Slovenia 2022

Slovenia

Date of Issue: 27th May 2022

two stamps (1.33 & 1.46 €)

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 8 stamps + 1 vignette

 

The Giantess (Ajdovska deklica) is one of many mythological figures in a Slovene folk tradition that tells of a mountain-dwelling race of giants. These giants were said to have lived “long ago”, so stories about them are though to contain popular beliefs about the original inhabitants of the land. Stories about giants and giantesses vary considerably. People used to explain ancient material remains and prehistoric burial mounds as giantish structures. The former inhabitants of these structures were said to be trapped by enchantments in the ruins – or in some cases even in the walls of churches, as with the story of the giantess’s rib in the pilgrimage church at Crngrob near Škofja Loka. There are many tales and legends about giants and giantesses, but perhaps one of the best known is the story of the petrified giantess on the face of Prisank, a mountain near Kranjska Gora. According to the legend, a giantess prophesied that a hunter’s newborn son would grow up to be a hunter like his father and would one day shoot the golden-horned chamois known as Zlatorog. This prediction angered the other giantesses, who turned their fortune-telling sister to stone, trapping her on the side of a mountain, where she can still be admired today by the many visitors to Slovenia’s Julian Alps.

King Matjaž is a well-known figure in the literary folklore of Slovenia. The basis for many legends of King Matjaž is the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus (1458–1490), who distinguished himself in the defence against the Ottoman invaders and also ensured tolerable living conditions for Slovene peasants. Stories about King Matjaž do not have a basis in historical fact but have merely taken the king’s name. Similar stories are told in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Croatia. The first written texts about King Matjaž date from the sixteenth century. Over time, numerous other elements were added to the original tale. These were of Indo-European, Oriental and medieval origin and in some cases
can be linked to King Arthur, Charlemagne, Frederick Barbarossa and Frederick II. In amongst this multitude of elements of diverse origin, the version of the tale most commonly told in Slovenia is that of King Matjaž asleep with his army beneath a mountain (in this case the mountain is Peca/Petzen, which straddles the border between Slovenia and Austria). Legend has it that when he awakes and appears once again, good times will return. It seems that he will continue to sleep for a long time!

 

Andorra (Spanish post) 2022

Andorra (Spanish post)

Date of Issue: 16th May 2022

one stamp (1.65 €)

Our Lady of Meritxell - In the late 12th century, on January 6, a wild rose in bloom was found by villagers from Meritxell going to Mass in Canillo. It was out of season and at its base was found a statue of the Virgin and Child. The statue was placed in the Canillo church. However, the statue was found under the same wild rose the next day. The statue was taken to the church of Encamp. However, as before, the statue was again found under the same wild rose on the next day. As in similar legends elsewhere, the villagers of Meritxell took this as a sign and decided to build a new chapel in their town after they found an open space miraculously untouched by the winter snows. Source Wikipedia

Kosovo 2022

Kosovo

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

two stamps (1.- & 2.- €) and one souvenir-sheet (2.- €)

NOTE - those stamps don't bear the official Europa stamps logo - Kosovo isn't a PostEurop member !

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps

 

The sad sculpture of a woman represents the legend of Rozafa, who sacrificed herself for the castle to stand, and not to be continuously destroyed. Her request to leave half of her body outside the castle wall to feed and care for the little child is exactly what made this castle special.

Even today, in the gardens and fields, the villagers place a human image: with body, arms, legs and head, dressed in clothes, more often with rags. Gogomeli was set up to have good crops, but also to scare away pests of crops. It is also called the Elder of the Garden, the Elder of the Garden, the Bride of the Garden, the Surrat of the Field, Coli (Picar) etc.

The block represents the myth of the Shaking of the old women. According to legend, an old woman had gone to the mountains with cattle to enjoy the good, warm, sunny weather of early spring. She was greeting winter, when winter had sought loan days from February, to freeze the old woman who was harassing her. So from that early time water still springs from the rock in the form of an old woman, who is said to be the "old woman's tears".

NOTE : the stamps issued by Kosovo aren't recognized on an international level, not by the UPU nor by PostEurop.

Liechtenstein - Sepac 2022

Liechtenstein - Sepac

Date of Issue: 7th June 2022

one stamp (1.80 CHF)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 9 stamps

Faroe Islands - Sepac 2022

Faroe Islands - Sepac

Date of Issue: 16th May 2022

one stamp (29.- DKK)

 

Andorra (French post) 2022

Andorra (French post)

Date of Issue: 14th May 2022

one stamp (1.65 €)

Charlemagne was king of the Franks, Lombards and Emperor of the West and laid the foundations for the medieval kingdoms of Europe.
Legend has it that the emperor Charlemagne continued the task of driving the Saracens back to the Iberian Peninsula, which his grandfather Charles Martel had begun. His passage through the Pyrenees was a response to the request for help from the inhabitants of the Valira valley, who had had to flee before the arrival of the Arabs. After many battles, the emperor and his son Louis the Pious succeeded in liberating this territory with the help of its inhabitants. To thank them for their courage and help, the two rulers granted various prerogatives and privileges to the Andorrans, expressed in the Carta Pobla, including their sovereignty and the designation of these lands by the name of Andorra. From this document, Antoni Fiter iRossell, who was in charge of finding the origins of the country, made Charlemagne the founder of Andorra by taking up this legendary story that could have been legendary story, which may have been based on older accounts. Later, almost a century ago almost a century ago, the Carta Pobla was considered apocryphal.

NOTE : In 1980, the French post of Andorra already issued a Europa stamp depicting Charlemagne. The common theme was "Famous people" that year.

North Macedonia 2022

North Macedonia

Date of Issue: 10th May 2022

two stamp (2x 144.- MKD) and one souvenir-sheet (72.- MKD)

 

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 9 stamps

 

Turkey 2022

Turkey

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

two stamps (2x 5.- TRY)

 

 

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 9 stamps

Köroğlu is a semi-mystical hero and bard among the Turkic people who is thought to have lived in 16th century. The name of "Koroghlu" means "the son of the blind man".

 

Köroğlu destanı as Rushen Ali, the son of the stableman Koca Yusuf lives in Dörtdivan under the service of the Bey of Bolu. One day, Yusuf comes across a filly which, to his trained eye, is an animal that will turn into a fine beast if well-fed. Bey wants to give good fillies to the Sultan as a present to repair their worsening relationship. However the Bey does not know enough about horses to appreciate the thin, famished animal that is presented to him. Being a man of foul and easily provoked temper, he suspects that he is being mocked and orders the poor worker to be blinded. His son, therefore, gains his nickname and harbors an ever-increasing hatred towards the Bey of Bolu in his heart as he grows up. The mare, which he names Kırat, grows up with him and indeed turns into an animal of legendary stature and strength.

One day, Hızır shows himself to Yusuf in a dream and tells him that soon, the waters of the river Aras will flow briefly as a kind of thick foam and whoever drinks that foam will be cured of whatever physical problems that may be ailing him, including blindness and aging. Yusuf goes to the shore of the river with his son, but his son drinks the foam before he does. As this miracle can give everlasting health and youth to only one man, Yusuf loses his chance to see again; and dies a few days later, ordering his son to avenge him.

In some versions of the story, neither Yusuf nor his son can drink from the foam. Yusuf is warned by Hızır just before the phenomenon occurs, but being an old and blind man, he cannot reach the river in time. Köroğlu is by the river when the foam starts flowing, but, as he is ignorant of the significance of the event, he does not drink from the river. Instead, his horse Kırat does and becomes immortal.

After his father's death, Köroğlu takes up arms against the Bey. As he has only a few followers, he does not engage the army of Bolu directly and uses guerrilla tactics instead. He raids and plunders his former master's property, and eludes his would-be captors by staying on the move and fleeing to distant lands whenever his enemy organises a large-scale campaign to capture him.

Before he succeeds, however, the knowledge of firearms is carried by merchants to Anatolia. Even the simple guns of the time are sufficient to change the ways of the warriors forever: The balance of power is upset by the "holed iron", as Köroğlu calls the tool when he first sees one, and the Beys of Northern Anatolia engage in brutal warfare with each other. The fighting goes on and on, with no end in sight. Köroğlu realizes that even if he succeeds in bringing down the Bey of Bolu, he won't be able to bring back the old, chivalric world that he was born into. The warrior-poet disbands his followers and fades into obscurit. Source Wikipedia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

two stamps se-tenant (2x 2.50 BAM)

 

Both stamps are issued in a souvenir-sheet (2x 2.50 BAM)

 

Both stamps are issued in a booklet of 6 stamps (3 stamps of each) - the borders of the stamps are not perforated

Both stamps are issued a mini-sheet of 10 stamps (5 stamps of each)

The fairies are, in short, the ancient spirits of nature or the personification of its forces. According to Bosnian mythology, fairies are born from dew falling on the leaves of a large tree that grows on a mysterious, unknown hill. Legends say that they possess magical powers that they can use for good and bad purposes. Our ancestors believed that fairies lived in mountains and large forests, but also around lakes. In our mythology, the most famous are: Red Fairy: It mostly appears around sunset. Its symbol is red. Bosnian fairy: She is a girl with lily flowers in her hair. Its symbol is the lily flower. Queen of Golden Fairies: She is the mistress of all Bosnian fairies. Its symbol is the full moon. Mountain Fairy: It is among the oldest villas and is often called the mother of fairies. Its symbol is the golden apple. Planinka: She is a fairy who has a wreath of flowers entangled in her hair. Her symbol is a white goat.

Madeira 2022

Madeira

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

one stamp (0.95 €) and one souvenir-sheet (2x 0.95 €)

 

the stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

Legend of Machin - There is no historical evidence to prove it, but for a long time the narration of the facts that led to the discovery of the island of Madeira has had a much more poetic version than the usual description of the arrival of Tristão Vaz Teixeira and João Gonçalves Zarco, in 1419. According to the tale, it was the young Englishman Robert Machin, along with his beloved Anne of Arfet and some companions, who were the first to land there, in 1377. Robert, a man of modest condition, frequented the court of King Edward III (1312-1377). It was there that he met the aristocrat Anne of Arfet, with whom he would fall in love. Their desire for marriage, however, was at odds with that of Anne’s relatives, who considered her only within the reach of a suitor from the nobility. This opposition led Robert Machin to decide to flee with his intended towards France, a country with which England maintained a long military conflict, which would come to be known as the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). The elopement took place on the eve of Anne’s arranged marriage. On the high seas however, a strong storm blew the couple and the crew off course from their intended destination. After countless days lost at sea, they sighted land with lush vegetation and, once disembarked, began to explore the island, looking for water and food. However, a new storm approached, forcing them to seek refuge among the roots of a massive tree. When the storm subsided, they realised that their boat had not weathered the storm and they had no way of getting out of there. Worse yet, shortly afterwards, weakened by the trip, Anne died. Robert buried her next to the leafy tree where they had taken shelter, and erected a wooden cross to mark the spot. A week later, broken with grief, he too perished, being buried next to his beloved. As for the remaining crew members, some died, others were eventually captured by Moorish sailors and sold as slaves in North Africa. One of them was eventually rescued and his story reached the ears of the Portuguese, who, when they arrived on the island, years later, came across the cross and an inscription telling the couple’s saga. In honour of Machin, they named that region Machico.

Azores 2022

Azores

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

one stamp (0.95 €) and one souvenir-sheet (2x 0.95 €)

the stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

The Legend of Pêro Botelho’s Caldera - A little moral tale, recounting the punishment for a sulphurous temper. Silence is what Pêro Botelho gets back in return whenever he begs “Get me out of here! Get me out of here!”, from the bottom of the Furnas cave, on the island of São Miguel, where he has been trapped since immemorial time. A man of deplorable character, he had the habit, like the other inhabitants of the region, of boiling wicker and corn in volcanic calderas of boiling water. In one of them, which exudes a strong smell of sulphur, it was more common, however, to use its mud to cure various diseases, such as rheumatism. It is said that, one day, when going there to find the balsamic material, Pêro Botelho lost his footing and fell into the caldera. He attempted an appeal for help, but no one would have heard him. And he was never seen again. The only sign of life would be the cry for a hypothetical rescue. Or, all things considered, a little more. For if anyone were to approach the warm cavity and call out to him, they would receive a smoky puff of stones, ashes and mud in response. In addition to the more or less recurrent plea, Pêro Botelho would respond in an ill-tempered manner to any attempt to engage in dialogue, even when kind-hearted. And when children and adults threw stones into the caldera, saying “Give us a sneeze, Pêro Botelho!”, they would be expelled back out at them. So, whenever anyone approached the cave to find the therapeutic mud, they were always scared of what might come from there. From then on, the residents of Povoação began to call the smoking orifice Caldeira de Pêro Botelho, or Pêro Botelho’s Caldera.

Portugal 2022

Portugal

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

one stamp (0.95 €) and one souvenir-sheet (2x 0.95 €)

the stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

Legend of the Miracle of Our Lady of Nazaré - Salvation in extremis is what is often dreamt of in times of great distress. Or something to which, under such circumstances, the prayers of the most faithful are addressed. And that’s what helped Dom Fuas Roupinho on a certain foggy day. On 14 September 1182, the Captain-General of the Porto de Mós castle was hunting, when he sighted what appeared to be a deer. Excited at the prospect of good meat, he launched into fiery pursuit. So invested was he in the task that he only realised that he was on top of a cliff when the fall seemed all but inevitable. At the last moment however, his horse stood on its hind legs, which have been engraved there ever since. The image of the prey, which would ultimately turn out to be the devil, had vanished. Dom Fuas Roupinho was rescued through the instant intervening salvation of Our Lady of Nazaré after having appealed to her in supplication. The image of the saint was hidden a little further down, in a small grotto located on the headland. Relieved by such a provident intervention, the knight dismounted, descended into the sacred hollow, fell to his knees and prayed in gratitude. Shortly afterwards he ordered the construction of a small church at the top of the cliff, the Chapel of the Memory (Ermida da Memória), where he placed this image. The relic was already very old at the time. It was said to have been made by Saint Joseph, in the original village of Nazareth, in Palestine. A few centuries later, it would have been transferred to the Iberian Peninsula, to a monastery near Mérida. There it remained until the Arab invasion of 711. Trying to protect it, the Gothic King Rodrigo and the monk Frei Romano decided to take her with them towards the Atlantic coast. The grotto at the top of the cliff was the chosen location. And there it stayed until the miracle that saved Roupinho. After remaining in the evocative chapel that he had erected in 1182, in 1377 the image was moved to a new sanctuary that King Fernando I had decided to build and which would be rebuilt in the 17th century. It is there that, even today, the image of Our Lady is venerated. And it is from there that worship of Our Lady of Nazaré spread throughout the destinations of the Portuguese maritime explorers, thanks to her popularity among the peoples of the sea.

Greece 2022

Greece

Date of Issue: 12th May 2022

two stamps se-tenant (2.- & 4.50 €)

both stamps are also issued in one booklet of 4 stamps (2 of each) - the stamps from the booklet haven't a perforation on two sides

 

Orpheus' Death -  Orpheus, during the end of his life, worshipped no gods except the sun, whom he called Apollo. One day, he went to pay tribute to the sun near the oracle of Dionysus, where he was caught by the Maenads, and was killed for being an infidel to the god Dionysus. Source : Greek Mythology.com

the Netherlands 2022

the Netherlands

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

two stamps (2x International 1 value = 2x 1.55 €)

those stamps are issued in a mini-sheet of 6 stamps se-tenant (3 stamps of each)

Het vrouwtje van Stavoren (The Lady of Stavoren is a folk tale from the Netherlands which originated in the 16th century. 

Now a village of just 1,000 inhabitants, Stavoren was once a wealthy port city in the Dutch province of Friesland but began to decline in the late Middle Ages after a sandbank formed outside the harbour, blocking ships from entering and exiting. Several stories have been told over the years to explain the forming of the sandbank, including the tale of the Lady of Stavoren.

The story, of which more than 27 versions are known, involves an exceedingly rich patrician merchant widow, who desired ever greater riches. She sent a captain of her merchant fleet out in search of the greatest treasure in the world. When he returned with wheat, declaring wheat to be "the most precious thing in the world," as it can feed the hungry, the widow, in her overweening pride and anger at his (as she perceived it) foolishness, let the wheat be thrown overboard into the harbour of Stavoren.

When she was cautioned against this wicked behaviour, being reminded of the fickleness of fate and (despite her wealth and power) of the delicateness of her station, in hubris she took a ring from her finger and cast it into the ocean, declaring that she was as likely to fall into poverty as she was of regaining the ring.

Soon afterwards, during a banquet thrown for her fellow Hanseatic merchant princes, she finds the ring inside a large fish served to her. As this event portended, she lost her wealth, living out her remaining years in destitution, begging for scraps of bread. In divine retribution the port had silted, and the wheat that had been cast overboard now grew in the resulting sandbank that closed the harbour and ruined the city.

The tale has inspired songs, plays, operas and films. A statue of the fabled Lady gazing out to sea was erected in front of Stavoren harbour in 1969. Source : Wikipedia