DIY hand -made pysanka - painted on eggs - a tradition rooted deep in antiquity.
The very first egg found was a stone egg on which various symbols were inscribed.
The tradition of pysanka was recognized as a truly unique art after the message of Fyodor Vovk, an anthropologist in 1874 in Kiev at the archaeological congress. On the basis of the album with pictures of Easter eggs, which was compiled by ethnographers Nikolai Sumtsov and Oscar Kolberg, the first catalog was created.
In ancient times, pysanka was with a person throughout life. In the cradle to the baby they put a pysanka, which the mother adorned during pregnancy. They gave it to the young for weddings, commemorated the deceased.
Painting of pysanka is a real rite. A woman paints pysankas with her own hands, having secluded herself from everyone. Water for painting should be from seven sources, or taken at the junction of three streams. Work should take place with full concentration, the woman at the time of painting wishes good, health and good luck to those for whom Easter eggs are intended.
The largest number of Easter eggs was created in the springtime, during
priesthood. People believed that painting eggs in red at this time, they help the sun gain strength before the summer. Such Easter eggs were stored until next spring, bearing the symbols of the future harvest: seeds and fruits, plants, images of the sun.
Today, Easter eggs are embodied in the tradition of painting eggs on Easter.
Symbols on Easter eggs are images of wealth, fertility, health and family well-being.
"Male" Easter eggs carry the embodiment of wisdom, courage, strength. Plants - oak trees, signs of the sun and fire - “high mountains”, deer, crosses, “arrows of Perun”, “windmills”.
“Feminine” is written for fertility and the discovery of feminine power: rose, coastline, star, etc.
Wealth in the family will bring symbols denoting a sowed or plowed field - squares, triangles.
The symbol of the infinity of life, the constant revival of nature on Easter eggs are meanders.
For Easter eggs, the symbol of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is the cross. He is the axis of the world, a symbol of the World Tree, which connects all worlds.
Well, of course, the color is of great importance in the work on the Easter egg: red - giving life, a symbol of the sun, black - a symbol of fertility, land, green - a symbol of trees, life, yellow - a symbol of light.
Do it yourself with our own hands and in our time.
Everyone can learn how to paint Easter eggs, either independently or by contacting professionals. Nowadays, there are many master classes that are dedicated to this issue.
But, if you decide to learn how to write Easter eggs yourself, then several recommendations will help you with this.
So, how to make Easter egg? To work, you will need:
Egg
Candle
Pencil
Brush (special tool for painting)
Wax
Napkin
Before working, wash the egg. It will be more convenient to paint boiled: for this you need to boil eggs in water (for two liters of water 1 table. Tablespoon of salt). If you want the egg to be stored longer, make it hollow by blowing the contents.
To create a pysanka with your own hands, it is best to use natural paints. Green paint can be prepared from the leaves of nettle and lily of the valley, buckthorn and ash bark . Yellow will turn out from flowers of a camomile and onion peel. Red is made from the seeds and flowers of St. John's wort, cherry berries. Black paint is made from alder roots. Brown paint can be obtained from the bark of an oak or apple tree. To prepare the paint, it is necessary to fill the source material for several hours in an enameled container. Water should be cold. After that, you need to boil everything over low heat: the bark is about 3 hours, the leaves are forty, and the flowers are thirty minutes. Strain the broth, add alum-potassium alum (1 tsp). Store the finished paint for up to fourteen hours.
You can use a brush or pen to use industrial production, or you can do it yourself (a description can be found on the Internet).
Staining process: a pencil drawing is applied to the surface of the egg, then hot wax is applied to the pencil marks. After the egg is lowered into the lightest of the paints used in the drawing. Next is a layer of wax, and a darker paint, for example, red. And so on until you get the necessary picture. At the end, the egg is placed in the oven or held above the candle for several minutes, and the remaining wax is removed with a napkin. Ready Easter eggs are wiped with sunflower oil, this will give a beautiful shine.
The whole family can be involved in the creation of Easter eggs. You will be able to teach the younger generation how to make Easter eggs , thereby introducing them to the ancient Russian tradition.