The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1956, Page 49

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
47
late Reverend Fridrik J. Bergman was
the Professor in Icelandic and there
were only three of us, and that is
forty-one years ago, when Icelandic
was spoken in all the homes of our
mothers and fathers. The Chair of Ice-
landic Language and Literature at the
University of Manitoba was not establ-
ished through the large monetary con-
tribution of Americans and Canadians
of Icelandic origin and descent for the
sole purpose of giving tuition in the
living language, but to assist the Eng-
lish Department in providing the es-
sential Division of Old Norse which,
as we know, is the Icelandic language
and is required in most universities
which confer a Ph.D. Degree in Eng-
lish. Dr. Sidney Smith, President of
the University of Toronto, has stated
that in the establishment of the Chair
in Icelandic Language and Literature,
the University of Manitoba would be
the only University in Canada which
would have the facilities to provide the
necessary means for a student to obtain
a Ph.D. Degree in English, with
emphasis on the old Germanic back-
ground.
We all regret to see Professor Finn-
bogi GuSmundsson leaving the Uni-
versity of Manitoba at this time, but
we wish to extend to him our heart-
felt thanks for all the efforts he has
expended in organizing this new Ice-
landic Department at the University
of Manitoba, and acquainting his fel-
low citizens of Icelandic origin and
descent of the cultural values of their
heritage.
May the University of Manitoba be
fortunate enough to obtain another
educationist of 'the same calibre,
capability and drive of our esteemed
friend Professor Finnbogi. We do not
bid you goodbye but merely Au Revoir.
Arni G. Eggertson
Artist and Writer Honored by Iceland
As reported in the Autumn issue of
this magazine, Emil Walters went to
Iceland last summer to paint historic
sites pertaining to the Vinland sagas.
He painted the place of Eirik the Red
in Hukadal, Stykkisholmi. Glaumbae,
the sagastead of Thorfinnur Karlsefni
and his wife GuSriSur; the place where
GuSriSur founded a nunnery, and
other pictures. According to experts,
the paintings that the artist brought
back with him are exceptionally fine;
“so strong, yet so tender and gay.”
The United States Defence Depart-
ment flew Mr. Walters over to Green-
land on May 28, where he will paint
the ruins of the Icelandic settlements,
also the modern Danish towns and the
unique aspects of land, sea and sky in
that part of the world.
Mr. Walters was commissioned by
the State Department of U.S.A. to do
this work. He was recently honored by
a substantial monetary grant from the
Icelandic government “for paintipg
Iceland’s historical sites”. His wife,
Thorstina Jackson Walters also re-
ceived a grant from Iceland in recog-
nition of her literary efforts on be-
half of the land of her ancestors; she
has been contributing articles about
Iceland to newspapers and magazines
for over thirty years and her Modern
Sagas received very fine reviews in
newspapers and magazines all the way
from Boston to San Francisco, as well
as in Canada. — Emile and Thorstina
Walters deserve this honor that Ice-
land bestowed upon them.