2014
Joy and peace in hardship and suffering
Date Of Issue 24.09.2014
Date Of Issue 24.09.2014
Joy and peace in hardship and suffering
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2,10
This unexpected message disturbed the shepherds in the middle of the night. Now, as before, they sat and watched their flocks, by day and by night. The sheep lay safely as they usually did, and there was nothing to suggest that anything unexpected would happen. The work was the same as it always had been. They were just waiting for sunrise, when they would yet again lead their flocks to new pastures.
The lives of the shepherds and their animals followed the cycle of nature. They lived in tune with nature, and deviating from this cycle meant certain death. The work was hard, and there were dangers everywhere; wild animals and bandits could attack and upset the day-to-day routines – the shepherds’ task was to cultivate the fields and protect the sheep. This is how it had been since Adam and Eve were charged with nurturing and protecting the Garden of Eden in other words the harmonious existence. And so it would continue.
Was life just endless days, where some people were excessively rich, others were penniless, where some died of hunger and others lived a carefree existence?
No! The shepherds knew their role in the natural cycle – to cherish it, to co-exist with it, and to assume responsibility for ensuring that their families were fed.
Perhaps wise King Solomon was right when he said: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” It was also he who said: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes, 1,1-9
The shepherds definitely did not expect any fundamental changes to the natural passage of life.
That is why they were so afraid when they suddenly heard an unexpected voice deliver a completely new and unknown message, which they found hard to believe. Could any joyfulness be so great that it included everyone, without discrimination? A joyfulness which did not overlook anyone? A peace which everyone could enjoy? If it was true, it could not be temporary joy or peace.
As on the previous stamps in this series, the artist Edward Fuglø has managed to delicately and in great detail convey the communication between eternity and time. The star from above is still regarded as a symbol of the transcendental reality, God’s light and guidance in the midst of meaninglessness, injustice and futile daily drudgery. A light from the Creator, which points us along the path we need to take, and which enlightens the mind on the absolute, eternal values in the midst of relativity and the daily grind. The angels descended from the starlit skies, and the herdsmen are therefore gazing upwards. Thus, the angels symbolise the cosmic communication between the Creator and humankind. A communication with prayer and meditation on the cosmic internet, which people cannot do without if we are to live in harmony with the Creator and the message: “It must be for all people.”
Indeed, the shepherds possessed the necessary consciousness of God which is demanded by the cycle of nature, and which made them capable of hearing the Creator’s message. Nature itself had always been a reminder of the creative power in all things; the never-ending cycle of life had also awakened a deep yearning for eternal values. Life itself had strengthened the sense that their day-to-day work – of tending their livestock, the pastures and their families – was part of a bigger picture. Now, the joy and the peace extended beyond the shepherds, and the whole of humanity could be saved from meaninglessness, injustice and suffering.
It is for this reason that the shepherds are looking up with an open mind; it is why one of them has already risen; it is why they have both taken hold of their crooks. They are happy to pass on to others the happy message of joy and peace. They have seen God’s protection and love in the angels’ outstretched wings and arms. They have heard the joy in the message between trumpets and songs of praise. They have felt God’s glory and magnificence in the angels’ radiant clothing. They have truly understood the meaning of the word “angel”, which is derived from the Greek “angelos”, which means messenger – now also between the Creator and man. Even though the shepherds think first and foremost of their ruminating flocks, this night they become aware of something else. They look up and hear the unexpected message: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, among those with whom he is most pleased.” Luke 2,11-14
What did it mean, a child in a manger? What was the secret of the message? The physician Luke tells us that the shepherds travelled to Bethlehem to find out what it was all about. Here, they saw for themselves that even the Creator himself had decided to live with the suffering and the weak, to take our destinies upon himself and to allow us to share in the eternal joy and peace, to give every single person a sense of meaning and hope in the midst of our daily lives, filled as they are with problems and humdrum activities.
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” They returned to their daily lives, but now with a new sense of joy, wonder, praise and love of life.
The cycle of life was briefly interrupted, so that the shepherds and the rest of mankind could learn to live life with a greater sense of meaning, substance and purpose. The shepherds had been part of the joy and the peace which could transform meaninglessness to understanding, emptiness to substance, anxiety to courage, hopelessness to hope, discord to peace and sorrow to joy.
Róland í Skorini
The Lady of Húsavík
Date Of Issue 26.02.2014
Date Of Issue 26.02.2014
The Lady of Húsavík
The legend of the wealthy Lady of Húsavík in the Faroe Islands tells the well-known story of the poor servant girl of Skúvoy, who mysteriously discovered where the Viking chief, Sigmundur Brestisson, had buried his golden horn. The horn was made of immaculate gold, purer than any other treasure in the king’s possession. The girl was living in misery, dressed in rags and spending her nights under a millstone in the outhouse. After selling her treasure to the king, she was able to buy all the land in the village of Húsavík , and even more land elsewhere on the island. According to the legend she soon became the wealthiest woman ever to have lived in the Faroe Islands.
The story sounds like a poor people’s daydream but in reality one, or even two, very rich ladies resided in Húsavík in the 14h century. We know this because a number of documents dated 1403 and a few years onward contain records of estate inventory and legacies. The identities of these women are not entirely clear but they were most likely mother and daughter. They left a very substantial inheritance, among them large landed property in the Faroe Islands, an impressive number of buildings – outhouses and residential property – in Húsavík, lots of equipment and other personal belongings besides landed possessions in Bergen and neighbouring areas, as well as in the Shetland Islands.
The mother was probably of Norwegian descent, the daughter of a wealthy Bergen merchant with connections to the Shetland Islands. Her husband may also have been a Norwegian. How and why these people settled in the Faroe Islands remains a mystery. Accounts of their lives and lifestyles went from mouth to mouth in Húsavík and elsewhere and gradually became a captivating legend about a single personage bearing the distinguished title of the Lady of Húsavík, suggesting that this was no ordinary person.
It is not surprising that such vast fortunes aroused people’s interest, especially since their possessors were women. Nor is it surprising that the legend contains elements of popular superstition, which is often the case in folklore. The poor maid's discovery of the treasure is no coincidence - she was told in a dream where to find it. It has long been said that some can foresee future events in their dreams, a gift given to but a few. Legend also has it that the Lady of Húsavík possessed magical powers. The arable inner fields in Húsavík are flat and grassy and lend themselves easily to cultivation. Outside the inner field boundaries the landscape rises in steep slopes with uneven, loose and stony soil. Attempts have been made to explain how it was possible to keep the inner fields free of stones and clay from the steep slopes, and so the legend introduces an element of the supernatural, attributing the good condition of the land to the Lady’s magic powers. This was the only acceptable explanation for her even, smooth and beautiful fields.
Folklore has attempted to explain the large stone buildings in a similar way. The Lady summoned her magical prowess to have nykur, a mythical being in the shape of a horse, haul boulders for her buildings down from the mountain and the outlying fields. The nykur lived in lakes and was considered a dangerous being because it tempted children to go horseback riding, taking them to the lake where they drowned. Once when the nykur was hauling an unusually large boulder from the outlying field the weight proved too heavy and the nykur's tail was ripped off. This meant that the magic spell was broken, the nykur was free and disappeared into Lítlavatn, a nearby lake. The stories of the great and prosperous Lady of Húsavík are among the oldest historical legends in the Faroe Islands, containing a grain of historical truth and allowing us to determine with certainty the actual dates of events and the people involved.
Eyðun Andreasen
The legend of the wealthy Lady of Húsavík in the Faroe Islands tells the well-known story of the poor servant girl of Skúvoy, who mysteriously discovered where the Viking chief, Sigmundur Brestisson, had buried his golden horn. The horn was made of immaculate gold, purer than any other treasure in the king’s possession. The girl was living in misery, dressed in rags and spending her nights under a millstone in the outhouse. After selling her treasure to the king, she was able to buy all the land in the village of Húsavík , and even more land elsewhere on the island. According to the legend she soon became the wealthiest woman ever to have lived in the Faroe Islands.
The story sounds like a poor people’s daydream but in reality one, or even two, very rich ladies resided in Húsavík in the 14h century. We know this because a number of documents dated 1403 and a few years onward contain records of estate inventory and legacies. The identities of these women are not entirely clear but they were most likely mother and daughter. They left a very substantial inheritance, among them large landed property in the Faroe Islands, an impressive number of buildings – outhouses and residential property – in Húsavík, lots of equipment and other personal belongings besides landed possessions in Bergen and neighbouring areas, as well as in the Shetland Islands.
The mother was probably of Norwegian descent, the daughter of a wealthy Bergen merchant with connections to the Shetland Islands. Her husband may also have been a Norwegian. How and why these people settled in the Faroe Islands remains a mystery. Accounts of their lives and lifestyles went from mouth to mouth in Húsavík and elsewhere and gradually became a captivating legend about a single personage bearing the distinguished title of the Lady of Húsavík, suggesting that this was no ordinary person.
It is not surprising that such vast fortunes aroused people’s interest, especially since their possessors were women. Nor is it surprising that the legend contains elements of popular superstition, which is often the case in folklore. The poor maid's discovery of the treasure is no coincidence - she was told in a dream where to find it. It has long been said that some can foresee future events in their dreams, a gift given to but a few. Legend also has it that the Lady of Húsavík possessed magical powers. The arable inner fields in Húsavík are flat and grassy and lend themselves easily to cultivation. Outside the inner field boundaries the landscape rises in steep slopes with uneven, loose and stony soil. Attempts have been made to explain how it was possible to keep the inner fields free of stones and clay from the steep slopes, and so the legend introduces an element of the supernatural, attributing the good condition of the land to the Lady’s magic powers. This was the only acceptable explanation for her even, smooth and beautiful fields.
Folklore has attempted to explain the large stone buildings in a similar way. The Lady summoned her magical prowess to have nykur, a mythical being in the shape of a horse, haul boulders for her buildings down from the mountain and the outlying fields. The nykur lived in lakes and was considered a dangerous being because it tempted children to go horseback riding, taking them to the lake where they drowned. Once when the nykur was hauling an unusually large boulder from the outlying field the weight proved too heavy and the nykur's tail was ripped off. This meant that the magic spell was broken, the nykur was free and disappeared into Lítlavatn, a nearby lake. The stories of the great and prosperous Lady of Húsavík are among the oldest historical legends in the Faroe Islands, containing a grain of historical truth and allowing us to determine with certainty the actual dates of events and the people involved.
Eyðun Andreasen
The Christmas Seal 2014
Date Of Issue 03.11.2014
Date Of Issue 03.11.2014
CHRISTMAS SEALS 2014 - GREYTASLEIKUR & KERTUSTUBBI
This year’s Christmas seals depict two Santa figures that all children – and adults – in the Faroe Islands know from the national children’s radio programmes: Greytasleikur (Porridge Lover) and Kertustubbi (Candle Stump).
Every Christmas, children can call in and talk with them on Christmas Eve morning and in the afternoon they are part of the Christmas party at the radio station that is broadcast “live”.
These two Santa figures live in Skeivahelli (the Crooked Cave) together with the old grey tomcat called Halaleysi (the Tailless).
Greytasleikur and Kertustubbi are like all other Santa figures – friendly and cheerful – and they make many funny faces when talking to the excited children.
On the Christmas seal, we see the Santa figures preparing for Christmas as they play and frolic in the snow. They have much to prepare, including testing the old Macaroni radio transmitter to make sure that it works on Christmas Eve.
If you look very carefully, you can find the radio transmitter on the sheet. There are also many other things to see, including the tomcat Halaleysi.
Edward Fuglø
This year’s Christmas seals depict two Santa figures that all children – and adults – in the Faroe Islands know from the national children’s radio programmes: Greytasleikur (Porridge Lover) and Kertustubbi (Candle Stump).
Every Christmas, children can call in and talk with them on Christmas Eve morning and in the afternoon they are part of the Christmas party at the radio station that is broadcast “live”.
These two Santa figures live in Skeivahelli (the Crooked Cave) together with the old grey tomcat called Halaleysi (the Tailless).
Greytasleikur and Kertustubbi are like all other Santa figures – friendly and cheerful – and they make many funny faces when talking to the excited children.
On the Christmas seal, we see the Santa figures preparing for Christmas as they play and frolic in the snow. They have much to prepare, including testing the old Macaroni radio transmitter to make sure that it works on Christmas Eve.
If you look very carefully, you can find the radio transmitter on the sheet. There are also many other things to see, including the tomcat Halaleysi.
Edward Fuglø
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