M

Manko (Манько): Vira Manko, pysankarka and author who has helped popularize traditional pysankarstvo in Ukraine.  She has written numerous books on the topics of folk pysanky, folk arts and holiday traditions, as well as several books of recipes.

meander: another term for an eternity line/bezkonechnyk.

mordants: chemicals used to help natural dyes bind to fabric or eggs.  They are large molecules, usually metallic (with chromium, aluminum or some other metal component) which have two active ends: one end binds to the substrate (egg or fabric) and the other binds to the dye molecule. The mordant acts as a bridge, linking two molecules together that wouldn't otherwise react.

Alums (of aluminum, iron and chromium) are commonly used as mordants when dyeing with natural dyes. The type of mordant used can influence the shade of the final product.

Vinegar in NOT a mordant.

motif: design element. It is usually a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure. Some motifs are symbols, and carry a deeper meaning.  Others are purely decorative.

myhul’ka (мигулька): another Ukrainian term for a stylus, the instrument used to write pysanky.

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