Lögberg-Heimskringla - 24.09.1999, Qupperneq 4

4 « Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 24 September 1999
Did the Conversion save Icelandic History?
What separates the cultural develop-
rnent of Iceland from that of Norway
during the first 130 years of Iceland’s
settlement was the way in which these
two nations adopted the Christian
faith. This appears to explain why
Icelanders became the kind of history
writers they were, to a much greater
extent than Norwegians.
WHAT WAS THE REASON for the
extensive writings on histo-
ry and the forefathers, which
took part in ancient Iceland? This topic
has drawn worthy attention. There are
no writings comparable to the Icelandic
sagas in the other Nordic countries. At
times the sagas are considered to be
Iceland’s greatest achievement of all
times. Many have also pondered the
question why our closest forefathers,
the Norwegians, lagged behind us in
this field. The view has been expressed
that a cultural mix happened in Iceland
about the time of settlement, between
people of Nordic descent and Celtic
origin. This mixing is considered to
have been influential in Icelandic cul-
ture, “making Icelanders highly versa-
tile, intelligent, and energetic by
nature.”
Many have asserted that Irishmen
occupied the country before Nordic
people settled there. The Irish monk,
Dicuil, wrote about Irish monks who
had stayed on an island in the North-
Atlantic around the year 800. Some
have thought that this island was
Iceland. Ari the Leamed wrote about
papar in his íslendingabók and consid-
ered them to have been of Irish
descent.
Recently Helgi Guðmundsson has
submitted evidence that place names
connected to the papar in Iceland do
not come from the Irish language, but
rather, probably, from Middle Low
German. He also argues that the writ-
ings of Dicuil, about Irish monks on an
island in the North Atlantic in the late
800s, could not 'have referred to
Iceland, and he considers Ari the
Leamed to have had Dicuil’s writings
in his possession on which he based his
story in íslendingabók on Irish monks.
Einar Benediktsson, poet, was con-
vinced that Irish people had settled in
Iceland before the Norwegians arrived
and that proof of that was to be found
in ancient script in man-made caves in
southern Iceland. One such cave has
been studied with a view to wall writ-
ings, without finding evidence of Irish
script from before Iceland’s settlement.
No ancient artifacts have been
found which confirm settlement in the
country before the arrival of Nordic
people; rather all evidence indicates
that settlement in Iceland began in the
late ninth century.
Blood Types and Smallpox
tudies on the origin of Icelanders
based on information from
Landnámabók indicate that 87 per cent
were from Norway, but 13 per cent
from Ireland. However when the ABO
blood groups were studied it revealed
that Icelanders had a high percentage
of the O-type which points to greater
relations to the Irish than Norwegians.
These conclusions created great inter-
est. People felt they were based on a
solid foundation and, at times, they
were given greater importance than
ancient sources which gave another
picture of the nation’s origin.
With further studies of thé blood
type relationship with the Irish, it
became apparent that it is not possible to
use the ABO blood groups to evaluate
relations between nations. Smallpox
strikes adults of the A-blood type more
severely, killing many. People in the O-
group survive smallpox better. Smallpox
epidemics raged in Iceland with about
thirty-year intervals, striking rnany
adults. Many people in the A-group died
in these epidemics, raising the preva-
lence of the O-group. Smallpox epi-
demics raged in Norway with a few
years’ intervals as a mild childhood ill-
ness. Most of the children survived and
developed immunity to smallpox; the
proportions between blood types in
Norway changed little.
An overview of research of tliis
phenomena is, among other places, to
be found in Saga 1992. AIso found
there are Icelandic cultural phenomena
which were earlier considered to be
Celtic, but have been proven to be
Norwegian. This shows that Icelanders
Please see Christianity on page 7
Raegan Arnason Wms Festival Scholarship
The Wilhelm Kristjanson
Memorial Scholarship of
$500.00 is offered by the
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba to a stu-
dent who has completed one or more
years of post-secondary studies and
who will be continuing his or her stud-
ies the following year. The selection is
based on academic results as well as on
qualities of leadership and community
service.
The 1999 winner of this scholarship
is Raegan Amason of Gimli, Manitoba.
Reagan graduated with honours and
distinction from the Gimli High School
with an A-plus average in 1998. At the
same time Raegan found time to be an
avid sailer and Red Cross Water Safety
Swimming Instructor. She also com-
pleted her Grade 8 Conservatory of
Music with First Class Honours. She
also participated in school activities
such as vollyball, basketball, curling,
and badminton, as well as skiing.
Raegan’s leadership skills are
extensive. She was the 1998 graduation
class Valedictorian as well as being
elected the Grad Head, which carried
the responsibility of organizing the
entire graduation event. Raegan won
the Governor General’s Regional
Writing Competition and has been pub-
lished in a poetry anthology.
Raegan was rated the seventh most
promising student upon entrance in
1998 based on leadership qualities and
high academic achievement entering
the University of Manitoba. She volun-
teered as the University of Manitoba’s
Orientation Leader and was appointed
the First Student Representative on the
Manitoba Youth Justice Committee.
Raegan’s community involvement
include Winning the Mayor Ted
Arnason Memorial Scholarship for her
community involvement and leader-
ship. She has volunteered instructing
swimming classes, and has recently
joined the Icelandic Festival
Committee, taking on the role of Co-
Chair of the Parade Committee. She
also plans to volunteer as a Special
Olympics Swimming Coach this fall.
Raegan has performed at the
Icelandic Festival many times over the
years as a pianist and reader of her poet-
17. Raegan’s parents are Judy Amason
(nee Gretchen) and Ken Arnason of
Gimli. Her amma is Elin (Diddy)
Arnason, daughter of the late Elis and
Gavrose Anderson, and granddaughter
of Captain Baldi Anderson, who were
among the first settlers of New Iceland.
Raegan’s langamma was Guðrún
Amason, who passed away Iast suinmer
only weeks away from her llOth birth-
day. Guðrún was the world’s oldest liv-
ing recorded Icelander.
Raegan is currently enrolled in sec-
ond year Faculty of Science at the
University of Manitoba, majoring in
biochemistry with plans to enter den-
tistry.
President Susie Erickson-Jakobson
and the members of the Icelandic
Festival Committee of Manitoba extend
their heartiest congratulations to
Raegan. Best wishes for much success,
health, and happiness in all your future
educational endeavours.
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