Weird dolls hanging on neighbours tree?

[sandyfroglets]

Unsure what this is for but they keep adding more rag dolls to their tree in their front garden. It's really creeping my children out.

They are hanging with other objects like wooden rings and ribbons. Is it some kind of pagan thing? No idea but it's bloody weird...

Aibu to ask them what it's for!? We live in a quiet little part outside of a city. Nothing unusual goes on here!

🫣

One of them looks like boris 😂

@Onnabugeisha I thought that this was done by nailing one doll to a tree in a graveyard…..you’d never hang several dolls in a tree outside your home for sending messages to the spirit world.

You might if you thought the spirit was in your house and you were trying to entice them out into the doll. Maybe a few to cover bases, maybe thinking house is inhabited by more than one spirit?

No idea, but I had a friend of a friend at one point who was into this stuff and this is the sort of stuff they did, along with salt seemingly everywhere 😁. I went along to a few vodou film nights at the time, was not interested for myself but always interested in things in general, and I do remember hanging dolls so protective spirits could enter and as some sort of gateway for spirits in general. But as yo whether that’s the case in this English village, no clue really.

I can't stand one of my neighbours, you've just given me a great idea!! 😆

@Mamaneedsadrink There really are so many options. I once lived in a street where someone was obsessed with swans made from car tyres, painted white, and pink flamingo statues. They had soooo many of each and had seemingly dug up lawn underneath and laid big circles of white pebbles underneath so all of these creatures didn’t get in the way of mowing what little lawn they had left presumably.

When visiting a friend, they have someone in their neighbourhood who has lots and lots of foo dog statues, each painted in a different solid colour. They actually ripped up their front lawn and paved it to accomodate the endless foo dogs. Looks like a rainbow vomited a never ending stream of foo dogs.

So so many ways if wanting to piss off neighbours.

I’m pagan but I don’t recognize this practice but there are so many subtypes and practices I couldn’t tell you. Some pagans like creepy and that’s their preferred aesthetic but they are pretty harmless. I don’t like the creepy look myself. It looks like they might be decorating for Yuletide.

The story of the12 days of Yuletide is celebrating the death and rebirth of the sun. The longest night of the year between the 21st and 23rd is the “death” of the sun. And the new year when the days start to lengthen is the rebirth when the goddess gives birth to a new sun or year if you will have it.

Most pagans don’t do anything wild with dolls like this in trees though. We usually do lights and dried citrus slices because it looks like the sun inside.

I imagine one of the dolls represents mother earth and her fertility of a new sun. Not sure what the other dolls could symbolize. Your guess is as good as mine.

I’m just explaining because someone’s understanding the thoughts behind the practice makes it less creepy for some.

Dordolec?

borgenproject.org/teddy-bears-in-albania/

It's also possible it is pagan, I know someone up thread said it isn't but there are 'Cloutie trees' around, they are not common but they do exist.

Ribbons or rags can represent a prayer / wish, they are dipped in water from a 'holy' source and then hung from a nearby tree.

In Germany human sacrifices were hung from trees in, well fairly ancient times.

Could be suicide memorial, talk to your neighbours and ask them ... Talking to your neighbours tbf is always a good thing, you live right beside each other, why wouldn't you talk rather than ask randomners on internet what they think? 🤔

I'm not sure going up to their door to knock and ask is the done thing to do.

Someone upthread said it's probably a cultural thing, you can knock Africa off that list as I've never seen anything like this.

Someone must have asked though.. So now it's your mission to find that person OP 😀. As we would all like to know the answer as well now.

It's probably some kind of superstition, no more "creepy" than being scared of the 13th floor, or of Friday 13, or of black cats.

Another Pagan here. I’ve never seen this doll thing as a Pagan ritual but I have seen trees decorated with ribbons and gifts and streamers, usually apple trees, in the midwinter, for wassailling…. the visiting of fruitful trees, where we sing to them, pour a little cider on their roots, let off some fireworks, that sort of thing, It’s an ancient ritual to encourage the tree to bear plenty of fruit, and to thank it for its past fruitfulness.

I am finding all these posts fascinating, so thank you!

I guess I shall just admire from afar...

Several Pagans here have piqued my interest. Would you consider doing an AMA?

That reminds me of a tree in our local Asda car park, it’s just by the recycling area and is full of underwear 🤣

I think that would be difficult. Pagans have some beliefs in common, but their individual spiritual paths can be very different, which would make generalisations too complicated. I could say one thing about my beliefs and practice, but someone else would be completely different. It’s good to know that there are people out there who are interested, though, rather than holding to the usual media crap that we’re weird or Satanists! Thank you!

Chickenvoicesinmyhead, sorry that was a response to you.

That is bloody creepy! I can see why your kids are freaked. Can you put up some sort of screening?

Another pagan here. Not heard of this at all. Have been to a clootie well though. Was very peaceful.

I'm so glad I didn't see this thread when I couldn't sleep last night.

Perhaps they think they can recreate mother Shiptons cave? There’s one near us, I assume eccentric inhabitants for ours.

Thankyou for explaining @UseOfWeapons !

@sandyfroglets I would knock and ask politely out of curiosity.

Questions about such an odd display must be expected surely?

There's a tree in a local park that was festooned with various dolls. Like nailed to the trunk high up. You can still see the rotting remnants if you look closely. Spooked us out

Its something to do with good luck, you’ll typically see them on half built houses.

Sorry but I’d be tutting and eye rolling every time I went past. Man made crap doesn’t belong in a tree. Poor thing.
And whilst anyone can believe anything they want I resent the idea they can foist it on anyone else. I am very judgey though.