Postscript to: In the Northern Reaches

For the curious:

I had wondered about the gargoyles in front of a building but nobody I asked knew what they were about. It was only when I met a Finnish traveler in Serbia that I learned what they depicted. These are characters from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, compiled in the 19^th century from stories that were handed down orally. Like all epics, there are heroes and villains, tales of daring deeds and betrayals, quest for a beautiful maiden and a wicked witch of the north. In the best traditions of any self-respecting saga, there are a multitude of stories interweaved together and tales of avarice, triumph and miracles abound. It makes for interesting reading.