The Sacral ornaments of Ukrainian embroidery

Every nation has own traditional clothes. For Ukrainians It’s embroidered shirts which is called – vyshyvanka (embroidery). History of embroidery goes back deep into centuries. According to historical documents and archeological excavations, decoration of clothes was prevalent till pre- historical period. According to Herodotus’s witnesses, Scythians wore embroidered clothes. Ukrainian national symbols created under the influence of another nations and absorbed artistic elements from different cultures but preserved own originality.

Kinds of ornaments

The embroideries y were made by real who tried to make every shirts unique and incredible. Nevertheless all embroideries have similarity because ornaments which used for their decoration are divided into severeal kinds:

• geometrical ornament (lines, rhombus, tritangles, crosses and another figures);
• vegetative ornament (flowers, leaves, branches, trees);
• animal ornament (images of different animals, birds, fishes or their separate elements – eyes, horns clewes,).

This variety of ornaments didn’t have only decorative function however patterns on clothes had not only decorative function but also mystic The embroidery wasn’t only simple element of clothes, it was kind of protection. The embroidered shits wore men, women, children and for everyone was chosen correct pattern with sacral meaning. Female embroidery had own symbols, male embroidery and children’s embroider had own symbols.

The meaning symbols of Ukrainian embroidery

Our ancestors respected elements of nature and idolized them. The most prevalent elements of embroidery were symbols witch show element of sun and water. The sun imaged in shape of octagonal start or swastika and water in shape of wavy lines. These symbols were protection againstdevils.

One more prevelant symbol is rhombus with dot in the middle which symbolizes fertility. Ukrainian clothes with images of rhombuses wore marrried couple who wanted to have a child.

It was imaged guelder-rose – one of the Ukrainian national symbols on the shirts. Guelder-rose symbolized fire triplet–sun, moon and starts. Red colour of guelder-rose symbolizes nation’s blood and immorality of generation. On a male embroidered shirts we can find imagies of oak. The oak symbolizes man‘s strength, energy of life and development. The patterns with oak’s leaves and acorns, wives embroidered very often on husband’s clothes.

The symbol of happy family life are grapes. Bunches of grapes imaged not only shirts but also on towels and tablecloths. Myrtle which often we can see on embroideries symbolizes yourth, purposefulness and development. Hop has nearly same meaning. The shirts with images myrtle and hop mostly were made for young boys and girls.

Red pop on embroidery was protection of generation and protection against evil. If in family were lost warriors, women from this family imaged pops about memory of them . Rose symbolizes love and mercy, sunflowers life, energy and happiness.

We can see images of different animals: cuckcoo, owl, roster, butterfly, hare etc.

Meaning of colours on Ukrainian embroidery

The sacral meaning have not only patterns but also their colour:

• red– colour of sun, luck, protection, love and passion;
• green– symbolizes processes of birth and growing;
• yellow – colour of sun energy, life, joyfulness, wealth and prosperity;
• dark blue – symbol of woman’s energy, calm, colour of water and sky;
• white– colour of purity, holiness, virginity (white shirts wore unmarrried girls)).
• black–means pain suffering, negative energy and death (black embroideries traditionally wore on dead).

A lot of modern Ukrainians would like to buy embroidery by yourself or make present to close people and friends. In that way people try to preserve national culture.