The Icelandic Canadian - 01.11.2007, Síða 26

68
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 61 #2
Dr Jon Hjaltalin was a man of quick
intelligence, but he didn't study the impli-
cations of each issue before the National
Assembly at length if they didn't pertain to
medicine and science. He was also a good
poet and spent a great deal of his time in his
youth versifying. There is, however, only
one known poem still in existence, com-
posed on the death of his friend the late Dr.
Gisli Hjalmarsson. A nationalist, he sup-
ported any project that would benefit the
nation, and everything he wrote or spoke
on at the National Assembly was aimed at
furthering progress. The King awarded
him the Danish Knight's Cross in 1866,
and when he retired from his position as
“land's doctor” on the 18th day of July
1881, the King gave him the title “etatsrad.”
He was also awarded a sum of 1000 kronur
by the National Assembly (Althing) in
recognition of his contribution to the well
being of the nation, and in addition, the
French government awarded him their
knight's cross.
At about 5 feet 9 inches, Dr. Jon
Hjaltalin “Land's Doctor” was a relatively
tall man at a time when the average man
stood at about 5 feet 7 inches. He was
broad over the shoulders and rather
impressive looking. In his younger years he
was slim and narrow around the waist, but
he became quite heavy in middle age. His
hair and complexion were fair and he had
blue eyes, and his hair became silver gray in
later life. He had a prominent chin. A man
of pleasant personality, he walked around
Reykjavik in his retirement, visiting friends
and acquaintances. He died in his sleep on
June 8, 1882, having just turned 75. His
funeral was held on the 17th day of June,
with many people in attendance.
1. Braxy is an inflammatory disease in
sheep, due to a change in food from succu-
lent to dry; and the name given to mutton
of sheep affected with it.
Halldor K. Fridriksson (1819-1902)
was for many years headmaster of the
Grammar School in Reykjavik. A scholar
of some note, Halldor studied in
Copenhagen as a young man and worked
with Cleasby on his well-known dictio-
nary. During his years abroad he also
belonged to the group of nationalistic
young Icelanders known as the
Fjolnismenn, and he was a close friend of
Iceland's national hero Jon Sigurdsson.
Among his many publications were
numerous textbooks and editions of the
sagas. Among the children of Halldor K.
Fridriksson and his Danish wife was Dr.
Moritz Halldorsson in North Dakota.
Rev. stefa ia,joiA,assoiA,
ARBORG UNITARIAN CHURCH
GIMLI UNITARIAN CHURCH
9 Rowand Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 2N4
Telephone: (204) 889-4746
E-mail: sjonasson@uua.org