Fate and Omens

The book opens with natural portents like comets and floods, and characters frequently consult soothsayers or interpret signs, suggesting that historical events are guided by an inescapable, often tragic destiny.

Hmelnitski speaks of a coming 'day of judgment' and gives Skshetuski a ring with dust from Christ's grave, suggesting prophetic warnings and the role of fate.

The cuckoo's call is interpreted as a happy augury for their marriage, and the falcon omen from earlier is recalled as destiny.

The storm imagery and Zatsvilikhovski's lament about the 'unhappy Ukraine' evoke a sense of inevitable doom and ominous portents.

The ominous red clouds, the moon hidden by clouds, and Skshetuski's feverish visions of doom and rescue suggest an atmosphere of impending fate.