GIANTS

rudolf steiner

elias lönnrot

jean sibelius



this evening i went to a lecture at 'rudolf steiner house'
'The Human Being and the Elemental World. Finland and the Kalevala'
by Virginia Gilmer (who happens to be my sisters childhood lyre teacher!)

it's been too long since i last went to 'rudolf steiner house'.
its an unusual and beautiful building. so i plan on becoming more esoterically inclined and attending more lectures and performances.

i went to the 'kings langley steiner school' which hopefully explains my inclinations!

the lecture renewed my interest in the kalevala - finlands national epic poem.
elias lönnrot travelled all around finland collecting folk tales that had been passed down generations aurally and formed it into the kalevala.
i won't go into it - just take my word for it - its epic and trippy!

his work inspired my final studio project at college..
i went to finland visiting as much of my mothers family as possible and collected family stories and propaganda.
which i re-wrote and recorded as spoken word onto a 12''white vinyl record.

the lecture also focused on sibelius.
who was inspired by the kalevala for one of his symphonies.
virginia who was giving the lecture, spent many moments emphasizing how much his head was like a piece of finnish granite!!
very true virginia!

so, i realize i have not really gone into the whole steiner thing, but i plan on covering it more, a little now and in the future!
rudolf covered almost every aspect of life in such amazing detail, i don't agree with it all but my positive experience of the education system always makes me fascinated with his take on the big and small things. for example he sees the trochaic rhythm (short long short long ...) of the verses as the best route into the spirit world {with which he said the ancient finns were very connected with}. Although this is an aural experience - my take is to make this visual within some form of illustration.
but anyho blah blah blah! i am inspired laterally and literally!

steiner and finland will be back
(would also have liked to have found a decent size image of sibelius with a moustache as that's how i really think of him!)

update!!
miss maud kindly sent numerous links with appropriate images. so here you see a youthful sibelius with the tash!