Day of Kalevala & the Finnish Culture

Today we celebrate Kalevala and the Finnish Culture. The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of 

epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.

I have shared before these photos of the Finnish National Museum, but in honor of Kalevala once more.

It is an impresive building opened in 1916 and designed by the architects

Gesellius, Lindgren & Saarinen.

The museum's entrance hall ceiling has ceiling frescoes in Kalevala theme, painted by 

Akseli Gallén-Kallela. The frescoes, painted in 1928, are based on the frescoes painted by him 

in the Finnish Pavilion of the Paris World Fair in 1900.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #gartenglück #image-in-ing 

#makrotex #t in die neue woche #värikollaasit

T in die neue Woche

A near shot of the entrance door to The Finnish National Museum, Helsinki.

The door is of metal and there is a bullet hole to be seen that dates back

to our short civil war in 1918. The door is under that arch seen below.

The museum hosts interesting treasures and is beautiful inside.

On the ceiling coupole there is a Kalevala themed fresco by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück
#image-in-ing #makrotex #mosaic monday #my corner of the world
#saturday’s critters #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures
#uudet värikollaasit #wandering camera #willy-nilly #watw

Tuesday’s Treasures

The National Museum of Finland in Helsinki is a treasure as such, but today a few shots of the fabulous frescoes on its entrance dome. The roof of the entrance hall features Kalevala-themed frescoes painted by Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931). The frescoes painted in 1928 were modeled on the frescoes painted by him at the Finnish pavilion at the 1900 Paris World Expo.

This umbrella with the frescoes was so beautiful, but too expensive for me.

Gallen-Kallela is best known for his illustrations of the Finnish national epic Kalevala. His works in national romantic style are considered very important for the Finnish national identity. I posted about an exhibition The Inner Eye in his home museum Tarvaspää in the summer.

// TUESDAY’S TREASURES

// WEDNESDAY AROUND THE WORLD

Bear in the Finnish Mythology

Ein Bär bewacht auch das Finnische Nationalmuseum in Helsinki.

A bear also guards the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki. 

Emil Wikström 1910

Karhu - Der Bär ist Finnlands Nationaltier und spielt eine wichtige Rolle in der finnischen Mythologie: er war der erste Gott der alten Finnen. Der Bär wird für sein menschliches Aussehen und seine enorme Kraft respektiert. Es war ein gefürchtetes Tier, aber auch ein heiliges und angesehenes Tier. Die Bedeutung des Bären für die Finnen erklärt sich auch aus der Tatsache, dass er in unserer Sprache mehr als zweihundert verschiedene Namen hat: Honigpalme, Kontio, Waldapfel, Waldkönig und Teddybär. Es gibt eine große Anzahl von Karhu-Produkten, Statuen und Ortsnamen & Familiennamen.

Karhu - The bear is the national animal in Finland and plays an important role in the Finnish mythology: it was the first god of the ancient Finns. The bear is respected for its human appearance and tremendous powers. It has been a feared animal, but also a sacred and respected animal. The importance of the bear to us Finns is also explained by the fact that it has more than two hundred different names in our language: honey palm, kontio, forest apple, forest king and teddy bear. There is a huge number of Karhu products, statues and place names & surnames.

// DIGITAL ART DIENSTAG

Bär Totems in Lappland Nacht. - Bear totems in Lapland night.

Jutta’s original

The National Museum of Finland is a handsome building designed by the architects 
Gesellius, Lindgren, & Saarinen. The architecture freely mimics the architectural themes 
of different eras in Finland, medieval churches and castles. 
The architecture represents national romance and the interior is mainly Art Nouveau. 
The museum was built between 1905 and 1910.

Here's an interesting detail: during our Civil War in 1918, a bullet pierced the iron outdoor.

// TUESDAY'S TREASURES 
// MY CORNER OF THE WORLD
// WEDNESDAY AROUND THE WORLD