Blog

Ukrainian wreath. Story. Traditions.

Sings in songs and is shrouded in legends, the Ukrainian wreath has a long history. It is interesting that in different regions of Ukraine the wreath was called differently: on Podolia - korobulya, splint, on Chernihiv oblast - teremok, on Hutsul region - pleten, on Pereyaslav district - bending ... There were also common Slavic names - wreath, vegetation, dressing, chilets.

The traditions of weaving Ukrainian wreath go to deep antiquity. In the worldview of the ancient Slavs, the wreath was a solar (solar) symbol. According to our ancestors, the wreath symbolized the eternal return of plant life, the fruiting of the earth, the feminine principle, the secret of life and the secret of death. Belief of the Slavs in the magic power of the wreath found expression in the diversity of its types: these are great, wedding, ritual, calendar, funerary, etc. They were used in almost all important occasions of life: at a wedding, at birth, at Christmas time, Kupala, trinity, as charms from all troubles and troubles.

Ethnographers have more than 70 types of Ukrainian wreath.

Weaving a wreath was not just fun. According to the ideas of our ancestors, it was important to know from what colors to weave it and how many they should have been; what time and for what purpose. The traditional Ukrainian wreath was woven of twelve colors, each of which had its own symbolic meaning.

The number and set of flowers in the wreath were not set once and for all, it depended on different circumstances: for a girl or for a woman, is it woven? From their age, from the type of wreath, its purpose. In addition to the main ones, the Ukrainian wreath was woven from many other herbs and flowers. It is difficult to accurately list them, because in different regions of Ukraine there were their preferences and traditions, but their approximate list is: cherry, apple, thyme, wormwood, mint, oregano, sweet clover, virgin, primrose, heather, lily, fern, lily of the valley, snowdrop chicory.

In addition to flowers, the Ukrainian wreath was also decorated with colorful ribbons. And here, too, had its own specific rules. People believed in the power of ribbons, they protected their hair from prying eyes. The length of the tapes was not arbitrary. They measured off along the length of the maiden's braid and were cut a little lower to close it, each color had its own special meaning. And they were tied into a wreath in a certain order: the very first in the rim - in the middle, knit a light brown ribbon - the symbol of the land-nurse. Yellow ribbons, a symbol of the sun, are woven on either side of the brown, and light green behind them is a symbol of beauty and youth. Then blue and blue are symbols of sky and water, they give strength and health. Then they knit an orange ribbon - a symbol of bread, violet - a symbol of human wisdom, crimson - a symbol of sincerity, sincerity, pink - a symbol of wealth. They were tied into a wreath and a white ribbon, and its ends had to be embroidered with silver and gold. The sun was embroidered at the left end, and a month at the right.

When the girl was three years old, her mother wove her first wreath. Marigolds, forget-me-nots and chamomile, periwinkle were woven into it. At the age of four, another wreath was being dragged, the immortelle, the leaves of an apple-tree or ledum rose into it. And when the girl was six years old, then poppy and cornflower were woven into the wreath. For a seven-year-old girl, they wove a wreath of seven flowers and, for the first time, apple flowers. Then a wreath of a chamomile and cornflower maiden was wound with the addition of any other flowers.

And, finally, the time of the Wreath of Love came. This wreath was woven by girls from the age of 13 before marriage. The basis of such a wreath is daisies - a symbol of youth, kindness and tenderness. Between the daisies interweave the color of apple and cherry. Above the brow there is a blooming bunch of viburnum. Hop antennae are woven between the flowers so that everyone can see that the girl is not only beautiful, but also intelligent. Of course, for girls this wreath was the most important.

There were "wreaths of separation", which were given to guys and men who went to war or to work. The basis of these wreaths were primrose, as a symbol of fragility, and heather - denoting loneliness and hopelessness.

An important role in the life of the girl was played by the wedding ceremony, which began with matchmaking. It was the custom to hand a beloved or beloved wreath as a sign of consent, which later grew into the tradition of exchanging rings as an engagement sign. If the girl was willing to marry the young woman who was wooing her, she would usually wear a periwinkle wreath.

In wedding ceremonies, a wreath is a symbol of marriage. Wedding wreaths were usually kept in the family for happiness in marriage: they were kept behind the images, so that the marriage was strong, they were sewn into the pillow of the newlywed or hung in a house on a ceiling beam or above the door.

In addition to the wedding, wreaths participated in other rites of our ancestors, usually acting as a talisman against evil forces, the evil eye and damage. In the calendar rituals of the spring-summer cycle (St. George's Day, Trinity, Green Christmas Market, Ivan Kupala, etc.) wreaths served as an indispensable decoration of their participants, the protection of residential buildings and livestock, the object of magical actions.

On the Trinity they made wreaths during the collection of “trinity” greenery, intended to decorate the house and yard. Wormwood was often woven into the head wreaths as a reliable protection against mermaids. We tried not to leave the house without a wreath in Trinity Day; they were worn by old and small men and women.

ne of the most common rituals for Ivan Kupala was the rite of divination on the wreaths. The girls led round dances with wreaths: each holding two wreaths, raising them up towards the sun, slowly walking one after another and singing Kupala songs. Towards evening, these wreaths were floated. By the way they sailed (quickly, spinning, sinking, associating with another wreath, etc.), they made plans for their future fate.

Particular importance was attached to the Harvest Wreath, which was spun out of the ears on the end of the harvest right on the field, decorated with flowers and ribbons, laid on the head of the best reaper, and she, accompanied by singing and dancing villagers, brought it to the village and kept it in the barn until the next harvest or before sowing. It was believed that the Harvest Wreath retains the power of the grain and transmits it to the future harvest.

Wreaths have always served as charms. For the manufacture of a house charm, a wicked wreath of hazelwood (hazel) was woven to the walnut tree - to divert all the elements and evil people from the walls of the dwelling. And for making a talisman for love, childbirth, wealth and happiness, garlic, onions, bread spikes, sweets, rings, special magical herbs were woven into the wreath.

The wreath could also be an attribute of the funeral rites.

Wreaths were left in the trees and attics from lightning, placed under the first sheaf to increase the next harvest, enclosed in the nest nest, in the cradle of the newborn, hid from the clothes of witches, hung in fields and gardens. The girls washed water with a wet wreath for beauty and health.

Whatever the reason for the creation of this colorful talisman, he was always woven with special care and awe, because the Ukrainian wreath is based on the love of nature, respect for the native land.