The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1963, Síða 30

28
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1963
TOMPimpa-#/ mu
Translated from the Icelandic by
JUDY TAYLOR and MELINDA BARDAL
The latter half of the 18th century saw in many countries a highly rationalistic trend,
against which writers revolted early in the 19th century. Thus classicism was replaced by
romanticism, and about this time a fresh interest in romantic tales was ushered into Iceland.
In 1817 “The Society for the Advancement of Research on Ancient Lore” in Copenhagen
formally requested that the Icelanders start collecting folk tales which had then for a long
time existed in oral tradition. For these and many other reasons huge collections of Icelandic
folk tales were put down in writing later in the 19th century.
The following story which is taken from the well known collection “I>j6Ss6gur Jons
Arnasonar”, first published in Leipzig in 1862, is a good example of 19th century Icelandic
folk tales.. — J. T., M. B.
ASGRIMUR J6NSSON: “THE ELF CHASE” (RiSum og riSutn)
In the olden days many centuries
ago, a very wealthy farmer lived in
Saelingsdalstunga. He had some child-
ren, of whom two sons have been men-
tioned. It is not known what their
names were, so that we will call them
Arnor and Sveinn. They were both
promising youths although they were
not alike. Arnor was virile and vigour-
ous. Sveinn was gentle and easy-going
and not as gifted physically as his bro-
ther.