Символічна Мова Писанок

The Symbolic Language of the Pysanka

Author:  Oksana Bilous (Оксана Білоус)

Edition: 1st

Format:  folio

Pages:  15          

Language:  Ukrainian

Illustrations:  line art and color photos of pysanky

Publisher: «Артанія» (Kyiv, 2008)

Availability:  out of print

Acquired:  eBay

ISBN:  N/A

The full title of this folio is «Символічна мова писанок: від кам’яної доби до сьогодення» or “The Symbolic Language of the Pysanka: From the Stone Age to Today.”

Each of the page takes up a theme, and discuses symbols across various cultures. Symbols covered include the great goddess, the fiery serpent, stars (5 and 6 pointed, as well as many pointed), swastika, hand of god, birds, tree of life, ram, cross, sky and rain, bull-moon, earth/rhomb/sieve, and sun.

This is the page on the great goddess:

There is also a comparison of the meanings of some basic symbols in the paleolithic era and Bronze age.  I am not sure how accurate this is; in the Bronze era everything seems to have become a sun symbol.

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