Christmas in Iceland - 15.12.1940, Qupperneq 22

In and around Iceland
Crash Diving.
Boomps — a — Daisy! Frost, she is now ge-
kommen and de Bretesh they er skating on
the Ice of Iceland... and how!
On a local pond the other day it was en-
couraging to see at least three of about 50
skating Tommies on their feet at the same
time. Slippery fun.
Warning.
There is no truth in
the rumour that if you
take a 20 cwt turck for a
mile and a half, get
off, stop an Icelandic lor-
ry, get a lift for 50
kilometers, hire a pack
pony, canter inland un-
till you come to a small
shack 40 kilometers
North- North-East of
Mount Hekla, that you
will find an illicit brewe-
ry, brewing it is whis-
pered. „Youngers Pale
Ale”.
I should know.
Stockings, silk.
“Us boys”, in Iceland
are going to suffer a
terrible shock when we
meet our sweethearts
in Blighty again. Reason: — They nearly
all wear stocking, (wool), now — unlike our
“stulka” friends up here in the frozen North.
They, our sweethearts regard this as a terr-
ible calamity. Shall we therefore unite and
sing the following dirge: —
“Now weep for British womanhood, whose
worries and whose wees
Have reached the cruel climax with this
ban on silken hose!
Yet Granny wore wool stockings and was
happy in her day,
And, after all, these silk ones are sheer
nonsense some would say”.
Wound Stripes.
Mention of wound stripes has arounsed
much interest among old-timers in Iceland. .
especially some of our glorious old warriors
in the “Amps”.
One of them tells the
story of the two runn-
ers attached to the head-
quarters of a famous
Scottish battalion — no
names no pack drill.
After an early gas at-
tack the two runners
were discovered brea-
thing stertorously and
almost purple in the
face. Along with other
casualties they were rus
hed off for treatment.
Subsequently two
bottles of vin rouge
were found to be miss-
ing from the officers’
mess and — unfortu-
tunately — the empties
were locoted in the
runners’ quarters.
In due course the cul-
prits were reported
for duty with the batt
talion, and returned wearing — a little self-
consciously — their wound stripes.
But nothing could be done about. After all
it was the M. O. who had diagnosed gas!
News Flash.
Dorothy Lamour’s decision to cut her hair
has precipitated a major crisis”. — Note in a
film periodical.
So maybe that’s what Hitler and Franco
were talking about.
Harsh treatment, says I:
According to a book published over
100 years ago Icelandic husbands had
little or no control over their „Fru’s”.
A certain passage reads: „Besides
their dowry each bride received a pre-
sent from their husbands which was
carried with them in case of a di-
vorce; and this separation took place
wheneve the wife expressed her wish
in a prescribed manner before wit-
ess.
Harsh words, or any appearance of
abuse, such as a slight blow given in
half jest, was given for this determi-
nation.
It is said that, by using their pri-
vileges, they in most cases obtained
complete authorty over their pouses.
And no — wonder!
20
CRISTMAS IN ICELAND