The White Falcon - 20.10.2004, Blaðsíða 8

THE FIRST DAY
OF WINTER
BY E1NAR EORDARSON
FFSC INTERCULTURAL REEATIONS SPECIALIST
Chyme Month is the name of the first winter
month, and it seems to have had none other in
antiquity. The name recalls the slaughtering sea-
son. The first day of winter now falls on Saturday
in the period from 21-27 October. From around
1500 until after 1800, however, winter began on
a Friday, and under the Old Style this fell into
the period October 10 - 17. Like the first day of
summer, the first one of winter was a day for
religious services until 1744, and long after that
special readings of homilies would be conducted
in the home. Bishop Gudbrandur borlaksson calls
October Slaughter Month.
Winter banquets are frequently mentioned in the
old sagas that are supposed to have taken place
before or around the adoption of Christianity (1000
A.D.). In fact, no other seasonal events are men-
tioned as often, except for those at Christmas.
There are good reason for this. In autumn, the
supply of newly slaughtered meat was the largest
of the year, and the difficulties of preserving and
storing it, at a time when there were no freezing
facilities and salt was both expensive and hard to
come by, made it almost imperative that a large
portion of the fresh food be consumed quickly. The
grain harvest was also over, and ale for the banquet
would be most plentiful at this time.
Yet, contemporary sagas from the 12th and 13th
centuries make no mention at all of winter ban-
quets, although Christmas feasting, for example, is
still in vogue and no less lavish than before. This
changed, too, and has a logical explanation.
All such banquets are accompanied by some
rituals, in heathen times there seem to have been
sacrifices for a good and peaceful winter and toasts
to the heathen gods and spirits. But actually, there
was little reason to welcome the arrival of King
Winter, who was by no means an eagerly awaited
guest. It is likely, therefore, that any sacrifices to
heathen spirits at the winter banquets were made
for the purpose of inducing them to mildness, as
was earlier suggested in connection with borrablot
(Thorrablot).
When the Church began to strive for the abro-
gation of heathen customs, it seldom felt secure
enough to prohibit the banquet itself, people want
their bread and circus, but rather tried to change
its religious content and to shift its timing. Thus,
it is unlikely that the social gatherings in the
beginning of winter were discontinued. King Olaf
Tryggvason shifted the Autumn Ale to Michaela’s
Mass, but that day was not suitable in Iceland,
since the slaughtering season had not begun.
Evidence indicates, however that another day close
to the beginning of winter, All Saints Day, was
chosen as a replacement.
People tried to forecast the general weather
conditions for the winter just as they did at the
coming of summer. The best known methods were
auguries by the Milky Way, sheep’s, intestines, or
the spleen of cattle or horses.
The Milky Way was to be read from east to west,
and it was thought to be best visible in November.
It was divided into three sections, as the winter.
Where there were dense parts in the Milky Way,
the winter was supposed to be snowy at the cor-
responding time.
When bovine intestines were used, only the first
sheep slaughtered at home in the autumn could
be trusted. The intestines were inspected, begin-
ning at the abomasums, which signified the onset
of winter. From there, the route was downward.
Generally, there are some empty parts in the intes-
tines, there were taken to mean spells of severe
either, slashes in it, preferably by someone blind-
folded, and then it was hung up to dry. There are
some differences here over interpretation, whether
the slashes themselves or their depth were signifi-
cant, or rather the parts of the spleen between the
slashes, which seems to be the more commonly
held opinion. The spleen gradually whitens as it
dries, and those parts of it that first turned white
were supposed to indicate the times of winter when
the snow would be heaviest.
Considerable trust was put in the behavior of ani-
mals. This was true both of domesticated animals
and other creatures, such as mice, ravens, foxes,
and even worms and beetles.
ICELANDIC
PHRASES
Taladu haegar -Speak slower
(Talla thu high-gar)
Talar |ni ensku? -Do you speak English?
(Tallar thu ensku?)
Hvad heitir |>u? -What is your name?
(Kvath hate-irr thu?)
Hva6 er klukkan? -What time is it?
(Kvath air clue-caan?)
Hvar er snyrtingin? -Where is the restroom?
(Kvar air sneer-ting-in?)
THIS WEEK IN ICELANDIC HISTORY
October 15, 1975, Iceland declared that its territorial limits would be extended from 50 to 200 miles. By this a new “Cod War” ensued, in which the British sent
tugboats and warships to protect their trawlers and prevent the Icelandic coast guard from intervening.
October 16, 1890, the Governor dedicated a telephone line laid from Reykjavik to Hafnarijdrdur. This was the first time phones were used in Iceland.
October 17, 1941, a German submarine shot at an American warship close by Iceland. Eleven men died and they were the first American soldiers to lose their
life during WWII. The warship hardly made it to Whale bay.
October 18, 1913, the festival of lights held at Seydisfjordur when the electricity supply system of Seydisfjordur was initiated. This was the first electrical sup-
ply system providing a whole community with electrical power.
October 22, 1253, Flugumyrabrenna, the farm Flugumyri burned down by Sturlungar. In the fire 25 people lost their lives. Gissur borvaldsson managed to hide
and later he avenged this act.
October 24, 1944, the Canadian warship Skeena was stranded at Videy island by Reykjavik. 15 men died but 198 were rescued.
October 25, 1852, the elementary school of Eyrabakki was established. This school is the oldest elementary school in Iceland still operating.
October 26, 1961, volcanic eruptions in mount Askja.
October 26, 1965, Reykjanesbrautin or route 41 from Keflavik to I lafnarfjordur, officially opened. This was the first real paved highway. The construction took
five years. For few years people had to pay toll to drive this route.
October 26, 1986, Hallgrimschurch in Reykjavik officially opened. The construction took 41 years.
October 27, 1674, Hallgrimur Petursson a priest and a poet died at the age of 60. He was one of Iceland greatest poet and best known for his Passion Psalms
about the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
October 27, 1955, the Swedish Academy awarded the Icelandic writer Halldor Kiljan Laxness with the Noble Price in literature.
October 28, 1780, the brothers from Reynisstadur north of Iceland were heading home from the south crossing Kjolur, they were 5 together with 180 sheep and
16 horses. They never made across the interior.
October 29, 1919, the daily paper Aljiydubladid published for the first time. Editor was Olafur Fridriksson.
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The White Falcon
October 20, 2004