For historians, the Udmurtian ornament is an inexhaustible source of study of this extraordinary and distinctive people. After all, the craftswomen put their soul into their patterns, they displayed everything that surrounded them: traditions, culture, household items. The ornament is closely intertwined with the features of the Udmurts as a nation, their closed forest life and creativity.
Features
The Udmurt ornament arose long before the advent of a separate nation. But they began to study it only from the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Instances of an earlier period are practically not preserved. It was unusual for the first researchers to study the features of the Udmurt culture to see bright rich colors on the fabrics. Almost all Udmurtian patterns and ornaments are made of red or black threads, brown or gold.
The predominance of colorful shades is explained very simply. The Udmurts lived a closed life in the wilderness. They embodied the lack of light in their drawings. The rhythm of color gives movement to patterns, fills them with life and joy.
Motifs of ornaments
On embroidered towels, simple geometric shapes are most often found: rhombuses, triangles, squares. The later Udmurtian ornament already has flowers. The appearance of red poppies, roses and other plants is explained by the increasing influence of Ukrainian culture.
The silhouette of a waterfowl is most common in embroidery. This element is present in many peoples of the Urals. One ancient myth is associated with it. It says that a bird can dive to the bottom of the ocean and bring a piece of land from which land arose many centuries ago.
The motif of a waterfowl was necessarily present on the sleeve of the girl’s wedding shirt. He later began to look like duck wings.
Symbolism of flowers
Like many peoples, the Udmurts imagined the world to be three-part. According to their belief, the creator of the world, Inmar, divided the universe into three components: heaven, earth and the underworld. The sky symbolized white, the earth - red, which represented blood, life and the sun. And the underworld is black. Later, this combination passed into the symbolism of the flag of the Udmurt Republic.
The Udmurt ornament perfectly reflects how people perceived the world. For example, the female bib was most often embroidered as follows: in the middle there was a large red triangle, under it was black or dark blue. Various ornaments with light colors were embroidered from above.
World tree
The image of the world tree characterizes the Udmurt national ornament. Since the inhabitants inhabited mainly the forest area, it is not surprising that a lot is connected with trees. So, the Udmurts believed that after death a person can turn into a tree. Each trunk with a crown had its own soul, you could talk to him or pray to him. Most Udmurts worshiped pine, spruce, mountain ash and birch.
Later, the world tree turned into the image of the fertility goddess, who was depicted with her hands raised up. Branches with leaves were necessarily depicted on the sides. Mother Sun was called by the Udmurts of Shunda-Mum and was not only the patroness of the heavenly luminary, but also responsible for the fertility of the land.
Animal ornaments
Udmurt folk ornament contains many images of animals. Boars, rams, lynxes, eagles and falcons were traditionally embroidered. Starting from the earliest stages of the development of culture, the Udmurts depicted a horse. If he was embroidered on a towel, then this item had to be taken with him on a trip, and a horse was embroidered on the bride’s headdress, wishing a happy family journey.
Another popular way is the bear. He was most often depicted without one finger. This tradition originates from the rituals of the burial of shamans. When a respected person died, his thumb was cut off, which they kept in the family for the blessing of the gods.
Solar motives and swastika
The Udmurts closely assimilated with the Permians. Starting from this period, the Udmurtian ornament begins to acquire solar motifs. At first, various images of the sun are used in wood carving, jewelry making, and later they turn into embroidery.
The most important solar motive is the swastika. This element is found in different peoples, including the Udmurts. The swastika was embroidered on rushnyks, clothes. She played a protective role - drove away evil spirits - and meant a rebirth, the birth of a new life, family.
Researchers distinguish the motives “pityri” (a circle with a hole in the middle) and “pityres” (a circle with an ornament). The first was an indispensable element of the bride’s wedding shawl, and the second was always present at the headdresses of women.
