Greenland 1969 - The Girl and the Eagle

The goal of the storyteller has always been to captivate the minds of his audience, enabling them to transcend the rigors of everyday life and, for a time at least, exist in a magical world. The goal of the teller of fairy tales in Greenland includes a slight twist to the norm - to put his audience to sleep! In fact, the best story tellers would commence their narrative with a line such as, "no one has ever heard this story to the end." This idea seems counter-productive, but the primary aim of the Greenlandic storyteller was to help people survive through the long, cold winter nights. And what better way to survive then to be snuggled up by the fire, asleep.

The fairy tales of Greenland cover a wide and varied range of topics. Indeed, over the last few weeks ago I have been studying with captive wonder stamps engraved by Czeslaw Slania, featuring fairy tales from Greenland, such as The Boy and the Fox and The Great Northern Diver and the Raven. This week's fairy tale is titled The Girl and the Eagle. 

These stories have in all likelihood survived the sands of time through countless word-of-mouth re-tellings. This can make tracking down the content of the tales extremely difficult to find. So far I'm 0 for 2 on sourcing these stories. Unfortunately, try as I might, I have again not been able to find anything on this fairy tale. So, sadly, I'm 0 for 3. Perhaps the story may have some similarities to the 2016 film The Eagle Huntress , a story about a 13 year old Mongolian girl who is fighting to become a hunter using an eagle, an Eagle Hunter. This is a domain solely for men, but this girl decides she wants to change this. She wants to be the first Eagle Huntress! But then again, maybe the stories are completely unrelated and I'm just a raving loony! 

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On 18 September 1969, Greenland issued the fifth stamp in its fairy tales series. This stamp, along with the two other stamps mentioned above, was engraved by Czeslaw Slania and designed by J. Rosing. As we have come to expect from Slania, this stamp is truly gorgeous. The eagle is a masterpiece in and of itself. Just look at those feathers! Wonderful.

Until next time...

Greenland 1968 - Child Welfare

It is an observatory with a twist - a literal twist! Rundetaarn, or the Round Tower, was built in the 17th century in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the oldest still functioning observatory in Europe.

By the 17th century the science of astronomy was booming, urged on by countries competing to establish the most colonies on foreign soil. The need for accurate navigation to cross vast oceans was now, more than ever, of crucial importance. This cut-throat competition gave rise to the establishment of many national observatories, the first of which was established in 1632 at Leiden in the Dutch Republic. Just five years later in 1637 the foundations were laid for Rundetaarn, at that time known as STELLÆBURGI REGII HAUNIENSIS. And it was completed and ready for use in 1642.

At this time, Denmark was actually a forerunner in the field of astronomy thanks to the work of Tycho Brahe. Christian IV King of Denmark was so impressed with Brahe's contribution to science that when Brahe died in 1601, the King set in motion plans for the observatory in order to continue his research. Of course, the King's plans were not all altruistic; his country was a strong participant in the Colony Battle.

But what about that twist scenario mentioned at the beginning? In a funky feat of engineering the tower was constructed with an internal helical passageway that spiralled up the inside of the tower to its apex, where lurked the observatory itself along with a viewing platform. This spiral walkway is incredibly interesting. If one were to walk up the spiral path along the outer wall of the tower, they would cover 268.5 m, but if one wanted a shorter walk, hugging the central pillar as you ascend shortens the journey to only 85.5 m! Yet ironically, the tower is only 36 m tall. That definitely justifies the term "funky". There was actually a reason behind this incredible design. It was built in this fashion to 'allow a horse and carriage to reach the library, moving books in and out of the library as well as transporting heavy and sensitive instruments to the observatory' (Wikipedia). Below is an image of the walkway.

It is also worth mentioning that this very cool tower has its own library, which houses the entire book collection of Copenhagen university. Apparently the Danish writer H.C. Anderson used the library on a regular basis, and he drew inspiration from the building. Perhaps it was the fantasy-like nature of that spiral walkway that set his creative juices aflowing. These days the library is home to exhibitions of art, history, culture, and science. If I were ever to visit Denmark, I'd be sure to take the time to traverse that spell-binding spiral walkway.

Over time there have been many interesting ascents of the spiral walkway. There have been bicycle races up the tower and bicycle races down the tower. In 1902, a Beaufort car was the first motorised vehicle to ascend the tower.  And in 1989, a fellow by the name Thomas Olsen went up and down the tower walkway on a unicycle. The round trip took him just 1 minute and 48.7 seconds, which is still a world record.

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On 12 September 1968 both Denmark and Greenland issued a semi-postal stamp of the same design to help raise money for child welfare programs. For the purposes of this blog I will focus on the Greenland stamp. The stamp issue was designed by J. Rosing and engraved by Czeslaw Slania. This beautiful stamp design, featuring two children wandering the mesmerising spiral walkway, would not look out of place in a children's fantasy novel.

Until next time...

Greenland 1967 - The Diver and The Raven

The goal of the storyteller has always been to captivate the minds of his audience, enabling them to transcend the rigors of everyday life and, for a time at least, exist in a magical world. The goal of the teller of folktales in Greenland includes a slight twist to the norm - to put his audience to sleep! In fact, the best story tellers would commence their narrative with a line such as, "no one has ever heard this story to the end." This idea seems counter-productive, but the primary aim of the Greenlandic storyteller was to help people survive through the long, cold winter nights. And what better way to survive then to be snuggled up by the fire, asleep.

The folktales of Greenland cover a wide and varied range of topics. Indeed, only a few weeks ago I studied a stamp engraved by Czeslaw Slania, featuring the tale The Boy and the Fox. This week it's time for another folktale brought to life on stamp by Slania. the title of this tale is The Great Northern Diver and the Raven.

Unfortunately, try as I might, I have not been able to find anything on this folktale. What I can tell you is a bit about the Great Northern Diver or Common Loon. Divers spend their summers in areas such as U.K., Iceland, Greenland, North America. In the winter they migrate to the coastlines of south North America, Europe, and north-west Africa. One interesting little factoid about the Diver is its incredible ability to - well - dive! Amazingly, this bird can dive as deep as 60 metres per dive! And they can remain underwater for up to 3 minutes at a time. They have red in their eyes, which apparently helps them to see underwater.

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On 23 November 1967, Greenland issued a stamp featuring The Great Northern Diver and the Raven as part of their folktale series which began on 5 February 1957 with The Mother and the Sea. This lovely stamp, engraved by Czeslaw Slania and designed by J. Rosing, depicts a Diver with a raven standing upon its back. If I'd been able to find the details of the story, it would be clear what the raven is doing. And is that a pool of blood to the bottom left beneath the Diver? A mystery! If anyone out there knows this story, I'd love to hear from you. Anywho, let's look at the stamp.

Until next time...

Greenland 1967 - Royal Wedding

Wedding bells are in the air! At least, they were on 10 June 1967 when Crown Princess Margrethe of Denmark married Frenchman, Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, at Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen, Denmark.

So when and how did the royal couple first meet? For that we need to wind back the clock two years to 1965. At this time Margrethe was studying at the London School of Economics and Henri was with the French embassy. One day Margrethe was invited to a dinner at the French embassy. At the dinner she was seated next to Henri. Margrethe was ambivalent about the Frenchman. Henri, however, found Margrethe interesting, but was a bit intimidated by her. So at their first meeting the fireworks seemed to be absent. 

Then perhaps a little serendipity came into play. A short time after their first meeting, they met yet again at a wedding. They got to chatting, which went better this time. After the wedding they were both bound for London. Whether prearranged or again a touch of serendipity, they sat together on the plane. Deciding to keep their relationship on the down-low, the couple dated for a little over a year before announcing their engagement. They had kept their relationship so quiet, in fact, that it came as a pleasant shock to most Danes. Later on Margrethe's father, King Frederik apparently said to her,  “He came, he saw, and you conquered.”.

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On 10 June 1967, the same day as the royal wedding, Greenland issued a stamp commemorating the event. The stamp was designed by Gunnar Bilmann Petersen and it was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. This is not the most exciting stamp in the world, but the cameo profiles of the newly-weds is definitely an interesting slant. It is worth noting that this wasn't the last time Slania engraved Margrethe for a stamp. He produced some quite beautiful definitives for Denmark, bearing her portrait. But we'll leave those for another time. For now, here's the royal wedding stamp...

Until next time...

Greenland 1963 - Polar Bears

In the words of that now famous Disney bear, Baloo, "The simple bear necessities." That's right. This week is all about bears. Ursus maritimus. more commonly known as the polar bear, to be precise. The mighty and majestic polar bear could very well be considered the king of bears. It is our largest land-based predator. A boar (adult male) can weigh in at up to 700 kg. That's a heavyweight to rival "Iron" Mike Tyson! The other brutes of the bear family, the Kodiak and the brown bear are on average slightly smaller.

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On 17 September 1963 Greenland issued a new design consisting four values to expand on the definitive set which started on 7 March 1963 with a beautiful "Northern Lights" design. The new design, conceived by V Bang, features a stunningly-engraved polar bear by the master, Czeslaw Slania. This has to be one of my favourite Slania engravings, simple, elegant, and very effective in small stamp format.

In Greenland the polar bear lives in the northernmost parts of West Greenland and in Northeast Greenland,. Since they move with the drifting ice, they can also be seen elsewhere in Greenland. Having said that, though, polar bears are not easily spotted unless you happen to find yourself on a boat cruising along the coast. If you are lucky enough to be doing such a thing, they can be fairly easily spotted due to their off-white fur, which contrasts somewhat with the pack ice.

Until next time...

Greenland 1966 - The Boy and the Fox

The flickering lamplight dances across the face of the storyteller. The small audience, huddled together to ward off the winter chill, sit and listen with fascination. The storyteller gesticulates wildly as the tale draws to a conclusion. Her arms create moving shadows over the walls, animating her narrative. The story is punctuated by gasps and murmurs of delight from the audience. She raises her arms one further time, then drops them. The story is now finished. The villagers retire to their beds, happy to have survived another day of bitter cold.

Such scenes were common in Greenland during the long winter nights. On these nights many folk tales would be told. I'm sure each audience would've had their favourites. One story that may have been quite popular was "The Boy and the Fox". After some searching on the net I found a folk tale of the same name, but one from Sweden. I'm not entirely sure it is the same tale as that told in Greenland, but the theme is possibly similar.

The story is about a boy who one day sees a fox sleeping nearby. Instead of admiring it for its wild beauty, he sees it in profit. Why, if he could sell it, he could buy a whole batch of rye seeds. He starts imagining caring for a field of rye. he knows the other villagers will be jealous. They will want to get into his precious rye. He would have to shout at them to get out! Without realising, he shouts out loud. The fox, suddenly alerted to his presence, darts away to safety.

The boy called so loud

that the fox awoke.

The fox sprang to his feet,

and away he went to the woods.

So the boy did not get even a hair

from the tail of the fox.

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Between 1957 and 1969 Greenland issued a series of five stamps celebrating Greenlandic folk tales. On 22 September 1966, the 50o value stamp depicting "The Boy and the Fox", was issued. This stamp was designed by Jens Christian Rosing, who designed some 150 stamps. And it was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. As I mentioned above, I'm not sure if the tale I found is the correct one, but the scene depicted on the stamp certainly seems to fit. In this delightful scene we see a boy, with a rather maniacal look on his face, about to pounce on a fox. The fox, it appears, has only just become aware of the boy, and is in the process of making off with all haste. What a great engraving!

Until next time...

Greenland 1964 - Samuel Petrus Kleinschmidt

A keen student of languages, Samuel Petrus Kleinschmidt, born 27 February 1814, studied  Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Dutch, French, and English, all the while retaining his childhood languages, Danish, German, and Greenlandic. Oh, and in his copious spare time, he also translated parts of the Bible into Greenlandic!

Born of humble beginnings in the rectory of Lichtenau in southern Greenland to missionary parents, Samuel travelled to Saxony in Germany in his youth where he studied before taking an apprenticeship at a pharmacy. In 1837 he began working as a teacher. Perhaps the pharmaceutical business wasn't his style. In 1841 he returned home to Greenland and began giving church sermons in plain, everyday Greenlandic language. Samuel spent the rest of his days in Greenland, preaching, and researching and writing about language. In fact, he invented the orthography (the conventional spelling system of a language) used for writing Greenlandic - a system utilised up until 1973 when it was revised. Samuel Petrus Kleinschmidt died 8 February 1886.

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On 26 November 1964 Greenland issued a stamp commemorating the life's work of Samuel Petrus Kleinschmidt. The stamp was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. This is a lovely engraving. Samuel's eye contain so much passion, drive and focus. And, of course, that awesome beard!

Until next time...

I Interview... Colin from England

It has been a while since my last Slania Crazy! interview. Time for another, methinks. A loyal follower of my blog, named Colin, graciously volunteered some of his time to share with us his thoughts  on the master engraver. Enjoy!

Slania Crazy!: Thank you very much for participating in my "I Interview..." series.

Colin: Glad to take part.

Q: When did you start collecting Slania stamps?

A: I started back in 2002.

Q: What drew you to start collecting him?

A: When I saw his magnificent 1000th stamp  for Sweden

Q: What is your favourite Slania stamp, and why is it your favourite?

A: His 1000th stamp also happens to be my favourite. And I have visited Drottningholm Palace (Ed If you like you can check out my blog post on this amazing stamp HERE.

Q: Where do you usually get your Slania stamps?

A: Several places. Ebay, fellow collectors, and Auctions for the scarce ones in my Slania Collection, which if successful, I remove the items I want and sell the remainder.

Q: What references do you like using? Which is your favourite?

A: http://www.czeslawslania.org/ The images are excellent, and has more images than http://www.slaniastamps-heindorffhus.com/

Q: Do you remember what your first Slania stamp was?

A: Again, it was Slania's famous 1000th stamp  for Sweden

Q: Do you collect any other engravers?

A: No, my aim is to get as complete a collection of Slania that I can.

Q: What are your other stamp specialisms?

A: Gibraltar, Malta, and The Philatelic Congress of GB

Q: How do you store your Slania stamps?

A: I store them on Hagner/Prinz stock cards until I write them up for display to philatelic societies

Q: Do you have any collecting tips to share?

A: Buy MNH if possible, as they will retain value better and are better for display. When I write up a page for display I try to include a high resolution scan 1200dpi (4 x normal size) of the best stamp on the page, which highlights Slania’s engraving skills.

I'd like to thank Colin again for taking part in the interview.

Until next time...

Greenland 1963 - Niels Bohr

Niels Henrik David Bohr was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 7 October 1885 into an academically-inclined family. In fact, it was his father, a Physiology professor at the University of Copenhagen, who coaxed Bohr toward a life of science. In 1903 Bohr enrolled to study at Copenhagen University. He majored in physics, a field very much in its infancy in Denmark at the time. Indeed, the university only had one physics professor, Christian Christiansen, He also studied maths and philosophy. Bohr excelled in his studies and went on to earn a doctorate in physics.

After a trip to England and Scotland with his new bride, he returned to take up a position at the University of Copenhagen. Then his career really took off. Bohr's career and his research into Theoretical Physics is extensive and beyond the scope of this blog. So a very brief highlights package should suffice.

His first career highlight was in 1913 when he devised the Bohr Model, an early model of a hydrogen atom. In 1920 he founded the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen, now known as the Niels Bohr Institute. Then in 1922 when he won the Nobel Prize in Physics. In his research, Bohr predicted the existence of a new zirconium-like element, which was named hafnium, after the Latin name for Copenhagen, where it was discovered. Later, the element bohrium was named after him.

During the 1930s, Bohr's humanitarian efforts helped rescue many people from Nazi-occupied Denmark. Then in 1943 Bohr became a direct target of the Nazis after he had a meeting with Heisenberg, the head of the German nuclear weapon project. After hearing that the Germans wanted to capture him, Bohr fled to Sweden, and then to Britain, where he became entangled in the British element of the Manhattan Project.

After the war his research focused on the study of nuclear energy for the betterment of humankind as opposed to its obliteration. He became one of the founding members of CERN, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world, located in Geneva, Switzerland. CERN is an acronym for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (European Organisation for nuclear research).  CERN is home to the LHC or Large Hadron Collider, a giant particle accelerator tunnel with a circumference of 27 km. Following on from his involvement with CERN, Bohr went on to be the first chairman of the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in 1957. Five years later on 18 November 1962 Niels Henrik David Bohr died at the age of 77 in Copenhagen.

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On 21 November 1963 Greenland issued a single-design set of two stamps honouring Niels Bohr. The design was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. It is worth noting that this set was also issued in Bohr's homeland of Denmark on the same day. This stunning design features a portrait of Bohr next to the equation for the Bohr Model of electron transition.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1985 - Contemporary Paintings (Part 1)

Thomas Arge was born 1942 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Initially he trained to be a carpenter. But he soon began taking art courses in the newly established school of painting in Tórshavn, while plying his trade as a carpenter. Arge seemed to have a natural talent for art. As early as 1962 at just 20 years of age his art debuted at the annual Olai exhibition in Tórshavn. Then in 1964 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he had the Danish modernist Richard Mortensen as a professor. Over the years Arge developed a mastery of abstract expressionist art. A large amount of his art features the theme of nature.

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On 3 June 1985 Faroe Islands issued a set of three stamps celebrating contemporary Faroese artists. Each stamp features the work of a particular artist. Czeslaw Slania was given the challenging task of reproducing these artworks One of these stamps features a piece of art by Thioma Arge, titled Garden in Hoyvik. The stamp is part engraving and part lithography.

The original artwork which this lovely stamp replicates can be found in the National Faroese gallery.The original gallery was built in 1970. But now the collection, consisting some 2600 pieces, is housed in  a lovely new building, designed to resemble a traditional Faroese boathouse.

Until next time...

I Muse... On a Stunning Collection

A couple of weeks ago a fellow Slania collector by the name of Colin contacted me through my blog. After a bit of chatting with him via email, he kindly offered the use of some scanned images of a few pieces from his collection to share on the blog. I gladly accepted the offer! Then when I received the email and opened the attachments I was blown away by the beauty of these engraved works of art. I couldn't wait to share them here. So without further ado, I present to you just a snippet of Colin's beautiful collection of Slania engravings. 

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First up is an engraving from 1995. The subject is Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, on her 18th birthday, issued by Swedish Post Office. The plate size is 114 x 144 mm.

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Next we have a signed print of "Centralposthuset" (Stockholm Central Post Office). This lovely engraving was printed in 1996. Only limited number of copies - around 500 - were printed. The size of this engraving is 180 x 150 mm.

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This next engraving is truly incredible in its detail. It depicts a rugged Swedish Coast with surf breaking against rocks. This engraving a part of a set of five by five engravers, sold by the Swedish Post to domestic customers only. It measures 100 x 67 mm..

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Next up is an engraving produced for the 50th anniversary of the Old Wooden Post Office in Dalarna, called Talberg. This building is used as retirement apartments for Swedish postal employees. 300 copies were given to residents, while some others were sold to to the public. This particular piece has no date, but it is probably 1992. This engraving measures 118 x 117 mm.. 

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Lastly we have a progress proof of an engraving Slania produced in 2001 for his 80th birthday. Plate size 203 x 153 mm.

These pieces are just fabulous! I'd like to thank Colin again for allowing me to share them here. Hope you enjoyed the eye candy.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1984 - Famous Writers (Part 3)

A talented writer of poems, fairytales, songs, and even a novel, Hans Andrias Djurhuus was born 20 October 1883 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Hans was the young brother of Janus Djurhuus, the subject of last week's blog post (click HERE).

Han's first job after completing his schooling was working as a fisherman. But fishing was just not in his blood. He hung up the fishing rod and returned to furthering his studies. He attended Føroya Fólkaháskúli, then studied at the Teachers Seminar (Føroya Læraraskúli). After graduating in 1905, he started working as a teacher. This vocation seemed to suit him well. During his years as a teacher he wrote many children's songs, a bunch of plays, short stories, psalms, and even a novel. But poetry was his primary passion. In fact, his great grandfather, Jens Christian Djurhuus (1773–1853), was the first to write poems in the Faroese language. Poetry was in the family's blood. And Hans went on to be considered one of the most productive Faroese poets in the long history of the islands. Very imprressive! 

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On 28 May 1984, Faroe Islands issued a set of four stamps honouring great Faroese writers. This set was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. One of the stamps in this set features Hans Andrias Djurhuus. This stamp - like last week's stamp - exhibits a photo-realistic style synonymous with the engraving genius of Slania. Although, as I mentioned in my previous two blogs dealing with this set of stamps, I tend to prefer more interpretive styles of engraving over photo-realism. There is no denying, however, that they are truly stunning! It's now time to take a look-see at the final stamp of the Famous Writers set, that featuring Hans Andrias Djurhuus.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1984 - Famous Writers (Part 2)

Hailed as  "the first Faroese writer of genius" and "without a doubt a great poet", Janus Djurhuus was born 26 February 1881 in Tórshavn, Faroe islands. Janus and his younger brother Hans, who was also a poet, grew up listening to and being inspired by great Faroese poetry such as Jóannes Patursson's Nú er tann stundin komin til handa (Now is the hour come for acting). You may remember this name from my blog post last week. If not click HERE.

Interestingly, Janus Djurhuus was a lawyer, a profession seemingly at odds with the free-thinking nature of a poet, but there you have it. His first poem, Blíð er summarnátt á Føroya landi was published in 1901 while he was studying at University in Denmark. He completed his studies in 1911 and began practicing law in Copenhagen, where he continued to work for over twenty-five years before returning to the Faroe Islands to practice there. 

In 1914 Janus had a collection of his poems published. This was the first ever collection of poems in the Faroese language written by one author. He went on to publish four further collections of poetry. He was also passionate about Classical Greek literature. He translated and had published many of the Greek greats such as Homer, Plato, and the poet Sappho into the Faroese language.

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On 28 May 1984, Faroe Islands issued a set of four stamps honouring great Faroese writers. This set was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. One of the stamps in this set features Janus Djurhuus. This stamp - like last week's stamps - exhibits a photo-realistic style synonymous with the engraving genius of Slania. Although to be perfectly honest I tend to prefer more interpretive styles of engraving over photo-realism. Not that I dislike these stamps, mind you! They are truly stunning! Let's take a look-see at the Janus Djurhuus stamp.

Next week we'll take a look at the final stamp in this set, so as they say on TV "stay tuned!"

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1984 - Famous Writers (Part 1)

Each and every evening they gathered. They gathered by the light of a flickering fire at the old farmhouse of Kirkjubøur to enrich their souls and feed their spirits. To listen to folktales, and to sing and dance. These nightly gatherings were known to local Faroese people as Kvøldseta. This is the environment in which the brothers Jóannes and Sverri Patursson grew up. An environment which perhaps awakened their creative imaginations, leading them both to become writers and activists for their homeland: one a poet and nationalist leader; the other a literary writer and freelance journalist.

On 28 May 1984, Faroe Islands issued a set of four stamps honouring great Faroese writers. This set was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Two of the stamps in this set feature the brothers Jóannes and Sverri Patursson. Both stamps exhibit a photo-realistic style synonymous with the engraving genius of Slania. Although to be perfectly honest I tend to prefer more interpretive styles of engraving over photo-realism. Not that I dislike these stamps, mind you! They are truly stunning! Let's take a look-see...

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The 200kr stamp features Sverri Patursson. Born in 1871, Sverri was a literary writer, and a composer of tourist articles highlighting the wonders of his homeland. He also worked translating literature into the Faroese language. In fact, he was one of the very first authors to write in the Faroese language.

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The 250kr stamp features Jóannes Patursson. Born 6 May 1866, Jóannes Patursson was a Faroe nationalist who fought to retain traditional Faroese culture and language. He was also an accomplished poet. He even managed to combine his two passions by composing a battle hymn  called Nú er tann stundin komin til handa (Now is the hour come for acting). This was a symbol for the struggle of the Faroese language and culture in a changing world.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1984 - Fishing

Cod, mackerel, herring, blue whiting. No this is not Fishing Crazy! These are just some of the fish species upon which the survival of the Faroe Islands depends, and has done so since the middle of the 19th century. Interestingly, for a long time prior to this the primary industry on the islands was based around sheep. The production of woolen socks! Indeed, the name Færøerne in Danish most likely derives from an Old Norse word fær (sheep).

But back to fishing. Beginning around 1856 the primary export of the Faroe Islands became salted cod. It goes without saying that in order to salt said cod it first needs to be caught. Enter the fisherman. Catching cod was no easy matter. Fishermen had to embark on long journeys to the Barents Sea, located off the northern coast of Norway at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Of course, not all fishermen had to go so far afield. Many species of fish were caught in the North Sea and in Icelandic waters. Over time the industry of fish farming became popular on the Faroes, producing primarily salmon. In fact, the salmon farming company Bakkafrost, which is the largest of the four salmon farming companies in the Faroe Islands, is the eighth largest on the globe!

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On 10 September 1984 Faroe Islands issued a set of three stamps honouring the brave fishermen of the Faroe Islands. The stamps were engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Each stamp has been beautifully rendered to be almost picture-perfect. The delicate mastery with which Slania wields his burin never ceases to amaze me! Just feast your eyes...

The 280o stamp depicts a fishing vessel known to the Faroese as a Slupper.

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The 300o stamp depicts a group of fisherman preparing to haul in the day's catch.

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The 12kr stamp features a ship's captain at the tiller, decked out in his all-weather gear. Check out the detail of those mittens and the tiller rigging. Fantastic!

Until next time...

Brazil 1985 - Brasilia Banknote

He had an audacious plan: "fifty years of prosperity in five." The man with the plan was Juscelino Kubitschek, President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. Part of his plan for the prosperity of Brazil was the construction of a new capital city called Brasilia. 

This colossal monument to modernist architecture was planned and developed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. And the architect for the massive amount of landscaping was Roberto Burle Marx. Amazingly, the city was built in just 41 months, between 1956 and 1960. The official opening was on 21 April 1960. The city's radical yet simple design divided it into numbered blocks. The city was also divided into sectors for specified activities, such as the Hotel Sector, the Banking Sector and the Embassy Sector. In fact, the city of Brasilia was later chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

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The city of Brazilia and President Kubitschek were both featured on a 100,000 Cruzeiros, banknote. It is important to note that this denomination was in "old" currency. Czeslaw Slania was chosen to engrave both sides (I believe) of the banknote. 

A year after this note was issued, Brazilian currency had an overhaul. The basic unit of currency was now the Cruzado. 1 Cruzado now equaled 1,000 of the old Cruzeiros. Consequently, new currency was printed to reflect this change. The Brazilian authorities opted to retain the Slania engraved banknote, seen above, with the denomination altered. Below is the banknote with Cruzados. Incidentally, this currency only lasted until 1989.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1984 - 25 Years of Europa Stamps

Way back in 1956 a decision was made to create a common design stamp issue for the European community. The idea was to not only promote the rewarding pursuit of philately, but also to educate people in the history of Europe and the common roots that Europeans share. Thus the EUROPA stamp issue was born. Below is an example from Luxembourg of the first EUROPA issue in 1956.

In 1959, three years after the first EUROPA issue, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) was formed. Indeed, the acronym "CEPT" was displayed on EUROPA all stamps after 1960. It should be noted that from 1974 participating countries were no longer bound by a common design stamp issue. Different designs were allowed so long as they conformed to a common theme. This was a great idea, which allowed for artistic originality and the freedom to incorporate cultural diversity into each design.

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1984 marked the 25th anniversary of EUROPA stamps. To celebrate the occasion each of the 23 contributing countries issued their own uniquely designed stamps. On 2 April Faroe Islands issued a set of two stamps of the same design with different values. The issue was designed by J. Larriviere. The design featured a stylised bridge over water, reflecting, I assume, the bridging of the distances between European countries both physically and metaphorically. The master, Czeslaw Slania, was asked to engrave the design. The simple, yet elegant, lines of this design make for a visually appealing stamp.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1983 - More Saintly Carvings

More than a year has passed since I last visited the oldest functioning church in the Faroe Islands, a church which has a connection with the stamp engraving guru, Czeslaw Slania. That church is Saint Olav's, and its origins date to the 12th Century. The church was reconstructed in 1874. It is located in the village of Kirkjubøur on the island of Streymoy in the Faroe Islands.

So you might be asking yourself what is the connection between Czeslaw Slania and Saint Olav's? It all started back in medieval times when it was decided it would be nice to decorate the ends of the church pews of Saint Olav's with elaborate carvings. Pews are the long benches found in churches upon which parishioners sit. The ends, generally wooden, are often decorated. Below is an example of the beautifully carved pew ends that were housed in Saint Olav's, all of which are now located in the National Museum of the Faroe Islands. There were twelve of these marvellous pews in the church, each one representing an important Christian figure.

These pew ends are such fine pieces of art that the Faroe Islands Postal Authority decided to celebrate their beauty by featuring them on three sets of four stamps, issued between 1980 and 2001. Czeslaw Slania was picked to do the engravings. There were four stamps initially printed, and these were issued on 8 October 1980. Two subsequent sets of four were issued in 1984 and 2001. In this blog I will focus on the second set of four issued on 30 January 1984.

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The first pew end carving this time around depicts St John. In this carving we see St John holding what I presume is the Holy Grail. At the Last Supper, John sat next to Jesus and leaned on him as a sign of support, so the Grail is a symbol of his loyalty to Christ. Above St John on the top portion of the pew, we find a shield, upon which are carved three crowns. 

Taking a closer look at the face of St John, the irregularities and aging of the timber have been added by Slania, giving the design that extra touch of authenticity.

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The second stamp in the series depicts the carved image of St Jacob. St Jacob is often depicted holding a staff. On the shield above St Jacob we find a pair of crossed keys, which basically represent the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

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The third stamp in the series depicts the carved image of St Thomas. St Thomas' attribute is a spear, which we can see in his right hand. And upon the shield above him is a crossbeam, representing the cross of St Thomas.

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The final stamp in the series depicts the carved image of St Jude, also known as Thaddeus. St Jude's attribute is a club, which he is wielding in his left hand. The shield above St Jude is adorned with the Toulouse Cross and halo.

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I am yet again amazed at the stunning true-wood appearance of the pews in these stamps. The detail Slania has captured in each and every one of these pew ends is exquisite. Bravo, Mr Slania! I have just one final comment. In my blog post dealing with the 1980 issue in this series, I mentioned that I had only one criticism. I have the same criticism this time around also. It is purely an aesthetic one. I just really don't like the background colours chosen for these stamps. But that's just my opinion.

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1983 - Chess

Checkmate! The one word all chess players dread. But chess isn't just about winning and losing. It is about conflict, a struggle to harmonise your army. A struggle that at times can mirror real life situations. Chess is an art form, a black and white jungle tangled with intricate strategies and moments of brutal tactics. Once you immerse yourself into the beauty and subtle complexities of chess, you will be hooked for life. 

So when did it all start? What are the origins of chess? As yet, there is no definitive answer to this question. The prevailing theory is that chess originated from a game played in Eastern India sometime between the third and sixth century. This game was known as chaturaṅga. This name literally means "four divisions (military divisions)". These divisions were infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry,. The pieces on the board represented these divisions. These pieces are said to have evolved into the modern chess pieces we are familiar with today - pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks.

As the Indian game, chaturaṅga, spread west along the Silk Road, its rules further evolved. By the time it reached Persia c. 600, it was known by the name chatrang. After the Islamic conquest of Persia, the Muslim world continued playing chatrang. In fact, the oldest chess manual was written in Arabic and dates to around 850. This book was written by al-Adli ar-Rumi (800–870), a renowned Arab chess player. This book, which unfortunately no longer exists, was called Kitab ash-shatranj (Book of the chess). Further, the oldest chess pieces, carved from ivory, were excavated in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. These pieces date to around 760.

There is, however, an alternate theory that chess had its origins in China with the game called, Xiang Qi. Even though the earliest reference to this game that we know of dates to around 800 in the xuán guaì lù (record of the mysterious and strange). there are those who think this game is much older, and is therefore the earliest version of chess.

Whatever its origins, the game reached Western Europe around the 9th century. By this time it was called shatranji. Starting around 1200 the rules of the game were gradually modified. By the end of the 14th century the game was essentially the one we know and love today. The rules of the game were finally standardised in the 19th century. It stands to reason that from the advent of a system of standardised rules came formal international competition. The first recognised World Chess Champion was the Austrian Chess Master, Wilhelm Steinitz. He claimed this title in 1886 after defeating Adolf Anderssen in London. Up until that point Anderssen was regarded as the world's strongest player. 

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On 2 May 1983 Faroe Islands issued a set of two stamps to celebrate the ancient game of chess. This set was sold only in booklets, and all stamps are horizontally imperforate. The stamps were engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Looking below you will see that the piece on the left is a King, and on the right we have a Queen. Gorgeous chess pieces that, I believe, date from around the 18th to 19th centuries. And, of course, these lovely pieces were masterfully engraved by Slania (please note, this is a borrowed image and not of the best quality. When I relocate my copies I will update the scan).

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1981 - Faroese Chain Dance

If one were to join a Faroese party, they may have the fortune of taking part in the traditional Faroese Circle Dance, which is accompanied by lively Faroese ballads, called kvæði. As the name suggests, this dance is performed in an a kind of swirling circle. This type of dancing is reminiscent to the medieval Ring Dance. In the Faroe Islands there are three variations of the dance. The first is the Stígingarstev - The Common Dance (I have seen this referred to as the Garter Dance). The second variation is called the Trokingarstev - The Crowding Dance. For this variant more fast-paced music is played. The final variation is called the Bandadansur - The Ribbon Dance. In this variant the dancers incorporate ribbons into the performance by dancing around and under them.

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On 1 June 1981 Faroe Islands issued a set of two stamps celebrating traditional folk dancing. Czeslaw Slania was entrusted with engravings for this issue, and as usual his work was exceptional. Each of the two stamps depict a variant of the Circle Dance.

The 150o stamp beautifully captures the beauty of the Bandadansur - The Ribbon Dance.

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The 200o stamp depicts the Stígingarstev - The Common Dance. This stamp is listed in catalogues as depicting the Garter Dance, which I can only assume is another name for the Common Dance. Either that, or I am entirely wrong and the Garter Dance is a fourth variant of the Circle Dance. Maybe someone out there has the answer?

Until next time...

Faroe Islands 1981 - Tórshavn

Since the 13th century, the town of Tórshavn has been the capital of the Faroe Islands and an important port. It is located at the southern tip of Streymoy, which incidentally happens to be the largest of the Faroe Islands. Even today some narrow alleys and old houses that date back to the 14th century still exist in the town. And if you like mysteries there are some ancient ck carvings down by the shore. Some believe these markings are related to ancient council meetings, but perhaps they relate to something far more mysterious. Whatever, the case, it is fun to speculate.

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On 2 March 1981 Faroe Islands issued a set of four stamps featuring sketches of various locales in Tórshavn by Ingálvur av Reyni. This charming set of stamps was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. Ingálvur av Reyni, born 18 December 1920 in Tórshavn, was a talented painter who was inspired by the works of Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse. Reyni was also an excellent draughtsman, a skill reflected in his favoured subject choices, such as houses, boats, streets, and people going about their daily lives on said streets. This theme is the focus of the stamps dedicated to Reyni. Slania has managed to retain the drama and elegance of Reyni's sketches with masterful precision - as usual!

Until next time...

Iceland 1991 - Carta Marina (Fragment 3)

The moment has arrived! Czeslaw Slania's final engraving for Iceland. His final engraving was the last in a series of three stunning Souvenir Sheets depicting fragments of the Carta Marina. 

The Carta Marina is the earliest known map of the Nordic countries in existence. This incredible map took twelve years to produce, and drew upon the ancient maps of Ptolemy and the more contemporary works of the Bavarian astronomer, Jacob Ziegler. For more on the map and the other two fragments engraved by Slania, follow these two links. Iceland 1989, Iceland 1990.

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On 23 May 1991 Iceland issued a stunning Souvenir Sheet to raise money for the 1991 Nordia Stamp Exhibition. This Souvenir Sheet was engraved by Czeslaw Slania. It comprises 3 stamps, each with a value of 50kr. But each sheet actually sold for 215kr. This Souvenir Sheet illustrates a fragment of the Carta Marina focusing on Iceland. The rightmost stamp also depicts one of Iceland's glaciers, but more on that later.

    

As always, the best way to appreciate the details in this Souvenir Sheet is through some close-ups!

This third stamp beautifully depicts Iceland's relationship with glaciers, by illustrating what I presume is the ökulsárlón (literally "glacial river lagoon") is a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland, on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park. It is considered as one of the natural wonders of Iceland. Below is a lovely shot of a portion of the glacier.

By Molechaser - http://www.flickr.com/photos/molechaser/4285744098/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11775406

In fact, a little over ten percent of Iceland's land area is covered by glaciers. The Icelandic word for glacier is jökull. For more on Iceland's glaciers, click HERE.

Until next time...