Pysanka – A Magical Egg Of Ukrainians In Ukraine, Inscribing Pysanki Is A Very Ancient

Pysanka – a Magical Egg of Ukrainians




In Ukraine, inscribing pysanki is a very ancient Pagan custom that survived through the centuries and has been practiced almost everywhere on the territory of Ukraine and adjacent to Ukraine regions of Poland, Czechia, Romania, Slovakia, and Russia.
Pysanka (literal translation is “written egg”) is a raw fertilized egg (traditionally perfect eggs for a pysanka would be taken from a young hen that laid eggs for the first time on the first New Moon of spring – a lot of “firsts” to notice, as spring is time for regeneration and renewal) inscribed with magical symbols that were traditionally inscribed on eggs for generations. Egg inscribed with any other “non-traditional” symbols is called “malevanka” (“painted egg”) and does not bear the same magical and ritual importance. Traditional colors for pysanka are white, yellow, red, and black, although in different regions of Ukraine orange, green and blue are also used. The symbols are inscribed (“written”) on the egg with a special tool named “kistka” or “pysachok” which technically is a small funnel attached to a stick. Back in the days kistki were made out of animal bones or chicken feathers. Pysankarka (a woman who specializes in making pysanki) starts preparing to her magical work in advance. First, she collects the water for the dyes. Water for the dyes has to be taken from 7 or 9 different wells and springs or at a junction of 3 streams early in the morning (3 – 4 am). While she carries the water back to her house, she has to remain silent and never look back. The water collected in such a way is called “mute” and doesn’t carry any energetic trace. They also say that water molten from March snow has almost the same powers, so it is very lucky to collect snow in March. Once at home, pysankarka prepares the dyes by steeping roots, herbs, and bark in water. Finally, dressed in everything new and clean, after taking a purifying bath, she lights a candle, scoops some beeswax into the funnel on her kistka, and warms the funnel on the candle-flame until the wax melts. After this, she starts inscribing with hot wax magical symbols that she learned from her ancestors on the pure white surface of the egg. Once she covered all the surfaces on the egg that she wishes to remain white with wax, she dips the egg in the lightest dye she has (usually, it’s yellow). While the egg is in the dye, pysankarka reads a special prayer or a spell during which she invokes the deities that are to help her in her magical working (usually those are female deities such as Lada, Mokosh, or Bogoroditsa (Virgin Mary), if pysankarka is a devoted Christian) and states the purpose of her work. Sometimes she may also invoke the deities or spirits, whose symbols she inscribed on the egg. After the egg is colored yellow, she covers with beeswax the areas she wishes to remain yellow, and dips the egg in a darker dye – traditionally, red. After a prayer or an incantation, she removes the now red egg from the dye, and repeats her process with the hot wax to cover the areas to remain red on the egg. Finally, the egg is being dipped in the darkest dye – black, which serves as a background. After removing the egg from the dye, she places it in a warm oven or carefully holds it over a candle-flame until the wax melts; then she wipes it away with a napkin. This last step finally reveals the brilliant colors on pysanka, and now the egg may be covered in oil or grease to keep it shiny.
The magical importance of an egg decorated in such a way is immense. First of all, it combines the triple symbolism of the egg itself, the colors it was dyed with, and the symbols inscribed on it. The egg in this instance represents the newly born world bearing good (and only good) wishes of pysankarka on it – ill-wishing on an egg could cause catastrophe as it was believed to alter the world as a whole. White color on pysanka is used to write respects to the gods, yellow color is for the people and material riches, red represents Life and is used for protection and wellbeing, and black is the color of Mother-Moist-Earth herself. Usually, pysanki intended for children had green or red (but not black) background, as children were believed to be too young to handle black color and its symbolism, while pysanki left at the cemeteries for the dead or spirits had no red on them as they were not for the living. The symbols on pysanki vary from area to area, but all bear very deep meaning. Also, pysanka is believed to contain the power of the Elements, as all of them are used while creating it: the “mute water” infused with herbs, candle-flame and honey-smelling beeswax.
Pysanki are usually given as gifts and never sold. Refusal to take a pysanka from a friend or a relative used to be an insult back in the days. A girl would give a pysanka to show the boy she liked him or to accept his attention. Depending on its symbolism and magical purpose, this special egg may be buried in the fields for good harvest, placed under a beehive so that the bees would thrive in it, or kept in the house on a windowsill or in the “red corner” (a Slavic household altar) for good luck and protection. Pysanka inscribed with special “water” symbols was believed to protect the house from fire, and if the fire still erupted, a master would carry the pysanka around the flames to stop the fire from spreading. Broken pysanka was an omen of coming draught. If the egg exploded (this happens if it has a small crack in it), it means that pysanka had served its purpose and protected the house from something bad. Now, they say that first pysanki were written on eggs of ducks and other water birds, as (due to their constant contact with the water element) they symbolize purity; however, chicken eggs became more popular as they last a lot longer than eggs from any other birds.
Pysanki are not just written to celebrate Spring – they may be written on the Light Half of the Year when the days get longer and nights shorter, for such important occasions as childbirth, wedding, or death. Special pysanki with stars are also made on Christmas/Winter Solstice.
It is important to understand the difference between a pysanka and a traditional Easter egg that is called “krashanka” in Ukraine and is usually colored in a single color – red to represent the strengthening Sun. Krashanka is a hard-boiled egg and by eating it people “connect” with the Sun deity (Slavic Dazhbog). Krashanki of different colors were made on other holidays of Spring-Summer cycle: green for Trinity Day (Whitsuntide – end of spring) and yellow for Ivan Kupala’s Day (Summer Solstice) all the way until early XX century. Pysanka, on the other side, is being under patronage of female Mother deities and represents a new world born from an egg. The story of creation of the world from an egg seems to be consistent in many European cultures. Slavic lore suggests that world consists of three sub-worlds: Prav (this name is modern) – the world of the gods, the Heavens where the Sun dwells is represented by the top (narrow) segment of the egg (a more ancient belief placed this World on the bottom, over the horizon); Yav – the world of people – is in the central part of the egg; Nav – the Underworld, the realm where spirits dwell ruled by the Moon is located on the bottom (wide) part of the egg (although in a more ancient belief Nav used to be located on top, in the skies or even stars). Some eggs portray the structure of the Heavens with clouds on the bottom, Sun in the middle, and “heavenly solids” – a mythical place where all of the rainwater is stored before descending in the form of the clouds. This arrangement applies only to the ornament inscribed upon the egg's shell - the egg itself is said to represent the concept of the three Worlds but somewhat differently.
In conclusion, I want to remember an ancient Ukrainian legend, according to which a powerful demon of Apocalypse is chained deep underground. Every year in spring, his chains become weaker, and he sends out his twelve helpers to find out how the world has changed over a year. He is interested in three things: whether the youth is still respectful of the elders, whether people still follow their traditions and culture (“celebrate weddings the old way”), and finally, whether they still make and exchange pysanki. As he hears that people keep on doing all those things, he growls and roars, as his chains hold him stronger. The amount of pysanki made on a particular year is proportional to the strengthening of the demon’s chains. Ukrainians also say that love exists in the world while people still make and give each other pysanki, which totally corresponds to the aforementioned legend.
Written by Olga Stanton

 

the white one is very similar to the four snakes from lithuanian romuva icon…

 

the white one is very similar to the four snakes from lithuanian romuva icon…

 

Valkarie Gallery
March 8 at 9:29 PM ·

Resident artist Maria Valentina Sheets Conservation is not only an incredible artist, she is also an incredible human.
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Maria is donating her time and materials for a fundraiser for the Ukraine.
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Learn how to make a Pysanky or Ukrainian Eggs with all the proceeds going to help Ukrainians through the IRC.
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Go to: https://www.valkariefineart.com/pysanky-for-peace.html to sign up and find out how you can help your fellow human
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#pysankyforpeace #ukrainianeggs #pysanky #standwithukraine #peace #belmarcolorado #valkariegallery