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The European Library
FINLAND
This page is maintained by
Mrs. Laila Heinemann
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Unknown , Missale Aboense |
| The first book printed for use in Finland, 'Missale Aboense', was printed in Lübeck in 1488 by Bartholomeus Ghotan at the behest of Konrad Bitz, who at that time was Bishop of Turku (Åbo) and thus of the whole of Finland. Bitz's preface is dated August 17, 1488. Copies of the Missal were printed both on paper and on parchment. In the book the main text is printed in black and the rubrics in red, and there are decorative initials. Many of them are painted in blue and red by hand. The most obvious reference to Finland can be seen in the coloured woodcut representing Bishop Henrik, the patron saint of the Finnish Church, accompanied by the figures of Bishop Konrad Bitz, Dean Maunu Särkilahti and two priests. The picture also contains the coat of arms of the Bock family to whom Bitz was related, and Ghotan's initials and armorial device. At the feet of Bishop Henrik lies his murderer, the Finnish peasant Lalli. The fact that the Missal was intended for use in Finland is also evident from the calendar of saints' days and a section of specific mass chants. The text of the Missal follows the Dominican rite. As a result of the Reformation in the first half of the 16th century the collections of the medieval literature of Finland were destroyed. Of the copies of 'Missale Aboense' printed on paper no complete copy has survived; but 15 incomplete copies have been found. A single original parchment copy of 'Missale Aboense' has survived in Det Kongelige Bibliotek, the national library of Denmark, and from the parchment fragments preserved in Finland it has been possible to reconstruct entire books. |
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Ptolemy, Claudius (claudius Ptolemaeus Alexandrinus) , Cosmographie octavvs et vltimvs liber |
| The 'Cosmographia' or 'Geographia' (Geographike hyphegesis in origin), a work of the ancient Greek geographer and astronomer Claudius Ptolemy who lived in Alexandria, was written in about AD 160. The work provided a foundation for acquiring and organizing information on the whole known world. It contains about 8000 place names for which Ptolemy gives the necessary details for placing them on a map. Different versions of manuscripts in Latin translation have been preserved, and 55 printed editions before 1900 are known, the first beeing printed in 1475 in Vicenza without maps. The A. E. Nordenskiöld Collection contains 49 different (53 altogether) printed editions of Ptolemy, for instance all seven from 15th century, and one manuscript edition. This edition of 1482 is printed in Ulm, and the text is based on the Latin translation by Jacobus Angelus and edited by Dominus Nicolaus Germanus. It is the first woodcut Ptolemaic edition, and the world map is the first signed printed map. |
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Sibelius, Jean , Symphony no. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82, 1914-1919. Fair copy, page 1 (autograph), 1919 |
| The first version of Jean Sibelius's 'Fifth Symphony' was premiered under the composer's direction at the concert celebrating his fiftieth birthday on December 8, 1915. Sibelius had begun composing the work in the summer of 1914 on his return from the successful tour in the United States. After the first performance, Sibelius began to rework the composition. The second version, of which there are only some traces in the documentary material, was presented the following year, December 1916. The Symphony received its final form only in 1919. By comparison with the expressionism and dark, harsh orchestral colors of Symphony no. 4, Symphony no. 5 is sunny, imbued with the spirit of nature, and turned outward. Despite some chromaticism, the composer returned to tonality. Behind the 'Fifth Symphony''s classic façade, however, hides some of the progressive elements of the 'Fourth Symphony'. While he was working on the 'Fifth Symphony', Sibelius was also working on Symphonies no. 6 and 7. In a letter from the year 1918, he wrote: "It seems as though I am presenting myself with all three symphonies at once. As always, the sculptural element is ever more conspicuous in my music." |
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Unknown , Manuale seu exequiale s[ecundu]m ritu[m] ac [con]suetudine[m] alme eccl[es]ie Aboe[n]sis [...] |
| The second book printed for use in Finland, 'Manuale Aboense', was printed in Halberstadt in 1522 by Laurentius Stuchs. The book was unknown for several centuries until in 1844 some pages of the book were found. It was printed both on paper and on parchment, and from the parchment fragments it was possible to reconstruct two whole books, of which one is placed in The National Library of Finland and the other in the Royal Library in Stockholm. The only book printed on paper was found in this century. It belongs to the archives of the church of Lohja and is now placed in The National Library of Finland. |
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Lafreri, Antonio , Geografia Tavole Moderne di Geografia de la Maggior parte del Mondo di diversi avtori raccolte et me |
| A.E. Nordenskiöld considered this superb atlas by Antonio Lafreri the most valuable item in his large collection of historical atlases and geographical works containing also 123 incunabula and 49 different Ptolemaios editions. The Collection of A.E. Nordenskiöld is included in the Memory of the World Register. The first map in the atlas is Carta Marina by Antonio Lafreri which is reduced version of Olaus Magnus's Carta Marina of 1539. |
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Unknown , Graduale Aboense (fragment) |
| The fragment represents in crucial way the book art of late medieval Bishopric of Turku. On this page you can see a part of the Mass for the Bishop Henry, the Patron Saint of Finland, native Englishman (martyrized c. 1156). |
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Agricola, Michael Olai , Se Wsi Testamenti. (Se pyhen Paualin epistola Romarein tyge) |
| The first edition of the Finnish Bible, the New Testament translated into Finnish by Michael Agricola, was published in 1548. The publishing of the Bible realized the principle of the Reformation that anyone should be able to read the Word of God in his native language. Michael Agricola is the creator of the written Finnish language; he also wrote the first Finnish ABC Book in 1543. The New Testament was printed in Stockholm by Amund Laurentsson and the edition was approximately 500 copies of which 120 copies are known today. The typography of the book follows German patterns. The 83 different fine woodcut illustrations originate from German printing houses. Most of them are copies of the pictures made for Martin Luther's Bible translations in the studio of Lucas Cranach the Elder. |
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Dati, Leonardo , La Sphera. Manuscript from the 15th century |
| The late medieval geographical manuscript of 'La Sphera' by Leonardo Dati (1360-1425) and his brother Gregorio (Goro) is a description of the world in poetic form. It includes also drawings and scenes describing the costal profiles and navigation, probably based on earlier medieval prototypes. It is considered to be a predecessor of portolan charts. There are two copies of 'La Sphera' by Leonardo Dati in the A. E. Nordenskiöld Collection. |
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Til-landz, Elias Erici , Til-Landz. Elias, Icones novae in usum selectae et catalogo plantarum |
| Elias Tillandz (1640-1693), professor of medicine at the Academy of Turku, published the first flora of Finland, 'Catalogus plantarum' in 1673. Only one copy of the Catalogus is known. The second edition was published in 1683, and it was amended with an illustrated book 'Icones novae'. It contains 159 plants growing in the area of Turku, Western Finland. The artist of the woodcut drawings is not known but he is supposed probably to be Daniel Medelplan, working at that time as an engraver at the Academy of Turku. |
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