A rushnyk or rushnik (Russian: Полотенце ручник, Ukrainian: рушник, Belarusian: ручнік, ručnik, Rusyn: ручник) is a decorative and ritual cloth. Made of linen or cotton it usually represents woven or embroidered designs, symbols and cryptograms of the ancient world.[1] They have been used in sacred East Slavic rituals, religious services and ceremonial events such as weddings and funerals.[2] Each region has its own designs and patterns with hidden meaning, passed down from generation to generation and studied by ethnographers.
There are many rushnyk collections in ethnographic museums. In Ukraine, the Rushnyk Museum is located in Pereiaslav, Ukraine as part of The Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life of Central Naddniprianshchyna. A Russian rushnik collection is housed at the Hermitage Museum.
The rectangular shape of the fabric indicates a life's journey and the ornamentation captures the cultural ancestral memory of the region.[3] The material used is either linen or hemp. The act of spinning thread and the process of weaving linen embodies spiritual power dating back to the ancient deityMokosh who is often represented in embroidery. The needle has its own energy, an idea similar to acupuncture, and the color of the thread has sacred meaning. Red represents life and is the main color used. A rushnyk is given to a baby at birth, it follows the person throughout life and is used in the funeral service after death.
Rushniks play in Russia an important part in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It used to be very common to decorate the icons with Rushniks, this tradition is still common.
A Rushnyk has many uses. The very basic rushnik is colloquially called the utyralnyk or wiper and serves as a towel. The utyralnyk either has no designs on it or it has very narrow strip on the edges. In contrast, a nabozhnyk is a highly decorated Rushnyk composing of embroidery and of lace. Nabozhnyks, also called nabraznyks or nakutnyks are used to decorate icons and icon corners in homes.
Wedding rushnyks and motifsedit
Rushnyk
Colour plays a very important symbolic role in traditional Slavic embroidery. Red is the colour of life, the sun, fertility and health. The majority of rushnyks are embroidered with red threads. The very word "red" means "beautiful" and "splendid" in Old Russian and Ruthenian: a red girl, a red sun or a red spring. The phrase Krasnaya devitsa in Old Russian language for example is an old idiomatic expression which means beautiful girl, the word Krasnaya translates in Russian language also into red.[4] The diamond-shaped design of the rushnyk is an ancient agricultural symbol, which means a sown field, or the sun, and expresses the idea of fertility and protection against evil. Ducks, in the centre of the rushnyk, symbolize the element of life-giving water. In wedding folklore a duck and a drake symbolize a bride and a groom, in other words a pair of ducks is a symbol of family life. Another common symbol on rushniks are birds.[5]
During a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are standing on a Rushnyk called a pidnozhnyk, which translates as step-on towel. What happens to the pidnozhnyk is that the bride will drag the towel behind her, and her bridesmaids follow behind her. Tradition has it that when the bridesmaids follow behind the pidnozhnyk, they are following the path of the bride and will hopefully be married.
Etymologyedit
Words with the common suffix "-nyk" ("-nik"), denoting agent nouns, indicate a general association of the new word with the base one.
^A Language of Their Own Rushnyky are mirrors of a nation's cultural ancestral memory. The ritual ornaments on rushnyky preserved archaic magical signs, symbolism of colors and artistic folk styles, Kozak baroque and rococo as well as classicism, all of which continue to amaze us and are cherished to this day. They have a language of their own — cryptograms that have been forgotten but not lost.
^Yakiv Bystrov , Marcin Kleban, Anna Niżegorodcew (2011). Developing Intercultural Competence through English: Focus. Jagiellonian University. p. 94. ISBN9788323384366.
^"Is red beautiful?". Grammarphobia. 2017-01-02. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
^"Рушники. Традиции русской народной свадьбы". document.wikireading.ru. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
External linksedit
Media related to Rushnyk at Wikimedia Commons
Virtual Guide to Belarus - Belarusian Rushniks
January 19, 2024
rushnyk, rushnyk, rushnik, russian, Полотенце, ручник, ukrainian, рушник, belarusian, ручнік, ručnik, rusyn, ручник, decorative, ritual, cloth, made, linen, cotton, usually, represents, woven, embroidered, designs, symbols, cryptograms, ancient, world, they, h. A rushnyk or rushnik Russian Polotence ruchnik Ukrainian rushnik Belarusian ruchnik rucnik Rusyn ruchnik is a decorative and ritual cloth Made of linen or cotton it usually represents woven or embroidered designs symbols and cryptograms of the ancient world 1 They have been used in sacred East Slavic rituals religious services and ceremonial events such as weddings and funerals 2 Each region has its own designs and patterns with hidden meaning passed down from generation to generation and studied by ethnographers Rushnyk Ukrainian embroidered and woven ritual cloth Pereiaslav Ukraine There are many rushnyk collections in ethnographic museums In Ukraine the Rushnyk Museum is located in Pereiaslav Ukraine as part of The Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life of Central Naddniprianshchyna A Russian rushnik collection is housed at the Hermitage Museum Contents 1 Meaning 2 Uses 3 Wedding rushnyks and motifs 4 Etymology 5 See also 5 1 Related references 5 2 Embroidery in other cultures 6 References 7 External linksMeaning edit nbsp Belgorod rushniks Central RussiaThe rectangular shape of the fabric indicates a life s journey and the ornamentation captures the cultural ancestral memory of the region 3 The material used is either linen or hemp The act of spinning thread and the process of weaving linen embodies spiritual power dating back to the ancient deity Mokosh who is often represented in embroidery The needle has its own energy an idea similar to acupuncture and the color of the thread has sacred meaning Red represents life and is the main color used A rushnyk is given to a baby at birth it follows the person throughout life and is used in the funeral service after death nbsp Rushniks play in Russia an important part in the Eastern Orthodox Church It used to be very common to decorate the icons with Rushniks this tradition is still common Uses edit nbsp Rucnik pattern on the flag of BelarusA Rushnyk has many uses The very basic rushnik is colloquially called the utyralnyk or wiper and serves as a towel The utyralnyk either has no designs on it or it has very narrow strip on the edges In contrast a nabozhnyk is a highly decorated Rushnyk composing of embroidery and of lace Nabozhnyks also called nabraznyks or nakutnyks are used to decorate icons and icon corners in homes Wedding rushnyks and motifs edit nbsp RushnykColour plays a very important symbolic role in traditional Slavic embroidery Red is the colour of life the sun fertility and health The majority of rushnyks are embroidered with red threads The very word red means beautiful and splendid in Old Russian and Ruthenian a red girl a red sun or a red spring The phrase Krasnaya devitsa in Old Russian language for example is an old idiomatic expression which means beautiful girl the word Krasnaya translates in Russian language also into red 4 The diamond shaped design of the rushnyk is an ancient agricultural symbol which means a sown field or the sun and expresses the idea of fertility and protection against evil Ducks in the centre of the rushnyk symbolize the element of life giving water In wedding folklore a duck and a drake symbolize a bride and a groom in other words a pair of ducks is a symbol of family life Another common symbol on rushniks are birds 5 During a wedding ceremony the bride and groom are standing on a Rushnyk called a pidnozhnyk which translates as step on towel What happens to the pidnozhnyk is that the bride will drag the towel behind her and her bridesmaids follow behind her Tradition has it that when the bridesmaids follow behind the pidnozhnyk they are following the path of the bride and will hopefully be married Etymology editWords with the common suffix nyk nik denoting agent nouns indicate a general association of the new word with the base one Rushnyk from ruka hand Na a prefix meaning on i e the thing is supposed to be put onto something Nabozhnyk from Boh God Naobraznyk from obraz literally image meaning God s image i e icon Nakutnyk from kut corner meaning the corner where an icon is hung by East Slavic traditions Pidnozhnyk from pid under and nohy feet See also editRelated references edit Rushnychok Song about the Towel Rushnychok Ukrainian Folk Dance AssociationEmbroidery in other cultures edit Balochi needlework Palestinian traditional costumesReferences edit A Language of Their Own Rushnyky are mirrors of a nation s cultural ancestral memory The ritual ornaments on rushnyky preserved archaic magical signs symbolism of colors and artistic folk styles Kozak baroque and rococo as well as classicism all of which continue to amaze us and are cherished to this day They have a language of their own cryptograms that have been forgotten but not lost 1 Yakiv Bystrov Marcin Kleban Anna Nizegorodcew 2011 Developing Intercultural Competence through English Focus Jagiellonian University p 94 ISBN 9788323384366 Rushnyky Ukrainian Ritual Cloths archived from the original on 2016 05 22 Is red beautiful Grammarphobia 2017 01 02 Retrieved 2018 11 05 Rushniki Tradicii russkoj narodnoj svadby document wikireading ru Retrieved 2019 07 08 External links edit nbsp Media related to Rushnyk at Wikimedia Commons Virtual Guide to Belarus Belarusian Rushniks Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rushnyk amp oldid 1196449153, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
