Lögberg-Heimskringla - 18.11.1994, Blaðsíða 2

2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 18. nóvember 1994
Living Literature,
Cont’d.
Evelyn Thorvaldson
and Evelyn Thorvaldson, who read
from her book My Amma and Me,
memories of her childhood with an
Amma whom she dearly .loved and
from whom she leamed a great deal.
Dr. Daisy Neijmann, the latest faculty
member at University of Manitoba
Department of Icelandic and an
expert in Icelandic Canadian literature
gave a brief and gracious speach prais-
ing the event and expressing gratitude
for the opportunity to attend.
The aftemoon came to a dramatic
close with the reading by David
Amason. Mr. Arnason simply has to
be someplace to be dramatic, but
when he is performing he is as
Come Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of
Iceland s Independence!
From Akureyri in the North to the Westmann Islands in the South, the welcome mat is
out for Western lcelanders and their friends. If you've never visited lceland before, 1994
is the year!
Icelandair offers extra value airfares from North America to lceland all year long in
1994! Icelandair offers exciting independent and escorted tour options to make your
visit "heim" exciting, comfortable and affordable. To order your 1994 ICELAND &
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ICELANDAIR
remarkable as his writing. The two
new books he has produced this year
are The New Icelanders, a revision
and expansion of his previous history
of the Icelanders in Manitoba —
although it is perhaps more literature
than history — and The Dragon and
the Dry Goods Princess — a volume
of ghost stories and folklore which he
wrote himself and read with gusto.
The entire event was a first class
presentation — it is a pity that it
could not be put on the road to enter-
tain and inform Icelandic communi-
ties throughout North America. It
was also an affirmation that the
Icelandic culture and heritage
remains alive and well on this conti-
nent.
t)4j Œ>í'cmj(j£
A Whale of a Day
(Akureyrí-lceland)
The suri came up close on the right
Over the heath came he
He shines upon the “Island Fjord”
The mountains of the lee
He shines upon this Viking place
This bustling Nordic town
Close to the Arctic Circle of
Helgi the "lean” renown
He shines on “SÚLUR" by the sky
With newly fallen snow
Towering like an obelisk
Over the bay below
There is beauty everywhere
Far as the eye can see
If paradise on earth is near
This place it well could be
Nary a breeze or a ripple
Ruffle the silver sea
When suddenly a surging wave
Polls swelling on the lee
Shrieking sirens and blaring horns •
A blast from boats in line
They are following fast behind
Beating the furrowed brine
Being merely a growing lad
Struck with awe and dismay
As all the skiffs that do not sink
Are rowed out on the bay
Then came a wondrous leaping whale
Arcing out of the spray
Others followed as if in turn
A glorious display
A school of whales had lost their way
A most uncommon sight
And did not seem to realize
The peril in their plight
They sparkle in the blazing rays
Black above,white below
They twinkle in the mist and spray
Like strings of pearls aglow
And now all means like oars and
thwarts
Are used to beat the brine
To prevent the stampeding herd
From turning on the line
This is a godsend people say
Crowding above the shore
Some kneeling do\yn to pray out loud
The good Lord to implore
The combers rise, the white caps fly
They crash against the land
Whales come surfing and tumbling in
To writhe upon the sand
The shore is strewn with gasping
whales Struggling with all their might
Whipping tails and straining their heads
In throes of hopeless flight
All in a crisp and sunny sky
The battle din is past
The fever of the raging hunt
Has come to wane at last
Thor and Odin are sure to be
Looking on with pleasure
And taking ample credit for
This heaven-sent treasure
Boat crews are wading to the shore
With cleavers, guns and spears
To quickly stun each whale in turn
Amidst hurrahs and cheers
Men and women with knives and
blades
All kinds of tools in hand
Are flocking now to claim their share
And mark it with their brand
In spite of yelling and screaming
There’s ’plenty to go around
And many with a goodly haul
Are leaving homeward bound
Blood is gushing and flowing free
Crimson the pebbly sand
The sun shines on a grisly scene
A somber Nordic strand
Crews have rights to the biggest
whales
There is no time to waste
Ropes and pulleys are brought to bear
To get them off in haste
The evening tide comes rolling in
While sea gulls swarm the shore
And soon the sea will cleanse the
strand
And leave it as before
(B*agí
Saving the whales was not the talk
In this long ago season
Hard up people blessed the sea
For a just and sound reason
“Island Fjord" = Eyja-fjörður
“SÚLUR” = a tall mountain peak
Helgi = the first Viking settler
I TO: ICELANDAIR, P.O. Box 105, W. Hempstead, NY 11552-0105, USA I
I I
| ___ Pleasesend me a copy of your Summer lceland & Scandinavia Vacation Planner. |
J ___ Please send me a copy of your Fall-Winter-Spring lceland Vacation Planner
| Name:______________________________________________________________ |
I Address: _________________________________________________ *
J^ ’ * ........... ^ J
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