A month before the shortest day of the year, the sun rises above Jvyäskylä at 9:03. It sets at 15:06. If the sky is not covered with something that seems like clouds and one does not even see the sun. No wonder I have started to think about light today.
Here up North one can sense a bit more special attitude towards light. Some time ago I have noticed how good the design of light is usually in Nordic performances; well, even when it comes to Nordic metal gigs. Then, I have been observing the nightscape of Jyväskylä. Whenever I happen to walk from Agora to the centre in the evening, I notice the usage of light on the shores of Jyväsjärvi. The bridge, some buildings. The same in the city centre. I cannot really say; it is just something I kind of feel. Dealing with light seems more sophisticated here.
So I was thinking about the light today - when something happened. In the evening, I was told northern lights had been seen above the city just some minutes ago. I went out, it was cold, there was some fresh snow... and I saw a stripe of glow. In this part of Finland, Aurora Borealis can be seen, yet the light is dim, not that colorful as within the Arctic Circle. But still. The glow was light blue. In a way, it really felt as the sun would rise at the wrong part of the sky with a blue dawn.
In Finnish, northern lights are called revontulet; the word comes from repo, fox, and tuli, fire. Due to the legend, there are fire foxes living in Lapland; these fire foxes send sparkles with their tails up to the sky - that glows. As it glowed today and as it is perhaps still glowing now, brighter far up North.
Not being introduced to all the faces of Finland and northern nature yet, the blue dawn on the sky was quite a fascinating moment. Perhaps too dim and nothing special for the locals, but quite special for me. However, if that were not revontulet what we saw, do not brake our illusions; let us foreigners dream about the beauty and the lights of the North.
P.S.: I went out without my camera. Paljon kiitoksia to my classmate and my classmate's flatmate for the picture of today's revontulet.
Here up North one can sense a bit more special attitude towards light. Some time ago I have noticed how good the design of light is usually in Nordic performances; well, even when it comes to Nordic metal gigs. Then, I have been observing the nightscape of Jyväskylä. Whenever I happen to walk from Agora to the centre in the evening, I notice the usage of light on the shores of Jyväsjärvi. The bridge, some buildings. The same in the city centre. I cannot really say; it is just something I kind of feel. Dealing with light seems more sophisticated here.
So I was thinking about the light today - when something happened. In the evening, I was told northern lights had been seen above the city just some minutes ago. I went out, it was cold, there was some fresh snow... and I saw a stripe of glow. In this part of Finland, Aurora Borealis can be seen, yet the light is dim, not that colorful as within the Arctic Circle. But still. The glow was light blue. In a way, it really felt as the sun would rise at the wrong part of the sky with a blue dawn.
In Finnish, northern lights are called revontulet; the word comes from repo, fox, and tuli, fire. Due to the legend, there are fire foxes living in Lapland; these fire foxes send sparkles with their tails up to the sky - that glows. As it glowed today and as it is perhaps still glowing now, brighter far up North.
Not being introduced to all the faces of Finland and northern nature yet, the blue dawn on the sky was quite a fascinating moment. Perhaps too dim and nothing special for the locals, but quite special for me. However, if that were not revontulet what we saw, do not brake our illusions; let us foreigners dream about the beauty and the lights of the North.
P.S.: I went out without my camera. Paljon kiitoksia to my classmate and my classmate's flatmate for the picture of today's revontulet.
1 comment:
Okay, after today's conversations it is quite sure the glow we saw were really northern lights. :)
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