The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Page 55

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
53
Halldorsson further mentions Steph-
ansson’s view that truth is always de-
rived from beneficial experience, (cf.
Op. Cit. 19, 72).
Stephansson’s extensive knowledge
of the American freethinkers move-
ment is clearly indicated in one of his
letters from 1890. In this letter he
•speaks of the American freethinkers
from whom he demands “the kind of
scholarly caution which can advance
well founded statements rather than
prejudice.” (1, 9-10). Of their numer-
erous publications Stephansson was
only satisfied with Boston Index ed-
ited by B. F. Underwood (cf. Timarit
XLVIII, 19). However, he recommend-
ed the following publications as useful
reading: The New Ideal, Boston; Bos-
ton Investigator, Boston; Ironclad Age,
Indianapolis; Truth Seeker, New York;
Free Thought, San Fransisco; Secular
Thought, Toronto; The Individualist,
Colorado; Freethinkers Magazine, N.
York. (For further information, see
Loc. Cit.).
Even though the freethinkers’ move-
ment had a lasting influence on
Stephan G. Stephansson, he discarded
much of its printed output and accept-
ed only the kind of literature which
in his opinion was likely to enhance
intellectual maturity. (1, 10).
V
In a letter from 1910 Stephan G.
Stephansson expressed his views on life
on earth as follows:
“As far as one can see, life is etern-
al; it was and it will be. It is of the
greatest importance that all the cir-
cumstances that surround life be
favourable. What each and every indi-
vidual has in common with the life
of the living will live on after he ceases
to exist.” (1,220).
Life on earth was to Stephansson
the kind of god that demands work as
sacrifice, but since such sacrifice brings
about improvement of the conditions
of life it should also be regarded as a
reward. The Icelandic writer GuS-
mundur FriSjonsson had this in mind
when he maintained that Stephansson’s
affection for hard work was to him
“the equivalent of religion” (“truar-
bragSai'gildi”, cf. Hannes Petursson in
Andvari (Summer) 1959, 41; See also
GuSm. FriSjonsson: Ritsafn VI, 419).
One should note that it is indeed this
kind of religion, to make further use
of FriSjonsson’s definition, which in
Stephansson’s poems is often contrasted
with conventional faith. This contrast
Stephansson subjected to careful scru-
tiny in many poems, among Which is
a long epic on SigurSur trolli (SigurS-
ur the Big, I, 509-522) based on a story
which is partly from Icelandic folk-
lore. The poem depicts SigurSur trolli
as a somewhat strange character who
occupies an out-of-the-way shack in
the mountains. Nearby is a treacher-
ous path where in the past many
travellers have been caught in snow-
storms and perished. SigurSur trolli’s
daily chores consist of herding his
sheep. However, his more important
calling in life is that of saving the lives
of those who lose their way and get
into difficulties along the treacherous
paths of the mountains. This man had
made it his business to rescue people
from death’s door.
In spite of SigurSur trolli’s concern
for human lives, he fails to attend the
parish church which is closest to his
valley. As a result of this he is rebuked
by the church minister who has taken
such a dim view of SigurSur’s negli-
gence that he finds it necessary to clas-
sify him with the followers of Satan
himself. (Continued on Page 72)