Video is in Finnish. You can get the English subtitles from the lower right corner. Filmed when I was between apartments and stayed couple weeks at my friend´s guest room (thanks Katie, you saved me).
In Finnish folklore one of the most common elements that you can find is that everything in nature is personified. Pakkanen (Frost) or Pakkas-Poika (Frost boy) is one of these things. Within the folklore Frost is a mischievous young boy. His parents are most often told to beLouhi, the goddess of winter and shamans and his father is Puhuri (cold, powerful wind) or Pakkasukko (The Frostman).
Parents of Frost and Frost as a character can also simply work as a metaphor. Back in the days practising of wind magic and shamans who were devoted to that particular craft were very common. This leads back to the shamanic concept of emuu. Emuu is an old Finno-ugric word for a mother (emo is an old Finnish word for a mother but now days it refers to an animal mother, äiti which is modern Finnish word for mother has Baltic origins). but it is also a gender neutral word and refers to a creator. Someone who can light the sparkle of life into non-living things (such as snow, stones, rocks, sunlight). 
In Finnish folk magic when a person knew the origins of a disease they had greater chances to heal the disease. When performing the healing ritual they would sing or chant the origin words connected to the disease or the injury they were about to heal.
If a person had severe frostbites they would chant the words of the frost. One could also say the words aloud before they went outside to protect themselves from the Frost. Words were used to scare the Frost and prevent them from touching the person. Words Against Frostbite
Sharp Frost, the son of Blast (Puhuri), ice crusty, wintry boy, now hast thoug hurt a human skin, hast sorely injured a mother´s son, destroyed a woman´s progency, for sapless has the man become, the stalwart man insensible. Sharp Frost, the son of Puhuri, come now to recognise thy work, to remedy thine evil deeds; if thou hast bitten, heal the bite, if thou hast touched, undo the harm, or else thy mother shall tell, to thy father I shall make it known. Enormous trouble a mother has, when treading her sons footsteps, effacing traces he has left, anointing sores that the he has made.
Sharp cold, the son of Näräppä, hard-frozen wintry boy, where shall I exorcise thee now? Thee do I exorcise forthwith to distant limits of the North, to the flat, open lands of Lapps. There is it nice for Cold to live, for Chilly Weather to abide. There thou will level trampled ground, wilt slay a reindeer out at grass, wilt eat flesh lying close at hand, wilt gnaw the bone that´s near to thee.
Since thou dost pay no heed, thereto, I exercise thee forth into the belly of Pakkanen (sharp cold), the fervid paunch of the frosty blast. As there thou mayst not find a place, depart to where I order thee, flee to the clouds above, thou wintry weather, to the sky, cease injuring a christened man, destroying one that is baptised. - The Magic songs of the Finns by Elias Lönnrot
As you can see from the poem it has Christian and Pagan elements combined. Time when the chants were collected started rather early on, already in the 17th century and for a very long time different belief systems lived side by side.
Similar characters to Pakkanen can be found from other myths as well. Check my post onJack the Frost.
 Susan from Louisa May Alcott is my passion- blog asked me to review the Little Women 2019 movie companion. I thought I would share my thoughts here as well. The premiere of the new Little Women feature film is approaching and recently a movie companion written by Gina McIntyre was released with beautiful photographs taken from the set by Wilson Webb. The book includes interviews from the cast, director, set designers, choreographers, and clothing department. Readers will learn about the history that led to Louisa May Alcott´s classic, and the vision that brought these cherished characters to life. Louisa May Alcott and the legacy of Little WomenWhen you are deeply invested in a story you have loved since childhood, prospects of any new adaptation can be both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. For one fan, Katherine Hepburn is the only real Jo March when another one wows on Winona Ryder´s performance. At some point, my adoration towards Little Women shifted away from the books to approach it as a cultural phenomenon and this is why I never get tired of seeing new adaptations. It was interesting to read the memories and thoughts of Little Women from Greta Gerwig and the three film producers — Amy Pascal, Denise Di Novi and Robin Swicord (Di Novi also produced the 1994 film and Robin Swicord was one of the scriptwriters). Some of the main criticism that the new adaptation has received (just based on the trailer) is the way it is trying to tick off all the boxes of the fourth wave of feminism. I never saw Little Women as anything else other than a feminist novel but all the same, I understand where this criticism comes from. It seems to be a trend that every single female character in any type of film these days needs to have empowering traits. Little Women, however, was written by an author who was part of the first wave of feminism and it is those past struggles and successes that have taken us to where we are today. The message of Little Women about radical acceptance is timeless. Whether Gerwig´s film is going to deliver remains to be seen.  Eliza Scanlen as Beth The women (and men) of Little WomenThe part that I enjoyed most in this book was the actor interviews. Saoirse Ronan’s take on Jo having a “Peter Pan complex” is a worthwhile approach that deserves attention. "Strength can be found in vulnerability too and opening yourself up to the feelings that you might not want to feel. Hopefully, this film will be a way for people to appreciate introverts as people who have something to say and who navigate the world in their way that´s no less important” — Eliza Scanlen Eliza Scanlen´s interpretation of Beth was something I found deeply moving (Scanlen, required to be able to play the piano, returned to the instrument she had played as a child). I especially look forward to seeing her interactions with Mr. Laurence.  Louis Garrel’s insights on Friedrich has made me curious about the portrayal of Mr. Bhaer in this adaptation. Gender fluidity themes in the relationship between Jo and Laurie is a refreshing approach. Laura Dern´s Marmee is following the footsteps of Susan Sarandon – that of making the character more like the real-life counterpart, Abigail Alcott. “The book was important to me because it didn´t just highlight these four very angelic girls. It also talked about their hunger, how passionate they are to want to make something of themselves. That´s always attractive to read, whether it´s about women or men” — Florence Pugh Pugh´s performance as Amy is what I most look forward to seeing in this film. Jo´s and Amy´s relationship in the book is raw but it´s also realistic. They argue because they had similar tempers but they also fiercely love each other. In part one, Laurie in many ways works as Jo´s mirror; in part two, Amy serves a similar purpose. It will be exciting to finally see that on screen. I believe Amy is going to be the secret weapon of this movie. Living like the MarchesThe book includes artistic and hauntingly beautiful wet plate photographs of the characters. There are recipes from the film and I am tempted to try Amy´s pickled limes. The book includes the history of the Alcott family and Orchard House. I found the costume design very interesting especially when it came to the girls as individuals, the shift in Laurie when he matures, and the gender fluidity of Jo and Laurie in their youth. It looks like they are borrowing each other’s clothes in the film. One can only admire the skill of the prop department as individual characters are introduced with items that are important and specially made for them.  General ImpressionsI must admit I have very mixed feelings about this movie and the accompanying book because of some of Gerwig´s statements. They have made me feel that she doesn´t understand the heart-core of the story. Nevertheless, I am sure there are elements in this film that I find enjoyable as they are in all the previous Little Women adaptations.
This weather requires a sweater...  and maybe a teddy-bear.   My little women 2019 movie guide finally arrived. It is an interesting read and I do find it interesting to reflect it to the previous film adaptations I have seen. I think we are in a very unique situation. 1933,1949 and 1994 films (or rather their screen writers) were quite undecided weather Jo should end up with Laurie or Friedrich as a result we get a weird triangle (in the book there is no triangle) and Amy and Laurie are not being developed as a couple.
Now we get Gerwig´s film which is going to develop Amy and Laurie as a couple but with Jo instead of having Fritz/Laurie debate Gerwig is more into Fritz/spinster debate. Based on everything I´v heard the film is going to be very pro JoxFritz and yet the director/screen writer seems to be rather undecided. Adaptations are going from one extremity to another. If you ask me the modern adaptation from 2018 is still the only one with clear intention to develop JoxFritz and AmyxLaurie and be truthful to the books (and actually show Jo´s and Friedrich´s mutual growth). Is the direction of the films moving ahead? Yes, but it´s also going backwards a bit. Would it be so bad to live in a world where we could be happy with this novel and its canon pairings? I do think I know where it all comes from. There has not been enough focus on Friedrich´s and Laurie´s character arcs and their growth processes with their significant others (neither with Meg and John for that matter). Most conversations around Little Women are about Jo and only about Jo. We are just now stepping to an era where there is more focus on all other characters (other sisters and the male characters included). Let´s make the most of it. I love drawing ravens. They are beautiful and mysterious birds. Indian ink on sketchbook.    “He is from a world that she desires, the world of books and intellectuals. He is a teacher. He is from Europe, and I think she can dream about the world he comes from. Sometimes when two people meet, suddenly something happens. There is no explanation. It´s passionate and very deep relationship between them” - Louis Garrel
#This #He gets it #He totally does #Endless Fritz Bhaer appreciation #Jo x Friedrich |
NiinaPronounced as Nee-na.
Artist, illustrator, writer and a folklorist. Gryffinclaw. Comes from Finland. Likes cats, tea and period dramas. 
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