aNobii

yesterday I was looking for some random quotes about two books I was thinking to read and I discovered this website: aNobii.
it's some sort of last.fm of the books.
it's quite cool and you can easily track all your readings, review and also rate them. after a while the website also suggests you some readings you may like upon the basis of the books and the ratings on your virtual bookshelf. I find it very useful, also you don't have to worry to fill titles and authors of the books, if your book has it, you just have to tap the ISBN code written on the back, above the bar code, and the book will be added with correct datas. even if it's form england, italy or somewhere else.
very nice, if you are a hardcore reader or just want to keep track of your readings, join!

aNobii

new places to explore

I have a break of two weeks, so me and Polly are planning to go to visit some other cool places around north Italy.
we love to do things together and these kind of things are very exciting to do.
more to come soon of course.
these pictures are form our trip in the spring in Porlezza, near Switzerland. surreal place.

saturday (:

today is saturday.

I am studying as much as I can, having exams next week both on thursday and friday, and reorganising the directories and the files on my notebook to be transferred on my new-soon-to-arrive iBook.










random shots from my pictures (:

Väinämöinen ja Aino

As I told you some posts ago, Joukahainen, an evil youth, challenges Vainamoinen to a singing contest.

His sister Aino, who is offered in marriage to Vainamoinen, drowns herself rather than wed the aged hero.


Kalevala is an amazing poem and all the characters are oustanding heroes of the finnish and scandinavian mythology.


More to come (:

Joukahainen lännittää tulisen nuolen

Joukahainen is another character in the Kalevala.

He is the rival of the main character, Väinämöinen.



After losing a singing contest, he pledges his sister Aino to Väinämöinen, but she drowns herself rather than marry him, this is the main reason Joukahainen became angry and envious of Väinämöinen.

He shoots the rival and plunge him into the waters of Pohjola.

Kullervon sotaan lähtö

This is the story of Kullervo. From the poem Kalevala.

He is the Son of Untamo and Untamala. Untamo is jealous of his brother Kalervo, and the strife between brothers is fed by numerous petty disputes. Eventually Untamo's resentment boils into open warfare, and he kills all of Kalervo's tribe save for Kalervo's daughter Untamala, who submits to Untamo. Shortly afterwards, Untamala gives birth to a baby boy she names Kullervo.



When Kullervo is three months old, he is heard uttering vows of revenge and destruction on Untamo's tribe. Untamo tries three times kill Kullervo by drowning, fire and crucifixion, but each time, the infant Kullervo is saved by his latent magical powers.



Untamo then allows the child to grow up, then tries three times to find employment for him as a servant in his household, but all three attempts fail as Kullervo's wanton and wild nature makes him unfit for any domestic task. In the end, Untamo decides to rid himself of the problem by selling Kullervo into slavery to Ilmarinen.



And the story continues tomorrow...