Drink your morning coffee with a dose of folklore and history. COSSACK MAMAY, a beloved Ukrainian folk hero, plays a starring role in numerous legends, folk stories, and proverbs. Cossack Mamay is one of the most common characters in Ukrainian folk paintings, from the late 17th century to the present. In the hundreds of surviving paintings, Cossack Mamay is usually shown with a KOBZA – a lute-like musical instrument that is the symbol of the Ukrainian soul; a horse, which represents both freedom and fidelity; and an oak with his weapons hanging on it symbolizing the people's strength. This vintage sketch of Cossack Mamay was found in a Ukrainian archive of book covers and was created circa 1930. Artist unknown.
