Kupalo

An affirmation of natures

Chapter 16  Kupalo

“It's the Kupalo,” Nina said. “It's a pagan celebration to affirm life. We weave wreaths and place them in the water with our hopes that we'll meet a nice man in our lives.”

“I'm surprised that you still follow the old traditions so closely,” Susan responded.

“That's what everybody says,” Nina replied. “We've had Christianity and the Soviet rule for years, but our Kupalo is still very much the definition of what we are.”

Then suddenly, as if she remembered something, said, “ Want to hear another song?”

Susan agreed.

“This is Taisiya Povalivy and her hit song ' Two Colors,' “ she said as she inserted the CD into the player.

Susan listened as Nina translated some of the lyrics.

As I was small and was going at spring
To go somewhere by unknown ways
Mother embroiders me a shirt
With black and red
With black and red threads

My two colors, two colors
Both are on the linen, both are in my soul
My two colors, two colors
Red one is love, black one is sorrow,

The song ended and Susan indicated that she'll like a copy of the lyrics to it.

“What was it like under the Soviets?” Susan asked, after they had settled back on the sofas.

“Well, its like half the population will say it was good and another half will condemn it. But Ukrainians have a fondness for strong leadership that is prepared to sweep away some of the old ways and introduce an orderly society.”

“Is that important to you?” Susan took out her recorder and gestured for permission. Nina didn't object.

“The average Ukrainian has a musical soul. For a long time, people viewed their bodies like a ' kobza,' its like a lute. The practice was made famous by a Ukrainian Cossack named Mamay, who's like a father of the Ukrainian soul. But it is very difficult to manage and sometimes we go through long periods of being blocked up in our expressions. That's why many people prefer the orderly way of doing things.”

“And what about the people who don't subscribe to order?”

“That's the Kupalo. It's always a part of what we are.”

“So that is why you write children's stories with references to wicca,” Susan surmised. “ It is a revival isn't it, after the Soviet rule?”

“It's not so popular now, not after Hans Christian and the Grimm brothers, but I think it will catch on. We are a simple people, not like the Germans who produced great thinkers. We need something simple, so we explain it as magic. I don't think anybody can explain the Ukrainian soul any other way.”

Susan suddenly recalled her encounter in Transylvania. Excitedly she asked,

“I met this strange man in Transylvania for an interview. We were researching male archetypes. He sat on the chair with his neck arched backwards and every time, he spoke his teeth would protrude from his mouth.”

Nina laughed,

“Count Dracula,” she said, with a throaty accentuation on the name. “The doctors here call it meningitis, which is a condition affecting children and sometimes adults. Well, there's where the problem is. Medical science will do a brain scan and scare you half to death. In pagan practices, we treat that with a garlic and vinegar based ointment that we consume on a daily basis to keep it under control.”

“And it works?” Susan sounded surprised.

“You'll have to come under the care of a fully trained herbalist,” she responded, “ and there's no cure for it as such, its like a lifestyle thing. If you can avoid stressful conditions, it's good.”

Susan turned again to her notes.

“Is there a revival of nazism in the Ukraine?” Susan asked.

“Just games that boys play,” Nina said with dismissal. “They miss the Tsar who makes everything right. I mean, I wish it was true. It'll be great to meet a real man for a change, but it's a re-cultivation of the old principles of chivalry and courage. It will take time to grow.”

“Okay, one last question. Are there satyrs in Ukrainian folk tales?”

“That's in older times. There are satyrs and chimeras adorning the Massandra palace walls in the Crimea.”

Susan returned to the hotel and sent off a fax to Charles with a summary of the salient points. She pointed out that she hadn't handled case studies before and wasn't sure whether the material from Nina was sufficient. She requested for advice.

 

An hour later, she received a reply from Charles, informing her that the material was good. Not to worry about the case study. The study had changed course and will seek an American case study subject. Will explain when she gets back to Paris.