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17/12/2022. Presentation of the ethnocalendar Mythology of Metsola
December 17, 2022:
The National Library of Karelia held a presentation of the ethnocalendar Mythology of Metsola, created in the framework of the project Runola 3.0.
Tatyana Berdasheva, curator of the Runola project, spoke about how the calendar was created. The calendar is dedicated to kind mythical heroes of the Karelian forest and specially protected Red List species. The mythology of the indigenous people of Karelia, the Karelians, is rich in images of legendary creatures responsible for various phenomena and spaces. In the minds of the people, the forest was inhabited by different spirits.
Dmitry Dmitriev, Karelian painter, who created images for the first calendar of the project Runola, told about spirits of Karelian forests. Alyona Tsvetkova, painter of the project, spoke about her vision of the Karelian forest and Karelian spirits.
During a quiz, everyone could test his or her knowledge of Karelian folklore. Guests could paint a Karelian character according to a description, find out how the Karelians called the months of the year, get acquainted with specially protected species, which are presented in the calendar. All participants in the meeting not only got acquainted with the traditional beliefs of the Karelians, but also received souvenirs from the project team.
The Mythology of Metsola Calendar will be useful for everyone who is interested in the traditions of Karelia, is fond of drawing and feels the nature and mythology of the north in a special way. The calendar can be purchased at the book stall of the National Library of Karelia.
