The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1959, Blaðsíða 13

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
II
THE SILVER HOARD FROM
CAULVERJABe
By Kristjan Eldjarn
Translated by TRYGGVI J. OLESON and HEIMIR TEIORGRIMSON*
Among the most common human
failings would seem to be the urge to
bury treasure underground. It is re-
corded in Landnama that one of the
noblest Icelandic settlers, Ketilbjorn
the Old of Mosfell in Grfmsnes, took
his silver up a mountain and concealed
it so well that it could not again be
found, and similar stories are told from
modern times. To this day the belief
in treasure trove is firmly held by
many, and wierd actions have follow-
ed from this belief. Rev. Brynjolfur
GuSmundsson relates, in a report (from
1818) on archaeological finds, for ex-
ample, the following: “It is said that
Jolgeir, who was the first to settle at
JolgeirsstaSir ... is entomlbecl east of
the croft called Sel. He is said to have
sunk his money chest into the fen east
of the croft, but to have promised that
the first boy to be given his name in
baptism would find the treasure and
enjoy it. For this reason, a few years
ago a certain couple (at Asholl) wished
to name their infant son Jolgeir, but
the pastor then in charge, who is now
dead, prevented this because he con-
sidred the name a heathen one.’’
* From Kristjan Eldjarn, GengiS a reka, Akur-
eyri, 1948, pp. 83—95.
Of the pervasiveness of this belief
in hidden treasure our folk tales furn-
ish ample proof. They tell of misers,
who buried their gold and. silver in
their lifetime so that they might have
the pleasure of fondling it in the life
to come. Above these buried treasures
on dark nights flicker the blue flames
variously known as haugeldar, malm-
eldar and vafurlogar (all fires indicat-
ing the location of buried coins). Per-
haps this popular conception may be
explained as being the dream fantasy
of the poor about gold and precious
stones, the wishful hope of the destitute
that they may one day unexpectedly
find the pot of gold.. However that
may be it is certainly true that many
men of old followed Ketilbjorn’s exam-
ple, although few were as fortunate
as he in selecting a hiding place. Many
a farmer in Scandinavia has unexpect-
edly beheld the gleam of silver coins
turned up by his ploughshare and
forthwith brought that day’s plough-
ing to an end. The incredibly large
collections of old silver coins, now in
Scandinavian museums, have their
origin in such finds. In our country
there is nothing comparable. Iceland
is a vast and sparsely settled country
and it is small wonder that but a few
of the treasures that may have been