Lögberg-Heimskringla - 18.12.1981, Side 3

WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 18. DESEMBER 1981-3
Amma came from Iceland
by Einar Arnason
It was late May, the sheep had
been released to pasture in the far
reaches of the mountainous domain
which Thordur controlled, an exten-
sive pastoral land that formed one of
the larger and more imposive farms
in the Borgafjord area of Iceland. In
many respects the farm Leira could
be thought of almost as a feudal
manor. There was Thordur the
owner and his family; in addition
there were working couples, single
men, single women, and children
that made up a population of some
30 to 40 people. Some were distant-
ly related, others merely human be-
ings that served a useful purpose as
added manpower. Most of them
were locked in for a lifetime. In
return they were rewarded meagre
if any compensation, including food
that on occasion could be scarce,
with shelter in musty, damp, cold
turf buildings. It was no better or
worse than other farms in Iceland at
that time, it was typical.
The penetrating cold seeped into
the body of my grandmother as she
tended to the sheep, in isolation
away from the farm of her Uncle
Thordur. She had cause to worry,
for within her the new life that was
forming reminded her, during each
waking hour, of the added respon-
sibility of being a mother, which
was rapidly approaching, and that
she would have to face this task
alone. The sweet secrets that my
itinerant grandfather may have
whispered in her ear had become
fantasy memories; reality was her
lot. She faced a bleak future but
through determination she succeed-
ed in extricating herself to lead a
new life in Canada.
The talk was common about peo-
ple going to America, some in glow-
ing terms, some with concern and
there were those that opposed
vehemently the thought of emigra-
tion to the distant lands on the other
side of the Atlantic. Emmissaries of
the Canadian Government travelled
through the land offering home-
stead rights and passage to the new
Province of Manitoba. My grand-
mother listened eagerly but secretly
harboured her decision to leave for
this distant land, to which
Icelanders were going to seek a new
life. She carefully set aside any
resources that came her way, while
her infant daughter, my mother,
developed into childhood.
The day of decision had arrived,
the time had come to reveal her
decisions. Uncle Thordur was
adamantly opposed and refused to
assist her in any way. He was not
about to lose good help after having
to bring up my grandmother, who
had been thrust upon him as a child,
in order to avoid her becoming an
unfortunate ward of a municipality.
In her dilemma the first im-
mediate problem was to ford a river
that formed an obstacle she could
Amma shortly after she arriv-
ed from Iceland.
not cope with, and which her uncle
was well aware of. Help came from
an unexpected quarter. Vigfus, son
of Thordur, came to her assistance
and helped her across the river,
with horses that swam to the op-
posite bank, carrying my grand-
mother, my mother and their per-
sonal belongings. From there they
walked; grandmother carrying her
wordly possessions, holding onto
my Mother's childhood hand as
they slowly trudged over undulating
lava terrain in the lee of mountains,
keeping an eye open for shelter that
kind inhabitants would allow them
to share, when the darkness of night
enveloped the land. Gradually and
painfully they reached the coastal
village that served as the collecting
point from which people embarked
on their Canada bound journey. In
Leith, Scotland, they boarded a train
that sped to Glasgow carrying them
through the green mountainous
Scottish countryside in which nestl-
ed lush green valleys with magnifi-
cent trees. At Glasgow they boarded
the steamship that was to carry
them across the wide Atlantic to
Quebec.
Down in the crowded hold they
shared the steerage accommodation
with other Icelanders emigrating to
Canada. Having arrived at Quebec
City they left the bowels of their un-
comfortable host ship and boarded a
colonist coach, that along with other
such coaches, formed the train that
was to bring them to Winnipeg. The
seats were hard, they could be pull-
ed out to form a bed. Immediately
above was a large storage compart-
ment that could be used as a bed if
necessary. At one end of the coach
was a heater on which it was possi-
ble to heat water.
As the train got underway, they
watched with careful interest the
small farm homes of Rural Quebec
and then Ontario. Eventually the
Pre Cambrian shield took over, that
mass of rock dating to the earth's
beginning, rounded, smooth, jag-
ged, piled high to dip low in which
water settles to form lakes, in-
terspersed with rivers, streams,
water falls and rapids, supporting
forests of beautiful green foliage,
interrupted by broken down
blackened forests which had been
lain to waste by ravaging forest
fires. At first it was a wonder of
nature to behold, that soon was
displaced by concern and fear as the
endless miles day after day revealed
only this wilderness with no sign of
agriculturál activity, that meant life
and sustenance to these travel
weary Icelanders, who were hoping
for a better life. Even the thunder
and lightning came to add to their
woes. No matter how the mothers
covered the coach windows with
their bedding, the crashing noise of
thunder and flashes of lightning
would penetrate the coaches, strik-
ing fear into the children and con-
cern into the parents.
After endless train travel the ter-
rain changed suddenly as the
prairies came into view, flat as a
table top to disappear over the edge
of the horizontal linear horizon. The
rich agriculturai growth and farm
activity gave them hope with joy.
They felt that perhaps they had not
made a mistake in leaving their
native land.
After the long tiresome journey, to
this land of hope a period of
recuperation and orientation had its
place, in order to assess the cir-
cumstances that surrounded my
grandmother and her child of five
years, my mother. They were
befriended by compassionate peo-
ple, but like most Icelanders at that
time, had meagre resources yet
-always were ready to help a
newcomer from their homeland.
Some employment had to be obtain-
ed. What were the options? Here
was Amma with no knowledge of
the English language, no skills ex-
cept domestic, that encompassed
good experience in the preparation
of food, the processing of wooí into
garments, sewing by hand and men-
ding clothes. Here she was, just past
30 alone with her child, the options
were clearly limited. Domestic maid
service was not open to her, young
girls were given a preference by the
Continued on page 5
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