Norwegian Fairytales | Illustrations from Kay Nielson

East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North 

Taschen Version, above, Here 🙌
G.H. Doran, 1922. Here (Free Online Read)

Constantly intrigued by Scandinavian Folklore, I've stumbled upon the works of Kay Nielson by way of the Public Domain. If you are moved and fascinated by these tales and the breathtaking imagery that Nielson brings to us, have yourself a gander.

Loosely related, from my past posts: Norwegian Folktales, Old Fashioned Ski Postcards...

Moomin by Tove Jansson

 

Moomin is the brainchild of the late Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson.  She released her first Moomin book in 1945 and received commercial success a year later with the release of Comet in Moominland and Finn Family Moomintroll.

Moomin is a very popular series in Scandinavian countries.  Who couldn't love the adorable Moomin creatures, Sniff, Snufkin, Moominpappa, Moominmamma, Moomintroll, Grok and all of the other characters brought to life throughout the comic series?  Moomin's success was followed by TV series and films, stop-motion films and much more.  The Moomin's have been brought to life in many different ways and I can't wait to get even nerdier about it!  Bjork even lent her vocals to "The Comet Song," featured exclusively for the 3D-movie Moomins and the Comet Chase.  Check out music video and song here.

Alrighty, back to my pumpkin-spiced coffee and Moomin...

The Official Moomin Site, here.

*EDIT:  Season 1, Ep. 1"Spring in Moomin Valley."  (I may be getting carried away)

Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill

Consider for one moment the changes that a tree goes through and all that they overcome to morph from a tiny seed into a tree towering above you.  Drought, harsh weather, strong winds, animals, invasive species, disease, many succumb others hold fast and grit through the harshest environments and thrive.  These stages are captured in each print, a canvas symbolizing the tree's changes by it's rings.  Woodcut is beautifully done.

Bryan Nash Gill's original prints vary in size but some measure to 4 FEET.  Now, for those of you interested in the work of Gill, consider the book as a small glimpse into the actual world of cross-section tree/wood printing.  This book is 10''x10''inches apprx. and is about a half an inch thick.  Chock full of meticulous prints of various wood species and text to accompany the pages.  I would consider this to be one of those books that I always wanted but never pulled the trigger.  Thanks to my sister for the great birthday present, I look forward to going through each page slowly but surely.

One review sums it up, "If you want to grasp the special sense of time and change held in the hearts of trees, buy this book."  

Where The Wild Things Are

Thank you Maurice Sendak, Rest in Peace.

"Please don't go. Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so."-Maurice Sendak