In past centuries, embroidery for peasants has never been just a decoration. On the contrary, Slavic ornaments were considered a powerful magical tool that could create order out of chaos. In order for life to develop according to the desired scenario, a person had to have a supernatural image, as it were, a reduced “model” of well-being. This role was also played by embroidery elements on clothes or woven household items, made by hand or by the closest people.
Of course, the products were made not just like that, but according to strictly observed canons. When embroidering motifs, not only the exact execution of the element was required, but also the quality of the stitches, equally beautiful from the front and the wrong side, without knots. Because of this, the magic power of the product increased many times and formed a smooth and strong energy field around the owner.
Different symbols of the Slavs had a different meaning from each other on the subject. Each element of the ornament performed a specific function: protection from disease, help in the spiritual quest, preserving the family, etc.
For example, in the Sverdlovsk region, it was customary for loved ones to embroider something with the following symbol:
It means “Unity and harmony of male and female principles”, serves to strengthen love and family ties. A female amulet “The Blessing of Mother Earth and Ancestors” (Tver Oblast) looks like this:
These Slavic ornaments on clothes gave the woman the belief that she would have many healthy, strong and intelligent children, and her youth would not fade for a long time.
“Sun blessing of grains in the field” (Perm Territory) by contemporaries can be interpreted as a talisman for successful business and success in learning, mastering new knowledge:
There is another interpretation of this symbol - "The Sacred Union of the Sun and the Earth." Our ancestors believed that this ornament guarantees a plentiful harvest.
In the Yaroslavl region, a light curtain over the cradle, the clothes of children and adolescents were often decorated with such embroidery:
It is called the “Blessing of the Seven Elements”: fire, water, earth, air, matter, spirit and mind. Served to protect children from all misfortunes.
“True Love” is already a wedding talisman from the Perm Territory:
Slavic ornaments embroidered with S-shaped figures depict pairs of white swans. And the red motifs between them form the repeating symbols of Mother Earth. They bless the couple, give protection from any harm, true and eternal love, based on friendship, respect and care.
A ritual embroidery for expectant mothers “Healthy pregnancy and happy motherhood” from the Perm region looks like this:
It is like a graphic spell for a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery - a blessing from Mother Earth for a woman in labor and a baby.
In the computerized era of dresses with similar embroidery you will not find, except that in winter on a child you can see mittens with an ornament. Nevertheless, the ancient art of embroidering pagan symbols has not gone into oblivion, it is actively reviving. Slavic ornaments attract not only with their beauty, the belief in their magical power is still alive. This, of course, is good, which means that folk art has survived. And a new wave of interest in the knowledge of our ancestors will certainly revive symbolic art.