"The Written Egg"

A Pysanka is an embellished chicken, duck or goose egg. The plural of Pysanka is Pysanky and is derived from the Ukrainian verb, "Pysaty", which means, "to write."

The patterns are considered to be “written” and not applied. Each color or symbol represents an attribute or wish for the person receiving the egg. For example, the diamond shape means knowledge and the fish shape means Christianity. An egg with these patterns would be an ideal gift for a Sunday school teacher. The bird symbol means “fulfillment of wishes” or “fertility”. If the bird were a rooster, the egg would make a great gift for a man as the rooster symbolizes masculinity.

What the Symbols Mean

Birds Fertility

Butterflies The ascent of the soul and the pleasure of childhood

Circles, Curls Protection and everlasting life, continuity, and completeness, as well as the sun

Cross Christ's crucifixion

Deer Wealth, prosperity

Dots or small circles Mary's tears or the sun

Fish (IKTHYS) The secret Greek symbol for Christianity use by the early Christians

Flowers Beauty, children, and the female principles of wisdom

Fruit Continuity, good fellowship, strong and loyal love, and love of God

Grapevine Good fruits of the Christian life

Hens Fertility

Horns Nobility, wisdom, and triumph over problems

Ladders Prayers going up to heaven

Leaves Immortality, eternal or pure love, strength and persistence

Leaves and Flowers Life, growth

Lines or waves Everlasting life

Netting Refers to Jesus Christ as the "Fisher of Men"

Plant Symbols Rebirth and nature

Roosters Good fortune, masculinity, or the coming of dawn

Spiders The mystery of life and death, as well as divinity and immortality

Stars and roses Purity, life the giver of light, divine will of God, and God's love for humanity

Sun The life giving, all embracing, all renewing nature of God

The 8 pointed Star Ancient symbol for Jesus Christ

Trees Strength, renewal, creation, growth and eternal

Triangle The trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and the elements

What is a Pysanka?

star and cross hatching	diamonds, triangles and the sun
flower	reindeer, wheat, triangles
white flowers and dots	mums and crosses
bird on a brown egg	bluebird on a branch, waves
abstract bird	abstract bird - back
fish on a brown egg	fish, cross hatching, waves
fish, waves, triangles	fish, waves, triangles on a brown egg
crosses on a brown egg	celtic heart on an etched brown egg
celtic design, cross hatching and triangles	stork's nest
stork's nest - back	Christmas ornament - cross
Christmas ornament

Goose Egg "Stork on the Roof"
Goose Egg "Dragonfly"
"Desert Lady"
Goose Egg "Rooster" LA County Fair

Extra large white and brown chicken eggs are emptied and washed inside and out before the designs are drawn on in pencil. The humble chicken gives us the best canvas for pysanky.

I buy my eggs at a local chicken farm and empty them myself. They sell me very large eggs and pick out the smoothest ones just for me. The omelets are delicious.

Duck, goose and turkey eggs have a much larger surface to work on. I also find that the duck egg shells have a very different "feel" to the shell. They're extremely smooth and translucent. Also they seem to take the dyes a little differently than chicken or goose eggs.

I have not yet worked on a turkey or ostrich egg, but I have worked on an emu egg. It's not finished yet but I will definitely add it to the gallery when it's done.