Decorated (Pysanky) Eggs

by Jodi Smith

These eggs were hand-decorated using the wax-resist (“pysanka”) technique used in central Europe since pre-Christian times.

The patterns are created by drawing fine lines of melted wax onto a genuine egg, then dipping the egg into dye. The wax prevents the dye from coloring the lines. Each color requires separate drawing and dyeing steps. At the end, all the wax is removed, the egg is hollowed, and then varnished to provide a durable finish.

             

History

The egg is an ancient symbol of spring, new life, and rebirth. People have always been fascinated by the ability of a seemingly inert egg to suddenly hatch into a new life. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China, people colored eggs and gave them as gifts at festive occasions.

In pre-Christian Slavic territories, colored eggs were one of the traditional gifts offered to the spirits of the tribal ancestors, and such eggs were placed on the graves of loved ones during the spring festivals. Many of the designs used on modern pysanky appear to have pre-Christian origins. Christianity officially arrived in Slavic central Europe in the 860’s, and in the Ukraine in 989. Decorated eggs gradually became associated with the Christian spring festival of Easter, and Christian interpretations were added to the earlier meanings of the symbols used on the eggs.  Ukrainian pysanky eggs are especially famous.

Pysanky were exchanged among family and friends, girls gave them to their sweethearts, and farmers placed them in the barns in hopes of bountiful harvests and to protect against lightning.

The name “pysanka” (plural is “pysanky”) comes from the Ukrainian word pysaty, which means “to write”.

Before modern synthetic dyes, eggs were colored with plant dyes, similar to the dyes used on cloth at the time. Onion skins give gold, orange, and brown colors. Brazilwood gave the highest quality red. Red cabbage gives blue. Oak, sumac, or bramble leaves give black. These plant dyes are more difficult to work with than modern dyes, and making a four-colored pysanka was considered a mark of great skill.

  Symbolism

Nearly everyone maintains that the designs and colors on pysanky are full of symbolic meaning, but authors seldom agree on the specific meanings. Some possibilities (take them with a grain of salt):

sun – life, constancy of divine love

star – success

The sun, the 8-pointed star, and the daisy-like flower all blend together. Any of them can be used as a symbol for Christ, or for the Divine.

dots – stars, rain, tears of Mary the mother of Jesus

tree, pine needles – long life, good health

flower – beauty, elegance, feminine energy

wheat – bountiful harvest, life’s work

horse, ram, deer (sometimes just drawn as antlers or horns) – prosperity, masculine energy

birds – fulfillment of wishes

ladder – prayer, surmounting obstacles

diamond, triangle (especially with cross-hatching) “basket”, “net”— wisdom, knowledge

zig-zags, wavy lines – rhythms of nature, eternity

bands that encircle the egg – eternity, protection from evil

40 (or 48) triangles – the many responsibilities of life

   Legends

According to legend, there is a monster who creates evil and discord. Whenever someone makes a pysanka egg, the chains that bind that monster are tightened. If ever there should be a year when no one made pysanky, the monster would escape and devour the world.

Many Christian folk tales relate the origins of pysanky to the events surrounding the first Easter. In one version, Mary, the mother of Jesus, colored a basket of eggs to offer Pontius Pilate when she went to plead for her son’s life. Her tears fell on the eggs, making the dots that are a common design element. When she came before Pilate, she fell to her knees. The eggs rolled across the floor, and continued to roll until they spread around the whole world.

  About the Artist

Jodi Smith lives in Brownfield, Maine. Her ancestors came to America from Lusatia (now in Germany) in 1854, on the sailing ship Ben Nevis, hoping to protect their Slavic language, culture, and religion.

Jodi’s mother, the second generation born in America, also makes pysanky. Jodi’s daughter made her first pysanka egg when she was 5.