Ukrainian Folk Art

In honor of the crisis in Ukraine right now and our upcoming flash day to support them next week I’m going to take this opportunity to dive into Ukrainian folk art and symbolism. This is kind of a unique article in that it is not tattoo specific, however could be applied to tattoos if anyone so chooses. I felt that regardless it is an important topic that I can cover right now. 

Embroidery

Like many cultures embroidery is a key aspect of Ukrainian folk art, they have many significant motifs that have spanned centuries. The Euromaidan Press explains the culture of embroidery by saying, “Researchers say that in ancient times embroidery was a ritual that was carried out on particular days. Master embroiderers could not sit down to work unless their thoughts were pure and bright, their energy positive and creative. It is interesting to note that embroiderers did not copy other people’s patterns.Their work was very individual. Each woman had her own “language of decorative writing”, where through colours, lines and patterns she created a unique object, coded for good fortune for herself and her loved ones. Copying another person’s pattern meant taking over someone else’s life and destiny.” There are a ton of different categories of motifs, I’m just going to cover a few of the most used, but I’ll link the Euromaidan Press here, they do a great deep dive into tons of these motifs.

Circles can have a variety of uses and meanings but the underlying meaning of life is similar in all of these designs. The most basic version of the circle represents the sun and its energy to give life, where a circle with a dot in the center represents the universe. This design can be found in embroidery as well as wood carving and pasanky; the Ukrainian egg designs. The circle is also a symbol of ‘divine purity’ worn by brides. Often this is simply represented in the wearing of a wreath. This symbol also appears in wedding tradition on the traditional wedding towels. 

Where circles are the sun, the square represents earth. A square in Ukrainian symbolism often appears with a cross in the middle breaking the square into four sections, also known as the earthly field. The concept of four is significant in Ukrainian culture representing things like: the symbol for the primary elements, cardinal points, seasons, and the life cycle. Squares often appear within other designs or in sequences. 

Winding dance lines, which are decorative lines that run across an embroidered piece often represent water and the harmonious flow of life. It can also be associated with the ‘thread of fate’. This pattern is called the winding dance pattern of course because it is closely connected to a tradition of ritual dance. Specifically the dance Ukrainian girls perform in spring. When these patterns appear on mens clothes they can also be called meander and symbolize strength and vitality. 

Pysanka

Pysanka is a tradition unique to Ukraine, it is the art of decorating eggs with wax. This process can be extensive with very detailed designs and many colour baths to make intricate designs. Pysanky is described by Pyakna.info that goes into more detail of the tradition saying, “Ukrainians have been decorating eggs, creating these miniature jewels, for countless generations. There is a ritualistic element involved, magical thinking, a calling out to the gods and goddesses for health, fertility, love, and wealth.  There is a yearning for eternity, for the sun and stars, for whatever gods that may be.” They go on to date the design motifs, detailing that they are from pre-Christian times and reflect many early Slavic cultures. The author of this site also gives us an important note when looking at these symbols: “When examining a traditional pysanka and looking at its symbols, it is important to keep in mind that there is no “secret decoder ring” to discover its meaning.  One does not pick out the symbols and assign each a single, simple meaning.  It is not a rebus. Instead, you must consider the organic whole of the decorated egg, consider its traditional name, and compare it to similar traditional pysanky.” Pysanka is a complex tradition that is evolving through time. In traditional folk art there are certain set symbols and meanings but in modern Ukrainian art there is more wiggle room. Since there is such a large range I’m just going to include some infographics on different symbols, and some of their meanings. 

There are tons more types of Ukrainian folk art, not limited to the physical art either. Things like dance and story are also extremely important, but just to stay on topic and give you a piece that is digestible without being 6000 words long I’ve covered the most well known and visual aspects of them. We hope with the flash day we can continue to celebrate Ukrainian art and support the creators of these beautiful traditions. Like always my sources are linked below and if you want to learn more about Ukrainian art I highly recommend checking them out. There is so much more than I could fit into this post. We hope to see lots of you on March 12th 2022 for our flash day in support of Ukraine.

Sources:

• https://www.vsi-ukr.com/blog/tattoo
• http://www.pysanky.info/PYSANKY/Pysanka_Home.html
• https://euromaidanpress.com/2016/05/19/secret-ancestral-codes-12-main-symbols-in-ukrainian-embroidery/
• http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/
• https://www.learnpysanky.com/symbols.html

Gatekeeper

Hi there! I'm Taylor, you may know me as Sterling Skull reception, or gatekeeper, or most recently Tater (thanks Chris). I love writing, creating and I love tattoos; so what better way to use my passions than to bring you a personal experience of our studio via a blog! Welcome, please stay a while!