Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2002, Page 21

EIN DANI OG BYRJANIN TIL FØROYSKA FORNFRØÐI
19
‘The worst agony, whicli the population of
the Faroe Islands were enduring, was the
devastation by free-booters, who constantly
made life and welfare unsafe, and this agony
continued throughout the century. The prop-
erty of the inhabitants was stolen, and if they
offered resistance, they were cut down, the
women were ravished, and if there was a
need for men onboard or slaves, where the
free-booters came from, people were abduct-
ed. The population never knew that one was
safe when and where the landings and attacks
came. As soon as the vessels of the free-boot-
ers were sighted, everybody left their homes
and took to well-hidden and faraway refuge
places in the mountains. Frorn here they, if
Fig. 9. Christian Matras (1900-1988) was born at
Viðareiði. He became a graduate of the Sorø Academy
in 1920, mag.art. (= app. M.A.) in 1928 and, in 1933,
Doctor of Philosophy with tlie dissertation ‘Stednavne
paa de færøske Norðoyar' (Matras 1932). He became
a lecturer in Faroese at University of Copenhagen in
1936, extraordinary reader in 1942, extraordinary
professor in 1952 and, except from a ieave in 1965-
1966, professor ofFaroese language and culture at
Fróðskaparsetur Føroya (Academy of the Faroe
Islands) during the period 1965-1971. He held many
honorary offices, including that ofeditor of the annual
yarðin during tlie period 1931-1936 and again in
1973-1974, and tluit ofchairman of Føroyingafelag
(Tlte Faroese Society) in Denmark 1936-1942. He
produced numerous academic publications, which
included - besides liis dissertation - a number of
articles in the journal Fróðskaparrit 1954-1958 on
Celtic loanwords in Faroese. He also published a
number of Itis own novels, collections ofpoems as well
as translations offoreign literature. He was awarded
honorary memberships of a range ofacademic
societies abroad (Davidsen, 1981b). Photo: The Royal
Library. Department of maps, prints and
photoghraphs.
spolted, »with stones could keep such rap-
scallions and bandits away frorn them, so
that they could not corne them any closer and
hurt them«. These refuge places are still
pointed out in the outfield under the name
»Fransahusene«’ (author’s translation from
Danish).
Information on such look-outs and refuges
had been recorded over a length of time.
For instance in connection with the surveys
conducted by the Danish Ordnance Survey
in the Faroe Islands in the late 19th century,
but also the travels in the islands in 1896
and 1914 respectively of Daniel Bruun
(1856-1931), an antiquarian connected