Lightqueen

Lucia ( = lux = light ) - "the bright one".

In Sweden we celebrate Lucia on the 13:th of december.

INTERESTING ABOUT THIS:
Long ago, people of north Sweden belived that the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, was a dangerous night when all supernatural creatures were on the move, magic was strong and animals could talk.
This was a night when one did best in staying inside and awake all night to be safe. In midevil times people held great fiests that lasted all through the night and the big christmas pig was slaughtered.
People worshiped the light on this day, possibly a heathen light-goddess, to drive away the darkness.

Later, when christianity came this far north, the tradition transformed into the Lucias celebration.
The light goddess took the shape of Saint Lucia, a christian saint from Syracus that died the marture death in the year of 304.
Nowadays, when someone is shosen to represent Lucia in the yearly celebration, she (yes, even today it is almost always a girl that is chosen) wears a white garment and a red band around her waist that is supposed to symbolise the marture death of Lucia, but apart from that, not much in the Swedish tradition is connected to the christian saint - I guess we remain heathens to this day, lol.

MORE INTERESTING FACTS: In some parts of the land, people used to believe in the "Lussebride", "Lussekäringen" or simply the "Lussi", a female demon or witch, that on this night rode over the sky with her "Lussiferda" (her companions or minions), crept down the chimneys and took away naughty children or punished those who had not finished all their housely preparations for christmas. It was very important in the old farming society that everything had been prepared before this day (so that christmas could come in peace I guess).
I some parts of the land the demon was of a mans shape, called Lussegubben.

I started this piece on the morning of Lucia-day, when watching "Lucia morning" on tv with a nice cup of tea and all wrapped up in covers and blankets. This morning my favourite morning of the whole year, because it's so goddamn cosy that it makes it worth getting up early (which NO OTHER day does). It brings back memories from when I was a little kid and used to sleep over at my grandmothers and we woke up really early to catch the Lucia morning-broadcast and have breakfast in the gentle light of burning candles.
Lucia morning is a live broadcast from an early dawn consert somewhere in Sweden, where a great Lucia-choir sings really beautiful songs, mostly with folk or christian, christmas, winter, light and darkness-themes.

ABOUT THE PIECE: I did draw a "classic" Lucia with the garment and red waistband, very probably because I got the idea to draw her spontangeously after watching the Lucias on tv and got all mooshy by the thought of Lucia as a symbol of peace and light in the darkness, but after making it and looking up the history of the celebration(just for the fun of it), I which I had known a lot more about the Lussi-witch and the saint Lucia beforehand.
I think all these "versions" of her are very interesting and I want to portray them too. I might even do it later, perhaps next year if not before.. 

SO ANYWAY - after this long information that I hope you found interesting(if you read it) - I would like to which all you guys a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Let us this new year be kinder and more understanding to those who are weak and poor - and stand firm and strong against what is wrong and evil.
Let the darkness that creeps upon us from every corner be gone and light come back to the whole world, no matter who you are, where you come from, what you belive in or who you love.

//Jon

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art "Lightqueen" is © emma Jontamar selberg
It is not allowed to take, copy or in any way use this piece "Lightqueen" without my special permission. But please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions : ) Thank you! <3