Author Topic: Forum Advent Calendar 2021  (Read 15875 times)

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #30 on: December 04, 2021, 04:04:09 AM »
That sounds like a lovely tradition, Moredhel! Especially as I'm quite a fan of flowers. And your painting is very pretty.
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tehta

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #31 on: December 04, 2021, 05:47:49 AM »
That's a great tradition, and I really love the painting. That's an awesome orange you choose for the wall.
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JoB

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #32 on: December 04, 2021, 06:06:03 AM »
That sounds like a lovely tradition, Moredhel! Especially as I'm quite a fan of flowers. And your painting is very pretty.
Seconded, though I lean a little bit more towards the official patronages of the namesake. 8)
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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #33 on: December 04, 2021, 06:10:45 AM »
Nice painting, Moredhel! It sounds interesting, though I'm wondering where you get flowers in the winter. Do they grow buds when placed in a warm house?

Also, JoB, that article sure raises a few eyebrows.

moredhel

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #34 on: December 04, 2021, 08:26:32 AM »
A little extra. I was outside and did cut some branches (prunus spinosa). Now I am waiting (nd changing the water every few days to avoid bacteria).



That's an awesome orange you choose for the wall.

I just wanted to test what shade of orange I can mix with the ochre paint and the venetian red paint I made.

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #35 on: December 04, 2021, 01:00:11 PM »
I like your attention to detail with the water distortion of the branches!! The background is, indeed, a lovely color too
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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #36 on: December 04, 2021, 04:27:45 PM »
Moredhel, a beautiful tradition and beautiful painting! You have captured the grace of Prunus flowers very well! In Finland we sometimes take branches (especially birch) inside in the very early spring to get the leaves sprouting for some greenery, but I haven’t heard about it being done for Christmas.

Catbirds, the buds for next year’s bloom develop in the preceding summer for many plants. Taking them inside to warmth after they have already been cold enough to consider it winter, the branches are fooled to “think” it’s spring so they bloom. Some other plants develop the flowers in the same summer’s growth, so it doesn’t work with all bushes.

A little further about the stars if you are interested:

Spoiler: show
The Finnish names such as the Lion are the modern ones, which are almost exclusively translations of the international names. Some of the constellations’ names are ancient, but they are well distributed in the Western world.

So, the ancient Finnish names are different. I didn’t really research them, and the SSSS names I came up with are based on the assumption that some of the survivors knew the official names, and they have been developing based on current circumstances. In fact many of the ancient Finnish constellations would likely be different, most of the omes I chose are very prominent but many of the official ones are quite hard to see.

Some of the Finnish traditional names were mentioned in the Wikipedia articles so here they are:

Orion with all his finery includes a lot more than the basic shape:  https://fi.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(t%C3%A4hdist%C3%B6)#/media/Tiedosto%3AOrionin_t%C3%A4hdist%C3%B6.png

Ancient Finns have seen Väinämöinen’s Belt, Väinämöinen’s Scythe or Sword of Kaleva in these stars. The Wikipedia article doesn’t mention the Finns having seen Väinämöinen himself holding the scythe, so I don’t know if that was the case. The arrangement for the Väinämöisen Viikate (scythe) is illustrated here:  https://www.aamulehti.fi/hyvaelama/art-2000007288213.html However he Kalevanmiekka (Kaleva’ Sword) is the same as Orion’s sword, and Väinämöisen Vyö (belt) is Orion’s belt, so it comes to mind that the Finns have seen Väinämöinen where we now call the guy Orion. While the Belt is the brightest and most prominent, the hourglass shape I included is very clearly visible and easy to distinguish and it would make sense that they could have been considered an entity.

Leo, nowadays in Finland the Lion, is one of the earliest constellations defined. Again the Finnish Wikipedia about it mentions that it used to be called Hiiden Hirvi (moose of Hiisi) or Jalopeura (Noble or Great Deer). It does look like it has antlers to me! But I went for the Great Cat because Leo would be much much more likely to be known by the original survivors, and that evolving into Great Cat seems plausible considering importance of cats and definite lack of lions in Y100 Finland.

The most important constellation for ancient Finns was and is however Otava, the Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major (why does the sky bear have a long tail??). It’s mentioned in the Kalevala in the firt poem where Väinämöinen is born and rises up to learn about Otava and about the stars in general. I didn’t include it, because it would not change.



« Last Edit: December 04, 2021, 04:30:16 PM by Jitter »
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wavewright62

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #37 on: December 05, 2021, 02:47:13 AM »
Spoiler: open the door • show

Yours truly wavewright62 takes a turn today, with a portrait of a personage of the season.
Spoiler: hygge • show

  A bit Father Christmas, a bit Julemanden, all Mikkel.   

Spoiler: bonus content • show

Please indulge me as I recycle a piece I originally posted as part of the InkTober series of 'Jobs Mikkel Madsen Has Been Fired From'.  Mikkel participates in the annual ritual of firing the security guard when the (now erected in Mora) Goat burns down.


« Last Edit: December 05, 2021, 03:13:10 AM by wavewright62 »
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Jitter

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #38 on: December 05, 2021, 03:07:05 AM »
Well, my dear, what would you like for Yule?

Wave, he’s great! I like the relaxed atmosphere! And his magnificent nose, obviously.
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tehta

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #39 on: December 05, 2021, 04:23:29 AM »
Mikkel really fits the role for me!

When I was a small child, we had a family tradition of my grandfather sneaking away from Christmas Eve dinner, and returning disguised as Santa. And, much like Mikkel, my grandpa was a huge troll, and would pretend to mix up the gifts in weird ways, and sneak in some coal/switches for the naughty recipients.

I wonder, though: is that another of his jobs, and why does he get fired from that one?
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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #40 on: December 05, 2021, 06:24:17 AM »
That's an excellent drawing! And very fitting for Mikkel.
I write poetry sometimes.

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moredhel

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #41 on: December 05, 2021, 07:35:11 AM »
That's an excellent drawing! And very fitting for Mikkel.
absolutely seconding this

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #42 on: December 05, 2021, 04:05:21 PM »
Yes! I've been looking forward to this... and looking forward to having time to enjoy it! Took a little breather from the end-of-semester madness, and was not disappointed. Wonderful contributions as always, no time to ooh and ahh individually but all are lovely and a great break from being frantic. I hope to be more relaxed in a week or so and be able to give this the attention it deserves.
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wavewright62

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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #43 on: December 05, 2021, 08:32:43 PM »
Thanks, everybody. Ü Slight seasonal variation on the flower crown theme?
The colouring did not come out / photograph well, but I did save a clean lineart copy, that I may colour digitally later.
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Re: Forum Advent Calendar 2021
« Reply #44 on: December 06, 2021, 02:58:45 AM »
Spoiler: open the door • show

6 December is St Nicholas Day in some parts of our globe, and today we look back to 2018, when helia deputised the SSSS Yarn Team to explain how it's celebrated in Hungary.   Enjoy!

Spoiler: gifts in the boots • show

Gifts in the boots

   

In Central Europe Santa Claus (Mikulás in Hungarian) comes and brings gifts on 6th December, St Nicholas Day.  (The gift-giver on Christmas eve is Jézuska, the Christ Child)
On the previous evening kids have to clean and polish their boots and put them in the window so Mikulás can find and fill them with presents during the night. Mikulás wouldn't put any gifts in dirty boots!

The first thing in the morning is to check whether the Mikulás has visited the family or not.

 

      

What does a Mikulás-package contain?
Mostly sweets - a chocolate Santa, lots of Christmas candies (Szaloncukor) and all kinds of smaller pieces of chocolate treats and candies. Sometimes peanuts, mandarins or small oranges are also included. (In most of the 20th century citrus goods weren't available all year round and they were considered seasonal delicacies, this is the reason why they might be still counted as gifts.)

For children who had done something naughty in the past year (basically everyone) a small bunch of golden twigs (virgács) is given. It is meant to be a punishment now, but in older, rural traditions hitting children (or adults and even animals) with rods on certain festive days was a magical act to ensure good health and fertility.





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