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!

I can see the movie now. Op goes round to get to know the quirky neighbours. All is well for a while. One day, op hasn't been seen for a few days but there's a new doll that looks suspiciously familiar hanging up on the tree now....

In all seriousness, meh, live and let live. I'd actually like to see some weird shit around here but everyone is desperate to be just like everyone else 🙄 (small town)
There's no need for the kids to be scared, different cultures/different people are into different things. Doesn't mean it's anything sinister. I mean, it might be. But likely isn't. I'd be interested to see what else they add to it!

Totally agree @H4ppyC4mper . Good post.

Outing.

Where we used to live the people opposite, mutilated a tree (half chopped it down so it rested accross their garden wall) and tied increasing numbers of different teddy bears to it. It seemed like they cut it down specifically to do it. They would leave them to go go moudly and fall apart. Sometimes they would do it at night. Not joking. No idea what that was about and they were scary so no one ever asked.

There was a B&B a few houses down and they'd get online reviews talking about the teddy tree. They've closed now. I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

I would totally ask them, why not? Can't hurt to ask and find out about others culture/beliefs if that's what it is?

Maybe the neighbours come from the ‘island of the dolls’. Really freaked me out when I saw it. Can’t upload pics here, but Google it. It’s soooo creepy.

Picture.

Why on earth would you think it is your place to tell them what to do in their own garden?! Not your property, not your business!

That's how its starts this is how it ends......

Interesting stuff. There are so many variations on the theme of this story: the Holly King and the Oak King, or Persephone's return to the underworld being pretty similar. But I have to say that if hanging creepy dolls in trees is their 'thing' it's harmless; a sight more so than some of the practices of conventional religion. They're proper, full-sized dolls too, not poppets. (Have to say I prefer a good cleansing smudge and some bells/chimes by the door)!

Conventional Christianity does the same thing with gargoyles around the tops of churches to frighten away evil spirits. They serve exactly the same function.

I'm quite happy to see such a reemergence of Paganism following all the years of persecution.

Perhaps they think they’re Christmassy?

NB. I'm cracking up at the observation that one of them looks like Boris Johnson. Just as long as they don't see fit to add a Donald Trump blimp. I'd be having nightmares for months!

I've just asked my Albanian DH about this. He thinks it's creepy too and has no idea what the earlier poster had seen in Albania. I do agree a holiday to Tirana would be lovely though or better still, visit the South 😊

Not Rod; clearly David St Hubbins off’ve Spinal Tap.

This one abuts a sacred well close to where I live. No dolls, though.

To ward off evil in some south American countries.

Cloutie trees are awful, people completely miss the point of them and damage the tree and surrounding environment in the process. The idea of clouties was that they were strips of natural, biodegradable fabric that someone with an affliction (maybe a wound, maybe an emotional or mental pain) would wear wrapped around their injury (or close to their heart, if it's an emotional thing) and then wash it in the holy well to wash away the injury. The cloutie would then be tied around the tree and as the fabric decomposed so the injury would fade. These days people wrap all sorts of crap around trees that doesn't biodegrade and it can end up damaging the tree, not to mention the wildlife who can end up injured as a result of people's stupidity.

The doll tree is just creepy and odd, if it's a supposed pagan thing it isn't a well researched or thought out one.

Anyone read the Tommyknockers by Stephen King? There are dolls in that.

Not sure what's creepy about a doll in a tree.

It's a kid's toy. In a tree.

Weird, sure, but not creepy.

@justasking111 THAT wasn't kind at all I clicked on your link and honestly couldn't find the correct button to close that window down, my hands shook and I couldn't see the keys, just that evil looking thing staring 😬.

@Onnabugeisha oh wow, could that be the explanation? Life becoming extremely expensive and that's how OP's neighbours show their discontent?

Could it be that they are a very bad attempt at homemade craft OP? clutches at straws

Whoever lives there is from a shamanic culture. Shamanism is the world’s first religion/s and are practiced everywhere - but particularly still strong in Africa, S.America, Russia/E.Europe. Native American, Australian and NZ indigenous religions are all shamanic.

The form of it in this case hoodoo voodoo as I said. @HoppingPavlova may be right that it’s honouring or trying to connect with ancestors, but I’ve seen this particular manifestation more often associated trying to ward off evil spirits or black magic.

Paganism doesn’t mean anything other than non Christian. I don’t find many people who call themselves pagan have any idea about actual Celtic shamanism - the practices of which are preserved in only a fragmented way in archeology and myth.

Yep.

Where abouts? You can PM me if you like.

Fwiw Celts used to throw votive offerings into “wells” and water.