V.N.

Karazin Kharkiv National University

Institute of International Education for Study
and Research
Language Training Department
UKRAINIAN FOLKLORE
LYRICAL SONGS, PROVERBS, SAYINGS,
and RIDDLES

PART 2

SVETLANA NECHYPORENKO
Lyrical songs
From ancient times,
the Ukrainian people
have the glory of a very
musical people. The
Ukrainian song has
gained worldwide
recognition. The soul of
the Ukrainian people
and its true history
sound in Ukrainian
songs.
 In lyrical songs all
attention is focused on the
reproduction of the inner
world of a person
(psychological state,
thoughts, desires, hopes,
suffering, etc.).
The symbols of lyrical
songs convey two general
meanings ─ grief and
happiness. Lyrical songs
use various artistic
techniques. These include
epithets, personification,
hyperbole.
 Lyrical songs

Family songs Social songs 

 Family songs
are lyrical poetic
and musical works
that show the
feelings,
experiences, and
thoughts of a
person related to
his personal life,
events in the
family, and family
relationships.
 By subject, they are
divided into four large
groups:
1) songs about love
(premarital relationships);
2) songs about family life
(family relationships);
3) songs about tragic
family circumstances related
to the loss of family members
(widows, orphans);
4) humorous and satirical
songs.
 Vivid examples of family songs are "The sun is low,
the evening is close". Listen to it.
 In social lyrics
were reflected
thoughts, feelings,
moods of the people
caused by
phenomena, events
or circumstances of
social life. These
songs give a true
picture of the
historical life of the
people.
The social songs can
be classified in
various types:
Cossack songs
Chumatsky
Peasant songs
Recruits and Soldiers
Hirelings songs
 The comprehensive
repertory of Cossack songs
and dances has become very
famous. This music has its
roots in the centuries-old oral
tradition of epics, heroic
narratives, and dumas.
Cossack songs convey lyrical
experiences related to the fight
against invaders and glorify
the heroism and patriotism of
the Ukrainian Cossacks.
 Ukrainian Cossacks were
brave warriors who, under the
leadership of great
commanders, defended the
independence of the Ukrainian
state for centuries. They were
called “free people” and
“knights of the Ukrainian
steppes” for their bravery,
desire for freedom, fighting
excellence, loyalty, and
immortal courage.
 Chumaks were traveling
merchants. In the 17th century, they
were engaged in trading salt and other
goods, traveling from the southern
Black Sea coast of Ukraine to Western
Europe, exchanging salt for money
and goods.
Chumaks` songs were folk songs
about the life and adventures of the
chumaks. The themes of the songs
were very diverse and deal with every
aspect of everyday life: the misery of
their families, their nostalgia, the
hardships of life on the road, illness
and death, longing for a beloved, the
hard life of a hired hand, love and
marriage, the longing of waiting wives.
Peasant songs were
sung mainly by serfs —
people attached to a plot
of land without the right
to own it. The landlord
took away the results of
these people's work.
Serf songs were about
the hard life of the
peasants, a protest
against the humiliation
of human dignity, and
the absence of rights.
 Recruits' and soldiers'
songs were about the
recruitment process, the parting
with one's family and homeland,
the hardships of a soldier's life,
and loneliness, marches, battles.
In Russian-ruled Ukraine, they
began to appear at the end of
the 18th century, when Catherine
II abolished the voluntary
Cossack forces and replaced
them with long-term conscript (up
to 25 years) military service.
The experiences of
those who were
compelled to work
long hours on
someone else's
farm owing to
material poverty
were depicted in
the Hirelings`
songs.
 The lyrical songs reflect
Oh, in cherry orchard various manifestations of
the Ukrainian folk soul.
The heroes of these works
are characterized by
beauty and spiritual
wealth, the ability to
sincere feelings. Folk
lyrics became an
important source of
formation and
development of various
lyrical genres of fiction.
 One of the oldest types
of oral folk poetry was
calendar-ritual songs that
reflect each cycle of
agricultural work in
different seasons. An
interesting aspect of these
songs is often the imitation
of the labour process: they
depict movements that
symbolize plowing, sowing,
harvesting, etc. That is like
an artistic reflection of life
in songs, games, and
dances.
 Our ancestors celebrated the beginning of spring, the rebirth of nature and the
return of birds from migration in songs called vesnianky and haivky.
Summer is a time of hard work in the fields, which leaves little time for
merrymaking. But Ukrainians have always been noted as very cheerful people. They
came up with humour songs-games, which were a kind of way to cope with life's
difficulties.
The summer rituals songs - kupalski and petrivchani had connotation of love
and marriage and accompanied the customs of making wreaths, fortune-telling,
jumping over fire, and burning the Kupala or Marena dummies.
 The songs of the winter holiday
cycle are associated primarily with
the customs of koliaduvannia
(‘Christmas caroling’), which took
place on January 7, when Christmas
is celebrated. In Ukraine, Christmas
was once and still is one of the most
beloved holidays in Ukraine. Such
concepts as Christmas Eve, nativity
scene, and caroling are associated
with it. Koliadki is heard throughout
Ukraine. People spend the entire day
getting ready for Christmas Eve:
cleaning, preparing the 12 dishes for
Lent, making peace, and going back
home since this evening, everyone
must be at home.
 Koliadki traditionally
contained wishes for
health, wealth, and a
good harvest in the
coming year. They were
performed by children
and young people. In
groups, they went from
house to house, carrying
a star that symbolizes
Jesus' birth. In exchange,
they were given gifts.
Get pleasure from listening to Ukrainian koliadki
 Shedrivki, unlike Koliadki,
are performed on the eve of
the Old New Year - January
13. These songs are typically
sung in the generous
evening and they wish the
hosts happiness, well-being,
a rich harvest, etc. Women
and girls begin sowing on
January 14 in the morning
(they spread grains of wheat
on the floor to simulate
sowing). This ritual was
accompanied by music,
games and ritual dances.
Proverbs and sayings Proverbs and sayings are
short simple statements that
impart the lessons learned from
the experiences of many
generations in a figurative and
succinct manner.
Proverbs and sayings are a
set of rules that a person should
follow in everyday life.
They recommend, warn,
approve, condemn, teach,
because they are backed by the
authority of generations of
people.
Proverbs help people in their
life.
 Proverbs and sayings
are similar in many ways,
with the key distinction
being that proverbs are
more in-depth than
sayings. A proverb often
contains a whole thought
or statement.
For example, "Berries of the same field" (is about the same, similar
people);
"Let's live and see" (is about the ability to draw conclusions);
"He is his own master" (is about someone who acts independently);
"As he from the sky fell" (is about someone who lacks comprehension);
"As a cat cried" (very little);
"As a cow licked its tongue" (something disappeared quickly).
 Examples of proverbs on various topics:
1. Work. Household.
Work is not a wolf, it will not run away into the forest.
There is no fruit without labor.
Under the lying stone, water does not flow.
2. Nature, its phenomena.
Nature is one's mother, another’s a stepmother.
The earth gives everything and takes everything away.
3. Marriage. Family. Family relations.
There is no better friend than a faithful wife.
A tree is supported by its roots, and a person is
supported by a family.
An apple is never far from the apple tree.
4. Knowledge and skills.
The mind is a human treasure.
One mind is good, two ones are even better.
Riddles
Riddles are a peculiar and very
ancient kind of folk art. They often
have a poetic form. Riddles are
statements or questions that present
a puzzle that must be answered. They
typically involve critical thinking for the
person to figure out the answer, and
this offers challenging entertainment.
They also serve other purposes, such
as allowing for deeper consideration
of a subject. Using riddles in these
situations requires the person to think
of several possibilities critically.
 Riddles are in the folklore
of all peoples of the world. In
ancient times, riddles were
given a magical meaning,
they were associated with
rites and customs. If a
person could guess riddles
well, he was considered
smart and clever.
The riddles are divided into riddles about:
• natural phenomena: What rises without
seeds? (the Sun)
• a person: I've been wearing them for
many years, but I don't know how many
them (Hair)
• plant and the animal world: Not a tailor,
but it walks with needles all life.
(Hedgehog)
• the spiritual life of a person: What cries,
has no tears? (Heart)
• tools of labor: Sharpen it and cut, and
everything will divide equally. (Knife)
• household items: Four brothers live
under one roof. (Table)
 Now try to guess some riddles:

Who made the drawing on our windows at night?

Frost
A whole century is walking, not a person.

Clock
Two brothers live across the street and do not
see each other.

Eyes
What burns without a flame?

Love
It is silent during the day and shouts at night.

Owl
I sew clothes for everyone, but I have no clothes
myself.

Needle
Folk theater - Vertep
The Ukrainian folk theater
includes the vertep (nativity
scene) - an ancient traveling
theater that originated in the
XVII century. Its name comes
from sacred texts: vertep was
the name of the cave where
Jesus Christ was born.
 Originally, the vertep was a puppet
theatre and had the form of a wooden
chest. The stage, where the events
were taken place, typically had two
levels: the upper floor was used for
religious acts, while the lower floor
was used for ordinary situations,
frequently comedic ones. According to
Christian tradition, these floors were
called "heaven" and "earth". The
theater might move around. It was
shown at fairs, in houses, and on
public areas. The first actors of the
vertep were travelling peasants and
students.
 The plot of the upper floor of the
Vertep was traditional (unchanged):
King Herod learns from the Magi that
Jesus Christ, the son of God, was
born. He orders the execution of all
Bethlehem children under the age of
two in an effort to get rid of him. One
woman, Rachel, does not, however,
and the evil Herod commands the
killing of the infant. For this crime,
Death cuts off Herod's head, and the
devils drag him to hell.
 The plot of the lower floor was
different. The obligatory characters
were: grandfather, grandmother, goat,
death, gypsy, devil, nobleman,
Cossack and others.
Often the action was accompanied
by singing Christmas songs Koliadki.
Later, along with the puppet Vertep,
they began to use a "live" one, where
the main characters were people. At
Christmas, they wore costumes of
religious and everyday life, joked,
danced, and sang.
Watch the scene of the Christmas Vertep
Folk dances Dance was a constant
attribute of Ukrainian
celebratory traditions. Until
the middle of the 20th
century, it was an essential
component of folk
entertainment in rural
Ukraine.
The dance is poetry, a
visual song that contains an
emotional chronicle of the
people, which vividly tells
about the history of feelings
and emotions. It
demonstrates imaginative
creativity, expressiveness of
form, and depth of sentiment.
 The first dances arose as a means of
communication between people, and
between people and gods. Dance
movements developed as a result of
imitating the movements of animals,
birds, and later gestures that reflected
certain labor processes.
The main dance genres of Ukrainians'
folk dance are round dance (horovod), as
one of the oldest types of folk dance art,
very typical to all Slavic dances, the
performance of which is associated with
calendar rites, and everyday dance. This is
a ritual-game moving of syncretic type.
This form was popular during the
Christmas and spring holidays. The
purpose was the divination of happiness,
love, and marriage.
 Folk dances come in a wide variety of
styles. Along with round dances, there are
also dances - rituals, dances - rites,
household, and dances with stories, all of
which are accompanied by choirs and by
authentic folk instruments.
Since ancient times, Ukrainian folk
dances have conquered the hearts of
foreigners with real passion, gentle flow of
movements, and colourful costumes. They
are full of emotions and experiences of
generations. Dances embody different ideas
that people will invent, they are a
combination of colour, the strength of spirit,
emotional saturation, and uniqueness of the
rhythm and sounds.
 Hopak is the most famous
national dance of Ukraine.
The hopak is a Ukrainian folk
dance, originating as a male dance
among the Zaporozhian Cossacks in
the early 16th century. At first, it was
not a dance but more like a specific
kind of martial art. When the
Cossacks returned from battle, they
would celebrate winning through this
improvised dance. Later, couples,
male soloists, and mixed groups of
dancers began to perform it. The
name hopak is derived from the verb
hopaty, which means "to hop."
 The movements of this dance are not simple, they require good physical training, but
they are still performed with a smile and inspiration.
Take pleasure in this fiery Ukrainian dance
 Ukrainian folk signs are a separate
Ukrainian folk signs independent genre of folklore. It was formed
over the centuries and managed to survive
and reach our days. Many people still turn to
folk signs as a source of useful advice and
recommendations. All signs arose in ancient
times. Our ancestors believed that if a black
goat is sacrificed today, it will rain tomorrow.
Since the beginning of time, people have
been constantly following the events
surrounding natural phenomena, trying to
guess certain changes in the external
environment. In many ways, Ukrainian folk
signs contributed to the preservation of the
harvest, were signs of whether it is worth
starting sowing or, on the contrary, it should
be postponed until a better time.
 Among the signs formed from
centuries-old observations of nature
and the environment, such as should
be noted:
If swallows fly low — it will rain;
Red moon — for wind, pale — for
rain;
A lot of cobwebs — for a beautiful
autumn;
Thunder in November — for a
winter with little snow;
Profusely blooming acacia — for a
harvest year;
 Ukrainian folk signs pay special
attention to family life and, in particular, to
the well-being of the household. People
believed that if Domovik (house spirit) did
not love a family, they were not happy in a
new place. For example, when people
moved into a new house, a cat was the
first to enter there - according to ancient
beliefs, this animal was able to find
friendly contact with Domovik and achieve
respect for the new owners.
 People never talked or said goodbye on
the doorstep, because it could turn into a
quarrel or a long separation.
Lovers across the threshold were forbidden
to kiss, as the evil forces living at the entrance
to the house could destroy their feelings.
To appease the evil force, stick a
sharp knife or needle into the threshold of the
house so that neither evil people nor evil
forces can not enter the house.
If you eat bread, do not leave any
bread bites, because they have power.
Avoid using the same towel to dry
yourself and another person simultaneously
because this will spark conflict.
Folk signs continue to be relied upon by
many people.
 Folk literature (folklore) is the works
composed by the people and passed down
orally from one generation to the next, while
being changed and supplemented. Folklore
works embody collective life experiences,
ideals, aspirations, character traits, and
traditions of various peoples. It is like a
spiritual message of our distant ancestors to
us. So that we can realize their hopes for
Goodness, Justice, Wisdom, and Reason's
triumph in our life.
 V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Institute of International Education for Study and
Research
Language Training Department

Svitlana Nechyporenko