Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.06.1967, Blaðsíða 10

V
LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FIMMTUDAGINN 1. JÚNÍ 1967
PRESENTATION
SPEECH
by P. H. T. Thorlakson.
M.D., Ph.D.
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Prime
Minister, Your Excellencies,
Honourable Senators and
Members of the House of
Commons, Ladies and Gentle-
men:
On the first of July, our
country will cross the thres-
hold into the second century
of Confederation. In honour
of this historic occasion, Ca-
nadians have extended the
traditional one day birthday
celebration to one year of
commemoration.
Many Centennial projects,
varied and inspired in their
conception, will remain as
permanent tributes to the
imagination and resourceful-
ness of the Canadian people.
There is an unmistakable
desire on the part of many
groups of Canadians to exa-
mine their own position and
accomplishments relative to
the opportunitiers that have
been available to them since
their arrival in this land.
At the close of this memor-
able Centennial year, every
person will know more about
the history and achievements
of Canada — the land of his
birth or the land of his adop-
tion — and will have a deeper
appreciation of what it means
I to be a Canadian.
We have gathered here to-
day, in this magnificent Na-
tional Library and Archives
Building, to honour the Cen-
tennial of Confederation and
to commemorate the discovery
of the Western Hemisphere by
mariners from Iceland and
Greenland in the late tenth
century.
From the dawn of history,
the Western Ocean — also
called the Green Sea of Dark-
ness — was a constant chal-
lenge and a mystery to the
sea-faring nations of Europe.
A period of great expansion
— commonly known as the
Viking Age — commenced to-
wards the latter part of the
eighth century and continued
for over two hundred years.
■ From the present Norway,
Sweden and Denmark, this ex-
pansion took Norsemen to the
east, to the south and to the
west. They landed in Nor-
mandy, England, Scotland,
and Ireland. In 874, they rea-
ched Iceland and established
the old Icelandic Republic in
930. Towards the end of that
century, they pushed on, first
to Greenland and then further
westward to the shores of a
new continent which they call-
ed Vinland. Thus the North
Atlantic Ocean — the dreaded
Green Sea of Darkness — was
successfully spanned for the
first time.
Knowledge of these ex-
plorations was bound to come
to the attention of navigators
and scholars in other coun-
tries- Indeed, we find the re-
cord of this knowledge in the
writings of European scholars
of that era, notably Adam of
Bremen, one of the most dis-
tinguished scholars of Europe
in the eleventh century. In his
book, published in Latin be-
tween the years 1072 and 1076,
he gives an account of the dis-
covery of Vinland as related
to him by the King of Den-
mark.
The settlements of Iceland
and Greenland depended on
foreign tradfe, mainly with
Norway and England, for
their existence. Sheepskins,
hides, wool, tallow, cheese,
sulphur, and dried fish were
exchanged for timber, tar,
flour, honey, linen, and me-
tals. The luxury items of this
trade and commerce — in
those days — were white polar
bears, walrus tusks and the
renowned falcons, the hunting
birds of royalty.
In the year 1396, the son of
the Duke of Burgundy was
captured by the Saracens. The
Prince was held ransom for
twelve Greenland falcons and
this demand was duly met.
This exchange serves to cor-
roborate the fact that the
trade routes to the far north
were widély known.
a cent:
GIFT TO
presented by Canadians of lcelandic desce
new Library and Archives Buildir
Special mention should be
made of the “court poetry”
and the language of Iceland.
During these early centuries,
learned men — especially the
Skaldic Poets — from Iceland
were invited to visit the
courts of many European
countries. These gifted men
brought back important in-
formation from these foreign
lands regarding current
events, much of which was
later incorporated in the vast
A CHAPTER. IN CA
DISCOVERY OF THE ^
THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE DISCÖVE
MARINERS FROM ICELAND AND CREENLAND
THE HISTORIC EXCERPT REPRODUCED BELOW 1
THE CREENLANDERS) FIRST COMMITTED TO V
PRESERVEÐ IN FLATEYJARBOK. íTHE FLATEY B
ICELAND ABOUT A D 1390.
PART I RECORDS THE SICHTINC ÖF NEW LANl
EYRAR IN ICELAND, 1N A D. 986. PART ii DESC
FJRULSSON SOME YEARS LATER AND HIS LA
MARKLAND C WOODLAND). AND VINLAND CW
ATTEMPT AT COLONtZATION BY THORFINNR KAF
WAS BORN ON THIS CONTINÉNT.
ARCHAEOLOÖiCM. ABSEAHCH IN WRSTtRN C
THESE ANCIENT ICELANbtC AICOED'
o.
BJARNI HERJO'LFSSON SICHTS NEW LAND
... ArTE* THAT THET SAW THE SUN AOAIN AND WIRE AELE TO OET THEIR BEARINO".: THET
HOISTED *Alt AND ATTE R A DAT*4 SAILINO THET 5IGHTED IAND.
TMET DISCUSSEO AMONOST THEMSELVES WHAT COUNTRY THIS MIOHT BE. BJARNI SAID H6
THOUOHT «T COULD NOT ftt OREENLAND. THE CREW ASRED HIM IE HE WANTED TO LAND THERE OR .SOT;
ftJARNI REBLIED. ’l THINE W* SHOULD SAIL IN CLOSE.*,
THET DID SO. AND SOON THET COULD SEE THAT THE COUNTRT WAS NOT MOUNTAINOUS. BUT WAS
WEll W0ODED AND WITH LOW HILLS. SO THET EUT TOSEA ACAIN. LEAVINO THE LAND ON THE PORT Ql'ARTER-
1!
LEIFR EIRIfLSSON’S EXPLÖRATIONS
...THET MADK THEIR SHIf READT AND EUT ÖUT TO SEA . THE EIRST LANDEALL THEY MADE
WA» THE COUNTRT THAT 8JARNI HAD SIOHTED LAST- THET SAILED RICHT UE TO THE SHORE AND CAST
ANCHOft. THEN LOWERSD A ftOAT AND LANDED. THERE WAS NOORAS3 TO BE 5EEN, AND THE HINTERLAND
WAS COVERED WITH OREAT CLACIERS. AND ftETWEEN OLACIER5 AND SHORETHE LAND WA5 LIEE ONE OREAT
SLAft OE ROCE. IT SEEMED TO THEM A WORTHLESS COUNTRY
THEN LEIER SAID/NOW W£ HAVe DONE 8ETTERTHAN ftJARNI WHERE THIS CÖUNTRT ISCONCERNED*
WE AT LEAST HAVE »ET EOOTON IT. ISHALL OIVE THIS COUNTRT A NAME AND CAlL IT HELLULANd'.
THET RETURNED TO THEIR SHÍE AND EUT TO SEA. AND SIOHTED A SECOND LAND. ONCE ACAtN
tHET SAlLED RIOHT UE TO IT AND CAÍT ANCHOR, LOWERED A 80AT AND WENT ASHORE THI5 COtÍNTRY
WAS ELAT AND WOODED. WITH WHITE 9ANDY 8EACHES WHEREVER THEY WENT; AND THE LAND SLOEED
OENTLT DOWN TO THE SEA.
LtlER SAID. THIS COUNTRT SHALt »E KAMED AFTER ITS NATURAL RESOURCES: IT SHALL BE
CAILED MARKLAND'.
THET HURRIED BACR TO THEIR SHIE AS OUICRLT AS EOSSIKLE AND 5AILED AWAT TO SEA IN A
NORTH-EAST WIND EOR TWO DATS UNTIL THET SIOHTED LANO AOAIN THEY SAILED TOWARDS ITANDCAME
TO AN ISLAND WMICH LAT TO THE NORTH OE IT.
THET WENT ASHORE AND LOORED AftOUT THEM. THE WEATHER WAS EINE THERE WA5 DEW ON THE
OIAII, AND THE ElRST THINO THEY OID WAS TO OET SOME OE IT ON THEIR HANDS AND PUT IT TO THEIR
t«ES. ANO TO THEM »T SEEMED THE SWEETEST THINO THET HAD EVER TASTED. THEN THEY WENT 8ACK
TO THEIR SHIE AND SAIltD INTO THE SOUND THAT LAT BETWEEN THE ISLAND ANO THE HEADLAND
JUTTINO OUT TO THE NORTH.
THET STEERED A WESTERLT COURSE KOUND THE HEADLAND. THERE WERE 5HALLOWI THERE AND
AT LOW TiDE THEiR 5HIE WAS LEET HIOH AND DRT, WITBKTHE SEA ALMOST OUT Of SIOHT. BUT THEY
WERt »0 IMEATIENT TO IAKD THAT THET COULO NOT 8EAR TO WAIT EOR THE RISINO TIDE TO FLOAT
THE SHIE; THET RAN ASHORE TO A ELACE WHERE A RIVER ELOWED OUT Of A LAKE. AS SOON A3 THE
TIDE HAD ft EELOATED THE SHIE THET TOOK A ftOAT AND ROWED OUT 10 IT AND ftROUOHT IT UE THE
RIVER INTO THE LAKE, WKERE THET ANCHORED IT, THET CARRlED THEIR HAMMOCKS A5HORE ANDPUT
UE 800THS. THEN THET DECIDED TO WINTER THEftE, AND BUILT SOME LAROE HOUSES.
TMERE WA» NO LACK OE SALMOM IN THE RIVER OR THE LAKE. BIOOER SALMON THAN THF.Y HAD
EVER SEEN. TMt COUNTRT SEEMED TO THEM SO KIND THAT NO WlNTER EODDER WOULO »E NEEDED EOR tlVESTOCK;
THERE WAS NEVER ANT EROST ALL WINTER AND THE ORASS HARDLT WITHERED AT ALL.
IN THIS COUMTRT. NIOHT AND DAT WERE OE MORE EVEN LENOTH THAN IN EITHER OREENLAND OR
ICELAND ON THE SHORTtST DAT OE TME TEAR, THE SUN WAS ALREADT UE »T »A.M. AND DID NOT SET UNTIL
AETER JEM
WHEN TKET HAD EINISHED BUILDINO THEIR HOUSES, LEIER SAID TO HIS COMPaNIONS.'nOW I WANT
TO DlViDE OUR COMFANT INTO TWO EARTIE8 AND HAVE THE COUNTRT EXELORED; HALE OE THF. COMFANT ARE TO
REMAIN MERE AT THE HOU9ES WHILE THE OTHER HALE OO EXELORINO* »UT THET MUST NÖT OO SO EAR THAT
THET CANNOT RETURN THE SAME EVENINO, AND THET ARt NOT TO »ECOME SEEARATED.’
THET CARRIED OUT THESE INSTRUCTIONS EOR A TIME. LEIEA HIMSELE TOOK TURNS ATOOINO OUT WITH
THE exelorino eartt and STATINO BENIKD AT THE »ASE. <-
LEIER WAS TALL AND STRONO AND VERT IMERKSSIVE IN AEEEARANCE. HE WAS A SHREWD MAN
AND ALWATS MOOERATR IN NIS BEHAVIOUR.
THET SttET EOR TNE REST OE THE NIOHT, AND NEXT MORNINO LEIER SAID TO HIS MEN, ‘NOW
HAVK TWO TAS'K S ON OUK MANDS, ON ALTERNATE DATS *í MU»T OATHER ORAEES AND CUT VINES, AND
THEN EELL TREES, TO MAKE A CAROO EOR MT SHIEI
> THIS WAS OONI. IT IS SAID THAT THE TOW - BOAT WAS El LLED WITH ORAEE5 THET TOOK ON A EULL
CAROO OE TIMRER; AHD IN THE SERINO THET MADE READT TO LEAVE AND SAILED AWAT. LEIER NAMED THE
COUNTKT AETER ITS NATURAt QOAtlTIES AND CALLED ITV’lNLAND.
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