Moja Ulijanka

This game is very popular in almost all regions of Poland, many variations of it are also known from Czech, Moravia and Slovakia (former Polish-Hungarian borderland). Perhaps it came to Poland from the south, thanks to contacts with Hungary and the Czech Republic, where Julian’s name, Julia, was much more popular than in Poland. Piasecki also points out the close resemblance of our Juliana to the Italian processional game called Maria Giulia. The name Ulijanka, sung by the girls, is in turn the Ukrainian (eastern) form of the name Julian (from it also the name Julia). This name was very popular in the Middle Ages and symbolized a sociable, eloquent, willing to help others, sensitive to the suffering of others, but not always happy in love. Probably such a meaning of this name strengthened with time thanks to the literary Juliet of Verona. Piasecki saw in this game reminiscences of old parades of girls associated with the summer solstice (circling around) and girls growing up to be maidens and future wives (imitation of gestures and behaviors). There are well-known descriptions of this game among the Hutsuls, connected with the Easter ritual, where Ulijanka were presented with Easter eggs. Undoubtedly it is one of the most archaic and popular children’s (girls’) games in Poland, which also has numerous counterparts in neighbouring cultures. Before the girls form a circle, they choose from among themselves the first Ulijanka (usually by verbal enumeration), who enters the center of the circle. Around her, the other girls circle at a moderate or fast pace (2/4 meter), who, grabbing each other’s hands, circle Ulijanka along the line of the circle against the sun and sing:

My Uliyanka,

kneel down on your knees,

Support your sides,

grab your pigtails,

Wash yourself, wipe yourself off!

After these words, the circle of girls stops and the girls end the song with the words:

Whom you want, take!

On this sign, the Ulijanka walks up to the girl of her choice and changes places with her. The new Ulijanka takes her place in the middle and the whole cycle is repeated, except that the girls in the circle move in the opposite direction (with the sun). While circling the circle and chanting, the girls watch Ulijanka closely to see how she handles the gestures and manages to perform them on time. If they are not satisfied, then they exclude her from further play or she has to pay with a fanny pack. If they are satisfied, it was also common to reward Ulijanka with a gift (Easter egg, candy, fruit, etc.).

A variant of this game was also known, when at the end of the “pantomime” the Julijanka (in this variant this form of the name is more common) invited a boy to dance a few bars on the spot with her. Inviting the boy, she would sing:

Dance with me while I’m small,

For when I grow up, I won’t want to!

The other girls repeated after her:

For when she grows, she won’t want to!

The boy spins with the girl in the middle of the circle, usually polka, and the other girls circle them, moving in the opposite direction to their spins. These are probably remnants of old love magic that have been preserved in this variant of Ulijanka.