EDITORIAL: Pysanky: our cultural heirloom (04/07/96)

EDITORIAL

Pysanky: our cultural heirloom

It all clicked one day on the drive home. The Ukrainian pysanka is one of Ukraine's best cultural ambassadors. There it was in bold block letters: a sign in the window of the local crafts store reading "Ukrainian Easter egg kits." And there it was again in the card shop among the Easter greeting cards, and there on the shelves among the jigsaw puzzles: a colorful depiction of a collection of pysanky on an ornate woodcarved plate.

Truly, our pysanka is known and loved worldwide.

The point was brought home yet again when, during an Easter art show, the major focus of attention was the table of intricate and unique pysanky. Each one of these glorious creations was meticulously researched by the "pysankarka" (an extremely talented New Yorker known to many of our readers). Each pysanka was a miniature work of art, each was a treasure trove of tradition.

As onlookers crowded around her busy table, the pysanka-maker explained the significance of the individual designs on what once were simple eggs. Here were various symbols of the sun, there infinite lines connoting eternity. For example, deer signify prosperity, hens - fertility, oak leaves - strength, wheat -health. She also explained the messages borne by each pysanka: one brought good luck, another joy; this one symbolized springtime, while another depicted a "Bohynia Berehynia" - a goddess/protector associated with the cult of Mother Earth, the source of all life.

The colors, too, have significance. Red denotes the sun, love, joy and life; yellow - the moon and stars, and a good harvest; blue - the sky, air, health; brown - Mother Earth; green - spring, nature; while the combination of black and white signifies respect for ancestors.

Like most of our traditions, the making of pysanky pre-dates Christian times. The symbols adorning an egg reflected the power of natural forces not understood by our ancestors. These decorated eggs had powerful magical qualities; they were ancient talismans that brought the bearer good luck, or kept evil away.

According to Hutsul lore, as long as pysanky were created, the world would continue to exist. If, however, this custom was abandoned, evil, in the form of a serpent, would destroy the world. As long was pysanky were created, good would triumph over evil, and the world would be safe.

Pysanky have been found in archeological digs. They were used for sun worship ceremonies and were integral to spring rituals. They were buried in the ground to ensure a good harvest, and placed in nests and mangers to guarantee that fowl and farm animals would multiply. They were placed into burial mounds to ensure the rebirth (in another life) of the dead. With the advent of Christianity, pysanky came to be associated with Christian symbols. Thus, a triangle denotes the Trinity, and fish are symbols of Christianity; some pysanky are ornamented with crosses, churches and the letters XB (for the words ïËÒÚÓÒ ÇÓÒÍÂÒ - Christ is risen).

The pysanka, one of the oldest forms of folk art, embodies the soul of Ukraine. That soul was carried around the world by generations of Ukrainians. It became a symbol, indeed it served as tangible proof, that the Ukrainian culture was alive, that Ukrainian traditions had survived centuries. Truly a mystical object: the pysanka.

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