Lögberg-Heimskringla - 25.02.1994, Blaðsíða 2

2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 25. febrúar 1994
Þorrablót
in lceland
The food was abundant and delicious!... and they went for it all.
by Birgir Brynjólfsson
ICELAND
Þorrablót are held all over Ice-
land these days. All the tradi-
tional food is served except
whale blubber. The origin of the blót
is somewhat difficult to trace, but
Ámi Björnsson in his newly published
work Saga Daganna (history of the
days) has this to say:
Þorri...
“The month of Þorri begins on the
Friday of the 13th week of winter, i.e.
between 19 and 25 of January (before
1700, 9 to 15 of January). The name of
Þorri, known as early as the 12th cen-
tury, is of uncertain derivation. Þorri
is a personification of winter in
medieval lore, where Þorri feasts
(Þorrablót) are also mentioned, but
not described. Þorri as “Old Man
Winter” is a common poetical theme
in the 17th to 19th centuries, and
sources from the early 18th century
recount celebrations and customs
connected with the beginning of
Þorri. Such customs are probably far
older.
“Originally, the wife seems to have
bid Þorri welcome, and it is clear that
the first day of Þorri was dedicated to
men. In some cases, the man of the
house is supposed to have received
special treats, while in others it was
up to him to treat others. The name
“Husband’s Day” (bóndadagur),
however, does not appear until the
mid-nineteenth century, in Jón
Árnason’s folklore collection, which
also describes a custom whereby the
man of the house was supposed to
run half-naked around the outside
of the house. How widespread this
custom was, and how it originated,
we can not tell. This could be a rem-
nant of older Þorri celebrations.
In the Romantic and patriotic peri-
od of the later 19th century, the edu-
cated upper classes began to hold
events they called Þorrablót, as in the
ancient tales. They ate and drank,
sang songs, both new and traditional
and drank toasts to Þorri and other
heathen gods. Þór in particular was
linked to these Þorri celebrations.
In towns, these banquets died out
after the turn of the century, but they
had spread by then to the countryside
first to the east and north, and thence
to other rural areas, where they con-
tinued to flourish. In the mid-20th
century, the Þorrablót was resurrect-
ed by groups of rural immigrants to
the capital, who served the traditional
Icelandic foods which were disap-
pearing from urban tables. At Naust,
a Reykjavík restaurant, Þorri food
was on the bill of fare from the Þorri
season of 1958. Þorri feasts of tradi-
tional food, held by various organisa-
tions, have been a feature of the
Icelandic social calendar ever since.
In about 1980, women started to give
their husbands flowers on the first
day of Þorri, in reciprocation of
Women’s Day custom.
This L-H reporter was lucky
enough to be invited to one of the
better Þorrablót held in Reykjavík,
the one held by the male choir
Fóstbæður, Saturday February 5.
This all male blót was
held in the choir’s club
home and the food was
served by the well known
Naust restaurant. As the
pictures show, nothing of
the traditional food was
missing except the whale
blubber. The delicacies
served included sheep
heads and head cheese,
blood and liver sausage,
ram testicles, hangikjöt
and magáll (smoked
flanks), harðfiskur, lund-
abaggi (sausage made of
the loins and larger
intestines of sheep), and
of course hákarl, well
cured shark, served with
Brennivín (black death),
that should be drunk with
care if one wants to
remember anything from
the evening.
This was one of the best Þorroblót
that this writer has ever attended. The
entertainment became somewhat of a
teasing of the evening’s speakers by
the master of ceremonies. The speak-
ers were all men who annually attend
this marvellous feast that the
Fóstbræður choir puts on. The first
one up was veteran speaker and
scholar, Helgi Sæmundsson, then for-
mer prime minister Steingrímur
Hermansson followed by the mayor
of Reykjavík, Markús Orn Antons-
son, to name but few. Absence of
government ministers at this
evening’s feast was said to be only
because of an other event that they
had to attend.
Other entertainment of note was a
promising young tenor by the name
of Sigurður Bernhöft who ended his
marvellous performance with a duet
sung with his teacher Sigurður V.
Demetz and they brought the house
down. Mr. Demetz has taught most if
not all the opera singers that Iceland
has so proudly shared with the world,
among them Kristján Jóhannsson
who is at present performing all over
the world. Now Mr. Demetz is send-
ing yet another talent to train with
the best teachers in Europe, and it
will be interesting to follow this
young man, Sigurður Bernhöft, in the
future.
The male choir, Fóstbræður, has
visited North America a few times,
the last in 1989. The choir consists of
men from all walks of life who take
their participation seriously with the
result that they make up one of the
best male choirs in Europe.
This evening was filled with song,
powerful when that was fitting and
Donations to
Lögberg-Heimskringla Inc.
In Ioving memory of Oíaf & Cbarlie
Simpson, from Herman & June Arnason,
Winnipeg, MB........................$25.
Helgi Palsson, Arborg, MB.............$100.
Palmi Palsson, Arborg, MB.............$100.
Olina Swinton, Port Coquitlam, BC ....$12.55
Margaret Simmons, Etobicoke, ON.......$25.
Ragna Baldwinson, Calgary, AB.......$22.55
Franklinjorunson, Langley, BC.......$12.50

sensitive when that was needed. No
amount of Brennivín changed the
professionalism.
Thank you Fóstbræður for a won-
derful evening.
Looking for
descendants
Eymundur Jónsson from Dilks-
nesi, Iceland emigrated to
North America in 1902 and
lived in Pine Valley, Manitoba. He
went back to Iceland in 1907 with
most of his family, but two sons
stayed here. One was Björn and one
was Stefán who married Fanney,
daughter of Teitur Thomas and his
wife Júliana Gudmundsdóttir of
Winnipeg.
Teitur Thomas was a goldsmith
from the Faroe Islands but had lived
in Iceland and emigrated to Canada .
He and Júliana spent three years in
the Klondike during the Gold Rush.
Júliana died in Winnipeg in October,
1924. They had at least two sons.
Franz enlisted in WWl.
A life story of the family is being
written in Iceland. Anyone knowing
of these descendents of Eymundur
Jónsson, kindly notify Mrs. Dora
Sigurdson, 312-1061 Sargent Ave.,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 3M6 or
phone 783 -2723.
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