soul birds :: sanna annukka

OMG, did my heart skip a beat when i saw these stunning wooden "soul birds" by finnish designer, sanna annukka. I am such a big fan of her prints but this is just above and beyond for me. she has a great love for nature and nordic folklore which beautifully translates into her modern illustrations.
The "soul birds" are based on a an ancient belief that the soul bird (or Sielulintu) was thought to deliver the soul to newborn babies and also to transport the soul to the afterlife at the moment of death. It was believed the Sielulintu protected a persons soul at it's most vulnerable; when dreaming, and it was tradition to keep a carved wooden bird by the bedside to keep the soul safe during sleep.