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2022 Europa: stories & myths -mint

The stamp is included in the PostEurop series of Europa stamps. The 2022 theme is stories & myths. The stamp illustrates the ‘sjörå’ as known from Åland folklore, and the motif is largely based on stories recorded in the 1890s in Åland. The sjörå is a female water nymph who rules the sea and the lakes. Her beauty only extends to the front; from behind, she is a hollow stump. The sjörå, also known as mistress of the sea, is closely related to the mermaid. The water nymph has her own pots and pans of glittering copper that she scrubs by the lake shore, and she keeps her own livestock. The sjörå keeps a pike as a pet, so, be careful if you catch a particularly large pike!

Product description

The stamp motif is largely based on stories recorded in the 1890s in Åland. A ‘rå’ is a keeper of a specific area. Stories about the water nymph, however, are told in all the Nordic countries. The sjörå, also known as mistress of the sea, is closely related to the mermaid. She rules the sea and the lakes and, also, predict deaths and bad weather.

Considered a beauty, her good looks only extend to the front. From behind, she is a hollow rotten stump. She likes showing herself to humans and is fond of young men, awarding he who joins her with good hunting and fishing luck. She keeps a pike as a pet and also her own livestock. Her manatees can be seen grazing among human livestock and even mating with them.

The 2022 Europa stamp is Lasse Harkkala’s first stamp commission. The tales of the sjörå sparked his imagination and the images flowed from his pen. Lasse explains:

“You could say that Vellamo in the Kalevala or the sirens in the Odyssey are the impulse for the sjörå itself. I also wanted to include many animals in the images, because I think it would be cool to be friends with nature’s wild animals, like the sjörå, and to be able to see the world from their perspective.“

Product information

ARTIST:Lasse Harkkala
DESIGN:Johanna Finne
DATE OF ISSUE:09.05.2022
DENOMINATION/PRICE:€2.30
EDITION:45 000
PERFORATION:13 per 2 cm
PRINTING METHOD:5-colour offset
PRINTING HOUSE: Cartor Security Printing
Item no.: 301-000427

Sizes and sheets

SIZE OF STAMPS:35x35 mm
SIZE OF SHEET:2 x 15 stamps

Terms of delivery

Issue date
If your order includes products that have not yet been released, we will ship your order in full after the release date.

Delivery method
We ship all deliveries by Åland Post either as letters or parcels.

Delivery time varies from 2 weeks to 6-8 weeks depending on recipient country and delivery method. Please note that the processing time after we receive your order is not included in the estimated times of delivery.

Economy shipping: +4 €
Priority shipping: +7€
Registered shipping: +15 €

Fees
Please note that your shipment from Åland may be subject to VAT and import duties depending on the rules of your country. For more information, contact the customs office in your country.

VAT is included in deliveries to Åland, Finland and Norway.

All prices are listed excluding VAT.

 

Read more about our delivery terms and conditions here

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