The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2007, Page 21

Vol. 61 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
19
other sheep, they can often be spotted since
their heads are raised higher than others.
Recently, when I was in Iceland buying
new stock I did buy a ewe lamb whose
mother is a leader. Even though she has not
yet had the time to prove herself as a leader,
I do have high hopes for her. She certainly
carries her head higher than the rest and
from the beginning she seems to watch us
humans more intensely than the others
do.” -Stefania Dignum (2000), Yeoman
Farm, the home of the first Icelandic sheep
flock in North America. Canada.
Larus, one of the original 12 at Yeoman Farm.
He was friendly and calm, and a good breeder.
A quote from an Icelandic shepherd:
"It warms the heart and gives pleasure to
pause for a moment before spreading the
morning hay in the manger. The sheep turn
their attention to the shepherd. It evokes a
feeling of loving kindness to look into these
mild, innocent and trusting eyes, full of
hope and faith in the shepherd. Those are
the eyes of God's children." -Asgeir
Jonsson from Gottorp (1949). Iceland.
Old Fashioned Toys in Iceland: “I
have bought a few plastic animals for
grandchildren and other young friends.
When I do, I think of the times when I,
myself, played ‘farm’ with the bones of the
sheep. Certain bones had certain roles. The
horns were our treasured sheep, the leg
bones were horses, the small bones above
the hoof were the dogs, and the cows were
the lower jaw bone. Another game used the
vala bone (knee bone), and we could ask it
a question. The answer depended on how
the vala dropped. I was taught to use it in
this way: roll it on top of my head while
reciting this verse “Vala, Vala, Soothsayer.
Answer my question. If you tell me the
truth, I will gladden you with gold. I will
feed you silver. But if you lie to me. I will
burn you in the fire or throw you in the
chamber pot”; then I would ask the ques-
tion and let the vala drop to the floor. If the
hollow side landed up, it meant ‘yes’. The
other side meant ‘no’. If it landed on its
side, which was not often, one side was
‘don’t know’ and the other was ‘won’t
tell’.” -summarized from an article by
Stefania Dignam.

4
.k

The Vala - Yes, No, Don’t know, Won’t tell.
“Kraga. She was white, tall and a beau-
tiful ewe. She was a leader right from her
first winter. This story is told by Kraga's
owner: ‘On the 9th of December 1950, I
had not yet taken my sheep in on hay but
grazed them on the seashore not far from
the farm. I walked to my barn and was sur-
prised to find Kraga standing by herself
way back in the barn. Seeing this, I decided
to just catnap that night and be prepared
for a weather change. Up to then the
weather had been just fine. At five o'clock
in the morning I heard the roar from the
sea and the blizzard. I rushed out and man-
aged, with difficulty, to get the ewes from
the shore. A few minutes later and it would
have been too late. I also managed to call
my neighbour and warn him, otherwise he
would have lost several sheep.”
-Asgeir Jonsson (1953), Leadersheep
(Forystuffe). Iceland. (Translated by
Stefania Dignum.)