N

nakleyanka (наклеянка): an egg decorated by gluing items onto it, e.g. straw, yarn, grain, etc. From the Ukrainian “kлеяти,” meaning to glue.

navy (нави): Moszynski tells us that the ancient Slavs believed that navy, the souls of those who died unbaptized, left bird tracks in the ashes. Navy were portrayed as giant, featherless roosters, and they were said to attack pregnant women and children, sucking their blood, and to drink the milk of cattle. Charms against them included salt, fire or an axe.

ñandu: another (Spanish) name for the rhea, a large, flightless bird of the South American pampas. Rhea eggs can be used for writing pysanky.

Back to Glossary home page

Back to MAIN Pysanka home page.

Back to Pysanka Index.