Book Review | There is a boom in women’s biographies, and now Anni Swan, who wrote about freedom, equality and love, is gaining a new place in literature

Culture|Book review

Biography

Riitta Konttinen: The Life of Storyteller Anni Swan. Siltala. 437 s.

“I was a happy child, closer to nature than people, ”describes the fairy tale queen Anni Swan childhood. This was despite the fact that Anni was born in Helsinki in January 1875 Emmy and Gustaf Swanin seventh daughter.

Two more “that varieties,” as the father called his daughters, were born after him. Son of Anni Swan Antero Manninen called his mother and aunt “nine black swans” when compiling and delivering their correspondence in the 1990s.

There was hardly a moment of peace in Swan’s sibling series, and even later Ann’s life seems quite social. Riitta Konttinen in the book The life of storyteller Anni Swan.

Container has written since the 1980s among female artists, among the first to be a painter Eva from Cederström. Now, 40 years later, there is a straightforward boom in women’s biography going on. The most recently featured has been an almost unknown author Olga “Olly” Donner (HS 11.5.).

Read more: Olly and Uno Donner thrive in great hotels and spas all over Europe – Infertility and many diseases are revealed in the background of a luxurious life

A couple of years ago, Konttinen wrote About Aino Sibelius, of the great man ‘s spouse. Now, based on previous research, she paints a portrait of Anni Swan as an emancipatory woman and progressive writer.

Container describes Swan as a “forest girl,” the researcher says Sirpa Kivilaakso sees him as an early “eco-critic”. Professor Maija Lehtonen According to him, the landscapes lived and experienced by a Helsinki girl can be found in Häme and Savo.

Like other scholars, Konttinen underscores the connection between Swan’s art tales and the symbolism of the 1890s. Imagination and spirituality fascinate – and still fascinate. Admittedly, Swan’s fairy tales should be translated today if they are to be kept within reach of children’s readers.

Swan’s works are also a woman’s talk about gender, freedom, equality, and romantic love. The Emmy mother told her daughters stories and encouraged them to live independently, out of the kitchen and in the orphanage.

Anni attended a Finnish-language girls’ school, enrolled as a student, began studying history at the university, but decided to qualify as a primary school teacher. Women who were going to be independent needed their own money in addition to their own room.

Anni Swan’s debut work Fairy tales for children appeared for reading in 1901. More fairy-tale collections were born, as well as fairy-tale plays and children’s magazines.

Victorian time discriminated against women, but Anni Swan did not sacrifice. According to Konttinen, Swan was well aware of his own vocation and appreciated his own achievements.

Konttinen considers it a biographically significant manifestation of a new girlfriend Marjaana’s pearl crown a fairy tale that breaks the Topelian “ideal of a good girl and a faithful woman”.

In the 1910s, Swan began writing youth books that also read the author’s own life cycle and soul landscape. Iris rukka, In the little priesthood and Olli’s school years were the Finnish version of the English Louisa M. Alcottin Little about women and Little men.

The books by Alcott and Swan have been passed from mothers to daughters, but are probably not grasped by fathers and sons, even though they have protagonists. The literature was and is perhaps even more gendered. Who reads about anyone’s life?

Of interest to contemporary youth literature is Ann’s diary entry: “We do not need the tired outbursts of sick souls and ruined bodies.” Young people want faith in life instead of “dirty literature”.

Container Anni Swan’s biography is a great cultural journey into the past. The Swans were a real “fennoper family”, Gustaf’s father had squinted on the totals himself Aleksis Kivenkin with. The biography is teeming with the characters of its time in good and evil.

Ann’s Saimi sister married Eero Järnefeltin with. This Aino-sister Jean Sibelius with and Nelma Swan in turn Christian Sibelius with.

Juhani Aho encouraged the novice storyteller. Venny Soldan-Brofelt, Rudolf Koivu and Martta Wendelin illustrated the works of this.

Ann’s circle of friends included a textile artist Ilona Jalavaauthor Aino Kallas and the sister of the latter, the author-translator Helmi Krohn. The acquaintances could go on indefinitely.

Anni was dating Eino Leinon with whose mind the “girl’s black corner” was to take away. “Wise Manninen” i.e. the poet Otto Manninen flashes in Ann’s stages early on, but only in her thirties may Manninen write about “February’s wedding day.”

Anni was released and she got married. However, the two writers eventually found a common way to live and work.

Anni Swanista became a “woman of a million books,” but has gained more acclaim in literary history Homer Iliaan and Odyssey translator, poet Otto Manninen. However, Anni Swankin was translated into Finnish Lewis Carrollin storybook Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lisa’s adventures in a wonderland.

So Nonsense landed in Finland thanks to Anni Swan. Konttinen’s overall picture of Anni Swan shows that the author’s place in the history of culture and literature needs to be checked.

The mystery, however, remains whether writer Swan was happiest in nature, at his desk, or in the midst of people.