“Poem” comes from the Greek poíēma, meaning a “thing made,” and a poet is defined in ancient terms as “a maker of things.” So, if a poem is a thing made, what kind of thing is it? (Yakich)

“Pysanka” comes from the Ukrainian word pysaty meaning “to write,” and a pysar or pysarka is “a writer.” So, if a thing made is written on an egg, is not a pysanka then a poem?

A pysanka (plural: pysanky) is a Ukrainian Easter egg, typically created by a written-wax process that records traditional folk motifs and designs on the surface of the egg. As noted by Folklorist and UAlberta graduate Mariya Lesiv, the pysanka has attracted the interest of Ukrainian researchers and stimulated extensive discussion since the late 19th century. The pysanka’s origins, and how the practice of writing and sharing pysanky spread worldwide, have become academic curiosities.

The pysanka is considered a text – a collection of symbols and codes expressing the ideas and philosophy of a folk group. Like a Haiku, it is a semblance of carefully crafted lines within a limited space, that convey the author’s thoughts and emotions.

The meanings vary depending on the geographic regions, calendar cycle, and personal circumstances. The pre-Christian origin of the pysanka defines it as an ancient pagan symbol of the rebirth of the sun and nature. The belief was that the inscribed lines and motifs held a powerful magic that could protect households from evil spirits, prevent catastrophes, bring good luck, and even trap unholy creatures and demons within the spirals forever.

Contemporary interpretations, such as those held by the Hutsuls - Ukrainians who live in the Carpathian Mountains – warned that the fate of the world depended upon the pysanka. The world will exist as long as the egg-decorating custom continues (Berger).

Today, pysanky have an international presence and are most often associated with the Christian celebration of Easter and Ukrainian ethnic identity.

"Writing pysanky is one of the most important rituals of the year for me. This is a connection with my ancestors and Ukrainian communities all over the world. On the other hand, this is also a deeply individual experience, because, in addition to participating in the usual collective sessions, I also tend to write a few pysanky alone on the eve of the Easter holiday, Velykden, sitting by candlelight and listening to psalms.

I have been writing pysanky since I can remember. It is a tradition I’ve practiced in Ukraine, Australia, and Canada. The artistic level of these decorations remains the same, and now I recognize this amateurish style in pysanky made by my 9-year-old son."

~ Dmytro Yesypenko –

MLCS Graduate Student – Ph.D. Media & Cultural Studies

"In the community where I was born, the pysanka was generally understood to be something like an artifact found in the museums or wooden fancy souvenirs for tourists. Because, to paint them, you had to buy a lot of tools, which were quite expensive and hard to find. I figured out what the pysanka traditionally means in the first year of my undergraduate studies at The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Until then, I thought a pysanka was just an egg coloured in water soaked with onion skins. Since childhood, my family and I have followed the tradition of dyeing eggs, but we never wrote them. It was always hard to find colours, especially at the beginning of the 2000s in the regions of Ukraine.

My childhood memories include walking to a church at 4 am when all the streets on the way to church were full of your neighbours, relatives and friends, standing in line all across the city waiting for a priest to bless their baskets, which were filled with the best easter eggs, paska, candles and decorated in a way so that they could compete with others baskets as well. Easter was my favourite family celebration in Ukraine.”

~ Anna Morozova –

MLCS Graduate Student – M.A. Media & Cultural Studies

"My family are Old Colony Mennonites, so the pysanka is not a part of my family's Easter traditions. As a Research Assistant at the Kule Folklore Centre, I have broadened my knowledge of Ukrainian cultural expressions. I'm sure the display cases in the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives are the first time I've actually seen a pysanka in person”.

~ Brittany Dyck –

MLCS Graduate Student – Ph.D. Media & Cultural Studies

Berger, Melissa (2018) “What is a Pysanka?” KidsQuest Children’s Museum.

 https://www.kidsquestmuseum.org/what-is-pysanky/

Lesiv, Mariya (2005) Pysanka: The Ukrainian Easter Egg in Canada, Masters Thesis,

University of Alberta.

Yakich, Mark, (2018) “What is a Poem?” The Atlantic.

 https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/what-is-a-poem/281835/