The Icelandic Canadian - 01.11.2007, Blaðsíða 6

48
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 61 #2
Editorial
by Birna Bjarnadottir
The year 2007 is set for Jonas
Hallgrfmsson (1807-1845), the farmboy
from Oxnadalur who later became one of
Iceland's most remarkable natural scientist,
and in the minds of some, the best poet ever
bom on the island. At the time of his death,
on May 26 in 1845, he had also risen to the
stature of a national hero, being instrumen-
tal in the nineteenth century independent
movement.
There are substantial reasons for this
achievement. At an early age, his love for
nature is said to have presented itself to him
in the guise of a beautiful and captivating
riddle. And as a young man, leaving the
Boarding School of Bessastadir (in
south-west Iceland), his teachers wrote in
his Graduation Certificate: “gifted with a
penetrating intelligence, an excellent mem-
ory, and a living appreciation for what is
true and especially for what is beautiful.”
Thus, while approaching the legacy of
Jonas Hallgrfmsson’s life and work, one
cannot help but to encounter the brush-
strokes of numerous gods and goddesses.
Hail to you Odinn! to hand a profound
poet down to us; hail to you Ancient Greek
gods! to inspire the farmboy from
Oxnadaulur to serve and follow the god-
dess of beauty in the spirit of Eros. One
should also acknowledge the Son and the
Father. For unlike some at the beginning of
the twenty first century, Jonas
Hallgrfmsson, despite his countless trials,
harboured faith in the creator’s gifts.
The year set for beauty marks the
200th anniversary of the birth of Jonas
Hallgrfmsson.
As can be expected, cultural events are
taking place throughout the year on both
sides of the Atlantic, more or less in a cre-
ative collaboration with the Jonas-commit-
tee, formed by the Ministry of culture and
education in Iceland. The main outposts of
Icelandic language and culture have been
drawn into the enchanting enterprise,
Manitoba being one of them. On August 5,
a singular event took place in Johnson Hall,
Gimli, in a rewarding collaboration
between the University of Manitoba's
Department of Icelandic Language and
Literature, the Islendingadagurinn’s
Committee, and the Icelandic
Government. This time, the annual
Celebrity Concert was dedicated to the
memory of Jonas Hallgrfmsson, featuring
the Valley-Group and the composer Atli
Heimir Sveinsson. The musical program,
inspired by the poems of Jonas
Hallgrfmsson, and composed by Atli
Heimir, was performed by Hulda Bjork
Gardarsdottir soprano, Eyjolfur
Eyjolfsson tenor, Anna Gudny
Gudmundsdottir piano, Havardur
Tryggvason double bass, Sigrun Edvalds-
dottir violin, and Sigurdur Ingi Snorrason
clarinet. It is sufficient to say, that Atli
Heimir Sveinsson is one of Iceland’s lead-
ing contemporary composers, and the
Valley-Group an ensamble of some of
Iceland's most gifted and renowned musi-
cians. There were also two speakers on site.
Rev. Stefan Jonasson, a true theologian in
that he appreciates the arts, gave a brief talk
on the legacy of Jonas Hallgrfmsson’s life
and work. Dr. Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson, an
associate professor in Icelandic at the
Unviersity of Iceland, gave another brief
talk on Jonas’s poetry. Last but not least,
David Gislason, the farmer, poet and trans-
lator from the New Iceland area, recited his
translation of Hallgrfmsson’s poem
”Ferdalok“, or “Journey’s End,” the poem
many refer to as the most beautiful poem
ever written in Icelandic.
In a year set for beauty, it should also
be noted that the early Icelandic settlers in
North America were no strangers to Jonas
Hallgrfmsson. When reading through their
memoirs, it becomes evident that two