Lögberg - 13.10.1949, Blaðsíða 5

LÖGBERG, FIMTUDAGINN, 13. OKTÓBER, 1949.
5
AHUGAMAL
LVENNA
Ritstjóri: INGIBJÖRG JÓNSSON
MODERN SAGA WOMEN
By Jakobina Johnson
Until very recently, the island in the north Atlantic with the
cool white name of Iceland was viewed by the average person
through a haze of the remote and little known. It was figuratively
curtained off from the rest of the world. During World War II,
however, that curtain went up, the spotlight was turned on, and
the country’s position was constantly termed strategic in the
daily news. Iceland is now on the Great Circle Route, with several
hundred airplanes touching at the large and important airfield of
Keflavik every month. Two recent memorable dates of major im-
portance in the island’s history will be 1944, when Iceland became
a republic again on June 17, and 1946, when Iceland joined the
United Nations.
Democracy depends on the en-
lightenment and cooperation of
its citizens for its successful
functioning. How active are the
women of this small new repub-
lic, considered in the light
of these obivious require-
ments? With a background of
old established culture, in a
country which provides both
charm and challenge, Iceland
furnishes an interesting natural
setting for its family life. The
traveler from abroad freqently
observes that the women of Ice-
land possess much natural
charm and dignity. The Sagas,
and subsequent history, prove
that they, from the very beginn-
ing of settlement in the island,
have nobly met the challenge of
their isolated and arid environ-
ment. Now they have, for some
time, been faced with the new
challenge of a sudden change in
the mode and tempo of living.
For the whole family of nations,
the atmosphere of the present
seems to be charged with an
exacting and 'ominous quality,
unknown in the past.
In each period of their history
the Icelandic women have held
their own with the intelligence
and firmness of character which
has produced some outstanding
personalities. These natural
gifts have survived the hard-
ships of the past. They endear
the women, as a class, to the ser-
ious observer.
Briefly stated, the tremendous
handicaps of the past were the
isolation and poverty of the
country, with its sparsely popu-
lated areas; the lack of schools
and colleges for formal educa-
tion; and, finally, the denial of
political rights. The picture is
now completely changed on all
three counts.
The change in the living and
working conditions for the
women is revolutionary since the
waterfalls and the hotsprings of
the country have become public
utilities. On the whole, the
women now experience more
general well-being than ever be-
fore. The standard of living for
the whole country is very good
in spite of rationing and other
controls. All the modern means
of communication and travel are
at hand. Equal suffrage came
into effect in 1915. Schools and
colleges are open to men and
women alike. The women are
now enjoying privileges in the
field of formal education un-
dreamed of in the not so distant
past. The general level of formal
culture in Iceland, however, has
long been recognized as good. It
has been traditional for each
home that reading, as well as
native arts and crafts, should be
taught to the next generation
and thus preserved and passed
on.
A college for women was
established in Reykjavik in
1875. This was followed by a few
smafler ones in other parts of
the country. As in other depart-
ments of culture and economy,
real progress set in with the
turn of the century. ln 1911, the
University of Iceland was
founded; the records show one
woman attending and taking her
degree in medicine, the first one
in the country. Now there are
several women doctors and den-
tists, and the nursing profession
is fairly well staffed with cap-
able women. Women did not
begin to attend the university in
numbers until after 1924. Out
of a present enrollment of 550
students, there are ninety-eight
women. Their interests seem to
be languages, medicine, and law.
This year, there are seventy-two
in liberal arts and philosophy,
nineteen in medicine, and seven
in law. Statistics show that
those studying medicine and law
are most likely to attain degrees.
The intermediate schools
(high schools and junior coll-
eges) are well attended by girls.
They- graduate from these
schools and the Teachers’ Coll-
ege, the Commercial School, the
ever-popular Home Economics
Schools, and Women’s Colleges
in good numbers. The women’s
colleges and schools of home
economies are organized and
staffed by women. So far, there
has been no Icelandic woman
professor on the University fac-
ulty, nor are there any women
teaching in the junior colleges
(Mentaskólar). But in urban
high schools (Gagnfræða skól-
ar) there are thirteen women
teachers out of a total of eighty-
siv and in the rural high schools,
four out of forty-threé. The
Teachers’ College has one
woman on a staff of nine. Ele-
mentary school teachers for the
whole country number 538, with
about 22% women, or 140.
There is a shortage of teachers,
so that this field continues open
for the women of the country.
Women teachers receive pay
equal to the men teachers.
In January, 1948, Iceland had
a population of 135,935, includ-
ing 69,035 women. Women out-
number the men in the towns,
but not in the rural areas. At
the present time, there is no
woman representative in the
Althing (Parliament), but in
the past there have been two.
However, the state treasurer,
for a period of years, has been a
woman—a woman with charm
as well as efficiency. Equally
pleasing to meet is the woman
who heads the all-important
weather bureáu. Her responsib-
ility impresses the visitor at the
new and well-planned naviga-
tion school, so prominent on the
skyline of Reykjavik’s harbor.
The city council of Reykjavik
has fifteen members, four of
whom are women. They are
active in such work as affects
schools and playgrounds, public
health and welfare. Women are
noticeable as clerks in oífices and
business houses. A notable num-
ber are shopkeepers in their own
right.
The fact that Iceland is so
small gives special significance
to the many artists and other
versatile people. The number of
active and organized groups,
with their varied interests, is
also unique. The women, as may
be extpected, are represented in
any one of the art groups. They
also publish a smart-appearing
monthly magazine of general in-
terest—as well as an annual re-
lating to home economics and
another one of literature only.
Once a week, a half-hour of
radio time is at their disposal.
And do they still preserve their
traditional art expression in the
home through weaving and oth-
er art crafts? Yes, they do.
A woman visitor readily dis-
covers that Icelandic women are
organized and active in numer-
ous clubs and societies. The first
thing she may hear is a cónven-
tion, in Reykjavik, of the Asso-
ciation for Women’s Rights; the
next, may be that the Federation
of Women for Home Arts and
Crafts for all the Scandinavian
Countries is holding an exhibit,
as well as a convention of dele-
gates. Closely following, may
come an ivitation to a meeting
with the North Coast Women in
their annual meeting of repre-
sentatives. In every community,
the women’s soeieties seem to be
active for general welfare and
progress. In Reykjavik, women
are particularly prominent, for
there resides fully one third of
the entire populaíiou' of Iceland.
Organizations carry out a var-
iety of projects. Ladies auxil-
iaries to political parties, work-
ers’ unions, housewives’ clubs,
the women’s library or book
clubs, arts and crafts, church
and charities—all perform their
special services. Many women
are also active in Red Cross
work. During the stress of the
war, they collected money and
materials for other countries in
amounts and quantities truly
surprising. All this, and much
more that could be told, would
seem to prove that the women
are, indeed, learning to do by
doing—grasping the principle
of cooperation for the common
good, so all-important in a
democracy.
Over a period of years, a
number of young women have
gone abroad for specalized edu-
cation or training. At first, this
was chiefly for home economics
and then nursing—in particular,
work in obstetrics. Many of
these young women went to
Scandinavia—a few to Britain
or Germany. After 1939, stud-
ents came mostly to American
schools and colleges and here
pursued a great variety of
studies. These women are sure
to bring back, besides their
specialized training, a general
awareness of other cultures and
trends— and especially a feel-
ing for the responsibilities all
must share in the family of na-
tions. Through exchange of stu-
dents and teachers and the
friendly exchange of traveling
cultural exhibits, books, period-
icals—and, yes, correspondence
—goals of international under-
standing are realized. The wo-
men of Iceland will be among
the first to overcome the langu-
age barrier. They learn English
in the schools, and foreign
languages are widely used in the
country.
The women of Iceland have
many plans for the future. The
traveler is told about the pro-
posed club house for women to
be built in Reykjavik, shown the
location and the plans, and told
that a large sum of money has
been accumulated, but not the
foreign currency necessary to
purchase the building materials.
So, this worthy project must
wait—for, right now, times are
difficult. There are women in
Iceland interested and ready to
take part in conferences abroad
for world peace—or exhibitions
Sigurbjörg Daviðsdóttir Bergmann
1864 — 1949
Sigurbjörg Davíðsdóttir fædd-
ist 18. ágúst 1864 að Bakkaseli
í Fnjóskárdal í Suður-Þingeyj-
arsýslu. Foreldrar hennar voru
hjónin Davíð Davíðsson frá
Reykjum í Fnjóskárdal og Anna
Jónsdóttir frá Sigluvík á Sval-
barðsströnd. Níu ára gömul
fluttist hún með foreldrum sín-
um til Vesturheims. Var það ár-
ið 1873. Fjölskyldan settist að í
Muskokahéraðinu í Ontario, og
dvaldi þar til ársins 1886, er hún
flutti til Mountain, N. Dak. Þar
dó Davíð eftir fárra vikna dvöl,
en ekkjan flutti litlu síðar til
Gardar með börnum sínum,
Guðmundi og Sigurbjörgu.
Haustið 1887 giftist Sigur-
björg Jóni Sigfússyni Berg-
mann, ungum efnismanni, og
reistu þau bú í Garðarbyggð. í
bygðinni, eða Garðarbæ, bjuggu
þau öll sín búskaparár, að und-
anteknu einu ári, er þau áttu
heima í Edinburg, N. Dak. Jón
stundaði ýmist búskap, búðar-
vinnu eða pósthússtjórn. í heim-
ili Bergmannshjónanna eyddi
Anna Davíðsson síðustu árum
ævi sinnar og naut ástúðlegrar
umönnunnar dóttur sinnar.
Þau Jón og Sigurbjörg Berg-
mann eignuðust fimm börn,
fjörar dætur og einn son. Sonur-
inn Gestur, frábærlega efnilegt
barn, dó á barnsaldri. Móðir
hans harmaði hann mjög alla
ævi. Elzta dóttirin, Anna, giftist
SigUrði Sigurðssyni, bónda í
Gardarbygð. Hún dó frá manni
sínum og fimm börnum árið
1928, og var mjög harmdauði
móður sinni sem öðrum. Þrjár
dætur eru á lífi: Þórunn, Mrs.
J. G. Gillis, í Wynyard, Sask.,
Valgerður, Mrs. Einar Myrdal
að Edinburg, N. Dak. og Kristín,
fyrst gift B. A. Einarsson, og
síðar H. Björnson, að Garðar,
N. Dak. Átján barnabörn, og níu
barnabarnabörn eru á lífi.
Mrs. Bergmann var kona virt
og vel metin í sinni bygð. Hún
var prýðilega vel greind, vönd-
uð til orða og verka, nærgætin,
velviljuð, ósérhlífin og óeigin-
gjörn. Hún vildi í öllu láta gott
af sér leiða og öllum gott gjöra.
Hún var sterk trúuð kona og
hafði óbilandi traust á gæsku-
ríkri handleiðslu guðs, hvort
sem strítt eða blítt bar að hönd-
um.
Þegar gullfundurinn í Klon-
dike, skömmu fyrir aldamótin
varð til þess að kveikja óvið-
ráðanlega löngun og útþrá í
hugum framgjarnra manna um
allt landið, var Jón Bergmann
í hópi þeim hinum mikla, sem
lagði í gullleit norður til Alaska,
vongóður um að hann mundi
þar afla sér fjár og frma. Mis-
jafnlega rættust vonir þessara
ferðamanna. En erfitt reyndist
sumum þeirra að gefast upp og
varð það gjarnan til að tefja
heimför þeirra, Jóns meðal
annara.
Á þessu tímabili varð það
hlutskipti Mrs. Bergmanns að
annast ein um uppeldi dætra
of art crafts—but the financial
conditions of the present pro-
hibit this.
The feeling of kinship with
other nations, which is a deep-
felt need in the world, was pro-
moted in Iceland by the compell-
ing contacts of the war. More
than one woman will tell the
visitor of her son or daughter-
in-law born under a different
flag—or of a letter from the
mother of someone who was
stationed at this artic outpost.
This side of the story of the
occupation will probably never
be written. But this short poem
ic woman demonstrates that it
from the pen of an Iceland-
deserves a chapter all its own!
(Fossvog is the name of a new
cemetery, a short distance from
Reykjavik, where the war casu-
alties of the Americans, the
English, and Norwegians were
laid to rest.)
The soldiers’ graves in Fossvog
Are on a southern slope.
They’re marked by plain white crosses
Of unpretentious scope.
I look at the small white crosses,
By wintry sunlight kissed,
But what I see in the distance
Is the homes where all are missed.
From east and west they responded
Like leaves that drifted or fell.
Who can measure the heart-ache,
Or count the tears of farewell?
’Twas shed in many regions,
The sacred blood of youth,
In the cause of hurrvan freedom,
For the love of home and truth.
And Saga can not record it,
For the concept is out of reach.
The abyss of grief and terror
Is far beyond human speech.
It matters not where it happened,
Where soldier or sailor sleeps.
His grave is not forgotten.
A nation knows it and weeps.
é
In the Fossvog cemetery
Are crosses marked Skjalg and Leif,
Sons of Norway from Sogn and Maeri
Who wished their homeland safe.
I write in the snowdrift firmly:
Pure is the gift you give.
You laid your life on the altar,
And att, that Norway might live.
I mourn for you, silent heroes.
Your homeland is proud I know.
Your record of deep devotion
Will not be written in snow.
Modest the graves in Fossvog
The fleecy snowdrifts hide.
The names are from diverse regions,
But the crosses side by side.
—Pi Lambda Theta Journal
(This poem is by Frú Lára Árnadóttir and is translated by
Jakobina Johnson.)
sinna. En hún var mjög kær-
leiksrík móðir og fórnfús. Bless-
aðist* þetta starf hennar vel, og
dyggðir og mannkostir stúlkn-
anna voru launin hennar fyrir
samviskusamlega unnið starf.
Eftir að dæturnar giftust og
fóru að heiman hélt Sigurbjörg
áfram heimilishaldi, og búskap
í smáum stíl, með það fyrir aug-
um, að meðan hún héldi heilsu
og kröftum skyldi heimilið ætíð
opið og reiðubúið hverri dóttur
sinni, sem af einhverjum á-
stæðum vildi nota það með sér.
Það atvikaðist líka þannig, að
Anna var hjá móður sinni um
nokkurra ára skeið með fjöl-
skyldu sína. Einnig var Þórunn
þar um tíma með sitt fólk. Og
ekki stóð á góðum viðtökum,
þegar Kristín, þá nýorðin ekkja,
kom heim til móður sinnar með
fimm ung börn, um haustið 1931.
Unnu þær mæðgur saman að
því að ala upp þennan unga
barnahóp. Mikið ástríki tókst
með ömmunni og þessum börn-
um, og ma með sanni segja, að
þau hafi verið gleðin hennar í
ellinni.
Kristín giftist í annað sinn
og átti þá Hjálmar Björnson,
bónda úr Eyford byggðinnL
Þau tóku við heimili Mrs. Berg-
mann, og hjá þeim átti hún
heima til æviloka við hið bezta
atlæti.
Jón Bergmann dó í marzmán-
uði 1926 og var jarðsunginn í
grafreit Garðarsafnaðar. En Sig
ríður dó í svefni 13. ágúst eftir
stutt sjúkdómsstríð. Hún var
greftruð 16. ágúst og lögð við
hlið mannsins síns. Séra Egill
H. Fáfnis jós hana moldu í við-
urvist fjölmennis, sem fylgdi
hinni góðu og velmetnu konu til
hinzta hvílustaðarins.
K. H. O.
Stjórnarkreppa
Samsteypust j órnin í Frakk-
landi undir forustu Quewille,
sem farið hefir með völd í Frakk
landi síðastliðna fjórtán mánuði
baðst lausnar í fyrri viku vegna
ágreinings innan ráðuneytisins
í sambandi við fjármálin og
kröfu verkamanna um kaup-
hækkun; myndun nýs ráðuneyt-
is hefir reynst torveld, og býr
Frakland þar af leiðandi við al-
varlega stjórnarkreppu eins og
sakir standa; svo getur auðveld-
lega farið, a&forsetinn sjái þann
kost vænstan að rjúfa þing og
efna til nýrra kosninga.
. . . Kaldara veðri
spáð
og EATON’S
til taks!
—til að fullnægja haust- og
vetrarþörfum yðar.
Hlý vetrarf|t fyrir hvern með
lim fjölskyldunnar.
—Útbúnaður til vetrariþrðtta,
falleg húsgögn, myndir og
gólfteppi til að gera heimilið
vistlegra yfir veturinn — bæk
ur, hljðmplötur og hljððfæri
til að stytta kvölidvökuna, og
hitt og annað til viðgerða fyr-
ir þá iðjusömu.
Svo að segja alt, sem til þess
þarf að gera köldu dagana,
sem framundan biða, ánægju-
lega og arðvæniega.
Flettið upp I hinni miklu verð
skrá og pantiö það, sem þið
þarfnist yfir veturinn nú þeg-
ar.
^T. EATON CSU.
WtNNIPEG CANADA
EATON'S
..