The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1963, Blaðsíða 48

46
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER 1963
A Note on Jon Olafsson
This poem “Onward” .was written
by Jon Olafsson two years before he
wrote his “In the Sierra Nevadas” (see
Icelandic Canadian, Vol. 11, No. 3,
pge 35), and three years after -his “Lay
of the Icelanders” against the Danes
in 1869 when he was nineteen years
old. But this poem ‘“Onward” shows
that he clearly understood the plight
of his countrymen and was pointing
out the road they should follow. He
was always a passionate believer in
personal freedom, whether political or
spiritual, and never hestitated to say
so.
The Icelandic people had suffered
so much from the tyranny of their
kindred nations, and the cruel hostil-
ity of climate and widespread volcanic
disasters, reaching a peak in 1783-1790.
The Danish King became absolute in
1662, and Danish monopoly of Ice-
landic trade had become established
in 1602 and lasted until abolished in
1787. Sea communications were dis-
rupted by the Napoleonic wars, 1807-
1814, resulting in famine and death.
Since mid-summer 1888 there was a
change of climate and volcanic erup-
tion eased, and a new Golden Age has
resulted in unprecedented literary
and scholastic activity in Iceland so
that Iceland is now seeking labour
from other lands.
K. J. A.
George Salverson, who has been
writing for the CBC and CBC-TV,
.presented another documentary film
recently on CBC-TV, called The Secret
Hunger. This film deals with an area
facing hunger and starvation, the cause
and the remedy used in combating it.
This is the second time this program
has been televised.
★
Members of the Icelandic-American
Association of Northern California in
San Francisco at their annual meeting
last fall re-elected their executive for
another term. Sveinn Olafson is pres-
ident of the group, Vigfus Jakobsson
vice-president, Ralph Johnson and
Thorley Johnson secretaries, Ingvar
Baldwinson .treasurer and Gunnhildur
Lorensen press reporter. Rev. S. O.
Thorlakson, consul of Iceland in San-
Francisco, is honorary president. The
group held its annual Christmas tree
and concert on the Sunday before
Christmas.
★
Scandinavians in Edmonton, Al-
berta, including Finns, Swedes, Nor-
wegians, Danes and Icelanders, held
their annual celebration Jan- 19th in
the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditor-
ium in Edmonton. The program in-
cluded a play entitled “The Roof Fell”
which was staged by Icelandic mem-
bers. In the cast were Jack Henrickson,
Mrs. Freda Smith, Audrey Benedikt-
son, O. V. Gislason, Gunnar Thorvald-
son and Bill Halldorson, Mrs. Marga-
ret Decosse from St. Paul Alberta, was
soloist and sang a group of Icelandic
and English numbers.