with Heta Haavisto
Labels: Workshops and Activities
Himmelis are ancient sacred geometry ornaments made of (usually rye) straw. The tradition used to be wide-spread in Northern, Eastern and Central Europe but today is only found in Finland and Lithuania as a living tradition. In Finland it is still common to see himmelis hung up in homes.
Himmelis’ significance varied slightly from country to country, but in essence they were hung in the ceiling to remind people of the eternal nature of reality – a recorded saying from Finland says “When you look at the shadows that the himmeli is casting, you remember the transient nature of things, and when you look at the himmeli itself you remember the heaven. ” (the heaven here is not meant to be interpreted in strict Christian sense).
In this talk/workshop, I will open up the himmeli tradition world, and for those who are interested, I will give tips in himmeli making and we will also make a simple himmeli.
Heta Haavisto
I am a “Himmelintekijä” – a himmeli maker from Finland, who lives half the year in the UK.
I first came across himmelis seeing them hanging in my grandmother’s ceiling, and always found them fascinating, but it was only later that I realised the psychedelic sacred geometry present in them.
My first touch to Finnish ancient culture was doing my dissertation for a UK university, focusing in Finnish herbal medicine tradition, during which I was exploring the Finnish folklore archives in Helsinki. Learning about the herbs, I came across much more, and discovered that there were many interesting aspects in our old culture.
Now an enthusiastic independent researcher and learner of Finnish ancient tradition, himmelis especially are my personal interest area, both for their message and for their beauty.
