Zone:Amanda

Amanda
Amanda.png
Picture taken by Lazytraveller
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Information
DifficultyDifficulty1.png
LocationHelsinki, Etelä-Suomi, Finland
SurfacePaving stone
Created2015-12-31 06:00:00
Amanda at Turfgame.com


Amanda is a turfzone in the municipality of Helsinki in the region of Etelä-Suomi (Southern Finland) in Finland. The zone is located in the province of Uusimaa.

Placement[edit]

This zone is placed by the fountain Havis Amanda on the Helsinki Market Square in the South Harbour.

Havis Amanda[edit]

Havis Amanda is a fountain and a statue in Helsinki, Finland by the sculptor Ville Vallgren (1855–1940). The work was modelled in 1906 in Paris, and erected at its present location at the Helsinki Market Square in Kaartinkaupunki in 1908. Today it is recognized as one of the most important and beloved pieces of art in Helsinki.

It was unveiled on September 20, 1908. The work drew strong criticism at first, especially from women. Its nakedness and seductiveness were considered inappropriate. Not all groups objected to the nudity per se, but putting it on a pedestal was thought to subjugate women by sexually objectifying them and making them appear weak. Some women's rights groups criticised the look of the figure as plain or "a common French whore", lacking innocence. The sea lions, with their human tongues hanging out, were said to represent men lusting after the mademoiselle. Vallgren considered himself a worshipper of women. Many in the cultural elite of Finland considered Vallgren an outsider and had judged his work even before it was finished. A good friend of his, Albert Edelfelt, was instrumental through his influence in getting the work ordered.

Vallgren himself simply called the work Merenneito (English: The Mermaid), but it quickly started to get additional nicknames. The Finland-Swedish newspapers dubbed it Havis Amanda and the Finnish Haaviston Manta or simply Manta. Havis Amanda is the common name used in brochures and travel guides.

Every year on Vappu, Manta serves as a centrepiece for the celebrations. Students of the local universities place a student cap on the head of the statue in an elaborate ceremony called "Mantan lakitus" ("The capping of Manta").

Turf Issues[edit]

Nearby zones[edit]

External links[edit]