The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1968, Blaðsíða 39

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
37
O
The above is the name of an English-
language quarterly that was launched
last fall in Reykjavik, Iceland. The
Editor and Publisher is Amalia Lin-
dal, and the Business Manager is As-
geir Lor Asgeirsson. The sixty-fifth
parallel of Latitude crosses central Ice-
land, whence the name. The editorial
office is at Laufarveg 59, Reykjavik.
On the masthead it is stated that the
magazine is a “Literary Quarterly on
Contemporary Icelandic Life and
Thought.”
Greetings are extended by Asgeir
Asgeirsson, the President of Iceland,
in these words:
“It is indeed an imaginative and
courageous project to launch a quarter-
ly in English, on Icelandic life and
culture. The Magazine 65° is a wel-
come addition to Icelandic publi-
cations. While congratulating the ed-
itor on the birth of the magazine, I
like to express my sincere wish that it
will enjoy a long and fruitful life.
Asg. Asgeirsson,
President of Iceland.
In this first number of 65° there
are articles on different subjects. One
is on Engagement and Marriage in Ice-
land by Bjorn Bjornsson; another is on
Population and tire Standard of Living
by Eirika Anna FriSriksdottir—both
articles well written and informative.
The leading article is a report on a
survey conducted by Petur GuSjonsson
and entitled The Habits of Iceland-
ers. The author is a graduate of
Menntaskdlinn in Reykjavik. He has
completed his second year at Harvard
University where he is studying for a
B.A. degree in Social Studies. He per-
sonally conducted a survey in Reykja-
vik. A questionaire containing 201
questions was sent out and numerous
individuals were interviewed. The
author reports that “some trends have
already appeared, and the ones that
seem most interesting and astonishing
will be briefly descussed. Of the 49
three are repeated here.
1. Reykjavikans do not want to live
close to their kin, absolutely not in the
same house, since they feel that the
presence of their kin will limit their
growth and independence.
27. In spite of much talk, adultery
does not appear to be very common.
34 .Most marriages in Reykjavik are
reasonably happy “with no tremendous
love, no hatred, but a 50-50 existence.”
The author reaches this somewhat
surprising conclusion:
“It seems to the researcher that Ice-
landic society today is characterized
by one word: Materialism. Despite all
talk about the literary spirit in Iceland,
Icelanders are intelligent people, well-
informed and industrious, but far
from being intellectual.”
A page and a half is devoted to hu-
mour. One anecdote reads as follows:
“The Eternal Thirst
Several years ago a thirsty Reykja-
vikan took advantage of his hosts’
hospitality to steal his boots, his sheep-
skin parka and several books. When
the police made his acquaintance he
had sold both boots and parka for a
bottle, and, thus fortified, sat in a
restaurant reading the books.”