europa, cept, norden and sepac stamps information blog
Europe
Best EUROPA Stamps - The Collector's Choice 2021
Results of GROUP 2:
Those top 4 countries go to the Big Final.
Europe
Best EUROPA Stamps - The Collector's Choice 2021
Results of GROUP 1:
Those top 4 countries go to the Big Final.
Belgium
Legend of St Hubertus : Legend holds that on a Good Friday morning, while the faithful were in church, Hubert was hunting in the forest. As he pursued a magnificent stag or hart, the animal turned and Hubert was astounded to see a crucifix floating between its antlers. He heard a voice saying: "Hubert unless thou turnest to the Lord and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into Hell." Hubert dismounted and prostrated himself, and after asking "Lord, what wouldst Thou have me do?" is told, "Go and seek Lambert, and he will instruct you." - source : Wikipedia
Legend of Brabo : Silvius Brabo was a mythical Roman soldier who was said to have killed a giant, and by this would have created the name Brabant.
Later this story was also used to explain the name Antwerp ('Antwerpen' in Dutch) which, according to the story, is a derivative of 'handwerpen' (meaning hand throwing). Brabo once killed a giant, called Druon Antigoon, who asked money from people who wanted to pass the bridge over the river Scheldt. When they didn't want to or couldn't pay, he cut off their hand and threw it in the river. Because of this, Brabo also removed the hand of the giant, and threw it into the river.
This mythical story is still shown by the statue in front of the Antwerp City Hall. - source : Wikipedia
Kazakhstan
Italy
Åland
The sjörå (in Swedish), (lake Rå) or the Sjöfru (Mistress of the Lake) was a mythical creature of the lake, or Rå, in Swedish folklore. She is a female, humanoid water spirit. She is a seductive creature, often featured sitting and combing her long, sweeping hair with delight, and often lures and drowns men who are unkind, unfaithful or otherwise disrespectful to her or the lake. Like all other rå (keepers) she protects her domain and awards those kind to her with good fishing luck and saves them from drowning. In wintertime she would sometimes stick her hand up from the waters. If the visitor then gave her a mitten she would thank him for his kindness with gifts or protect him in his time of need. source : Wikipedia
Finland
those stamps are issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps (2 stamps of each)
Päivätär and Kuutar are luonnotars (feminine personifications of nature) or goddesses of the Sun and the Moon in Finnish mythology. They own the gold of the Moon and the silver of the Sun, spin golden and silver yarns, and weave clothes out of them. In Kalevala, young maidens ask Päivätär and Kuutar to give them some of their golden and silver jewellery and clothes.
Both luonnotars are mentioned in Finnish folk poetry, but there is little information of them. Päivätär and Kuutar are emuus (origin mothers) of bees, wasps and hornets and appear in spells that were sung in order to prevent these insects from stinging. There is also one spell from Finnish Karelia that states that the world tree grew from the golden and silver tears of Kuutar and Päivätär. source : Finnish Folklore Wiki
