Mythical Moose

Skutt the Moose has carried the Princess Tuvstarr here and now he watches over her, the caption on the reverse of the card says "Now the dusk of the night is already upon us".  The scene is from the story 'Princess Tuvstarr and the Fishpond'.

1982: John Bauer (Engraver - Czeslaw Slania)

The illustrator and the booklet of stamps issued in his memory is the Swedish painter of nature and mythology John Bauer (1882-1918).  The postmark shows Princess Tuvstarr's long wavy hair.  Her name translates as Princess Cottongrass and the story can be found here.  I know cotton grass by its other name, Bog Cotton, and just a few days ago as I wandered through the nearby mosses their dazzling white fluffy heads were growing in profusion in that watery place. I always love to stroke their soft heads but after reading the tale of the Princess and the fishpond I will think of her story while doing so.

1992: Wild Animals (Illustrator - Staffan Ullsataröm; Engraver - Lars Sjööblom)

 As can be seen on the stamp Europeans tend to call these magnificent animals elks (which would be no use whatsoever for this week's letter), but happily in North America

1953: National Wildlife Week (Design - Emanuel Otto Hahn; Engraver - Silas Robert Allen)

they are Moose although I tend to call them moose anyway, maybe it is the influence of watching the squirrel/moose duo of the cartoon series Rocky and Bullwinkle as a child.  I love the beady eye of this Canadian moose on the stamp.  Moose love to wander and eat but highways and mammals don't mix so if in moose country take care.

1997: Greetings Stamps VI (Design - Gustav Malmfors)

A 'fancy elk' warning sign is part of  a Swedish set of 6 stamps

which were issued in the shape of a hexagon. On the left is the yellow Swedish road sign. The postally used stamps are usually seen as ones or two together depending on letter (brev) cost. The red elk is an ancient Nordic elk and a Forest Elk moves across a green background.

Instead of DNA this moose has a barcode (the Swedes call them line codes) I love the detail of the numbers on the bottom but I don't think we will be scanning this through the supermarket tills. Lastly we have a Swedish elk using the blue and yellow of their flag.

Bullwinkle J Moose

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter M - here for Myth, Moose and mammal - move over for more at See It On A Postcard