Lögberg-Heimskringla - 07.11.1997, Side 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 7, november 1997 • 7
(Zalendar of<£vents
Sat. Nov. 8 Winnipeg, MB Viking Feast Fund-raising Dinner — Nordic House, 764 Erin St. Guest speaker: Bill Norrie. For tickets call Stephen at 467-8398 or Daryl at 885-6371.
Sat. Nov. 15 Winnipeg, MB Jón Sigurdsson Chapter IODE Annual Scholarship Pre- sentations — 2 p.m., Betelstaður, Erin & Sargent. No charge for this event. All cordially invited.
Sat. Nov. 15 New Westminster, BC Cooking Lessons — 1 p.m., Learn to makg vinarterta, pönnukökur and kleinurfor Christmas. Iceland House, 939 Sixth St. New Westminster. Film Night — 7:30 p.m., Iceland House
Sun. Nov. 16 St. Francois Xavier, MB Country Christmas Craft Sale — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Francois Xavier Community Club, 983 Hwy. 26. Canteen will be open: homemade soups, sandwiches and goodies. Rainbow Auction.
Sun. Nov. 16 Winnipeg, MB Christmas Market — 1 p.m., Nordic House, 764 Erin St. Gaking, crafts, Christmas gifts for sale.
Sat. Nov. 22 Minneapolis, MN Art Exhibit by photographer Wayne Gudmundsson (Moorhead, MN) and Gudmundur Ingólfsson (lceland) opens at the pARTS gallery, 711 W. Lake St., (612) 824- 5500. Aformal opening reception is scheduled for Dec. 6. the exhibit runs through Jan. 11, 1998.
Thu. Nov. 27 Winnipeg, MB Lestrarfélag — 7:00 p.m., Nordic House of Canada, 764 Erin Street. Viewing of Hrafn Gunnlaugson film When the Raven Flies, made in lceland with English subtitles. Contact Linda at 786-2190 or Daisy at 474- 8487.
Sat. Nov. 29 Calgary, AB Leif Eiriksson lcelandic Club Christmas Party — Cocktails, 6 p.m.; Dinner 7 p.m.; Program/Dance 8/9 p.m. Village Park Inn, 1804 Crowchild Trail N.W. $23/adults; $10/youth (4-12); $2/children (0-3).
Sun. Nov. 30 Toronto, ON ICCT Jólatrésskemmtun (Third Annual Christmas Party) — 2:30 p.m. Fun for all the family. Unitarian Hall, 175 St. Clair Ave. W. (at Avenue Road) Each family is asked to bring a plate of goodies.
What’s happening in your area? We want to hear from you before or after the events. Send us afew lines — ora lot — typed, double-spaced oron a 3 1/2 -inch computer disk. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if material or photos are to be returned. Fax copy to: (204) 284-3870. Send photos or material to Lögberg-Heimskringla, 699 Carter Ave., Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3M 2C3.
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Names in the News
Reprinted from the Leif Eiriksson
Club of Calgary Newsletter
■ Congratulations to Margret Geppert on
her well-deserved installation as an
Honourary Life Member of the Icelandic
National League. Margret is a charter mem-
ber of the Leif Eiriksson Club, and has been
an indefatigable worker on behalf of all
things Icelandic, both within our own club
and throughout the larger community.
■ Congratulations and thanks to Eleanor
Oltean for accepting the invitation to serve
as Alberta’s Fjallkona for 1998-99.
Eleanor’s Icelandic roots are deep and dis-
tinguished. It was Eleanor’s grandfather,
Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson, who com-
posed the music for Iceland’s National
Anthem; her mother, Helen Sveinbjorns-
son, was an artist and poet — recent trans-
lations of her poetry can be found in Writ-
ings by Western Icelandic Women, edited
and translated by Kirstin Wolf. Eleanor’s
own contributions to the Icelandic commu-
nity in Saskatchewan and Alberta are enor-
mous and we are proud to have her as Al-
berta’s Fjallkona in the coming year.
■ Congratulations to Calgarian Jack
Halldorson’s son on his ordination to the
Lutheran ministry in Wisconsin — the first
Icelander to be ordained in that area in over
30 years. □
Soldier’s Memorabilia Displayed
Anew display has been donated by Ben
Einarson to Branch 161 of the Royal
Canadian Legion in Bracebridge, Ontario.
The exhibit is a memorial to the life of
Earl Stanley Shortt, a Hekkla, Ontario na-
tive who fought with the 122nd Battalion in
the First World War and was killed at the
Battle of Amiens, August 1918.
The records of his war service, which
include a poignant letter of copdolence to his
family after his death, were presented last
January in a brief ceremony by Bemard (Ben)
Einarson, a distant cousin of Shortt’s.
“He and my father lived on neighbour-
irig farms and were chums as boys and young
men,” said Einarson.
On hand for the presentation were Earl
Marchand, who supplied the artifacts and is
a nephew of Shortt’s, and Bruce Crawford,
another nephew.
The display gives a tantalizing glimpse
into a war that’s been all but lost from
memory, except in history books and the
medals left behind.
Earl Shortt was bom on December 24,
1894 to Richard Shortt and Arnbjörg
Einarsdóttir. He attended school in Hekkla
and worked on his father’s farm in the sum-
mers,- logged in the winter and was on the
teams with the spring river drive of logs.
The 122nd Battalion was the outfit from
the Canadian Expeditionary force that re-
cruited men from Muskoka at the outbreak
of the war. Recruitment camps were set up
in most towns around the district. At the age
of22,ShorttenlistedonDecember 10,1916.
He was assigned to the first army For-
estry Corps, formed in 1917, a completely
Canadian corps with a large percentage from
the 122nd Battalion.
In addition to a letter of condolence, the
display includes a four-inch brass memorial
from Buckingham Palace, signed by King
George V; a letter from the Major General
of the Canadian Militia, medals, a photo
of Shortt, and a brief history of his life, all
mounted on a wooden surround lovingly
made by Ben. □
Reprintedfrom the Bracebridge Examiner.
Forefathers ’s Steps
Continued from page 3
easier to handle and a more seaworthy
ship than earlier replicas of the Gaukstad
ship.
Those who built the Gaia failed in
two important areas. They had the keel
too straight — íslendingur has a bent
keel, as was the custom in Viking times.
As a result, the Gaia is like a heavy rock
to turn. Secondly, they missed the bow
out and, as a result, there was a break in
the side. It is absolutely fundamental to
follow the instructions exactly. This was
a higly developed technique based on the
experience at the time. The keel has to
be right; the helm size right; the sail, the
mast, the same height. Otherwise it does
not work. This was demonstrated last sum-
mer when the Americans sailed the
“knörr” from Greenland to Vínland. They
visited Iceland and I took them sailing on
Islendingur and I found that they were not
certain about what they were doing. The
ship was rather convincingly built, but
they did not know about some main things,
such as the helm — it was much too big. I
suspected it would not work.”
We sailed out of Reykjavík Harbour
on motor power. Although íslendingur is
an exact replica of the Gaukstad ship, it is
equipped with two 50 horsepowerengines,
a rubber boat, and a telephone for secu-
rity. At mid-ship there is a shelter for the
crew, a small dining hall and a washroom.
“Yes, they demanded that I have a wash-
room facility for passengers, which is
good,” Gunnar explained. This was, of
course, not the case in Viking times and
they likely went to the gunnel.
It is interesting to listen to Gunnar
Marel explain the ship’s craftmanship, its
qualities and seaworthiness. I get a sneaky
suspicion that there may not be others out
there with more knowledge of Viking
Ships, and certainly few with more expe-
rience sailing such ships.
As we pass Engey, we unfurl the sails
by hand. It is a difficult job, but we
manage at last, and the difference is great
in sailing with outstretched sails at about
six knots. There is a light breeze from the
West, and the ship glides motionlessly
across the ocean surface. Gunnar Marel
said Islendingur could go 15 knots on the
sails in fair wind, but at a speed exceed-
ing 12 knots the ship begins to plane on
the sea. The sailing outfit makes it possi-
ble to steer the ship about 30 degrees from
wind direction. “Obviously these ships
were the technical highlight of their time,”
the ship builder said. “They don’t take in
water. The hull is built to push the water
under. This causes air bubbles under the
ship, which lift it up onto the surface.
When sailing the Gaia, I often saw high
waves up ahead and wondered whether
they would slam in on the ship, but they
never did. It never took in water.”
Tracing Leif the Lucky’s Route
Building and outfitting íslendingur
cost about $500,000. The ship was
launched last spring, and in August Gunnar
began serving tourists. He does not intend
to continue that occupation. “The ship is
too expensive an operation to sail the
straights in summer with a few tourists.
Icelanders do not seem interested in leam-
ing their forefathers’ sailing methods,”
Gunnar Marel said.
We agree that it is a loss to tourism.
The ship could be used in many ways, such
as for history lessons. It could also be used
for entertaining, for birthdays and other
celebrations.
But Gunnar Marel is not planning
to quit. He wants to look into offers from
Sweden and Norway, and also offers for
using the ship for motion pictures on
Vikings, which could be more advanta-
geous than tourism. He is also consider-
ing sailing to America in the year 2,000,
tracing Leif the Lucky’s route. With that
said, we turn homeward, having no in-
tentions of “slaying a man or another,”
as Egill Skallagrímsson said in his
poem. Perhaps Egill was the only true
Icelandic Viking. □