If nature mysticism feels like urban hippie kids bs, you can just call it tradition and appreciation or whatever.
Anyways, just bought the PUIDEN KANSA book new edition. It was filed, not into photobook section, but somewhere along the religious books in small section of "folk arts" or something. Cover image captured my eye, had not heard about the book even if it is pretty famous.
Now just visited the site, and notice there is actually also Japanese, English and german:
Tree People - translation Roderick Fletcher, 192 sivua
Das Volk der Bäume – Translation Gisbert Jänicke ja Cia Rinne, 192 sivua
So perhaps it's worthy to mention here, when people do have possibility to read it.. at least in theory.
It's information book, but just done in ways or art book. There's nothing dry and heavy in lay-out, but well designed spreads of great photos and decent amount of text. It's most of all art-photobook, but with clear purpose also beyond visual side. Different chapters deals with different sides of the old times. Tree People refers to old beliefs and traditions. It repeats the universal "tree of life" myth, which is present in most of cultures - also found in Kalevala stories. It shows and tells about sacred meeting places, old ritual forests, sacrificial stones. It talks about forest as barrier/edge, what used to separate the home area from the large unknown. It talks about mythical bear in finnish folklore how skulls of bears were hung on trees to allow king of forest to return above. It has several more chapters. Some about more recent time, some about past centuries.
It hardly touches issues like "enviromentalism". You will see many types of people in the book as well. From nude kids to old grannies. But there is no "new age"/"hippie" element really. Which someone could expect, but what just isn't there. Stories you find is about 80 year old granny doing sacrifices under oak temple etc.
And why does it matter? I guess it is just the deep distaste towards the urban young adults invading with their unnatural approach into the nature. Those distanced from forests as well as traditional food production. With motivations far away from natural local traditions, replaced by confused disappointment in world. That is the crowd one often see to be loudest, leading the "rest" of people to talk about all the stupid tree-huggers. Anyway, while many of the urban alternatives talk about nonsense of "reclaimin the street", I guess most of the time one could say just keep that shit. There are still areas of old forest to go and visit the ancient. Untouched by the wood industry. Curiously I'm still "corrupted" enough to be in middle of nowhere, but think how great sound some plants are making with crispy new ice covering them in autumn breeze. And regret not having recorder. But I guess have to accept the fact that escape into nowhere is still bringing your own head with you, nevertheless.
It's little strange how their site doesn't give a pre-view of easily the best material in book, but just some random pages which hardly do justice.
info in english:
http://www.puidenkansa.net/_english/TREE_PEOPLE_PROJECT/Sivut/BOOK.html#4Recommendations & comments on things related of the topic welcomed!
