Khanty ornaments. "magic patterns of Ugra"

The material reflects the Khanty folk art of ornament. The material can also be used in the form of an album for children of senior preschool age; it is a regional component.

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Khanty ornament and its symbolism.

Khanty folk art of ornament

The clothing of the Khanty people is rich in ornamental patterns. They decorate fur coats, cloth clothes, and shoes - pimas (burkas). These are winter boots made from reindeer skins that are taken off the feet of a reindeer. The work is long and painstaking, but such boots are very warm, light, durable and comfortable (they are sewn not with ordinary threads, but with the fiber of dried, crushed deer tendons).

Khanty ornaments are beautiful -
They contain all the signs of my homeland.
You will no longer find it throughout Russia
Such flowers and fabulous animals.
Patterns on clothes and dishes
Red as the sun and white as snow -
Looking at them since childhood, our people
The beautiful will not be parted forever.
They came into life for a reason
From under the needle, and brush, and cutter:
After all, masters of wood and bone
They put their souls and hearts into them.(M. Shulgin)

The Khanty ornamental system is based on two basic concepts: “trace” and “image”. Both concepts go back to the hunting worldview. Finding the trail of an animal is almost like prey, so the trail is sacred. The “trace” defines the border organization of the ornament. If a trace is sacred, then the parts of the animal’s body that leave it are also sacred. Among the Khanty, who live a traditional life, you can find garlands of dried “paws” of various animals: the more of them, the luckier the hunter. Therefore, the names of ornamental motifs often include the words “paws,” “claws,” and “foot.” In continuous borders the principle of synonymy between background and pattern was strictly observed. Another idea of ​​continuous borders is the “head”, the multiplicity of heads creates abundance. “Images” of an animal are “traces” (imprints) of its soul.

Khanty motives

Khanty ornament. Brood of ducklings	Khanty ornament. Fox paw	Khanty ornament. Small ripples of water
Khanty ornament. goose wing	Khanty ornament. bunny ears	Khanty ornament. The trail is white
Khanty ornament. Bear image	Khanty ornament. Otter	Khanty ornament. Man on horse
Khanty ornament. pine cone	Khanty ornament. Frog	Khanty ornament. Bug

Craftswomen are very proud of their ability to make beautiful things, because not every Khanty woman can cut out an ornament or beautifully and accurately sew narrow strips of fur or leather. In the ornament, the craftswoman fills the most abstract geometric forms with very specific content, reflecting ideas about the surrounding reality. These are animals: navarne “frog”, shovyr pal “rabbit ears”, nyukhas “sable”; birds: vasyolyn “brood of ducklings”, pita bow “grouse grouse”, kholkhtykhl “black raven’s nest”; plants: ay sumatnuv “birch branch”; natural phenomena: serkhainyukh “flowering bush”, here’s humpi “rolling waves”; and the man himself: hashop “human torso.” The names of the patterns were given according to the similarity and likeness of the object.

Some ornaments were made at a strictly defined time, on the occasion of some event, for example, embroidering a bear footprint ornament on a mitten. Such a mitten was given to a hunter who caught a bear.

A pattern always has an applied side and is strictly connected with the function of the object on which it is applied, with its shape and material. And finally, any ornament has one meaning or another. It can have the direct meaning of writing, reflect the real rhythms of life, or carry symbolic meanings fixed by tradition. The ornament performs three functions: communicative (the intention to convey information), magical and aesthetic.

Traditionally, it is believed that a thing is ready and can be used only when it is decorated. It is for this reason that ornament in the culture of the Khanty peoples is extremely stable and “dies” along with things. In a number of cases, the ornament survives them, turns out to be more durable, more viable, since it is transferred to non-traditional things and is included in a new culture.
The geometric ornament and its symbolism in the decorative and applied arts of the Lower Ob Khanty peoples are interesting. One of the most characteristic is the ornament made from pieces of light and dark deer fur.

Its motifs are distinguished by rectilinear or stepped outlines and are quite large in size. On fur clothing, the patterns are made up of wide stripes curved at right or obtuse angles. Spring-autumn clothes of Nuysakhs are also decorated with approximately the same ornaments. In everyday life, women rarely use sacred ornaments. Its motifs are associated with the animal or plant world, as well as with parts of the human body.

Various ornamented items were almost exclusively the work of women. They sewed with purchased metal needles, but previously they used homemade ones from deer or squirrel leg bones, or fish bones. When sewing, they put a thimble without a bottom on the index finger - a homemade bone one or a purchased metal one. The needles were stored in special needle cases made of deer skins or cloth or cotton fabrics. They were made in different shapes, decorated with appliqué, beads, embroidery, and equipped with a device for storing a thimble. In fairy tales, pincushions were credited with magical powers: they flew or swam across seas. Our search for the roots of this seemingly inconspicuous object led to the felt carpets of the southern peoples, who had the idea of ​​a flying carpet. The woman kept her handicrafts in a patterned birch bark box, yinil, or in a tutchan bag, made of skins and cloth, decorated with appliqués and pendants. There were so many pendants that they almost hid the ornament. Tutchan is a very expensive item for women; it was passed from mother to daughter, or the mother sewed a new one for her for the wedding.

“We women have a hundred knots, a thousand knots: you tie one knot, you untie another.”

The wonderful art of embroidering on canvas with colored threads - wool, paper, silk and garus - has now, unfortunately, been lost. The latest samples at the beginning of the 20th century. were collected for museums, some of them ended up in Hungary. This type of decorative and applied art was developed only in the southern regions - on Konda, Irtysh, Demyanka, Salym. Four technical techniques were known, and each had a special name: oblique stitch - keremkhanch, one-sided satin stitch inside an outline figure - Khanty Khanch (Khanty pattern), cross stitch - Sevemkhanch, square embroidery - rutkhanch (Russian pattern). Women spared no time, their own hands and eyes, filling almost the entire shirt or dress with patterns. The work could last up to two years. They also embroidered scarves and scarves, men's trousers, and mittens. Ornamented stockings and mittens were also knitted on knitting needles. The wool was purchased, but the Khanty dyed it themselves. In fairy tales you can also find the following description: “The mittens sparkle in the sun, their tops are knitted from pure silver.”

Khanty patterns

duck neck	Birch branch
horse jaw	Antler

Mosaic patterns were applied not only on rovduga and fur, but also on colored purchased cloth. When working with fabrics, especially paper, they used another method of artistic processing - appliqué, i.e. sewing an overlay patterned strip onto some part of the product. Purchased fabrics were used to sew men's shirts, women's dresses and sakh robes, pillows, blankets for riding and sacrificial reindeer, bags, mittens, etc.

If rovduga and fur direct the imagination of craftswomen to search for new lines and shapes, then fabrics provide another opportunity - to express more fully the color perception of the world. In the first case, the pattern consists only of dark and light parts, i.e. it is diachrome. In fabrics, the pattern can be not only black and white, but, for example, black and yellow, which is already an expansion of the color spectrum. Fabrics make it possible to combine several colors and make the pattern polychrome. Interestingly, some color combinations achieve an even greater contrast effect than in black and white.

For example, the blue-red image of one of the deities - the heavenly horseman Urth - is even difficult to look at, it blinds the eyes. And the craftswomen knew what they were doing - after all, according to their ideas, you can look at the sun, but you can’t look at Urt.

One Khanty song says: The House of Urt hangs on chains between heaven and earth and sways from the wind along the south-north line. Urt rides on a motley horse and sees who needs what. He helps only those who remember him from time to time and give gifts. But Urth will not help someone who remembers him only when he is already in trouble. Thus ended the long song.

According to observations in recent years, the further north you go, the greater the play of colors in Khanty cloth products. You try to understand why certain color combinations arise, and you find some explanation in nature. You will be amazed by the violet-blue spectrum in women's clothing, and then you see it in an autumn blueberry bush with purple leaves.

Khanty ornaments

Bag. Ur hir. Deer fur, leather. (E.K., Rebas, Shuryshkarsky district, Vosyahovo village, Ust-Voykaryk village)	Fur mosaic on a woman's fur coat. Sumatnuv "birch branch". Nyoshas “sable” (M.S. Nenzelova, Shuryshkarsky district, village, Vosyahovo)
Fur mosaic on a woman's fur coat. Hanshi's bow "grouse". Khorongat Khanshi “deer horns” (N.G. Longortova, Shuryshkarsky district, Gorkovsky s/s, Ai hishpai site)	Applique on women's demi-season clothing. Ay lov ungal hanshi “mouth of a small horse.” Hu shup "half a man"
Fur mosaic on a children's fur coat. Ohpushah hanshi "head". Ailov nyal khanshi “mouth of a small horse” (E.K. Rebas, Shuryshkarsky district, Vosyahovo village, Ust-Voykary village)	Applique on women's demi-season clothing. Lovnyal Hanshi "horse nose". (E.K. Rebas, Shuryshkarsky district, Vosyahovo village, Ust-Voikary village)

The ornamental systems of the Khanty people were developed and polished in the process of long-term creative practice. Therefore, fur products with mosaic decoration, as a rule, are characterized by a high level of artistic design and pronounced originality.

Polychrome replaced diachrome thanks to another imported material - multi-colored beads. The Khanty knew two techniques for making beaded jewelry: openwork mesh and sewing beads onto fabric or leather. This is how women's robes, dresses, collars, belts, shoes and garters, mittens, hats, handbags and pouches were decorated. Breast decorations were made from beads. At the end of the 19th century. beads seem to have started to go out of fashion, but are now experiencing their heyday again. Most of all, the Khanty valued opaque porcelain beads. Now it is rare. If there is a shortage of purchased beads, a substitute is found: wire insulation is cut into small pieces. Some items gradually stopped being decorated, but beaded wallets and bracelets appeared. On clothing, stripes of stringed beads are replacing the ancient pewter castings that were once made by the women themselves.

The Khanty decorated not only their clothes with ornaments, but also household items. The cradles were especially lovingly decorated; it is not for nothing that the Khanty fairy tale says: “The mother sewed him a cradle from birch bark, decorated with legged animals, sewed him a cradle, decorated with winged animals.” The main figure here was the wood grouse, guarding the soul of the child while he sleeps. Other images were also applied - sable, deer antlers, bear, cross.

Creating certain elements of ornament, individual motifs dating back to ancient times - to the cult of water, fire, various natural phenomena, the man of the North deified many objects, worshiped them, felt like a part of this big world. http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs2/index-586826.html

Consultation for parents “Ornaments of the Khanty and Mansi”

“Khanty patterns are beautiful and simple.
Take a closer look, my friend, and soon
You will understand them with your heart.
The patterns of those plexuses
They look like fish
Then on the deer's antlers,
Then at the river bend.”

Every nation expresses itself through culture. The culture of any people has features that speak of its originality. In the culture of the northern people, the ornament is unique. Ornament (from Latin - decoration) is a pattern based on repetition, intended to decorate various objects (clothing, dishes, weapons, furniture). It’s as if words are encoded in it, signs are encrypted, as in rock paintings, from which one can learn about the origins of the people’s culture and its development over time. Ornaments are geometric shapes, they consist of triangles, rectangles and squares, they represent the sun, earth, sky, animals. Ornaments arose as a result of observations of the surrounding world. While admiring nature, people have long noticed many interesting, unusual shapes and colors in it: patterns on the wings of butterflies and birds, patterns on snake skin or on the back of a caterpillar, patterns of leaves of various plants and tree bark. Nature is the source of everything for humans, including inspiration. In their ornaments, the Khanty and Mansi people depicted rich nature and their life in the north. The ornament is made on fabric, paper, wood, and metal.

The language of symbols of our distant ancestors, for whom every line, every geometric figure meant something. A symbol is a sign, an image of some thing or animal. Khanty and Mansi ornaments have a symbolic meaning.

For example, “frog” and “cross” were symbols of the hearth. The “Cross” is also a talisman against the evil eye. On the clothes of the Khanty and Mansi you can see deer, bear, sable, mythical mammoth, capercaillie, cedar, birch and much more. Ornaments are symbols with the help of which a person expresses his attitude towards natural phenomena. For example, a deer symbolizes the victory of good over evil, a cross with curved ends symbolizes happiness, a bee symbolizes hard work, a mirror symbolizes truth, a lion symbolizes power, a sword symbolizes justice, and wings symbolize movement. Ornaments associated with the bear, as beings of a higher, heavenly origin, require special treatment; they can only be performed by a craftswoman with extensive experience.

The use of an image of a bird in the ornament carries the power of protecting the child’s sleep and health.

Several colors are used to make products, each with its own symbol: white – the color of snow – good luck; red – prosperity, blue – rivers, lakes; green – taiga; yellow – sun – joy, black – symbol of the underworld. Long narrow stripes of all these colors are used to decorate the hem of the dress with national ornaments.

Ornamental art is an important part of modern Mansi culture. The ornament can be found in products made of fur, leather, birch bark, beads, fabric, wood, bone and metal. Even today, Mansi decorate their clothes, shoes, scarves, belts, bags and other household items with ornaments.

Ornaments serve not only to decorate clothes, but also have a secret meaning. Ornaments are part of the culture of the Khanty and Mansi people; they represent the sun, earth, sky, animals, depict the rich nature of the North and the life of the indigenous people, and also serve as amulets.

To preserve peace on earth, we must all honor, remember and preserve, passing on from generation to generation, the traditions of our people, respect the traditions of those peoples who live next to us, closely manage their households, live on the same territory, wishing each other warmth and kindness.

Khanty ornaments and sacred images

Cross, rhombus

Straight line, zigzag

Triangle

Corner

Bodukhina Valentina Aleksandrovna,

teacher at MBOU "Lyaminskaya Secondary School"

Presentation Objectives

1. Get acquainted with the features of national ornaments; identify the elements that make up the sacred nature of the ornaments; find the relationship between ornaments of different peoples.

2. Deepening knowledge about the fishery, identifying more complex elements, and mastering them.

3. Strengthen relationships with children’s parents through joint work in collecting information

• The cross is found in both straight and oblique designs. Currently, there are still tattoos in the form of a cross on the arms: to protect from pain and to “hide from illness.” In general, the cross has a protective function and plays the role of a border between worlds.
• The oblique cross is also called the “dog’s paw”. The meaning of the oblique cross is the delimitation of the human world from the hostile entities of another world. For example, the last person leaving the cemetery must place two sticks crosswise on the road: it is believed that the soul of the deceased will not be able to step over them.

• In Kazym, if it is impossible to let the herd pass along some path (road), then it is blocked. In this case, it would be easier to take two poles and place them crosswise. However, this is prohibited by custom, so you have to cut a large number of poles and place them vertically one next to the other. The prohibition against cross-shaped poles is explained by the fact that they will forever block your way back.
• In connection with the cross, it is necessary to note the special way of tying knots on the deceased. The ends of the ties, positioned perpendicular to the main cord, seem to form a cross.

Snake

These ornaments are revered due to the fact that snakes are considered the braids of the Kazym goddess.

These images are believed to have the ability to “suck out disease” and were made in cases of severe illness.

In a dream, to see a snake or a lizard means “I saw the disease with my eyes,” and this, in turn, means that the person will recover.

Rhombus

An individual rhombus is called a “heart recess,” which is also the name given to rows of rhombuses on knitted and beaded items. Depending on its location in the pattern, the rhombus depicts the vital organs “head” and “heart”; in addition, it is thought of as a “receptacle for the soul”.

There is a diamond-shaped segment on the baby's cradle, which is also called the “heart indentation,” and it is forbidden to apply a pattern on it so as not to “ruin the child’s life.”

There are many patterns with a diamond that is empty inside and “hook-shaped” processes extending from the tops. Such patterns are called “frog”. There is a well-known custom of honoring a frog, “between the hummocks of a living woman,” “a jumping woman,” who is capable of giving family happiness and facilitating childbirth.

• An image of a frog embroidered with beads on a scarf gave the newborn health and longevity.
• In folklore, the frog is associated with the idea of ​​happiness and abundance. The hero says: “Let one corner of the house overflow with furs, let frogs jump in the other corner.”

• In a Russian folk tale, a princess turns into a frog by wearing a frog's skin.
• Khanty spirits take the form of animals in the same way.

Why can't you kill bugs?

• The rhombus, as a universal symbol of fertility and childbearing, is associated with ideas about the Mother Ancestress, who was thought of both as Mother Nature and as the Great Mother Woman.
• A diamond shape is sewn on the shoulder part of the garment, plus two zigzags located on opposite sides of the chest neckline, closing at its end, form diamonds. There is a persistent expression: “protect the strength of the back, protect the strength of the chest.”

The rhombus is the basis of many patterns: “beetle”, “sun”, “half a man”, “woodpile”, “spruce”, “mouse”.

According to today's Khanty beliefs, bugs cannot be killed - these are our grandparents. After death, one of the souls “departs in the form of a small invisible bug.”

• Spruce had the status of a sacred tree.
• A spruce tree with roots and a disk at the top symbolizes the bridge connecting the Lower and Upper worlds.
• It is believed that if for some reason a person wants to meet the forest spirit, then, while spending the night in the forest, he must firstly lay spruce branches under his sleeping place, and secondly, cut some spruce shavings and also put them under himself.

Mouse

In the form of a mouse, the sacred spirit Em the Leader destroys all hostile entities of the Lower World.

A common plot is when the deceased hero appears in the form of a mouse (allegorically, “an animal walking on the ground,” “garbage animal,” “little squirrel”) to convey this or that information.

Straight line. Zigzag

• Straight line. This is the simplest geometric pattern, a very common element of clothing decoration. Straight line - “straight trail”, “straight path”, “straight path”.

Zigzag. Most often present on birch bark, when applied with fabric on fabric. The sinuous line in the center of the image is considered a sign of life and a living being. Tradition has associated the concept of the living, the animate with the zigzag; it is assigned the function of reviving the inanimate and protecting life, so this pattern is most often found on birch bark cradles, both on the back of the cradle and on its sides.

Triangle

• Symbolic meaning ax very large.

• It is used in many rituals: weddings, funerals, and at bear games.
• The ax has a purifying function: for the purpose of ritual purification, women must step over it.
• It is an indispensable attribute of the fortune-telling process for a certain category of people who have an “axe sign.”

• In folklore, the ax appears as a military weapon - it is enough for it to stick to the enemy (his home), and he will be defeated.

The triangle in the ornament (line of triangles) has different names:

“pike teeth”, “duck broods”, “cedar cone” - if the base is placed horizontally and the top is directed upward;

“head”, “one half of the head” - if the top is turned down;

“axe blade” - if the base is placed vertically.

• plays a significant role in the mythology of the Ob Ugrians.
• She acts as the creator of the world, pulling out the earth from the depths of the primary World Ocean.
• In the Mari myth, the structure of the world was carried out by a drake, who took a lump of earth from the day of the sea; in the Mordovian version, a piece of land from which all living things arose was taken by a duck (nog, duck).

• In Volga Bulgaria, a duck with a golden ball in its beak was often depicted on temple rings.

• According to today's ideas, firstly, the concept of abundance is associated with the duck. Secondly, a duck’s foot serves as a toy for a child and at the same time is his amulet.

• There are many images of birds on children's and women's things.
• A “sleeping capercaillie pattern” is usually applied to the back of the cradle opposite the place where the baby’s head is located.
• Many researchers have pointed out the magical meaning of the “sleep bird”.
• The meaning of this image is that one of the human souls has the appearance of a bird and can leave the body during sleep.

• The image of a bird serves as a container for the soul and keeps it in one place. Over time, the "spotted capercaillie" gets used to a specific person and follows him everywhere

• The two-headed bird is also called the "two-headed crane", "headless crane" or "two-headed headless crane".
• When asked why he has two heads, the answer is usually “he looks at both sides,” i.e. capable of simultaneously covering with his gaze the entire surrounding space, omniscient and all-seeing; The bear has the same abilities.
• The Crane is one of the main characters of the Bear Games, where he acts as an avenger.
• According to the sacred song, the bear destroys the crane's nest, destroys its chicks and must be punished for this. In the final scene, a crane flies in, sings its song, then begins to overturn the bowls of food standing in front of the bear, rips off his jewelry, and breaks his house.

• Currently, sacred patterns are found on ritual belts, mittens, and hats. Items with their images are placed in the butts of guardian spirits or used at Bear Games.
• It is believed that sacred patterns contain a certain power, a certain charge of energy that can sacredly cleanse the object on which it is applied and further maintain it in this state. Thus, women seem to maintain a constant source of cleansing, primarily for men. Often new ornaments are seen in dreams.

Four groups of sacred patterns

Sacred patterns can be divided into four groups: the first is associated with a bear, the second - with the image of a man on a horse, the third - the “spirit pattern”, the fourth - the “happy nests” of certain revered animals: lizards, snakes, wagtails.

They don’t say “killed” about the bear, but they say “descended”, which is connected with his heavenly origin, he is the son of Torum.

• In addition, when a bear is hunted, only one of its souls flies out; at the end of the Bear Games festival, seven deities take away the second soul, and another soul remains with the bear if he wants to be a household spirit, i.e. the bear is still “alive”: his soul sees, understands, feels everything.
• Previously, a tanned bear skin along with the head was left as a spirit. The image of the bear corresponds to just such a bear that has become a spirit - top view.

How to become a successful hunter?

• Sometimes the footprint of a bear is depicted (“bear pattern”). We can talk about complete identification in the consciousness of the trace and the animal. Having a track before his eyes, especially in the snow, an experienced hunter does not necessarily need to observe the animal itself; it already stands before his mind’s eye.
• The hunter knows whether the animal is full or hungry, where it is going and why, what the weather will be like tomorrow and, therefore, what the animal will do. For the Khanty, the image of a bear's footprint is the bear itself.

In sacred patterns, much is depicted indirectly: not a bear, but its footprint, not a lizard, but its nest, etc.

A lizard, a snake, a wagtail have no practical meaning for a hunter, these are attributes of spirits, symbols of their presence, they are sacred. The more of these symbols are stored in the “sacred corner”, the more this part of the space is saturated with “spiritual energy” and the luckier the person in business and everyday life.

Other images

Deer pattern must symbolize the land "filled with deer"

• « Sun" - "Sun-hire mother", giver of strength, energy for the reproduction of earthly life.
• The strokes near the sun are the seeds of life, traces of their presence, from which “a person, an animal, and a plant” can be born.
• The patterns extending from the central circle are “sun rays”, and small protrusions on the circle are called “unexploded hand (ray)”, i.e. not yet formed nascent rays.
• The idea of ​​the ornament is that the sun gives life, both present and future.

• In this image, the patterns extending from the vertices of the quadrangle symbolize the “abandoned camp of the road.”
• According to stories, in the old days people deliberately left camps in order to create another piece of fertilized land, because even in the leanest year, large, juicy berries would grow on it.
• In all cases, the places where there were previously camps stand out sharply against the background of the rest of the area; there is more lush, abundant vegetation, the needles on the trees are large and bright green.
• Thus, the closeness of the configuration of the “sun” and “abandoned camp” patterns is explained by their common idea - the reproduction of earthly life

« Cedar cone"

In folklore there is the following phrase:

“A doll is like a pine cone, A doll is like a cedar cone.”

Both expressions mean the same thing: after the era of gods and heroes, the era of life of the Khanty people, whom the gods call “dolls,” appears on earth.

Thus, the cone is a symbol of the Khanty man or man in general.

A cone is a home for nuts. Nuts are the seeds of new life.

However, the special state of the nut, that is, its ability to germinate, is associated with the presence of nutcrackers, since they are the ones who bury the nuts in the ground.

It is possible that the “bump-man” was originally thought of as a pregnant woman.

Corner

The corner is the basis of many significant ornamental patterns. The following patterns can be named.

"Bunny Ears"(“ears of a little hare”). There is an idea that if snow falls in large flakes, then Torum the father is angry with his wife and tears her hare fur coat. Hare paraphernalia is also present in the birth ceremony.

• “Little branch”, “fox’s elbow”, “hare’s foot” - o again more complex patterns.

"Little deer horn". These are double “bunny ears” pattern.

In essence, if a person has a large number of “horned deer,” then he is protected twice: this is material well-being (warm clothes, food) and he always has the opportunity to make a sacrifice and thereby gain the favor of the deity.

Women collected pieces of skin from the deer's ears, cut off when marking the ears, into garlands and decorated pincushions with them. They had to be sewn on very securely so as not to get lost, otherwise the family would lose their deer. Thus, magically the woman participates in protecting the herd.

• What is the function of a straight cross in an ornament?
• What is the function of an oblique cross in an ornament?
• In what case was the “snake” ornament made?
• What is the purpose of the rhombus in the ornament on a baby's cradle?
• Why is the frog pattern considered feminine?
• What pattern needed to be embroidered with beads on a scarf for the health of the newborn?
• Why can't you kill bugs?
• What is the symbol of spruce?
• What is the symbol of a mouse?
• With what pattern has tradition associated the concept of living, animate, the function of reviving the inanimate and protecting life is assigned to it?
• What is the purpose of the ax and its image in the pattern?
• What pattern is applied to the back of the cradle opposite the place where the baby’s head is and for what purpose?
• What is the name of this ornament?
• What patterns are considered sacred?
• How to become a successful hunter?
• What is the connection between the patterns of the sun and the abandoned camp?

Each nation has its own unique features, which are considered the hallmark of its original culture. From the history of the northern indigenous peoples (Khanty and Mansi), we know about Khanty patterns and ornaments. The pictures in our article will give you some idea of ​​the features and symbolism of such motifs. After all, these are not just drawings, they contain information about the culture of the people and its development. The northern people used these patterns for embroidery, wood and bone carving, and bead decoration. Pictures of Khanty ornaments and patterns enliven any thing, making it noticeable, beautiful and original. The Siberian land is rich in hardworking craftsmen who, with the help of patterns, were able to convey the colorful nature of their land and the rich spiritual world of its inhabitants. We invite you to get acquainted with Khanty ornaments and their meanings.

A little history of the indigenous peoples of the North

Created long before the annexation of Siberian lands to Russia, they tell about the tribes of northern Asia who were the ancestors of the current peoples of Siberia - the Khanty, Mansi, Nenets. The Khanty became an ethnic community in the 1st millennium AD. e., when the southern Ugric tribes and the tribes of fishermen and hunters of the taiga Trans-Urals merged. The literature talks about some features of the culture and language of different Khanty groups. Southern and northern Khanty - this is how experts divided them.

In the north, the main occupation of the Khanty residents is fishing, reindeer herding, and hunting. They build wooden houses and tents. Fishermen and hunters may have several dwellings in different places. Reindeer herders have the custom of placing tents where they stop. Any building they have is called hot. They are made of birch bark, earthen, and plank.

Khanty men and women share everyday life. Men make products from wood, bone and leather, and women make fur clothes, weave cloth, and decorate outfits with beads. Unique elements of pagan culture - patterns and Khanty ornaments - have survived to this day. Pictures of these motifs prove the unique vision of the world of the northern peoples. These ornamental compositions have their own artistic principles. The Khanty people expressed their moral and aesthetic ideals with them. After all, you need to be courageous to live on this land, you need to have a generous heart to love the harsh north. The indigenous people like its dull colors, stingy spring and white summer.

What was the ornament for the Khanty and Mansi peoples?

The artistic language of the Khanty people is diverse. The word “ornament” itself means “decoration”. Ornament was an element of artistic style for architecture, sculpture, painting, and graphics. Patterns were not an end in themselves; they created them to decorate something. They used them quite widely - from drawings on the external and internal walls of buildings - to dishes. They were used for decorating fabrics, embroidery, lace, metal products, and finishing clothes. Ornaments gave new life to everyday objects, expressed an attitude towards everything around them, and created a special artistic world.

Khanty patterns and their names confirm that they were used in appliqué and edging of things. They were used to make parallel rows, vertical and inclined stripes. Outlined motifs add weight and fullness to these designs. It is important to note that, like all ornaments, Khanty motifs also consist of repeats, constantly repeating parts.

The basis of the Khanty ornamental system

The main elements of the ornament of the indigenous peoples of the North were a triangle, a square, a rhombus, a zigzag, and a cross. All these elements were connected as a result of long observation of the world around us. Many are interested in Khanty ornaments with names given based on their resemblance to objects, plants, animals, and natural phenomena. Such patterns enlivened things, made them more noticeable, and added beauty and originality.

Most often, the ornamentation included a symbolic image of representatives of fauna and flora. The shades were characterized by the brightness and contrast of colors.

The main theme of the patterns is the sun, because in those parts every ray is worth its weight in gold. The second most important image is the image of a deer or its antlers. Indeed, for the northern peoples, the deer is considered the best friend, breadwinner, driver, and savior. From it they take bones for making weapons and sinews for sewing.

The most common Khanty patterns

Strict order is inherent in the geometric Khanty ornament. It is based on strict geometric alternation. After the geometric pattern comes a floral motif. It is most often used in wood carving.

And now in more detail about the geometric pattern. The Khanty often used a cross. With its help, they tried to protect themselves from pain and hide from illness. The cross has a protective function; it is the border between worlds. There is an oblique cross called the “dog's paw”, which limits people from hostile creatures in this world.

The Khanty gave a special place to the rhombus; it was called the “heart indentation.” You can no longer put a pattern on top of it, so as not to spoil the person’s fate. There is a rhombus with a void inside or in the form of a frog, which was revered by the northern people. She was associated with the “jumping woman”, capable of giving happiness.

Straight lines and zigzags are often found in stripes of ornaments. A straight line is considered the simplest geometric ornament, but a fairly common element of clothing decoration among the Khanty. For birch bark products, as well as appliqués with fabric on fabric, zigzags were used. The sinuous line in the center of the ornament was considered the personification of life and a living being. Everything living and animate is connected with a zigzag. Often it was used to decorate birch bark cradles for children or the backs and sides of cradles.

Some pattern motifs are related to the triangle. This is exactly what the ax looks like, with which the Khanty have a lot to do with it. The ax was used in many wedding and funeral ceremonies, and in bear games. The ax has a cleansing function. To be cleansed, every woman had to step over the ax. The triangle was also used for the “duck brood”, “pike teeth”, and “cedar cone” ornaments.

Khanty ornaments and their meaning

Patterns for the Khanty people are a whole system that replaced writing and accompanied a person from his first steps to death. The Khanty patterns and their names, which have all the motifs, are also interesting. These names tell where the owner came from, whether he has wealth, the color of his deer, and his needlewoman-wife. Craftswomen used a birch bark stencil to carve patterns from kamus (the skin that was removed from the leg of a deer). The kamus was selected according to the shade and length of the pile. Then, using deer tendons, the parts were sewn together, and the seams were finished with inserts of colored cloth. We invite you to take a closer look at some of the patterns:

1. "Bunny ears." Used to decorate children's things and is associated with fertility.
2. "Capercaillie." This bird is considered the guardian of a child’s sleep and health.
3. "A Brood of Ducklings"
4. "Fox Paw"
5. "Small ripples of water."
6. "Wing of a goose."
7. "Bunny ears."
8. "Trace of a squirrel."
9. "Otter".
10. "Man on a Horse"
11. "Cedar cone".
12. "Frog".
13. "Bug".
14. "Antler".
15. "Birch Branch"
16. "Bear trail"
17. "Blooming Bush"
18. "Rolling waves".

The Khanty people associate the rhombus with the patterns “beetle”, “half a man”, woodpile”, “spruce”, “mouse”. The peoples of the North have a special relationship with beetles; in them they see their grandparents. They believe that after death souls turn into small bugs. The spruce is considered a sacred tree. In the spruce itself and its roots, the Khanty saw the connection of the upper and lower worlds. The destruction of all hostile creatures of the lower world is associated with the mouse. As you have already noticed, the names of the patterns were given according to their similarity and resemblance to the object.

In addition to the above symbols, one could see the mythical mammoth, sable, and cedar on the ornaments. The victory of good over evil is associated with a deer, hard work with a bee, and movement with wings.

Among the animals in the patterns there is a snake, a creeping snake, and a sable. On the theme of birds, you can see the tail of a black grouse, the wings of a seagull, and the neck of a duck. The plant theme is represented by cones, the tops of spruce branches, and broken birch branches. The rolling waves and ripples of water remind us of natural phenomena. All these patterns are either linear or rosette type.

Now let us present to you the names of the ornaments in the language of the northern people:

Applying Embroidery Patterns

There are three methods of Khanty embroidery: “kerem-khanch”, ektem-khanch”, “sevem-khanch”. The first two are similar to Russian double-sided embroidery. And the latter, borrowed by the indigenous population from the settlers, is done with a cross and is considered one of the latest techniques of the southern Khanty embroidery. With the help of restored patterns and embroidery techniques, even now craftswomen create national costumes decorated with colorful ornaments. Modern craftswomen decorate bags, wallets, hats, and belts with this embroidery.

The main special feature of the embroidery of such patterns is that they are strictly geometric and consist of rectangles, corners, rhombuses, and zigzags. These embroidered strips encode the information of the Khanty peoples.

Beadwork

The decorative art of the Khanty peoples is permeated with the great role of women in it. One of the most interesting types of women's creativity is the making of bead jewelry based on local patterns. Once upon a time, beads were brought north by the British in exchange for furs. Merchants bought beads and sold them to the Khanty. There was a whole warehouse of beads in Tobolsk. Among the northern Khanty, beads were called "sak" and "sek", which meant "stone". In the 20th century, porcelain beads were popular.

Women decorate the sleeves, hems, hems and chests of summer dresses with beaded ornaments. For young girls and girls, orange, green, blue, and red colors are used in products. Not only bead embroidery is practiced, but also weaving openwork chains and mosaic products. Very often, beadwork with Khanty ornaments is presented at various exhibitions of decorative and applied art. Beaded pendants for headdresses, napkins, belts, bracelets and wallets look very impressive.

Woolen products with patterns

One of the few Khanty women's occupations that has survived to this day is patterned knitting on wool. Basically, only warm mittens are knitted. Khanty ornaments are very suitable for them. Every craftswoman has been familiar with the basic patterns since childhood, which she herself corrects while knitting. Motifs on mittens have as many meanings as in other types of needlework.

Sometimes the patterns are also used for knitting socks. Craftswomen know that when knitting it is important not to leave the ornament unfinished. Sometimes the design of one mitten continues on the second or on the palm. Over the years, Khanty pattern knitting has hardly changed, only the composition of the yarn and the palette of shades have changed. Once upon a time, only black, white and gray colors were used for knitting, then blue and green colors were added. The Khanty bought wool, but then dyed it themselves.

Decorating clothes with ornaments

The northern peoples imagined beauty in their own way. A truly beautiful woman must be a needlewoman, because she is considered the bearer of ornamental traditions. With the help of patterns on clothes, the Khanty reflected their tribal characteristics. On women's fur coats, ornaments are placed along the edges of the products. A bear's footprint was often depicted on the mittens, which predicted success for the future hunter.

Patterned appliqué was often used on demi-season women's clothing. Fur mosaics were made on children's fur coats. Khanty patterns decorate various sakhis, burkas, and dresses.

The main material for warm clothing of the Khanty was reindeer skins. This type of women's fur coat is called "sakh". It has ties at the front and the inner lining is also fur. Sometimes the top can be made of bright, durable cloth. In those areas where few deer lived, craftswomen sewed many small paws and skins into one large cloth. This sakh was embroidered with various ornaments along the edges.

Khanty women had a special device - tutchan, which was passed from mother to daughter. This is a special birch bark box for storing handicraft tools. The needles were stored in special needle cases. The women worked all day, sparing neither their eyes nor their hands. Some complex work took years to complete. Northern patterns were used to decorate scarves, scarves, pants, and mittens. The patterns were also used for appliques on men's shirts, robes, pillows, deer blankets, and bags.

Today, figured motifs can be made from wood, plastic, cardboard, and leather. The highest precision is needed to cut out the Khanty ornament from plywood. This can be used to make photo frames. In educational institutions today, during labor lessons, crafts for younger schoolchildren with Khanty ornaments are thought out.

Sacred properties of patterns, protective and totemic functions

Khanty patterns were not only decorations for clothing, but were also considered sacred symbols. Such sacred ornaments were used to make ritual belts, mittens, and hats. Items with their image were intended for guardian spirits. Sacred patterns contain a certain power, a charge of energy to purify the object on which they are depicted. Among sacred patterns, the bear theme is considered a favorite. The Khanty attributed heavenly origin to the bear and considered him the son of Torum. There is a belief that a bear has several souls that are capable of seeing, understanding and feeling everything. The pattern was used to become a successful hunter.

Patterns associated with deer are often found. They are also sacred, symbolizing the land where the herds of these animals live. The Khanty ornament “sun” is associated with the giver of strength, energy for maintaining earthly life, which was called “hire mother” (sun). The strokes near the sun symbolize the seeds of life, from which not only people, but also animals and plants will be born.

It is important to note that the blue color in the Khanty ornaments symbolizes the rivers and lakes of the region, the white color is associated with snow, and the green color is associated with taiga. But they are considered the national ornaments of the northern people, a kind of amulet. Often these patterns are displayed on medallion pendants.

Ornament is a mirror and a characteristic feature of the ancient and modern culture of the peoples of the north, a stable element of artistic culture.

For thousands of years, ornaments have retained their ancient origins, creating an important historical source. In ornament the most abstract geometric shapes are filled with a very specific content, reflecting an idea of ​​the surrounding reality. It is believed that the patterns arose as a result of long observations of the surrounding world, and the names of the patterns were given according to the similarity and resemblance of the object.

In our opinion, in the ornaments of the peoples of the north, “abstract” geometric forms only seem abstract. With the same “success” we can talk about the “abstract” geometric forms of a completely modern QR code.
The methodological basis of our research was the discrete Fourier transform method, supplemented by the author with a new technique for studying ornaments as musical works.

Hypothesis:
- about the possibility of sampling and encoding images of ornaments;
- about the possibility of identifying information hidden in ornaments;

Target: reveal information hidden in ornaments.

Object of study: group of ornaments “Motifs with a hare”.

Subject of study: identification and presentation of hidden information in graphic and audio format by sampling and encoding images of ornaments.

Tasks:
1. Create computer graphic images of the “Motifs with a Hare” group of ornaments in accordance with the original ones.
2. Spatially discretize and encode patterns in digital and notated format.

Research methodology:
To explain our hypothesis, let’s take an arbitrary image, presented as a collection of squares of different colors. A square (pixel) is a minimal area of ​​an image, the color of which can be set arbitrarily. In our work we use black and white images. For a black and white image, each square will carry one unit of information (one bit). Let's imagine that the black square (bit) = 1, and the white square (bit) = 0.

Let's encode the image.
As a result of encoding, we obtain a series of binary number system symbols that can be converted into sound.

Conversion to musical notation can be done by relating the spatially sampled image to an improvised stave, assuming that each dark cell is a note symbol, and note symbols that lie on the same vertical line will form a chord.

Main part

Almost all ornaments can be divided into sections of different colors of regular geometric shape (discretized).

Let’s try to explore one ornament from the “Motifs with a Hare” group of ornaments. For the study, using computer graphics, an image of one ornament was created, divided into sections and encoded in a binary number system and in musical notation format.

As a result of encoding, we received information that can be converted into sound, presented as musical notation.

Let's explore the group of ornaments “Motifs with a hare”, like musical notations. To implement the research using computer graphics:
1. Computer images of individual ornaments of the group were created in accordance with the original.
2. Computer images of ornaments are divided into sections (spatially discretized).
3. Discretized images of ornaments are numbered and correlated with improvised staves, where each dark cell of the ornament is a musical note.

By transferring the musical notes of several ornaments from the “Motifs with a Hare” group into a computer program for creating music, sound tracks were obtained that were interconnected into a single work. Two arrangement options are presented. Composer - Artemius Wolf // Artemius Wolf (Moscow)

By transferring the musical notes of ornament No. 03 from the “Motifs with a Hare” group into a computer program for creating music, a sound track in a keyboard version was obtained. Two arrangement options are presented. Composer - Valentin Haynus (Yugorsk)

Conclusion

In the course of our research, the hypothesis about the possibility of representing information hidden in ornaments was confirmed. We managed:
1. Spatially discretize computer images of ornaments.
2. Encode ornaments in the binary number system.
3. Encode the ornaments of the “Motifs with a Hare” group as musical notations.
4. Create original music tracks.

Based on the results of our work, we drew the following conclusions:
- the ornamental art of the Khanty and Mansi peoples may be a source hidden information;
- an example of recognizing information hidden in patterns– conversion into musical notations and creation of original musical opuses, miniatures, works...;

List of sources

Performers:

Guseva Sofya Olegovna, student of 3D class at school No. 5 in the city of Yugorsk;
Gusev Oleg Alexandrovich (father).

Supervisor:

Dubrovskaya Tatyana Nikolaevna, class teacher, teacher at school No. 5 in the city of Yugorsk;

In collaboration:

Kuznetsova Maria Viktorovna, head of the information and methodological department of the Yugra-Present cultural center in the city of Yugorsk;
Tsoneva Ekaterina Igorevna, head of the sector of the information and methodological department of the cultural center “Ugra-present” in the city of Yugorsk;
Valentin Haynus, composer, city of Yugorsk.
Artemius Wolf, composer, Moscow.