“Pavochka khodyt’, piriachko hubyt’” – the peahen is walking and is losing her feather. These are the beginning lyrics from a number of Ukrainian koliadky [carols] and shchedrivky [New Year’s songs] on the courting/romantic theme, one very common in these ritual songs.
But why the pava [peahen] or pavochka [peahen, diminutive], especially when it is the male peacock [pavych] with the fancy plumage, not the dowdy pava? Even in the pre-Christian era of Winter Solstice ritual songs, poetic license was prevalent. The pava is the female (the human one), the one who is being courted, who is preparing for marriage, who is picking up the dropped feathers to plait into a beautiful wreath for her wedding. Convoluted, but it makes sense, and serves a purpose. “In the green woods, on the yellow sand (refrain: Shchedryi sviatyi vechir Bozhyi – God’s generous holy eve!) the pava walked, losing her feathers. In the green woods, on the yellow sand, the young woman walked, gathering the feathers. She collected the feathers into her apron, and plaited a wreath from them, and went into a dance”. In some regions of Ukraine, peacock feathers were used in the wedding wreath for the bride, so the songs continue the courting/wedding theme. The feathers were often part of the decorations on a bachelor’s festive hat.
The same theme that appears in the ritual winter cycle songs, is also sung about in ritual wedding songs, and in Kupalo [Midsummer’s Night] songs. “O, the kalyna is lush and beautiful in the grove, but more beautiful is the father’s daughter (refrain: Sviatyi Vechir! – Holy Eve!). She walks in the garden like a star rising, she carries water like a pava floating.” “Groomsmen, walk lightly, do not stir up the soil, so that no dust falls on our pava-bride!“ “O, on Ivan’s [feast], on Kupailo, Maria came out like a pava. The young men are gazing at her but are too shy to greet her. But Ivan was not shy, took her hand and greeted her: my Mariyko, my soulmate, I love your face. Not just your face, but all of you. You are like a painting on paper, with your fine black brows [a sign of beauty].” Of course, so much gets lost in translation.
The historical song/ballad “Bondarivna” begins with “in the town of Bohuslav, belonging to Lord Kan’ovsky, there danced Bondarivna, as proud as a peacock.” A humorous song sings: “I will go to the fair, where there are forty girls, a blonde one, and a dark-haired one, wherever you look, each one is a pava.”
The metaphor of young woman and pava can be understood on a few levels (remembering that it is the beauty of the peacock and not the peahen that is in mind): as beautiful as a peacock, as proud as one, or as haughty as one. In the Ukrainian ritual and folk songs, the beauty and pride are prominent, rather than the haughtiness. A young couple all dressed up strolling together is “as proud and lovely as two peacocks.” For older generations, the peacock had a negative connotation of vanity and immodesty but, as shown in the songs, this did not carry through to younger people.
If anyone is still confused about what these carols has to do with the Birth of Baby Jesus, this is another very clear indication of the dualism of Ukrainian traditions, the blend of the pre-Christian and Christian themes. The addition of the refrain “Sviatyi Vechir” or “Oy, dai Bozhe” to a song about a girl as beautiful as a peacock, plaiting a wreath for her wedding makes perfect sense.
And this koliada shows that peacocks can’t be all bad: “The peacocks are strolling around the garden, and are losing their feathers for God’s people. The Virgin Mary is in the parlor, as beautiful as a white rose. The angels flew in from Paradise and are diligently collecting the peacock feathers. There will be a big vinok [wreath] for the Mother, and a little one for Jesus.”
Orysia Tracz may be contacted at [email protected].