One popular legend associated with pysanky is that of a monster who controls the evil in the world. This monster is chained high in the Ural mountains.

Every year he sends his minions out to scour the earth to see how many pysanky are being made.

If the number is low, the chains loosen allowing evil to flow.

If the number is high, the chains tighten preventing evil from escaping.

This story is that of a poor peasant who was working his way through the marketplace to bring a basket of eggs home to his family.Coming upon a large, excited crowd, the man found a safe corner to put his basket down while he went to find out what was going on.He pushed his way through the crowd and there he saw a man — dirty, bloody, and tired — falling under the weight of a cross he was dragging through the throngs of jeering people.Feeling pity on him, the peasant went to his aid.Afterwards, he returned to gather up his basket — not fully expecting to find it still there. When he arrived, to his surprise, not only was the basket there, the eggs were transformed into beautiful, exquisite pysanky.The man with the cross was, of course, Jesus and the peasant was Simon

Another story tells of Mary. As she knelt at the foot of the Cross where Jesus was Crucified her tears rolled down her cheeks onto the eggs in her apron.

As the tears splashed on the clean white shells, they formed bright colors and exquisite designs.