be found on embroidery, in the decorations that were worn, in the decoration of Russian huts and temples. As a rule, they had the meaning of amulets or they were given other significant differences.

Russian hut

The design of the roofs and windows as the vault of heaven was of particular importance. Since ancient times, they depicted the sun, horses, "heavenly abysses." Having sharply arched its neck and chest, on the most important, central beam of the roof, a bird-horse, symbolizing the sun, proudly towered. In addition to her, there were other solar signs on the roof, meaning both sunset and sunrise.

On the berths going down from both sides, the most frequent were wavy Russian patterns and ornaments, jets, supplemented by small circles, which, apparently, should have depicted raindrops. The pagans who believed in Rod believed that they were the cause of life on Earth and an expression of the creative energy of the deity that carried out fertilization.

The windows were decoratedwooden lace. It was a Russian pattern and ornaments, consisting of signs of the sun, water, plant elements and stylized female figures. Linking the outside and the inside of the house, the window was decorated extremely exquisitely.

By type, they can be divided into three parts. The first composition is solar, which continued to protect the house, started by the roof.

The second had a gable cover, where the sun was also placed inside and, like on the roof, there were Russian patterns and ornaments in the form of abysses.

The third type of composition differs in that the cornice was even, that is, there was no firmament. In the center there was one figure, surrounded by stylized animals. You can explain their meaning for a long time, but you should move on to the next topic.

Headwear

His main idea is the image of the sky. The headdress was embroidered with the sun, birds looking up. This is related to its name. The word "kokoshnik" comes from the word "kokosh" - a rooster. Pendants to them, cassocks, are vertical stripes running from the kokoshnik to the chest or even to the waist. Metal items (usually gold or silver) feature Russian designs and bird designs that connect heaven and earth.

Pendants on cassocks were kolts, on which we see mermaids, Semargl (this is the god of fertility) or griffins. Beaded cassocks imitated rain streams, which is also associated with fertility in a generalized sense, giving life to everything.earthly.

The ornamentation of the cassock is very stable: it is the theme of the sky and agricultural fertility. The heavenly heights are the birds that are now on the ground. The agrarian theme can also be traced: all stylized phases of plant development were depicted (germinating seeds, pollinated herbs and flowers).

Necklace and clothing

Necklace is an ornament for the neck and chest, which archaeologists call "mane utensils". On the decorations there are signs of the sun, moon, animals and birds. It was all amulets.

Embroidery on the forearms of the sleeves and hips carried a very ancient meaning of the cultivated field: in an oblique square, divided into four parts, there was a sign of grain - a dot. The hem of the clothes is decorated with embroidery, in which the idea of the earth dominates: patterns resembling grass, birds walking on the ground, flowers.

Thus, Russian ornament and patterns date back to the agricultural Neolithic. Much has been preserved to this day, but in order to understand the underlying meanings, one should study the works of archaeologists, because they have the richest material that allows them to decipher it.