Lögberg-Heimskringla - 25.04.1963, Blaðsíða 4

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LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FIMMTUDAGINN 25. APRlL 1963
Lögberg-Heimskringlo
Published every Thursday by
NORTH AMERICAN PUBLISHING CO. LTD.
Printed by
WALLINGFORD PRESS LTD.
303 Kennedy Street, Winnipeg 2, Man.
Ediior: INGIBJÖRG JÓNSSON
EDITORIAL BOARD
Winnipeg: Dr. P. H. T. Thorlakson, chairman, Próf. Haraldur
Bessason, vice-chairman, Mrs. Ingibjörg Jónsson, sec’y, Dr.
Valdimar J. Eylands, Miss Caroline Gunnarsson, Prof. Thor-
valdur Johnson, Prof. Tryggvi J. Oleson, Rev. Phiíip M. Péturs-
son. Vancouver: Dr. S. E. Björnsson. Monlreal: Próf. Askell
Löve. Minneapolis: Mr. Valdimar Björnson. Grand Forks: Dr.
Richard Beck. Reykjavík: Birgir Thorlacius ráðuneytisstjóri.
Akureyri: Steindór Steindórsson yfirkennari.
Subscription $6.00 per year—payable in advance.
TELEPHONE WH. 3-9931
Authorlzed as second class mall by the Post Office Department, Ottawa,
and for payment of postage in cash.
Góða ferð, — við biðjum að heilsa
Síðan að mörg hundruð Vestur-íslendingar sigldu til Is-
lands á þúsund ára afmælishátíð Alþingis 1930 hafa aldrei
eins margir búið sig til íslandsferðar eins og í ár. Áhugi
þeirra fyrir að heimsækja ættjörðina fór vaxandi eftir að
hægt var að fljúga heim, ekki sízt síðan flugfélagið Loftleiðir
hóf beinar flugferðir milli New York og íslands.
Hópferðirnar verða tvær í ár, hundrað og tíu manns frá
Vancouver og um fjörtíu manns frá Winnipeg. íslendingar
í Kaliforníu reyndu að stofna til hópferðar og umsóknir um
far bárust frá sextíu manns en það var ekki nægilega stór
hópur til þess að hægt væri að leigja flugfar, þó mun margt
af þessu fólki fara til íslands í sumar, þó ekki verði í einum
hóp. Og eins fór um fyrirhugaða hópferð íslendinga í Toronto.
Líklega er, að um tvö til þrjú hundruð Vestur-íslendingar
verði viðstaddir hátíðahöldin á íslandi 17. júní í sumar.
I tilefni þessarar fjölmennu heimsóknar V.-íslendinga
til ættjarðarinnar var efnt til þessarar sérstöku útgáfu Lög-
bergs-Heimskringlu og er hún að sjálfsögðu helguð íslandi.
1 þessum hóp sem til Islands fer, verða menn og konur á
öllum aldri, fólk sem var komið til fullorðins ára er það
kvaddi ættjörðina og hefir lengi þráð að sjá átthaga sína og
hitta bernskuvini á ný; fólk, sem á aðeins æskuspor sín á
íslandi, og vill glöggva minningmyndir sínar um bernsku-
stöðvarnar, dalina, fjöllin, fljótin og fossana; menn og konur
af íslenzkum ættum sem borin eru og barnfædd hér í álfu
og hafa aldrei ísland litið, en eiga samt í huga sínum og
sál dýrðlegar myndir af ættlandinu, sem foreldri þeirra,
afar og ömmur, hafa málað fyrir þeim. I þessum hóp verður
og margt yngra fólk, sem á örðugt með að mæla á íslenzka
tungu, en íslenzkt blóð streymir í æðum þess engu síður en
hinna, og það langar til að kynnast frændum sínum á Is-
landi. Fáeinir fylgjast með hópnum sem venzlaðir eru Is-
lendingum en eru orðnir íslenzkir í anda vegna sambúðar-
innar við þá. Við væntum þess að frændur okkar á íslandi
kenni íslenzka hjartalagið, er einkennir marga gestina sem
að garði ber, hvort þeir mæla á íslenzku eða ekki. —
Vestur-íslendingum hefir jafnan verið hjartanlega fagnað
á Islandi; nú er þegar verið að undirbúa virðulegar móttökur
fyrir íslandsfaranna bæði í Reykjavík og í höfuðborg norður-
lands, Akureyri, svo sem skýrt er frá í þessu blaði. Þessi
útgáfa blaðsins er eins og bróðurhönd rétt yfir hafið; kveðj-
urnar, greinarnar og auglýsingarnar, sem í því birtast, bera
vott um, hve frændur okkar austan hafs láta sé annt um
að styrkja sambandið við okkur hér vestan hafs. Við gætum
trúað að margir hefðu ánægju af að lesa auglýsingarnar. Við
viljum benda ferðafólkinu á, að hafa blaðið með sér til ís-
lands, sér til minnis um, hvert það eigi að snúa sér, ef það
vanhagar um eitthvað. —
Við metum líka það, er heimafólk okkar hefir lagt til
blaðsins, ágætar greinar, ferðasögur til íslands og fl. Þess
má og geta að Grettir ræðismaður Johannson átti hugmynd-
ina að þessari „túrista“ útgáfu og hefir veitt ritstjóranum
góða aðstoð sína svo og próf. Haraldur Bessason.
Til er ætlast að þessi sérstaka útgáfa blaðsins sé eins-
konar leiðarvísir fyrir ferðafólkið ekki einungis þá, sem fara
í sumar heldur og þá sem fara síðar meir. Við væntum þess
að allir skilji, að nauðsynlegt var að hafa nokkrar greinar
í blaðinu á ensku. Við viljum hvetja fleiri en þá, sem ís-
lenzku lesa, til að heimsækja ættjörðina. Við munum prenta
stærra upplag en venjulega af þessu blaði. Sendið okkur
nöfn og heimilisföng kunningja ykkar, sem óska þess að
fræðast um ísland, og munum við þá senda þeim „túrista"
útgáfuna ókeypis.
Við biðjum pílagrímana að flytja landi og þjóð kveðjur
okkar hinna sem heima sitjum. Við fögnum því að þeir eiga
kost á, að dvelja um stund í hinni „nóttlausu voraldar ver-
öld, þar sem viðsýnið skín.“ Við árnum þeim fararheilla.
Dr. P. H. T. Thorlakson:
Some Recollection Of Visits
To lceland
In June, 1963, two large
aircraft will leave Vancouver
and Winnipeg for Iceland. The
passengers will be, for the
most part, Americans or Can-
adians of the first or second
generation whose grand-par-
ents or parents left Iceland
between 1870 and 1905. During
this period, approximately
8,000 persons, one-tenth of the
population of the island,
emigrated to North America.
They had several reasons for
emigrating. For forty years,
the north of Iceland had been
beset with calamity. Repeated
volcanic eruptions had de-
stroyed thousands of acres of
pasture-land. During the sum-
mer months, the weather was
cold. As a consequence, the
sheep were poorly fed and
died by the thousands. Ice-
packs filled the northern
fjords, hindering the fisher-
men going out to sea. Trade
was partly controlled by a
Danish monopoly. Fortunately
these circumstances have all
changed, but as a result
of them at the time many
families left the sagaland
of their childhood for
America. In spite of all the
hardships these people con-
tinued to cherish a vivid
mental picture of their home-
land with its mountains, wat-
er-falls, and the encircling
sea. The sea from which they
had obtained much of their
sustenance had, for a thousand
years, served as a “perimeter
high-way” on which they
could sail around their island
home.
Like most emigrants to
America, the Icelanders first
established small separate
communities. In spite of this
temporary isolation they soon
became active in the affairs
of the countries of their adop-
tion. With the passing of years
and with the arrival of
children and grand-children,
their deep yearning to visit
their home-land possibly be-
came less intense. Neverthe-
less, they became more and
more determined to inculcate
in the minds of their children
an understanding and an ap-
preciation of Iceland’s long
and eventful history, its
ancient classic language and
its great literature. This at-
tachment to the old land
lingers on even among those
of the present generation,
many of whom will visit Ice-
land for the first time this
summer.
What will be their impres-
sion and reactions? Will they
be elated or disappointed by
this new experience? What
will they say about the land-
scape and the climate? Will
Iceland suffer, by comparison,
with the high mountain ranges
and the majestic forests of the
Pacific coast; or with the
gorgeous sunsets over the
Western prairies in the au-
tumn when the vast wheat
fields yield their bounteous
harvest; or with the beautiful
lakes and rivers of Eastern
Canada and its countryside
bedecked in its fall finery
with the crimson foliage of
the hard maples and the
brilliant yellows of the box-
elders and other trees.
Every country, of course,
has its special appeal and
scenic attraction for its own
inhabitants. The travellers
response to his surroundings
is, however, determined as
much by how he feels and by
what he knows, as by what he
sees. His capacity to respond
and to appreciate may vary
with his mood and with the
state of the weather.
Travelling is an excellent
educational experience pro-
vided the individual prepares
himself or herself diligently
beforehand. Those who read
and study before they go will
come home with the greatest
knowledge and understanding.
Grealey said that “Our object
in travelling should be, not
to gratify curiosity and seek
temporary amusement, but
to learn, and to venerate, and
to improve the understanding
of the heart“.
Mrs. Thorlakson and I have
visited Iceland on three oc-
casions. Each time we have
returned home with greater
understanding, with lasting
memories and new friend-
ships.
In 1930, we sailed from
Montreal with a group of
Canadians and Americans
who were going to Iceland to
witness the celebration of the
thousand year anniversary of
the Icelandic Parliament (the
Althing).
On the second evening after
our arrival in Reykjavik, the
Medical Society held a ban-
quet to which the late Dr. B. J.
Brandson and I were invited.
Dr. Brandson was, of course,
well-known to the people of
Iceland. After a most sump-
tuous dinner and many excel-
lent speeches the Toastmaster,
the late Dr. Thordur Edilons-
son of Hafnarfjordur, called
upon Dr. Brandson to reply
which he did in his usual
thoughtful and eloquent
manner. Sometime after mid-
night, the Chairman called on
me for a few remarks. With
some reluctance, I attempted
to express some words of ap-
preciation in Icelandic, and to
explain my predicament. I
reminded our hosts that I
laboured at home in Winni-
peg under the same handicap
that I was now experiencing
at this function in Reykjavik.
By way of illustration, I re-
ported the following incident
that had occurred during the
week prior to our departure
by train to Montreal: My
nurse announced that a man
about eighty years of age, was
waiting for me in one of my
consulting rooms. As we shook
hands, he said: “Ert þú Thor-
björn læknir?” “Já”, sagði jeg.
“Jæja þá” sagði gamli mað-
urinn. “Jeg skal segja þér al-
veg eins og satt er. Jeg fór
fyrst til Dr. Brandson eins og
allir góðir menn gera, en hann
var þá ekki heima“.
In 1930, the Government of
Iceland had developed a
circular road from Reykjavik
to the ancient Plains of
Parliament, a distance of 30
miles. This excellent arrange-
ment provided transportation
facilities for the many thous-
ands of visitors. The afternoon
that our party, billeted in the
new “Old Folks’ Home”, left
Reykjavik was cold and wet.
All the curtains of the seven
passenger touring car were
tightly closed. Our chauffeur
was apparently unwilling to
travel too fast along this wet,
gravel roadway. After travel-
ling for a time in the heavy
rain, we were stopped by a
motorcycle policeman. He re-
monstrated with the driver for
holding up the traffic. The
driver without a moments
hesitation, said to the police-
man, in Icelandic, that he had
to drive very carefully be-
cause all the occupants in his
car were from the old folk’s
home! Apparently this explan-
ation seemed to satisfy the
policeman.
When we finally arrived at
Þingvellir, we were greeted
by an astonishing sight. A
portion of the valley was
studded with hundreds of
small white canvas tents.
When we were assigned our
tent we discovered that it was
provided with two comfort-
able cots and a small oil stove.
Early the next morning,
when I opened the flaps of
our tent I gazed out upon a
typical Canadian winter scene.
The rain of the previous day
had changed to snow. The
surrounding hillsides and our
immediate surroundings were
blanketed with clean white
snow. Fortunately the sun
was coming out in full force.
The snow soon vanished and
the weather became very
pleasant.
That afternoon we witness-
ed the re-enactment of the
first Althing of 930 A.D. On
a level area above the lake
three rows of seats were ar-
ranged each forming a large
circle. In the middle circle sat
the 12 representatives from
the electoral districts, clad in
ancient Viking attire. Oc-
cupying the circle behind and
in front of each represent-
ative were the two advisors