Stamps and mythical creatures

 

As a child my mother taught me to love stamps. I remember my first album which my mother and I began (I was only five years old then) in Australia (we lived there for a year around 1964). Time has gone by and although I still love stamps, I haven't got the time to collect them. Nevertheless, I still enjoy their concise and neat format, the way that they can convey an idea, or illustrate a subject.

So today, I will continue what I posted previously on cryptid stamps (Nahuelito), and include some more examples of mythical beings.

Unfortunately stamp issues in Patagonia, that is, in Chile and Argentina are limited and there are very few stamps dealing with our subject of cryptozoology or mythical beings.

Here is what I have found. Enjoy.

Northern European mythical beings.

The UK. The Royal Mail recently (June 16, 2009) issued a series of stamps on mermaids, giants, dragons and more. Very interesting. Below [1] is a link in case you want to check them out. The following image is of a mermaid:

Mermaids, United Kingdom stamp. Royal Mail. From [1]

Faroe Islands. Have their issue on selkie and a giagantic snake that fought with Thor, midgard. Below are two of these stamps. More at [2].

A captured Selkie, Faroe Islands stamp. From [2]

Thor, Ran and the Midgard serpent Faroe Islands stamp. From [3]

Scandinavia. More stamps with mythical creatures of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland or Iceland can be found at www.topoftheworld.nu [4].

Patagonian stamps

Some Patagonian stamps now. The following set is from the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and depict an extinct warrah. This was an amazing creature and even though it is not a cryptid, it is a mystery in itself and next week I will post an entry on it.

Falkland (Malvinas) Islands wolf warrah, Falkland / Malvinas Islands stamp.

Chiloé mermaid and female troll (Pincoya and Fiura).

And having seen the Northern European mermaids, here we have a genuine Patagonian mermaid, "Pincoya" from a 1997 series on Chilean mythology at Chiloé Island.

Pincoya Mermaid at Chiloé stamp. Correos de Chile. From [5].

Fiura Troll at Chiloé stamp. Correos de Chile. From [6].

I will post about both Pincoya and Fiura next week.

Bibliography.

[1] Royal Mail.
[2] Monstropedia. Selkie.
[3] Thor, Ran and the Midgard serpent .
[4] Top of the World stamps. Nordic Stamp Issue 2006.
[5] Correos de Chile. 1997 - Mitología de Chiloé. La Pincoya.
[6] Ibid. Fiura.



Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters