Friends, greetings!
As promised, I dedicate this article to the placement of patterns and ornaments on traditional Russian clothing. And in particular, on a woman's shirt, shirt.
A shirt without patterns is not so beautiful, you must admit.
But the shirt with embroidery is a sight for sore eyes. In Ukraine, such a shirt is called an embroidered shirt.
The type and type of patterns was determined by the purpose of the shirt and clothing in general. It was everyday, festive, ritual and wedding. We also need to realize that our ancestors did not just decorate clothes and “give them an aesthetic appearance,” but they reflected the world around them, their ideas about it and their relationship with this world.
For example, this is what academician Boris Aleksandrovich Rybakov wrote in his work “Paganism of Ancient Rus'”:
“Let us pay attention to the fact that both in architecture and in clothing the same principle of placement of spell ornaments was consistently applied; all openings, all openings through which all sorts of evil spirits could penetrate to a person were decorated. Clothes were covered with a magical protective pattern: collars, shirt cuffs, hem, slits on a shirt or sundress. The fabric itself was considered impenetrable to the spirits of evil, since its production involved objects abundantly equipped with magical ornaments (ruffles, spinning wheels, weaving mills). It was important to protect those places where the enchanted fabric of clothing ended and the human body began.”
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the locations of the pattern were:
Gate - 1,
mantles and shoulders - 2,
sleeves – 3,
hem - 4.
The collar was usually decorated with a narrow strip of weaving or embroidery, and later with an appliqué of bright stripes of fabric.
On ancient shirts, the entire chest part was embroidered with a dense ornament, and in later ones it was made up of pieces of calico and braid.
Sometimes there are quite interesting attempts to reconstruct the Russian shirt.
The mantles and shoulders were embroidered with protective ornaments. The edges of the fabric and seams were protected with ornaments.
In traditional women's shirts, the back was not embroidered with ornaments (most likely for reasons of convenience and practicality). Embroidered capes and scarves were used to protect the back. What you see in the photo is a modern trend.
Often the completely ornamented sleeves turned out to be the most decorated part of the shirt.
A wedding shirt is rightfully considered the most beautiful. Embroidered with complex ornate patterns, the main place among which was invariably occupied by a red ornament, this shirt was prepared specifically for the festive celebration. After the wedding, the shirt did not lose its meaning. A Russian woman wore it on holidays until the birth of her first child, and then, according to custom, she carefully kept it.
Festive and ritual shirts were decorated with special care.
The most interesting from the point of view of ornaments were ritual shirts.
Common mowing for the entire village was not only work, but also a holiday. Girls and women wore ritual, mowing shirts - “pokosnitsy”.
Pokosnitsa is an old shirt. Simple and easy to use.
The upper part of such a shirt was made of thin white linen, its sleeves were wide, usually shortened. The width of the embroidered pattern on the hem sometimes reached thirty centimeters or more. As a rule, the most ancient of ornaments and patterns—calendar ones—were embroidered on the hem.
I don't claim the truth, I'm just looking for it, just like everyone else. I understand that opinions and judgments about the same issue can be different. I would welcome if you have a reasoned opinion different from mine.
However, I believed and still believe that seekers of true traditionalism in our culture and clothing, as part of it, should pay attention to the Russian North. Why - there should be a separate, historical article about this, but in a nutshell (in the language of images, in the language of a fairy tale) - the Koschei were unable to capture the Russian North. That is why what has been there from time immemorial has been preserved there.
According to Lyudmila Fedorovna Kislukha, a researcher cultural traditions in the clothing of the Russian North - the word “shirt” and shirt were rarely used, more often they used more specific and accepted in each locality their own names for these types of clothing, and also depending on the purpose of the shirt.
About other types of traditional clothing and names - in the following articles.
People say: “your shirt is closer to your body.” Why, semantics will tell us about this folk costume, composition, its color, ornamental cryptography. After all, it is in the folk costume that the most important features and characteristics of the people’s self-consciousness, their social, moral, and religious ideas can be traced.
It is worth noting that clothing, whose initial appearance was due to functional necessity, immediately became a ritual object. Its task was also to stimulate certain life processes. Therefore, we consider clothing not only as a thing, but also as symbolic form- a sign in the context of culture.
N.M. Kalashnikova, the author of numerous works related to the theme of folk costume and its symbolism, notes that the semantic status of clothing, in the author’s words, its sign functions, were established at an early stage of development; they had to be “read” not only by its owner, but also by fellow tribesmen 1.
At different age and social stages of a person’s life, the costume changes at the structural level. These changes manifest themselves in the quantitative composition of the costume, color semantics and the development of ornaments.
The ornament served not only as decoration, but also as a charm against the evil forces of nature, a “talisman”. That’s why these patterns were embroidered where the clothes ended, where they touched the open body: at the collar, on the hem, on the cuffs.
In addition, ornamental medallions protected the shoulders and knees. The ornament contained signs, writings - ideograms, which the embroiderers specially selected for each owner of the shirt, so that it would protect its owner not only from the cold, but also from any accidental misfortune.
That is why, when they talk about the spiritual qualities of a generous person, we hear: “He will not regret his only shirt.” It was believed that generous man, thus, he gave away not only his clothes, but also took off his amulet, that which is closest to his body...
The ornaments of all nations come from ancient times; they have never included a single “idle” line - each has its own meaning, is a word, a phrase, an expression of well-known concepts and ideas. People invented symbols to designate and reinforce what they understood. Transferring such knowledge means learning to interpret symbols.
V. Vardugin mentions that even at the beginning of the 19th century, the ritual of reading patterns was preserved in villages, when girls dressed up in a festive way and brought their handicrafts. The boys, having chosen elderly women as guides, listened to the latter’s explanations about the meaning of the patterns depicted on the girls’ handicrafts 2.
The words “pattern”, “patterned” come from the words “dawn”, “burn”, “sun” and come from the common Slavic concepts of “light”, “shine”, “warmth”. Embroidery patterns were associated with the cult of the sun and sky; they became his “divine images”, signs and symbols. We can say about embroidery that it contains a folk awareness of the world and nature, a kind of folk poetic mythology.
From the point of view of mythological consciousness, the cosmos is divided into two worlds: sacred, sacred and profane (from the Latin profanus) - uninitiated, devoid of holiness, moreover, unholy, sinister, blasphemous and unclean. It is not surprising that Russian folk clothes have such an abundance of ornamentation with symbolic images that helped to establish a connection with the sacred world.
The idea of the sun in the form of a horse in ornamental compositions is embodied, for example, in the form of a white zealous horse, with stars in the background and birds along the edges of the dominant motif. Motives of Pava-rook, there are images of Lado - the god of the spring sun. Rituals are reflected in the ornamentation, such as, for example, the rainbow - this is a spring rite, the day of remembrance of ancestors, veshnik - “curling a birch tree” in honor of the revival of nature, the holiday of Ivan Kupala, etc. The pagan goddess Makosh had a connection with water - one of the most frequently mentioned characters in ornamental plots.
The ornament, as already mentioned, served not only as decoration, but also as a charm against the evil forces of nature, a “talisman”. And the modern reader’s heart aches when he reads the lines in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” about the death of one of the soldiers: “... one drop the pearl soul from the brave body, through the gold necklace.”
Ornamental symbolism in to a greater extent inherent in ancient clothing: shirts, shirts, ponevas, aprons, belts. It is important to note that the parts of the costume were closely related to the choice of ornamental motifs. Like the costume, the ornament suggested a tiered division. The hem is the first tier, it is closer to the ground. As a rule, it contains diamond-dot or cross-shaped compositions (symbols of agriculture, fertility, fire). In the embroidery of headdresses, on the contrary, solar signs, images of birds, etc. predominate. Thus, through such a composition, the costume was likened to the World Tree.
The ornaments on clothes were most often embroidered. “Folk embroidery, this first code system acquired by people and having a magical meaning for them, has been studied for just over a century. Much has not been solved, and so many more “wonderful discoveries” conceal the simplest patterns, containing signals-symbols about the life and worldview of long-gone generations” 2.
When considering the historically specific forms of the costume, one can notice that it has a macro- and micro-constructive basis and a decorative system. Ornamental inserts that have an independent meaning acquire special semantic significance in it. symbolic meaning.
The ornament, in contrast to the cut and design of clothing, is deeply conservative, little subject to change, being a product of and belonging to traditional culture. Its roots go back to archaic times and is the keeper of mythological ideas about existence. It does not lose its purpose of recalling the primary meanings and symbols of culture, being interspersed into the structure of the costume as a kind of integrity. The ornament has a graphic structure, it is similar to secret writing, the ideogram of certain hidden meanings, expressed graphically, i.e. spatial symbols.
Drawing a parallel between amulets and ornament as a talisman, let us consider the basic postulates of magic formulated by modern researchers. Here they are: 1) like produces like (law of similarity); 2) things that come into contact with each other then continue to interact at a distance (the law of contact and infection). On the basis of these laws, not only ornamental compositions are built, but also the structure of the costume as a whole.
For primitive man, a part is the same as the whole. If, for example, a character changes into someone else's clothes, he is identified with its owner. Behind the change of appearance is a change of role, then of essence. The basis of all mummery is a semantic principle. (It can be easily compared with the semiotic meaning of clothing and dressing up as such).
Another principle of magic is sympathy. L. Levy-Bruhl wrote about him: “The sympathetic principle means “to captivate,” to encourage, to teach, but at the same time to force, in the sense of physical influence.” 3. Based on this principle of magic, things, “thanks to secret sympathy, are connected among themselves and influence each other at a distance.”
Therefore it was believed that life force natural objects are transmitted to humans through: skins, teeth, skulls, claws, stones and amulets. Our ancestors used amulet jewelry in their wardrobe for greater “safety.” The symbolism of these jewelry, as well as the symbolism of ornamental inserts on clothing, is associated with the cult of the sky, the sun and the spring fertility of the earth. Talismans and amulets were created according to the unwritten laws of magic. Many of them can be divided quite clearly into male and female.
At excavation sites (usually in female burials) a figurine of a horse is often found. The horse, according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, is a symbol of goodness, happiness, and the wisdom of the gods. His cult is associated with the veneration of the Sun, with the Slavs’ belief that Dazhdbog rides across the sky in a chariot driven by four white golden-maned horses with golden wings: therefore, the solar circular ornaments on the skating amulets are not at all accidental. Slavic women wore them at the left shoulder. And it is not at all by chance that skates were often connected with a talisman in the form of waterfowl - swans, geese, ducks: after all, the same Dazhdbog crosses the ocean-sea twice a day (morning and evening) on a boat harnessed by these waterfowl. There are even amulets - the body of a waterfowl, and the head of a horse. These pictorial motifs continue to exist in embroidery patterns.
Women wore small copies of household items (ladles, spoons, combs, keys) on their clothes as amulets. Their task is to attract and maintain satiety, contentment, and wealth in the house.
Both women and men wore amulets - hatchets. The only difference was in the way they were worn. Women - at the shoulder, men - at the waist. The ax is a symbol of Perun, the warrior god, patron of the harvest, who sent warm thunderstorms.
Only men carried miniature copies of weapons - swords, knives, spears, sheaths.
Round women's amulets pendants are nothing more than solar symbols; yellow alloys were used on them, while the lunar pendants used white alloys (cold, like the moon itself) made of silver, silver with tin, and less often, bronze.
Mythological consciousness perceives the whole world as alive, therefore it regulates relationships with everything in this world, as with living beings, and charges material objects with living energy.
Often, ethnographers resort to the method of analogies in their interpretations of archaic symbols. W. Talbitzer, studying the Eskimos of the eastern coast of Greenland in the 1920s, wrote: “Amulets are consecrated with the help of formulas and spells... They become alive. We find a specialized formula in the belief that an amulet, in the form of a knife or other weapon, suddenly, at a moment of danger, begins to grow in size and independently performs the act of murder” 3.
Women's lunar jewelry was born from the ancient cult of the Moon. The sun and the moon seemed to ancient people as brother and sister, husband and wife, sometimes parent and child. They are characters of dualistic lunar-solar myths. They reflect oppositions: male - female, day - night, heat - cold, positive - negative. There are lunar plants with floral designs, which symbolizes the primary duty of the moon - to monitor the growth of grasses and trees.
Considering only amulets, from their symbolism we see that with the help of them our ancestors established a connection with the sacred world, through the organization of connections in the microcosm, the desire to establish a connection with the macrocosm.
The language of ornamentation in folk costume was also used for the same purpose.
Literature
1 Kalashnikova N.M. Semantics of folk costume. - St. Petersburg: 2003.
2 Vardugin V. Russian clothing. - Saratov: Don Book, 2001.
3 Lévy-Bruhl L. Supernatural in primitive thinking. - M.: 1937. - P.33.
4. History of Russian ornament of the X-XVI centuries / Ed. S.Yu. Ivleva - M.: Art spring, 1997.
5. Prokhorov V.A. Materials on the history of Russian clothing of the 11th-13th centuries. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house. Prokhorov, St. Petersburg printing house of the Academy of Sciences, 1876.
6. Serov N.V. The color of culture. - St. Petersburg: “Rech”, 2004.
7. Stasov V.V. Slavic and eastern ornament according to manuscripts of ancient and modern times. - St. Petersburg: [b.i.], 1887.
8. Strekalov S. Russian historical clothes from the 10th to the 13th centuries. St. Petersburg: [b.i.], 1877.
9. Chemist O.Ya., Artistic culture primitive society. - St. Petersburg: 1995.
IN modern world ornament is a pattern that decorates household items without carrying any meaning. For us, rhombuses on a carpet are just rhombuses, and circles are just circles. But there were times when people knew how to read patterns, encrypted in them their ideas about life, about the other world, about eternal truths.
We can say that a decorative design is the result of the found relationship between the perception of nature and the decorative display of reality. Over many years of existence decorative arts Various types of patterns have developed: geometric, floral, complex, etc., from simple joints to complex intricacies.
The ornament can consist of objective and non-objective motifs, it can include human forms, the animal world and mythological creatures; naturalistic elements are intertwined and articulated in the ornament with stylized and geometric patterns. At certain stages of artistic evolution, the line between ornamental and subject painting “blurs”. This can be observed in the art of Egypt (Amaranian period), the art of Crete, ancient Roman art, late Gothic, and Art Nouveau.
First, geometric patterns arose, it was at the dawn human culture. What could be simpler than straight lines or wavy lines, circles, cells, crosses? It is these motifs that decorate the walls of clay vessels of primitive people, the most ancient products made of stone, metal, wood and bone. For ancient man they were conventional signs, with the help of which he could express his concept of the world. A straight horizontal line meant earth, a wavy line meant water, a cross meant fire, a rhombus, circle or square meant the sun.
According to ancient belief, the symbols in the patterns carried spiritual power, capable of conjuring any evil and injustice of the elemental forces of nature. These symbolic signs, which came to us from ancient ritual holidays, have magical symbolism. For example, in the Filimonov toy (Russia) we see symbols of the sun, earth, water, and fertility. The masters passed all the images and symbols through their perception of the world and showed their perception of the world in the painting. Ancient symbols are also found in the Dymkovo and Kargopol toys. But they are different in ornamentation everywhere. In every craft we notice symbols of the sun, water, etc. The ancient symbolism of peasant religion runs through them as a thin thread.
And the ornament is in Russian folk costume. The main motives of which were solar signs - circles, crosses; images of a female figure - a symbol of fertility, a mother - raw earth; wavy rhythmic lines – signs of water; horizontal straight lines indicating the ground; images of a tree are the personification of ever-living nature. Embroidery on peasant clothes not only decorated them and delighted those around them with the beauty of the patterns, but was also supposed to protect the one who wore these clothes from harm, from evil man. A woman embroidered Christmas trees - which means she wished the person prosperous and happy life, because spruce is the tree of life and goodness. A child was born to a peasant woman. And she will decorate his first simple shirt with embroidery in the form of a straight line in a bright, joyful color. This is a straight and bright road that a child should follow. Let this road be happy and joyful for him.
The image of the sun occupies one of the main places in decorative and applied arts. The sun in the form of round rosettes, rhombuses, can be found in different types folk art.
A straight equal-pointed cross was also an image of the sun in folk symbolism. The rhombus was revered as a symbol of fertility and was often combined with the sun sign inscribed in it.
tree of life
In addition to the geometric one, in the ornaments of Ancient Rus', one can often find various ancient pagan themes. For example, the female figure personified the goddess of the earth and fertility. In pagan art, the tree of life embodied the power of living nature; it depicted the divine tree, on which the growth of herbs, cereals, trees and the “growth” of man himself depended. Very often you can find plots of magical calendar rituals that are associated with the main stages of agricultural work.
The most diverse symbolism is characteristic of images flora, which included flowers, trees, herbs.
In Egyptian ornaments, the decoration often used a lotus flower or lotus petals - an attribute of the goddess Isis, a symbol of the divine productive power of nature, regenerating life, high moral purity, chastity, mental and physical health, and in the funeral cult it was considered a magical means of reviving the dead. This flower was personified with the sun, and its petals with the sun's rays. The lotus motif became widespread in the ornamental forms of the Ancient East (China, Japan, India, etc.).
The Egyptians also used the image of aloe in their ornaments - this drought-resistant plant symbolized life in the other world. Of the trees, the date and coconut palms, sycamore, acacia, tamarisk, blackthorn, persea (Osiris tree), mulberry tree were especially revered - they embodied the life-affirming principle, the idea of the ever-fruitful Tree of Life..
The laurel in Ancient Greece was dedicated to the god Apollo and served as a symbol of cleansing from sins, since the sacred laurel branch was fanned by the person to be cleansed. Laurel wreaths were awarded to winners in musical and gymnastic competitions in Delphi, the main center of the cult of Apollo. The laurel served as a symbol of glory.
Hops is a cultivated plant, scenic view which contributed to the widespread use of plant forms in ornamentation. The image of hops combined with ears was used as decoration on household items.
Grapevine - clusters and branches were especially revered in antiquity and the Middle Ages. IN ancient greek mythology this is an attribute of the god Bacchus, among Christians - in combination with ears of corn (bread and wine, meaning the sacrament of communion) - a symbol of the suffering of Christ. 
Ivy is an evergreen climbing shrub, sometimes a tree; like the vine was dedicated to Bacchus. Its leaves have a variety of shapes, most often heart-shaped or with pointed lobes. They were often used in ancient art to decorate vases and wine vessels.
Oak is the king of forests, a symbol of strength and power. Oak leaves were widespread in Roman ornamentation. Their images are often found on friezes and capitals, church utensils and in other forms applied arts Gothic, as well as in the works of masters Italian Renaissance. Currently, images of oak leaves along with laurel can be found on medals and coins.
Oak is a symbol of power, endurance, longevity and nobility, as well as glory.
IN ancient China pine symbolizes immortality and longevity. a truly noble personality. The image of the pine tree echoes the image of the cypress, which was endowed in Chinese beliefs with special protective and healing properties, including protection from the dead. Among flowering trees, the wild plum occupies an important place - meihua - this tree is a symbol of the New Year, spring and the birth of everything new. Among flowers, the central place is given to the peony. The peony is associated with female beauty and family happiness. The orchid and chrysanthemum are associated with the divine world and ritual ceremonies. The most common symbol among vegetables is the gourd pumpkin, which has become a symbol of immortality and longevity.
Painted gourd, vessel and talisman (China, 19th century)
“Happy fruits”: pomegranate, tangerine, orange - symbols of longevity and a successful career.
Sakura motifs are often found in Japanese arts and crafts. It is a symbol of beauty, youth, tenderness, and the inevitable variability of the transitory world.
Flowers are widely used in ornamental motifs of all times and styles. They serve as decoration for fabrics, wallpaper, dishes and other types of decorative art.
The rose has polar symbolism: it is heavenly perfection and earthly passion, time and eternity, life and death, fertility and virginity. It is also a symbol of the heart, the center of the universe, the cosmic wheel, divine, romantic and sensual love. The rose is completeness, the mystery of life, its focus, the unknown, beauty, grace, happiness, but also voluptuousness, passion, and in combination with wine - sensuality and seduction. A rosebud is a symbol of virginity; withered rose - transience of life, death, sorrow; its thorns are pain, blood and martyrdom.
Heraldic roses: 1 – Lancaster; 2 – York; 3 – Tudor; 4 – England (badge); 5 – German rose Rosenow; 6 – Russian stamp.
The heraldic medieval rose has five or ten petals, which connects it with the Pythagorean pentad and decanate. A rose with red petals and white stamens is the emblem of England, the most famous breastplate of English kings. After the "Wars of the Roses", named after the badges of the families fighting for the English crown, the scarlet rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York were combined in the form of the "Tudor Rose". The bright crimson rose is the unofficial emblem of Bulgaria. The famous tea rose is the emblem of Beijing. Nine white roses are in the coat of arms of Finland.
In ancient ornaments, along with plants, various animals are often depicted: birds, horses, deer, wolves, unicorns, lions. They form a horizontal structure of the tree of life: at the top are birds; at the level of the trunk - people, animals, and also bees; under the roots - snakes, frogs, mice, fish, beavers, otters.
Animals can be seen on embroidered towels and aprons ,
on a painted chest X, on carved and painted spinning wheels; on the walls of ancient Russian cathedrals and in the decorations of huts ,
in the ornaments of initial letters. Ancient images of a horse and a bird have been preserved in folk toys and in dishes. Pommels for horse whips and combat bows were carved in the shape of animal or bird heads. Stylized animals and birds decorated hair combs, utensils and dishes. In ancient times, many natural phenomena were personified in the images of animals and everyone looked at these phenomena from the point of view that was closer to him, depending on his lifestyle and occupation: the point of view of the shepherd differed from the views of the hunter, and both of them - from the warrior. People transferred their knowledge about earthly animals to atmospheric phenomena.
A bird in folk arts and crafts could personify wind, cloud, lightning, thunderstorm, storm and sunlight. Ladles and salt shakers were carved in the shape of birds, embroidered birds were decorated women's clothing .
The image of the bird has widely entered the folklore of almost all peoples of the world.
The horse also represented everything natural phenomena associated with rapid movement - wind, storm, clouds. He was often depicted as fire-breathing, with a clear sun or a moon on his forehead, and with a golden mane. A wooden horse, made for children's fun, was often completely decorated with solar signs or flowers. .
It was believed that this protected the child from evil forces. Images of horses can often be seen on household items (bucket handles, spinning wheels ,
spindles), on clothes .
In the northern regions, natural phenomena associated with horses were also attributed by ancient people to deer .
Deer were often depicted near the tree of life on an embroidered towel; sometimes they were placed instead of a ridge on the roof of a hut. The sacred role of the horse and deer in Scythian art is often associated with the hope of the successful ascension of the soul to another world.
The lion in the mythology of many peoples was a symbol of the sun and fire, as well as different times at different nations he personified higher powers, power, power and greatness, generosity, nobility, intelligence. The image of a lion has existed in decorative and applied arts since ancient times.
For many centuries, the lion remained one of the favorite figures in Russian symbolism. In ancient Russian images associated with grand-ducal power, the image of a lion, depending on what surrounded it, had two meanings: power bestowed by God, and defeated force evil.
Folk craftsmen often carved lions on the front board of the hut or painted on chests surrounded by floral ornament, the craftswomen embroidered them.
Feminine. The Great Mother, in her terrible form as the weaver of fate, is sometimes depicted as a spider. All lunar goddesses are spinners and weavers of fate. The web that the spider weaves, weaves from the center in a spiral, is a symbol of the creative forces of the Universe, a symbol of the universe. The spider in the center of the web symbolizes the center of the world; The sun is surrounded by rays; The moon, representing the cycles of life and death, weaving the web of time. The spider is often associated with luck, wealth or rain. Killing a spider is a bad omen.
Spider depicted on an American Indian amulet
Thanks to the stability of religious canons, the meaning of symbols in the ornamentation of Egypt and the art of the countries of the Ancient East remained unchanged for many millennia. Therefore, for ethnographers and archaeologists, ancient ornaments are signs with which one can “read” a kind of magical texts.
Ethnocultural contacts, trade, military campaigns, religious missions, ambassadorial gifts and visiting artists contributed to the movement of works of art from one country to another, which led to the spread of artistic ideas and styles.
Often subsequent generations of artists use previous art and create their own variations on it. So a shining example may serve as the swastika element, one of the earliest symbols, which is found in the ornaments of almost all the peoples of Europe, Asia, America, etc. Ancient images swastikas are already found in the culture of the Tripoli tribes of the 5th-4th millennium BC. e. In ancient and medieval cultures, the swastika is solar symbol, lucky sign, with which ideas about fertility, generosity, well-being, movement and power of the sun are associated.
Kolovrat or Solstice is one of the oldest ancient Russian symbols, personifying the Sun and the solar gods Svarog, Dazhdbog and Yarila. The name of the symbol comes from the word “kolo” - sun.
The symbol itself looks like a circle with curved rays, which is why many associate it with the fascist swastika. Although this is fundamentally not true: the fascists really used this solar symbol, but not vice versa. 
In 1852, the French scientist Eugene Bournouf first gave the four-pointed cross with curved ends the Sanskrit name “swastika,” which roughly means “bringer of good.” Buddhism made the swastika its symbol, giving it the mystical meaning of the eternal rotation of the world.
There is virtually no modern symbolism in the ornaments of modern times, despite the fact that it exists in abundance in the surrounding reality. As an exception, there may be the work of modernist artists. IN late XIX- early 20th century these artists tried to create their own symbolism and reproduce it in their work.
Ornament in their works no longer played a supporting role, but became an integral part of the image, organically woven into the outline of the plot.
At the same time, A. Bely, a theorist of Russian symbolism, wrote: “The symbolist artist, saturating the image with experience, transforms it into his work; such a transformed (modified) image is a symbol.” And further A. Bely records the main slogans of symbolism in art: “1. a symbol always reflects reality; 2. a symbol is an image modified by experience; 3. shape artistic image inseparable from the content."
At these three points famous poet and the prose accurately formulated the main provisions of the creation symbolic work, which can be used in any form of art, including ornamental.
Russian women did not have the European abundance of fabrics to create clothes. All that was available to them was linen, cotton and wool. But still, the Russians managed to create outfits of amazing beauty from little. And this was achieved thanks to the ornaments of Russian folk costume. At that time, the ornament acted not only as decoration, but also as a talisman. Thus, elements of folk costume were enriched with protective embroidery and patterned weaving. This kind of amulets were embroidered on the edges of clothes, namely on the hem, cuffs and collar. These were embroidered ideogram letters that protected a person from harm. The ornaments were made in certain colors, which also have a special meaning. The most popular color is red, which symbolizes fire, life and blood.
More details...
The main element of Russian folk costume was a shirt with a collar richly decorated with embroidery. The sleeves of the shirt had to be wide and long, but covered with braid at the wrist. Women wore it over their shirt. It had the shape of a high skirt with straps and was made of linen, wool and cotton fabric. Ribbons, fringe, braid and colored stripes of chintz were used as decoration. The third integral element of the outfit was the skirt. It is worth noting that married women wore a poneva, which differed from a regular skirt in its swinging style with an unstitched slit on the side.
Don't forget about the apron. Women wore it over a shirt or sundress. The apron, as an element of the Russian costume, was also equipped with a rich symbolic ornament, personifying Russian ancient traditions and amulets associated with nature.
The final element of the Russian national costume was the headdress, which at that time was a kind of business card. From it it was possible to determine the age and place from which a woman came, and her social status. Girls' hats had an open crown. Bandages and tapes were most often used. But married women completely covered their hair. The headdresses were decorated with beads, ribbons and embroidery.
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Folk ornament of weaving and embroidery - ancient writings. But at the same time, this is an unusual sign system for transmitting information with a rigidly fixed meaning of each element, since the components of an ornament are always a mythological image and a whole complex of ideas associated with this image. Having arisen at the origins of time, in the depths of proto-culture, where thinking was not yet differentiated, ornamental symbols are in principle the same among all peoples of the world, differing only in the type of graphics or minor details. Thus, there is a known case when a Mexican weaver recognized an ornament from the Arkhangelsk province of Russia as her national pattern. The ornamental elements will have different names(and sometimes the meaning!) among different peoples, but everywhere they will designate a similar mythological complex of ideas, a similar archetype, the assessment and interpretation of which can be polar opposite. Therefore, an ornamental composition cannot be read as a simple set of certain signs: when deciphering it, the meaning of each symbol must be chosen from a number of options depending on all the elements used in it, as well as the color and location, purpose of the ornament, clarifying certain shades of the described images .
The images of archetypes underlying ornamental compositions are associated with the image of two main schemes of the cosmogonic process, known to ancient mythology.
Scheme 1
At a time when Heaven and Earth were not yet separated from each other, in the center of the World Ocean rose the World Mountain - Alatyr - the stone of Russian folk conspiracies and fairy tales - on the top of which there was a deep well full of water and leading into the bowels of the mountain - the other world - where in the underground palace - cave - Labyrinth lived the God of the Earth - the Underworld - the Thunder Bear:
Most of the time the Bear slept in darkness and cold, vigilantly guarding his treasure - fire, in the form of a cauldron full of molten gold or gemstone. Once a year, the Goddess of the Sky, the Horned Deer, descended into the Labyrinth, bypassing the water whirlpool-tunnel: 
, dipped her horns in gold and returned back to Heaven. The Heat and Light emanating from the horns melted the snow and ice; the water penetrated into the Labyrinth and woke up the sleeping Thunderer: .
When he woke up, he took off his bear skin 
, turning into a bird, and rushed in pursuit of the kidnapper.
Having overtaken the fugitive, the God of the Earth entered into marriage with her, causing a thunderstorm and pouring streams of life-giving waters onto the Earth:
.
Mighty wings raised fiery whirlwinds, carrying the seeds of life in different directions: .
(Later the whirlwind transformed into an independent deity of the wind - Stribog 
.)
The deer shed her golden horns, which were returned to the winner as a guarantee of the marriage, and hid in the underground palace.
Deprived of heat and light, the Earth was covered with snow and ice. The giant bird fell asleep, gradually growing overgrown with wool and fur, and again turned into a Bear.
It is easy to see that this scheme describes the alternation of polar day and night in the northern latitudes of the Earth with the absence of solar eclipses characteristic of this region. Penetration of the bearers of the myth into the middle and southern latitudes, their encounter with the phenomenon of a solar eclipse and contact with the inhabitants southern regions develops a myth...
One day, when the Deer with fiery horns had already risen into the Sky, and the Bear had not yet woken up, a Dragon (Lion, Leopard, Cat, Boar...) crawled out of the depths of the Abyss (Pekel World), attacked the defenseless Deer, and, tearing her apart pieces, took possession of the Golden Horns. Not knowing how to handle fire, the Beast caused a world flood, and then almost caused a world fire, but the awakened Thunderer in a fierce struggle defeated his opponent, chained him as an eternal guard at the entrance to the palace 
and returned the fire.
The Thunderer watered the remains of the Deer with dead and living water, causing the Horns to grow into the World Tree 
, separating Heaven from Earth. On the branches of this tree, the Fleece and Horns of the Deer rose into the sky, turning into the Sun, Moon and Stars. The Thunderer could now ascend to Heaven and descend to Earth along the trunk and branches of the Tree, connecting the worlds in the image of the Moon: 
.
To prevent the misfortune from happening again, he placed guards on the four cardinal points to protect the Tree from the penetration of creatures from the Abyss.
Scheme 2:
At the beginning of time, the Great Virgin Goddess
fell into the waters of the primordial ocean and found salvation on the back of a giant Snake (Lizard, Turtle, etc.):
Having become pregnant, she became the mother of two twin sons, one of whom was very stubborn (angry, cruel, etc.), and the other fair (kind, warm-hearted, etc.). When the due date approached, the stubborn child, despite the warnings of his brother, made his own exit from the mother's body, killing her, while the second child was born in the proper manner. The soul of the Goddess ascended to Heaven along the branches of the World Tree that grew from her body, but since with her death evil entered the world, the inhabitants of the Heavenly World surrounded the “affected” area of space with guards so that death and evil could not penetrate into other worlds.
Born twin brothers 
began to create their own world, and one of them constantly interfered with the other - spoiling or destroying what had been created.
A variant of the same myth is the legend about twins - a brother and sister, who, out of ignorance of their relationship, entered into a love affair. Upon learning of the incest, one of them dies (or a brother kills his sister), as a result of which the world is desecrated.
The same type includes myths about the struggle between the Virgin-Sun and the Serpent, or myths about the furious Fire-Virgin-Sun, rushing across the sky in a chariot drawn by two charioteers 
.
***
No matter how this world arose, traditional thinking ordered the people living in it to behave in the image and likeness of the ancestors-Gods who created it: things, clothes, housing were made according to a once and for all established model, weddings were played, significant events and dates were formalized. In ornamental compositions this was reflected by the use of identical symbols with different meanings depending on their location on clothing. For example, the same sign "Orepei":
in the shoulder area a woman’s costume will be read as a world mountain or Alatyr-stone with a Deity sitting on it: 
;
in the elbow area as "ancestor" ;
on the hem- as an entrance to the other world 
, or also "ancestor".
A characteristic auxiliary pattern allows one to highlight the images of the Gods - the image of chariots, in which, according to the ideas of the ancients, the Deities moved in space. These chariots were driven by animal charioteers, characteristic of each Deity - snakes, birds, horses, deer, animals...
With the identification of new Divine hypostases, shades appear in the reading of certain elements of the ornament, and their graphic changes. Thus, the selection from the Archetype of the World Deity of images that personify its individual qualities - the wind (Stribog), Thunder (Perun), the Water King (Vodishche), the Lord of the Other World - Svarga (Svarog), the Deity of the Earth, Fertility (Veles), the Guardian of Grain, Harvest, Grain Reserves, Fruit-bearing power of Grain (Yari), fruit-bearing fire (Pereplut, Yarilo, Semargl) - leads to the emergence of symbols, which are based on one graphic image, just like themselves mythological characters retain general properties or attributes - the ability to control waters, cause a whirlwind, rain, etc., forge, command lightning:
With the change in leading social roles in society - the emergence and development of the patriarchal structure - cultural heroes change their gender and the “gender” interpretation of symbols similarly changes:
But the meaning of the combined symbol - the eight-pointed cross
remains the same: the union of the feminine and masculine principles, the monad, the fertilized egg, life and death - fate. It is no coincidence that with the adoption of Christianity he receives popular name"Star of the Virgin Mary" The interpretation stands out somewhat due to the variant of this symbol - . A number of ethnographers note the presence in the languages of the peoples of the North Caucasus and Ancient Scythia of traces of the ancient idea of the Universe as a five-fold structure: in addition to the familiar concepts of the three-dimensional level - Heaven, Middle World, Earth (or Underworld) - it also contained Peklo and Bok (Lateral space ). At the same time, the most ancient cosmogonic models usually characterize the Universe as feminine. The five-row space of the Universe - the Great Mother, stretching to the four cardinal directions and generating Life - is approximately how one can clarify the reading of this symbol.
How does symbolism “work”? Let's start with the fact that any graphic image has a weak torsion field that bends the surrounding space:
Energy (leptonic) models (damage, evil eye, etc.), falling into the zone of curved space, are either repelled or become fixed in the image zone, or self-destruct as a result of uneven curvature. A uniform grid of graphic images on the surface of clothing or household items, created by patterned weaving or embroidery, provides its energetic effect. At the same time, the most uniform grid (and, therefore, a stronger effect) is given by an ornament of a geometric and geometrized type, in which the thickness of all lines is the same (Reference: the famous Mezen knitted patterns were always typed according to the following principle - at the beginning of the pattern there was a row of alternating 3 loops of the colors used - the ornamental grid was initially uniform). Another important principle of the energy work of the ornamental network is the principle of changing polarity in the ornamental line and in the composition as a whole.
Color also contributes. For example, on the territory of our Ryazan region, the leading element, from which the pattern received its name, was always made white, and the background field was filled with color, mainly shades of red; white the ornament passed the influence of surrounding energies to the owner or “reflected” the negative, as if “refracted” through the prism of the form and meaning of the symbol, dispersing everything else; and the background field is energy of a certain frequency...
And, of course, the magical meaning of the symbol...
In women's and men's costumes, zones corresponding to Heaven, the Middle World and Earth can be distinguished. Depending on the location in a specific area, the magical effect of the applied image changes.
Female
Male
In addition, the places where the densest ornamental mesh is applied coincide with the locations of the largest nerve plexuses of the human body, corresponding to the main energy centers or chakras. The zone of the heart center is intensively protected - literally “on four sides.” There is one more subtlety - in women's suit the pattern located on the front always primarily protects its owner and her expected child, but in a man’s suit it primarily actively influences those around him (the same woman, for example), and the protective pattern itself comes from the back - this is what explains the presence of “female” symbols on the chest embroidery of men’s shirts, especially festive and wedding ones.
Where did the symbols come from? Why are they almost the same for all nations? Symbols are information. The most ancient of them have a geometric or geometrized shape. Let us assume that it is based on information about some universal processes.
There is an interesting scheme of ideas about the structure of the Universe among the ancient Slavs-Russians, published by A. Ivanitsky in the essay “The Ways of the Great Russian” (almanac “Slavs”) and given in abbreviations by M. Shatunov (“Russian Health”, M., 1998, p. 159). Let's continue this diagram, completing it in accordance with the movement of the Solar ecliptic across the sky from the position of an earthly observer relative to the change of seasons (Fig. 1). Let us obtain an egg-shaped matrix (in accordance with Russian traditions, I will call it “Roda’s egg”) and look at this egg from the end side (Fig. 2). Comparing both projections with the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and the spirals of the “golden ratio” of Drunvalo Melchizedek (D. Melchizedek. " Ancient mystery flower of life", vol. 1, pp. 229-230, "Sofia", 2001), we will see that Egg explains their origin. Now let's connect all three pictures. The result is a matrix in which it is easy to see all the elements of Russian known to us ( and not only) ornaments, also divided according to their belonging to the Worlds of Pravi (frontal projection), Navi (lateral projection) and Reveal (geometrized shape of the “golden section” spirals).
 Mara Minina |