The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2008, Blaðsíða 36

174
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 61 #4
small pockets in or near Brandon,
Pipestone, Morden and Piney as well as the
large urban community in Winnipeg.
There were sizable settlements made in
Saskatchewan, mostly near the Manitoba-
Saskatchewan border around towns such as
Churchbridge and Bradenbury: the
Qu’Appelle Valley and Foam Lake. In
Alberta there were groups in Markerville
on the Red Deer River and in Edmonton:
in British Columbia in Victoria, Point
Roberts and Osland on Smith Island.
In order to study the clothing of the
Icelandic people in Canada it is necessary
to consider first the traditional clothing of
Iceland. It should be noted that, in keeping
with the democratic ideals of Iceland there
was, except in the earliest days, no class
structure. This equality meant that there
was not a peasant class with a distinctly dif-
ferent dress than upper class. Comments
on Icelandic clothing then can be consid-
ered to apply to all Icelanders.
In the early days of Iceland the daily
clothes of the Vikings were dark homespun
woolens, of “vadmal” similar to what is
now called tweed. However, owing to far-
flung trading and traveling trips, the
Icelanders were able to keep pace with
Europe. Their good clothing would be for-
eign and of fashionable cut and bright
colours. Jewellery of silver and gold was
worn by both men and women in the form
of thick arm- bands and heavy brooches for
fastening the cloaks together. Their jew-
ellery was adorned with elaborate patterns
especially dragons and serpents biting their
own tails.
The generous use of silver and gold in
jewellery and costume design has remained
in Icelandic costumes even today despite
that Iceland has no gold or silver of its own
to mine. Delicate gold and silver filigree
decorates the women’s national costume,
sometimes to the tune of $2,500.00 to
$5,000.00.
The emergence of this particular art
form can possibly be explained by the fact
that the original settlers of Iceland were
rich Norse and Viking families who
brought a great deal of gold and silver with
them to Iceland. Once in Iceland this gold
and silver was surplus as there was, as in
any new settlement, little to be purchased.
Some of course was used to procure goods
on foreign shores but it is not unreasonable
to assume that fashioning the coins into
jewellery would while a way many a long
winter night.
Through the years the men’s clothing
would emulate European dress although, at
a slower pace, as demand for Iceland’s fish,
which was one of its main trade items
began to slack off. Around the end of the
18th century men commonly wore black
homespun with pants that were usually
knee breeches. The head covering consisted
of a cap that could be turned down in win-
ter or a mottled close fitting tasseled one
that was worn even in the home. On festive
occasions they might wear white pan-
taloons of linsey-woolsey and a blue jack-
et. On these occasions the hat might be a
tricorn.
However it seems that the prevailing
mode for men was European and there has
not been a distinctive Icelandic dress for
men for some time. In 1874 at the time of
the Millennial Celebration (thousandth
anniversary of the first Icelandic Althing or
Parliament) in an attempt to revive a
national costume, students wore short
trousers with tassels, blue stockings and a
“hufa” (flat cap with a long tassel). This did
not last and the male emigrant to North
America of the 1870’s, 80’s and 90’s did not
differ perceptibly from the average North
European. The early everyday dress for
women consisted of a long full black skirt
and tight fitting bodice, knitted originally
but by mid 19th century was made of
homespun or broadcloth. A velvet border
on the bodice at the centre front opening
was the only decoration. A blouse or shirt-
waist showed through. A scarf around the
neck was tied to form a bow or a rosette in
front. Over the skirt was worn an apron of
coloured silk. Outdoors a shawl of silk
wool was added. This costume was called
the “peysufot” In a lighter form, which was
more comfortable for working it was called
the “upphlutur.” In the upphlutur the
bodice was low cut and sleeveless so that
more of the blouse showed and was usual-
ly more decorated than the peysufot.
The most distinctive item of these two