Lögberg-Heimskringla - 22.02.1985, Side 6

6-WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 22. FEBRÚAR 1985
Drive 120 miles for Icelandic lessons
It has been stated in Lögberg-
Heimskringla on more than one oc-
casion that interest in the Icelandic
language was on the increase. If one
can judge from participation in
classes at the Scandinavian Centre in
Winnipeg this winter that is certain-
ly the case. Nearly 40 adults attend
three different levels and on Saturday
mornings, children are given the
oppotunity to express themselves in
the language of their forefathers.
Yours truly has been involved in
these non-credit courses over the last
six years and doesn't hesitate to say
that never before have so many
registered.
It is hard to explain this increasing
interest; perhaps it has always been
there but the opportunity to do
something about it may never have
presented itself before. It surely is a
pleasant surprise to be a witness to
this keen dedication; it might mean
that the Icelandic language has a
much brighter future in North
America than many have anticipated.
This interest in the languagc has
spread out from Winnipeg. Icelandic
is taught in Gimli but those who do
not have classes in their hometown
travel far and wide for their lessons.
Framlh af bls. 5
Inni á Nausti aldrei þver
ánægjunnar sjóður.
Þorramatur þykir mér
þjóðlegur og góður.
Önnur veitingahús í Reykjavík hafa
svo fetað í slóð Naustsins og nú eru
þorrablót á veitingahúsum í
Reykjavík orðin árviss viðburður.
Frcmur til þjónustu fjandanum
en hcrranum
—En svo við hoppum nú í lokin
dálítið til baka: var það ekki til að
menn hefðu horn í síðu
þorrablótanna til að byrja með, eftir
að þau voru endurvakin?
—Jú, til var það. Þau þóttu þá
minna á heiðna hætti og má kannski
um sumt til sanns vegar færa. Ólafur
Davíðsson segir frá einu slíku dæmi
í íslenskum skemmtunum;
,,Ég skal minnast á það, til gamans,
að greindur bóndi norðlenskur
fáraðist mjög um þorrablótin við mig,
sumarið 1881. Honum þóttu þau
einhver óhappavænlegasti viðburður,
sem hann hafði heyrt getið um
nýlega, enda er það ekki að furða, því
hann hélt að þau mundu verða
vísirinn tii þess að íslendingar
köstuðu kristinni trú og færu að trúa
á Þór og Óðin".
Og Eiríkur Ólafsson á Brúnum
segir svo m.a. í pistli, sem hann mun
hafa skrifað 1882, en þar er hann
raunar að réttlæta ágæti sinnar
mormónatrúar:
,,Eru ekki margir að drepa sig sjálfir
og einstaka að kasta út börnum og
sverja rangan eið, vinna á
sunnudögum á sjó og landi, drekka
sig fulla og skammast, margir að stela
David Stcvcnson
David Stevenson and his son David
from Pilot Mound, Manitoba drive
120 miles or for twp and a half hours
cvery Thursday night to Winnipeg
for Icelandic lessons! They total over
200 miles and are five hours on the
road. That surely must be unique.
David Sr. was kind enough to answer
a few questions regarding his extraor-
dinary interest in his heritage.
Question: Tell me something
about your background, David?
og Ijúga og fjölda margir að bölva og
ragna því nær í hverju orði, 4-500
börn fæðast í hórdómi og lausaleik
árlega og máski finnist líkur til, að
það komi fyrir, að menn drepi menn,
og að endingu er ég hræddur um, að
þorrablótið sé meira fjandanum til
þjónustu en herranum".
En séra Matthías Jochumsson sagði
á hinn bóginn:
,,Vér hæðum ekki helga trú
þó höldum blót, —
ef trúin sjálf ei liggur laus
við lífsins rót".
En hvað um það. Þorrablótin hafa
haldið velli og líklega aldrei lifað
meira blómatíma en nú.
Úr Þjóðviljanum
MESSUBOÐ
Fyrsta Lúterska
Kirkja
JOHN V. ARVIDSON
PASTOR
10:30 a.m. The Service followed
by Sunday School & coffee hour.
David Stevcnson Jr.
Answer: "1 was born in St. James,
now in Winnipeg but then it was a
rural area. My father was John
Stevenson born in Churchbridge,
Saskatchewan and my mother was
Olga Newman. My grandparents
came from Iceland. Granddad,
Magnús Sigurðsson and grandmother
Ingigerður both came from
Þingeyjarsýsla the same year, eithcr
1883 or 1884. They werelnarried in
Winnipeg in 1885 by Rev. Jón Bjar-
nason. Shortly after their marriage,
they moved to Þingvallabyggð in
Saskatachewan where they home-
steaded in 1886."
Question: Have you always had
this interest in your heritage or did
it come over you all of a sudden?
Answcr: "I have always been very
interested in my lcelandic back*
Minnist
<BETEL
i «rf8askróm yðar
ground and my heritage. But as a
young man settling down with wife
and children, I simply did not have
much time to devote to this interest.
I guess all young people share similar
experience, i.e. you are too busy
planning your future. You need your
education, you look for future
employment, you buy a house; all
this requires most of your time. But
once you have settled and you have
more time for leisure then you grab
the opportunity. It is never too late."
Question: How did you start?
Answer: ''Well, I was very in-
terested in tracjng my family ties
back to Iceland. I soon learned, that
some knowledge of the Icelandic
language was essential. I was at the
Icelandic section of the University of
Manitoba Library when Mrs. Sigirid
Johnson mentioned the Icelandic
lessons. Later I saw an advertisement
in the paper and I liave been learn-
ing Icelandic for two years now. My
children are all very interested and
David Jr, is as you know, also taking
Icelandic this year. He is a graduate
from Brandon University and who
knows, one day he might want to go
to Iceland for further education."
With these words we departed. By
the time I would be sound asleep,
father and son wouid still be on the
highway, practising their pronoun-
ciation. T.hey will be back next
Thursday sweating over confusing
grammar and tough pronounciation.
Aren't they an example to us all?
J.Þ.
Tallin & Kristjansson
Hun Utcrs und Solicltoní
501-55 Donald St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 1L8
942-8171
BARDAL
FGNERAL HOME
AND CREMATORICIM
\Afnnipegs original Bardal Funeral Home has
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Bardal Funeral Homes offers a wide uarietu of
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For consultation contact Dauid Pritchard or
Jack C. Farrell.
CALL 774-7474
24 Hours a Day
843 Sherbrook Street
,,Þorramatur þykir mér, þjóðlegur og góður"