Ný saga - 01.01.1987, Page 101

from the Danish coastguard; an increase which
prompted the British empire to dispatch naval ships to
Iceland in 1896 and 1897.
This article depicts life aboard the Danish cruiser
Heimdallur in the summer of 1898. It is based on the
diaries of S.V. Hansen, a young officer on the Heim-
dallur, which reveal that the Danes spent more time
entertaining themselves on land than harassing
British trawlers at sea.
„SAGNFRÆÐIN FELUR EKKI í SÉR
EINN SANNLEIK." ÞÓRUNN
VALDIMARSDÓTTIR RÆÐIR VIÐ
KIRSTEN HASTRUP MANNFRÆÐI-
PRÓFESSOR í DANMÖRKU.
(IN HISTORY THERE IS NEVER AN
ABSOLUTE TRUTH. KRISTEN
HASTRUP, PROFESSOR OF ANTHRO-
POLOGY, INTERVIEWED BY
ÞÓRUNN VALDIMARSDÓTTIR).
In the interview Professor Hastrup discusses her
reserch on the Icelandic commonwealth, her methods,
and sources. Her research is a daring attempt in utiliz-
ing anthropological methods for a historical study.
The interview touches upon various subjects. It focu-
ses, however, on the publication of Hastrup's provo-
cative monograph, Culture and History in Medieval
Iceland: an Anthropolgical Analysis of Structure and
CViaHge,published by the Oxford University Press in
1985.
Ólafur Ásgeirsson
ÓLAFUR FRIÐRIKSSON OG KROPOTKIN
FURSTI
(ÓLFUR FRIÐRIKSSON AND PRINCE
KROPOTKIN)
Ólafur Friðriksson was at the forefront of the Iceland-
ic socialist movement in the years of it's youth, 1914
•17, and took part in drawing up the Socialdemocratic
party's agenda. It has generally been believed that he
was influenced by Danish socialdemocrats, but the
author argues that the theories of the Russian
anarchist Pjotr Krapotkin had a decisive impact on
Ólafur Friðriksson's political thought.
FRELSISÞRÁ í SJÁLFSTÆÐIS-
BARÁTTU ÍSLENDINGA (THE
YEARNING FOR FREEDOM IN THE
ICELANDIC STRUGGLE FOR
INDEPENDENCE).
GUÐMUNDUR JÓNSSON:
ÓSAMRÆMI í FRELSISHUG-
MYNDUM OFTÚLKAÐ.
(INCONSISTENT LIBERALISM
OVEREMPHASIZED).
GUNNAR KARLSSON: FRJÁLSLYNDI
KEMUR EKKI í EITT SKIPTI FYRIR
ÖLL. (LIBERALISM DOES NOT
PRESENT ITSELF ONCE AND FOR
ALL).
In the first article a novel interpretation is presented
of the Icelandic struggle for independence. Guðmund-
ur Hálfdánarson has recently contended, contrary to
the traditional view, that the national movement was
not influenced by European liberalism. Instead, it
aimed at defending the old social order against at-
tempts on behalf of the Danish government to liberal-
ize the economy and grant more personal freedom to
the population.
In the following articles, this interpretation is re-
jected by two historians. Their arguments run in simi-
lar direction. They claim that the Danish goverment
showed little interest in changing the Icelandic soci-
ety. It is true that the Icelandic nationalists were
preoccupied with the question of home-rule and other
nationalistic issues, but they also strove for liberal re-
forms in the political life and even in the economy as
can be seen by their demand for free foreign trade.
Már Jónsson
„KONUR FYRIRGEFA KÖRLUM
HÓR" (WOMEN FORGIVE
ADULTEROUS MEN)
In this article, Már Jónsson probes into the hidden
world of family sentiments. By analyzing a number of
letters from wives seeking pardon for their adulterous
husbands, he attempts to construe family relation-
ships in 19th century Iceland.
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