Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.12.2008, Blaðsíða 11

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. desember 2008 • 11
My trip to Iceland and
what happened there
I still reflect on those moments I spent pondering
Lyle Christensen
My great, great grand-mother left Vestman-naeyja because of
her new religious conviction.
Rejected by her family and
friends, she emigrated to Utah
where she could practice her
religion free from persecution.
The most important things
she brought with her were
her culture and her faith. The
faith stayed strong in the fam-
ily while the culture withered
away over generations.
Over 100 years later, I
came back as the first descen-
dant in the family to mend
those lost ties with our rela-
tives in the Westman Islands,
where they taught me the Ice-
landic culture. Hauker, my
host father, took me fishing,
and also had me bale hay for
him on his recently-bought
tractor. He knew how much I
loved farming, and I had a lot
of fun working in the fields
with the machinery and also
with the sheep.
Lillý, my host mother,
made sure that I worked on
my Icelandic to help me blend
in with the natives. Lillý was
very patient with me, as I first
had troubles expressing my
feelings. She was the perfect
teacher and mother. She knew
how much I loved skýr and
whole milk, so she always
bought extra just for me. She
made sure I always had plenty
to eat and introduced me to a
lot of relatives.
One of my relatives, Jóhan-
na, always included me with
her friends so I could interact
with native Icelanders. She al-
ways helped my Icelandic and
made life a lot more fun for
me. She was very popular on
the island, and that helped me
become friends with everyone;
and there was a domino effect:
the more people I knew, the
more Icelandic I spoke. I was
then invited to parties, soccer
games, and other activities
where I could blend in with
the people.
One of the most memo-
rable moments of my time in
Vestmannaeyja was when I
went to the seaside where my
great, great grandmother was
baptized. I spent many nights
walking there to just listen to
the waves crash into the rocks
and ponder about my life. I
felt like I could really medi-
tate and understand what was
really important in my life,
one of which was my religion.
I still reflect on those moments
I spent sitting on the boulders
lining the shoreline.
That trip to Iceland helped
me realize who I am and what
I stand for. I never go a day
without thinking about my life
there and how much I miss it.
Readers: some
information, if
you please!
Allan Johnson
Near the end of the 19th century (from 1870 to 1914, in fact), almost
20% of the population of Ice-
land left their homeland to set-
tle, mainly in North America.
Nearly one hundred locations
can be identified as Icelandic
settlements in North Ameri-
ca. Some of these settlements
failed and the settlers moved
on to other more promising
locations. Others were highly
successful and are well known
today for their Icelandic popu-
lation and culture.
A task force at Lögberg-
Heimskringla has undertaken
to map the locations in North
America that can be identified
as Icelandic settlements. Our
first draft of this project can be
viewed on the internet at www.
allanjohnson.ca; find this web-
site then click on “Icelandic
Settlements in North America.”
We are requesting the help
of our readers to develop this list
of original Icelandic settlements
and to improve the accuracy of
the content. Many of us will have
grown up in these communities,
before leaving to pursue educa-
tion and careers elsewhere. To-
day we are dispersed across the
North American continent, but
we still retain an ephemeral cul-
tural link to “home,” which is the
original settlement, and is Ice-
land before that.
In the next phase, we will
be able to add photos, text and
links to the map to enhance the
information about each loca-
tion. At this point we have just
tagged each site with its name
and location. To provide a
sample and illustrate what we
hope to achieve, a few photos,
some text and a couple of links
have been added to the mark-
er for Big Point (Langruth),
Manitoba.
Please examine the map and
check the current list of sites.
Then, give us your opinion
about the authenticity of each
location as an Icelandic settle-
ment. We will review all com-
ments from readers and will be
editing and re-editing the in-
formation accordingly over the
next few months.
If you have been associated
with or have lived in one of these
Icelandic settlements, please
send us short stories about the
original Icelandic settlers or a
brief history of the community.
Photos of the settlers and their
families would also be appreci-
ated. These photos should be in
computer file, jpeg format.
All comments and materials
should be sent to ajohnson@
magma.ca with the subject line
“Icelandic Settlements in North
America.”
Thank you very much for
your help!
Dr. Allan Johnson is a
member of the L-H Board of
Directors.
Photos courtesy lyle christensen
Lyle and his relative Jóhanna in the streets of Iceland.
Lyle and his host parents, Hauker and Lillý.
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