www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Rusyn Pysanky

At the website I had a e-mail asking for information on how to obtain Rusyn Pysanky. The last person in this individual's family who made pysanky had died and he does not have one.

If you know where he can obtain pysanky can you please post the information here (or e-mail it to me at the e-mail at the bottom of the page). I will send him the link to this thread and forward to him whatever is sent via e-mail.

Thanks!

If you mean Ukrainian Pysanky - we can refer you to several sources.

I think that this site should have just about everything you need:

http://www.yevshan.com/main.asp

I.F.

If I remember correctly Rusyn Pysanki differs from Ukranian in some ways but if I can't find Rusyn'll go Ukranian.



Fr. Mike+

Check out the how to section http://www.pysanka.com/index.php

I believe a good choice for Rusyn Pysanky would be the Byzantine Catholic church in Uniontown, Pa. This is a link to their website:

http://www.archeparchy.org/page/directories/parishes/uniontown08.htm

I was just reading in the new edition of the Byzantine Catholic World that they are having their fourth annual "Eggstavaganza" on March 29, 2009 at the church. There will be people selling and demonstrating pysanky and they are a Rusyn parish, no doubt about that. Members of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society will be there as well, talking about pysanky and other Rusyn things. It's free of charge. I don't know if the person who asked about the Rusyn pysanky is close to Uniontown or not, but I'm sure he/she can find someone who will sell him/her and mail some to him/her. And I'll bet it will not cost nearly as much as the second pysanky site listed above. They were very, very expensive in my opinion. I don't recall seeing pysanky costing that much anywhere. I wouldn't buy from them. The first site was very reasonably priced.

Here is a link to the online edition of the Byzantine Catholic World.

http://www.archeparchy.org/page/bcw-online/BCW_PDF09/BCWOL_22mar09.pdf

The article starts on page 1 and continues for another two pages. All the vendors are listed, so he/she can contact the church for more information. This is probably the person's best bet for authentic Rusyn pyzanky.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Not to be rude, but for information's sake, what is a "pyzanky"?

a wonderfully decorated egg - traditional at Pascha

Look at some of the pics in the site mentione by Erie Byz


Easter eggs [pysanka.com]

In the tradition of the Christian Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches Churches, legend says that the first real Easter egg was given to the Roman emperor Tiberius by Mary Magdalene soon after Christ’s ascension. Mary went to Rome to preach, and followed the custom to bring the emperor some gift. Wealthy people usually gave jewels and poor people brought to the emperor’s palace whatever they could. Mary gave the emperor a humble white egg saying, “The Christ has risen!” The emperor expressed his disbelief, “Nobody can rise from the dead ….. this is as hard to believe as it is to believe this egg can turn red!” At once the egg became red, and since that time eggs serve as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection, the victory of life over death.

In ancient times eggs bore magical meaning. Archeologists find eggs in tombs and graves dating back to times long before Christianity. Those eggs are either natural ones or made from marble, clay or other materials. An egg is described in numerous myths as the symbol of life and renewal, the source of everything which exists in this world. The egg was a symbol of spring sun which brought life and light, warmth and the end of frosts. It was a custom to give an egg as a small gift to pagan gods, to exchange eggs with friends and relatives on the first day of New Year and on birthdays. Of course, very rich people gave golden eggs instead of colored hen eggs!

In fact, the tradition to paint eggs in the Ukraine dates back to pagan times when people performed magic rituals connected with nature awakening each Spring.

By the way, them Pagans are still around:

http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;28065/

After Christianity was introduced into Kyivan Ruthenia (now Ukraine), the tradition continued, assimilating magical beliefs from the past. Ukrainians believed that blessed eggs could help to put out fire or to find lost cattle. They also stroked the cattle with egg to keep them healthy and mixed egg shells with seeds to ensure rich crops.

Egg painting was typically done in rural areas where people lived in small Ukrainian village houses and made painted eggs in late winter or early spring period, when there was not much work on the fields. They gathered, sang songs, embroidered tissues and painted eggs.

Traditional Ukrainian eggs or pysankas are painted on birds eggs using hot wax. First, the wax is laid on the egg by means of a small metal tube with a wooden handle, making a contour. Then, an egg is dipped into one color, again covered by wax in parts which should preserve that color and then put into another color. Depending on the color and design variations, this may be done many times with a lot of artistic forethought. When the egg painting is finished, the egg is warmed to melt the wax, and the pysanka is ready! In earlier times, Ukrainians used onion peel and berries juices to produce strong natural colors, but today modern paints are readily available and used more often. Still the work requires great skill to do well.

Different regions of the Ukraine have their specialties for egg ornamentation. For example, Kyivv painted eggs are multi-colored (beginning with light pastel colors to dark ones), Podil eggs are decorated with delicate plant ornamentation, Lviv eggs are more geometrical, Hutsul eggs astonish by the difficulty of their thin geometrical ornament and bright yellow color range.

There are numerous explanations of ornamentation on Ukrainian eggs in various regions. The curve means Eternity and the Sun cycle, the grate and the fylfot means the Sun. The red color has the meaning of joy and love, the yellow color means the moon and stars or the crops, the bronze color stands for Mother Earth.

I.F.

Our parish is hosting a beginner's and master class for making Ukrainian Pysanky this and next saturday in Indiana (if anyone wants to make that drive on a whim!)

Deacon James,

Welcome to the forum. Can you provide a link and/or address for those who might be interested in attending.

Many years,

Neil

There is a pysanky workshop and bazaar in Washington, DC this next Sunday, March 29th.



http://www.ucns-holyfamily.org/2009pysankaWorkshopFlyer.pdf

Our parish is offering one (Rusyn pysanky) this Saturday, but I believe the sign-up date has passed.

Earlier it was Byzantine Catholic pyrohy and now Byzantine Catholic pysanky?
Now really!