Archive for December, 2009

The Origin of Blonde Hair

Posted in Baltic Region Facts & History | by admin
December 18th, 2009

Blondes have a fascinating history, both in human origin, migration, culture and in ancient mythology. In Western culture, blonde hair is typically associated with naiveity, youth and innocence, but culturually has seen a remarkable transition from its roots to where it is today.

Blondes in Mythology

Blondes first began appearing around 11,000 years ago during the last ice age, and have since become major figures in mythology. Two of the Norse goddesses, Sif and Freyja were blondes.

Sif was a wife of the god Thor. She was known for her golden hair and was described as the most beautiful of women. She once had her hair shaved off by Loki, the god of mischief. Her hair symbolised fertility and prosperity in agriculture.

The Blonde Goddess Freya

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Freyja was characterized as a goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was said to be the fairest of all goddesses. The Norse people often prayed to her for help in matters of love and to assist with childbirth.

Freyja was also known to assist in such things as war, battle, and death, magic, prophecy, and wealth. One mythical story tells of her receiving half of the dead lost in a battle in her hall Fólkvangr, while Odin took in the other half at Valhalla.

In European tales, fairies preferred blonde hair in people. Blonde babies were more likely to be taken from their cribs and switched with changelings. And young blonde women were often enticed to join the land of the fairies. And of course many of us know the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

Blonde Hair credit

Genetic History of Blondes

Natural blonde hair, is caused by a lack of a pigment called eumelanin. This pigment deficiency is what gives blondes their hair color.

The general explanation as to how blondes came into being, is related the need for Vitamin D and lower levels of sunlight in some regions. To compensate for the deficiency in sunlight, people with lighter hair and skin were born.

Blondes: Where are they now?

In Northern Europe, natural blondes are a common sight, especially around the southern areas of the Baltic Sea. Lighter pigmentation of eyes is also associated with people of this region. Some sources, such as Eupedia, claim that in central parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, 80% of the population is blonde, with natural fair-haired people in other Baltic Countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Poland and other parts of Scandinavia) making up 50-79% of the population.

Migration of blondes today can be seen across the globe as far as  America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (largely due to colonialism of the last 400-500 years).

The stories of blondes throughout history is fascinating and just a piece of all the amazing things in our past to explore and discover! The Baltic states host a rich spectrum of mythology, cultural heritage, migration and history waiting to be discovered.

Escape the Euro Woes: Discover the Baltic Region

Posted in Holiday Tips | by admin
December 8th, 2009

It seems like the standard holiday plans for people living in Europe are to visit other typical European countries like France and Spain. Travel between them is convenient and easy. Even Americans, when they think of a European vacation, don’t often consider Eastern Europe and the Baltic region or the northern Scandinavian countries.

When planning their European vacations, more people should take the time to research travel in these areas. They may find that some of these less-visited countries are more affordable. They will also discover the beauty, history, and diverse culture that they are missing out on.

Vistdal Valley in the Norwegian fjordscredit

Some of the smaller Baltic countries are the most beautiful and fascinating. Why not an Estonia holiday? Estonia in Northern Europe is bordered by Latvia and Russia. This small country once was a Soviet occupied nation and is now proud to be part of the European Union. The capital city of Tallinn is an ancient medieval town and is still in remarkable shape considering everything the country has been through.

Toompea Castle is one of Estonia’s oldest and grandest architectural groupingscredit

If you take an Estonia tour, you’ll see it has amazing beaches springing from lovely little oceanside towns. The Baltics aren’t the warmest place in the world, so swimming season is pretty limited. An Estonia holiday also offers lush forests, quaint villages, and imposing historic castles.

Another little known gem of the Baltic is Latvia. It, too, spent 50 years oppressed by Soviet occupation. Even though they are still striving to overcome this period in their history, this little country has a lot to offer travellers. Riga, the capital of Latvia, is known as a World Heritage Site. For a Latvian holiday, Liepaja is an ideal destination, with one of the best beaches on the Baltic Sea. Latvia also offers the world’s widest waterfall, Kuldiga, and its own medieval castles.

Although Lithuania has a pretty non-descript landscape, the beautiful cities, its history, and its culture make it worth a visit. Perhaps Lithuania’s most famous city is Vilnius, the capital. If you go on a Lithuanian tour, definitely don’t miss this city. Vilnius is a very typical eastern European city and is representative of the country’s history and culture.

Roses for sale at the 24 hour flower market in Vilnius, Lithuaniacredit

Two other Baltic countries are Russia and Poland and may be a little more traveled than these other smaller countries. Rich in history, beautiful architecture, and unique cultures, both of these countries offer a lot for vacationers.

The remaining portion of the Baltic is Scandinavia, which consists of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Although parts of the area extend north of the Arctic Circle, the weather is mild enough to support tourism year round. Cities like Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, and Reykjavik have distinct cultures and architecture and are full of history and never ending possibilities to keep a vacationer occupied.

Be Fascinated by the Unconventional Baltic

Posted in Holiday Tips | by admin
December 8th, 2009

Baltic Region Travel

A fabulous vacation in… Latvia?

That’s right: although conventional wisdom might not suggest the Baltic Region as high-ranking on the world’s must-see destinations, intelligent and thoughtful travelers find the Baltic Region to be a fascinating destination.

Scandinavia

North of the Baltic Sea are the nations of Scandinavia – Norway, Sweden, and Finland, as well as Denmark to the southwest. Vastly important in the history of Europe, Scandinavia is filled with important historic sites, including several impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites. Among these World Heritage sites, the inquisitive traveler will appreciate:

Denmark’s Jelling Mounds, where 10th century burial mounds, runic stones, and a historic church near Jutland.
Denmark’s Kronborg Castle, which is the setting of Shakespeare’s famous play “Hamlet”.

Denmark's Kronberg Castle credit

Norway’s prehistoric paintings in the far north at the Rock Art of Alta.
Sweden’s Hanseatic town of Visby, on the island of Gotland.
Finland’s Fortress of Suomenlinna, one of the most popular attractions in Helsinki.

When visitors get tired of the sites of cultural significance in Scandinavia, they still have plenty of natural wonders to tour, including whale watching and Norway’s Aurora Borealis.

Estonia

Bordering the Baltic Sea on the northeast is Estonia, a small nation that has been used as a pawn in international affairs since the days of ancient Rome. Over the centuries, the nation has been ruled by Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and alternately by the Soviet Union and the Third Reich. In 1991, Estonia finally became its own nation once again, and since then its economy has been named one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

All of these changes over the centuries makes Estonia a fascinating destination for tourists. Its cities represent a blend of different architectural influence over centuries of development, and its natural landscapes rival the natural wonders in any northern European nation.

Estonia has so much culture to be discoveredcredit

Latvia

South of Estonia is Latvia, another nation that is only recently coming into its own. Like Estonia, Latvia has changed hands many times over the centuries, and was occupied by Russian forces until 1994. Only a decade later, Latvia joined both NATO and the European Union. Today, Latvia is a mix of native Latvian speakers (Latvian and Lithuanian are the only two surviving Baltic languages of the Indo-European language family) and Russophones, and the culture too resembles in turns both Russian and Estonian cultures.

Students of European history will be interested to know that there are a surprising number of castles in Latvia, relative to its small size. Vikings used Latvia as a jumping-off point for trade routes that led deep into Russia and Byzantium, so remnants of Viking castles and archaeological sites still dot the Latvian landscape.

Latvian Song Festivalcredit

Other Nations to Visit in the Baltic Region

Besides the countries listed above, the Baltic region also includes Lithuania, Poland, and parts of Russia. Each of these nations has played a key role in European history, both ancient and modern, and each also has its share of natural wonders to visit. In Lithuania, the capital Vilnius has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2009; in Poland, take a somber but meaningful tour of Auschwitz; and in western Russia, who could skip the magnificent city of St. Petersburg, Russia’s cultural capital?

For the adventurous and creative world traveler, Europe’s northern and eastern nations bordering the Baltic Sea are hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.