Lögberg-Heimskringla - 20.12.2002, Blaðsíða 8

page 8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • 20 December 2002
The Spell of Guðríður
Letter from Alyson
David Gislason
Arborg, MB
Continued from last issue
Sagas Confírmed
All this we read in the sagas,
those remarkable manuscripts of
the Icelanders of old. We know
without a doubt that they came
to Vinland, the evidence was
found at L’Anse aux Meadows
in Newfoundland. And now
archaeologists from UCLA have
made a remarkable discovery.
Just behind the church at
Glaumbær, these scientists have
discovered the existence of a
long buried longhouse, a big one
in the Nordic style. Under more
that a metre of sod and drift soil,
their instruments detected the
outline of the ancient structure,
and remnants uncovered have
been dated from around 1034, a
time when Guðríður and her
husband could have occupied
that very building.
The sagas go on to say that
after her husband died,
Guðríður travelled abroad,
made a pilgrimage south (to
Rome), and retumed to her son
Snorri’s farm. Nothing more
than that about an almost unbe-
lievable feat for a woman of
that time, now getting on in
years. Yes, it is hard to take that
cryptic notation seriously. This
would mean walking from
Scandinavia to Rome, to seek
absolution of her sins. What
could be the nature of these sins
that would drive her to these
lengths? Her reluctant partici-
pation in the séance in
Greenland? The haunting vision
in Vínland? Of course we will
never know the answer. What
we do know now is that the
archaeologists have uncovered
a shard of pottery, red clay of a
kind common in Italy. A tanta-
lizing clue, and no doubt there
will be more as the excavation
proceeds over the coming years.
The Old and the New
Connected
And so at Glaumbær we
have a two-fold treasure. We
have a living folk museum
where we can leam much about
life in Iceland going back some
two hundred years, and now,
with this most exciting fínd on
the same site we have the poten-
tial to leam much about what
took place there a thousand
years ago, as researchers
painstakingly uncover the past
from under the drift soil of
Skagafjörður. This is our histo-
ry that is coming to light there,
just as it is the history of every
Icelander today. And through
the New Iceland Heritage
Museum, we have a formal tie
with the museum at Glaumbær,
and with the Emigration Centre
at Hofsós just up the road. The
stories that all three have to tell
is irrevocably intertwined, and
it is a fascinating story indeed. I
hope that very soon we will
fmd, in this museum here in
Gimli, some tangible evidence
of this connection, perhaps a
photo exhibit depicting our
Icelandic counterparts.
As part of the millennium
celebrations of two years ago, a
statue of this heroic woman was
brought to our Capital City, a
counterpart to the one in the
churchyard at Glaumbær. These
statues are a powerful symbol,
not only of the remarkable
accomplishments of these early
Icelanders, but of the ties that
bind us as a people, from
Iceland to Canada. Our muse-
um here has the potential to
reflect that in much greater
detail, and I know that it will.
My heroine would want it that
way.
David Gislason delivered this
talk at the New Iceland Heritage
Museum’s Fall Fundraising
Dinner in Gimli.
Alyson Comack
Calgary, AB
You must be starting to
hear excited chatter in
your house about Santa, as I
see the T.V. commercials are
getting the children of America
all revved up to get Mommy &
Daddy to spend.
Ben, my youngest, always
has the knack of desperately
wanting whatever popular toy
is completely sold out. Last
year it was Pokemon Yellow
Game Boy Cartridge, the year
before, Ferbies, then Buzz
Light Year — and he was not
discouraged into changing his
mind, despite his mother’s
pleas that the factories were
sold out.
“Santa can make anything
at the North Pole, Mom.” (“No
dear, he subcontracts it out to
factories in under developed
countries like all other efficient
North American producers.”)
I am trying to be pro-active
this year and am grilling every
toy clerk in every store on what
are the fastest selling toys this
year. That way I can buy them
up before they’re all gone, hide
them in the basement and then,
three days before Xmas when
he fínally makes up his mind
three people away in the line
up to see Santa, I need only go
down to the basement to selec-
tively wrap the toy of his
choice. The rest I can sell in
the Bargain Finder for exorbi-
tant prices to other short- sight-
ed, panic stricken parents. (Just
Kidding!)
As you can see, I have been
a complete failure at staving off
the evil effects of Capitalism on
my two children. Seriously
though, the kid is in grade five
and isn’t about to admit that
there isn’t a Santa. I have had
similar conversations with my
other motherly friends. HOW
MUCH LONGER CAN WE
Argyle Transfer Ltd.
Specializing in livestock
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Wally & Linda Finnbogason
Stonewall, MB
Wally 467-8822 Mobile 981-1666
Daryl 322-5743 Mobile 981-5460
KEEP UP THIS DECEIT?!!
I’ve had enough of this sneak-
ing around at mítinight, while a
David-Duchuvney-Wannabe
lies awake upstairs trying to
catch me.
Stefanie was an easy tran-
m
sition. She hit grade four, heard
her parents filling her stock-
ings and recognized her moth-
er’s hand writing on the Santa
letter. She faced the situation
head on. Boxing Day we con-
firmed her worst fears and
extracted a blood oath from her
to not tell her brother. (of
course, four months later when
she lost a molar she suddenly
went pale and then exclaimed
“Not the Tooth Fairy too!!!” —
followed by: “The Easter
Bunny too?!!!” — so reality
didn’t sink in all the way).
So I think I have this one
last year to stand in line at
Santa and wrap presents in the
bathroom with the lock set,
then I am going to strategically
leave reading material lying
around such as “What to say
when Jr. asks if there is a
Santa.” That’s how I found out
in July of 1968, while thumb-
ing through a Xmas edition of
McCall’s magazine looking for
the Betsy McCall cutout dolls.
By the way, I could have saved
that magazine a lot of type
space since the simple answer
to that question is “No, but just
because Mommy and Daddy
lied doesn’t make it right for
you to lie!” Somehow they
managed to draw the whole
problem out for three pages.
Anyhow, stay warm and
enjoy these deceitful years as
apparently (according to the
old wise ones) we will look
back upon these days with
great fondness.
Love, Alyson
VlKING INN
Gimli, MB
(204) 642-5168
• 21 Renovated Rooms
• Gord Lee’s Chinese Dining
Ph. 642-5170
• “Two Friends” Nite Club
• Beer Store
Gleðileg jól og farsælt
komandi ár!
Þökkum liðnar
samverustundir.
Merry Christmas
and a Happy Nezv Year !
Dear friends.
m
Our time in Canada is running out. A new posting in
Beijing, China, becomes effective in early January.
The year and a half we have spent among you in
Canada has indeed added a new dimension to our lives.
Never before have we made so many friends in such a
short period of time. From the moment we arrived we
were surrounded by friends and we immediately felt at
home. Our Canadian-Icelandic friends always will have
a special place in our hearts. In our minds Manitoba
will always be a second home.
As we now prepare to leave we would like you to know
that you have made our lives richer and the good
memories we take along will stay with us forever.
Eygló and Eiður
PS: Our e-mail in Beijing remains the same as here:
eidur.gudnason@utn.stjr. is
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