Archive
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2023. № 3 (171). С. 503-824 DOI... read »
2009 year, issue 1-2 read »
2012 year, issue 3 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2020. # 6 (156). P. 1245–1496 DOI... read »

« 2022. # 3 (165)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. № 3 (165), 706—720

UDK [[801.81:398.81]:355.318]:811.161.2-13](477)”1914/…”

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2022.03.706

«OH, THE RED GUELDER ROSE IN THE MEADOW …», OR WHY THE RIFLEMEN’S SONG BECAME A SYMBOL OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AND A MARKER OF UKRAINIAN IDENTITY

KUZMENKO Oksana

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0512-6388
  • Doctor of Sciences in Philology
  • (Ph. D. in Folklore Studies), Senior Scholar,
  • Leading Research Associate,
  • The Ethnology Institute
  • National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • Department of Social Anthropology,
  • 15, Svobody Avenue, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: е-mail: kuzmenko.oksana@gmail.com

Abstract. The relevance of the article is determined by the necessity to highlight the history of the folklorization of the song «Oj u luzi chervona kalyna» / Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow», which has become popular all over the world since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The purpose of the article is to establish the genetic links between the song-hymn of the USS Legion and other works of Ukrainian ritual folklore (carols, wedding songs, laments), and most importantly, with non-ritual lyric epics. The rifle song is typologically close to the Cossack and insurrectional songs, in the poetics of which symbolism of guelder-rose is used and the semantic productivity of which is the subject of research. Scientific novelty — on the basis of the author’s personal experience of communicating with refugees and a review of mass media platforms was carried out an analysis of methods of adapting the song by professional Ukrainian and foreign singers, ensembles and folk performers of various ages, which ensured the secondary folklorization of the composition with literary origin.

Proven facts are presented from the history of the song, which was created at the beginning of the First World War, the geography of the variants distribution is determined, the reasons and manifestations of textual changes are analyzed. The folklorism and peculiarities of the poetics of the song are separately considered, which are based on a combination of archaic symbols (guelder-rose, mother, glory), folk formulas and metaphors that are able to combine and build up modern meanings («to raise the guelder-rose» = to win the state, «Ukraine become pained» = occupation). It was concluded that the conceptual meaning of the main images of the song helps to reveal the national identity of modern Ukrainians who are striving for freedom. The song is an expression of the political consciousness, integration and determination of Ukrainian citizens in their opposition to the aggression of the Russian Federation and a non-military form of participation in the liberation war.

The methodological basis is the principles of diachronic-synchronic analysis and historicism, as well as a functional-systemic approach to study of the phenomena of national song culture with the involvement of historical-typological, semantic-structural methods of analysis of verbal texts.

Keywords: Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian folklore, Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, Riflemen song, popular song, folklorism, folklorization, folklore concept, symbol, red guelder-rose.

Received 6.07.2022

REFERENCES

  • Hrynevych, V. (2012). Unbridled Dissonance: The Second World War and Social-Political Identities in Ukraine, 1939 — June 1941. Kyiv; Dnipropetrovsk: Lira [in Ukrainian].
  • Zinchenko, O., Viatrovych, V., & Maiorov, M. (2018). The War & Myth: unknown WWII, 1939—1945. Kyiv: Ukrainian Institute of National Remembering.
  • Budretskis, A. (2005). Lithuanian resistance movement, 1944—1952. Ukrainian Liberation Movement (Vol. 4, pp. 210—229). Lviv. Retrieved from: http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/67066 (Last accessed: 09.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • Bugine, L. (2020). Borderland Lives: Historical Reflections in Eastern Lithuanian Life Stories. The Storytelling Human: Lithuanian Folk Tradition Today (Pp. 88—111). Boston: Academic Studies Press.
  • Demyan, G. (2003). Ukrainian Insurgent Songs of the 1940s—2000s (historical and folkloristic research). Lviv: Galician Publishing Union [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O. (1998). Rebels’ devotion to the Riflemen song. The Way of Victory, 27 (2305), 6 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O. (Ed.). (2005). Songs of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O. (2018). Dramatic Human Existence in Ukranian Folklore: Conceptual Forms of Expression (the Pperiod of WWI and WWII). Lviv: Ethnology Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O. (2020). «Hey, little apple is ripening, young Ukraine is strengthening»: Folklore about the Ukrainian Revolution, 1917—21. Ukraina Moderna, 29, 122—163. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30970/uam.2020.29.1205.
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow…». Clip of the band «Haydamaki» and singer Tonya Matvienko. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KFmijE0Ikw (Last accessed: 09.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • NAVKA — «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow» (karaoke version). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgmirQnPdzE (Last accessed: 09.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • Samborska, D. «Children grow up quickly during the war!»: a frank conversation with the father of the boy who inspired the whole country with his song. Retrieved from: https://news.obozrevatel.com/ukr/society/diti-pid-chas-vijni-shvidko-doroslishayut-vidverta-rozmova-z-batkom-hlopchika-yakij-nadihnuv-pisneyu-usyu-krainu.htm?_gl=1*fujreo*_ga*MTE5MTg2OTMzNy4xNjQ5MzI1NTIy*_ga_JBX3X27G7H*MTY0OTMyNTUyMi4xLjAuMTY0OTMyNTUyMi42MA(Last accessed: 09.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». Andriy Khlyvnyuk (Boombox and The Kiffness). Glory to Ukraine! 28.02.2022. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLYcHRRGaw (Last accessed: 04.09.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • Taranenko, V. Ukrainians made it to the finals of the World Figure Skating Championship with the song «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». Retrieved from: https://glavcom.ua/news/pid-pisnyu-oy-u-luzi-chervona-kalina-ukrajinska-para-figuristiv-probilasya-do-finalu-chs-833005.html (Last accessed: 09.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». Kyiv metro. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCSnpciUzNE(Last accessed: 08.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». The flashmob video of the Hymn of Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYR2Of4a-Vs (Last accessed: 06.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7pAXDwqj3Q (Last accessed: 08.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». Khrystyna Soloviy, Jerry Heil and Alyona Alyona. Incredible performance. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9jEFMOhl-c (Last accessed: 28.06.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». The legendary song at the Cluj—Dynamo match. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emBypaZ1FvM (Last accessed: 28.06.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «The Red Guelder Rose in the Meadov». Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCrPb1crO-4 (Last accessed: 04.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow» in Georgian. It is incredibly! March 29, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYVpoarCRT8 (Last accessed: 04.08.2022) [in Georgian].
  • Marlene Maas sang her vision of a better future for Ukraine: The ruined land will flouri.Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hvDOEDGUDE (Last accessed: 07.04.2022) [in Ukrainian, in German].
  • BBC News. Ukraine. «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». The history of the song from Sich Riflemen to Hlyvnyuk and Pink Floyd. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/features-61037106 (Last accessed: 07.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow» sang in Lithuania. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1112069262921083 (Last accessed: 22.04.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • The Ukrainian «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow» sounded in the Polish church. April 20, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJx500BYkaQ (Last accessed: 22.06.2022) [in Ukrainian, in Polish].
  • Kuzmenko, O. (2009). Rifleman Songs: Folklorism, Folklorization, Folklore. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Bb (Ivan Boberskyi). (1916). Rifle songs and trumpets. Dilo, 70—76, 1 [in Ukrainian].
  • Truh, G. (1967). About the Riflemen Song «The Red Guelder Rose». For a Free Ukraine. Historical almanac. On the 50th Anniversary of the First Armed Rising of Ukrainian Forces against Moscow. 1914—1964. New York [in Ukrainian].
  • Boberskyi, I., & Mytsyk, O. Yu. (Ed.). (2003). Diary. 1918—1919. Kyiv: Publisher House of KM Academy [in Ukrainian].
  • Dumin, O. (1936). The History of the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen 1914—1918. Lviv: Chervona Kalyna [in Ukrainian].
  • Pogrebennyk, F. (1990). «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow». Folk Art and Ethnography, 6, 51—54[in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O.M. (2006). The symbolics of guilder rose in Ukrainian songs of the 20th century national liberating movements. Scientific bulletin of the National Forestry University: The symbol of the tree in world culture and artistic creativity (Issue 16.4, pp. 87—92). Lviv: NLTUU [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O.M. (2014). Folklore and Ethnographic Records from Pokuttya (Tlumatsky, Tysmenytskyi districts, Ivano-Frankivsk region). Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 742. Arc. 1—294 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O.M. (2013). Folklore and Ethnographic Records from Pokuttya (Tlumatsky, Tysmenytskyi districts, Ivano-Frankivsk region). Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 731. Arc. 1—320 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kuzmenko, O., & Pastukh, N. (2005). Folklore Records from Western Polissya. Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2b. Od. save 535 (Part 1: Wedding rites and songs of Lyubeshiv region. Arc. 1—79; Part 2: Song and prose genres of Lyubeshiv region. Arc. 1—143) [in Ukrainian].
  • Lavryshyn, Z. (Ed.). (1996—1997). Songs of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Vol. 25). Toronto; Lviv: Litopys UPA [in Ukrainian].
  • Podufalyi, V. (1998). Rebel songs (Vol. 1). Ternopil [in Ukrainian].
  • Bervetskyi, Z. (1990). «And we are that Red Guelder Ro­se…». Songs of the Ukrainian national liberation struggle. Drogobych [in Ukrainian].
  • Lets go lads! Ukrainian military song — Lets go lads. 10 Oct. 2014. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ELDVhv_Z3M (Last accessed: 22.06.2022) [in Ukrainian].
  • The World Record was set for the Performance of the Song «Oh, the Red Guelder Rose in the Meadow» in Lviv. 28.06.2022. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIHVqEEfdxI (Last accessed: 29.06.2022) [in Ukrainian].

Read»

Our authors
Boliuk Oleh - kandidate of sciences in arts, Doctoral... read »
Roman Radovych. Researcher, Ph.D. in History. read »
Oksana Kis. Senior scientific employee, candidate of... read »
Stepan Pavluk. Prof., full member of NAS of Ukraine,... read »
On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »

Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »

On field exploration of russian and belarusian ethnologists and etnolinguists in Ukrainian Polisia 1945—1980s
In the study based on a wide range of literary materials have been comprehensively characterised field research in Polisia of Ukraine, performed by Russian and Belarusian ethnologists during 1945—1980s as well as Moscow ethnolinguists and other researchers from ethnologic centres of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in the course of realization of Ethnolinguistic Atlas of Polisia program. Particular attention has been paid to geography, methods, themes and research results of scientific projects.
Read »