Studia Islandica - 01.06.1961, Page 183

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ing those men who did not give up in despair, but fought to a finish
and never “succumbed to difficulties”. It is not unlikely that in his
description of Kolbeinn, Stephansson had Bólu-Hjálmar in mind,
who was a neighbour of his in his youth, besides drawing on his
own experience.
The verses exchanged by Kolbeinn and Kölski are all written in
old Icelandic “rímur” metres. This section is particularly well
written. The section on Kolbeinn is also of a very high standard,
whereas the first part of the poem is the least meritorious and
somewhat obscure. Here the legend, Kölski Gets Married, has given
Stephansson the idea to have Kölski, or “the chief of this world” as
he calls him, marry and live as farmer for a while on the Horn-
strandir in the North-West of Iceland. He does this to underline
the idea implied in the poem that Kölski is the personification of
force which is to be found all over the world in innumerable forms,
whether it is in a Briton, a negro or an Icelandic farmer. This
account of Kölski’s marital life is somewhat loosely connected with
the main stream of the poem and rather disfigures its general
outlines.
In the final section of the poem Stephansson, in accordance
with legend, describes how a river washed away some land on Kol-
bein’s farm and that Kolbeinn gave instructions to be buried upon
his death where the devastation of the river was most pronounced,
saying that he might thereby to some extent be able to resist its
inroads. At the end of the poem Stephansson surveys Kolbein’s
deserted farm, where signs of his cultivation can still be seen, and
raises the question as to which will be victorious in the end, the
destructive force represented by Kölski, or Kolbein’s resistance
effort. He does not give a straight answer to this question, but
appeals to the young people of Iceland. In spite of Kolbein’s
contribution to a victory the outcome of this struggle will depend
on them. But according to Stephansson’s philosophy life is an
indivisible whole, continuous progress, giving each individual life
in the work which he does best on earth, without hereafter. (See
the final stanza of the poem Kveld (“Evening”)).
Kolbemslag is very well written in parts, but is not, however,
without flaws as regards form and language any more than most
other poems by Stephansson. It makes a particularly enjoyable
reading, however, although parts of it are rather obscure and require
careful study. It is one of Stephan G. Stephansson’s most important
poems for being as personal as it is, giving the reader a good picture
of the poet himself and his sound and constructive philosophy.