Who, pray tell, is not bothered with winter yet? We anxiously watch the weather forecast on TV, waiting for someone to conjure up some sign of spring.
To shorten the time until spring’s arrival our ancestors would gather to sing vociferously and without interruption believing their magical songs echoed from one village to another, always reaching further south. There, in distant southern lands, were larks that held the keys in their beaks that locked up winter and unlocked spring. It was believed that the larks returned to their northern home thus bringing spring, using our ancestors’ songs to guide them back.
While waiting for these spring messengers, people baked cakes in the shape of larks, placed them on special embroidered towels and linen runners, then took them to open areas on hilltops and continued to sing the larks’ return.
As a stitcher, my contribution to heralding spring is to create this miniature rug inspired by my memories of Belarusan “Calling Spring” and evoking traditional embroidery motifs in Spring Keys pattern.
Read more in our Spring 2012 issue.
Designed by Iryna Varabei
Spirit of Belarus
www.ivarabei.wix.com/spiritofbelarus
www.facebook.com/SoB.design
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