The Icelandic connection - 01.03.2018, Side 8

6
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 70#l
for Kainn’s poetry. Writer Bo3var
GuSmundsson started by a heartwarming
talk about his relationship with Kainn’s
poetry and then Hulda Karen Danfelsdottir,
project manager for the city of Reykjavik,
discussed Kainn as he was represented in
Logberg-Heimskringla from 1990 to 1992.
Helgi Freyr Hafjtorsson, project manager at
the University of Akureyri, then showed us
how it is always appropriate to quote Kainn,
even when rejected by a woman in a pub.
The discussion of Kainn’s poetry continued
with a presentation from Bragi Valdimar
Skulason of the Icelandic band Baggalutur,
who dedicated a whole album to Kainn’s
poetry. After his talk, Baggalutur performed
several of their songs from the album.
The final part of the symposium
discussed Kainn today and started with
Egill Helgason who played the interview
with Stfna litla, Christine Geir Hall,
from his television series Westward
Bound. Sunna Pam Furstenau, president
of Icelandic Roots and of the INL, was
the last speaker of the day. She discussed
Kainn in Thingvalla, his connections,
celebrations, and community.
Sunna also presented the relief of
Kainn, given to the city of Akureyri
by the Icelandic Roots, the Icelandic
Communities Association of NE North-
Dakota, and from friends of Kainn. The
original plan had been for the monument
to be unveiled after the symposium, but
unfortunately that was not possible due to
the unpredictable Icelandic nature; a basalt
column, big enough for the relief, was hard
to find. Instead, there was a short ceremony
at the symposium where Sunna delivered
the relief to the mayor of Akureyri, Eirikur
Bjorn Bjornsson.
The symposium was particularly well
attended. Approximately 200 people
were in the audience, coming mostly
from Akureyri and surrounding but a
considerable number came from Reykjavik
and a few even from North America. The
big assembly hall at the university was
packed and could not have held many
more. The symposium was a huge success
and everyone in the attendance was
thrilled. Some had planned to listen to a
talk or two but ended up staying the whole
time. Some even said this was the best
symposium they had ever attended. This
was partly due to a successful program but
mostly because a symposium about Kainn
simply could not fail—he had seen to that.
On October 25th, the monument
was finally unveiled in ASalstraeti, close
to where Kainn was born. Kristinn Mar
Torfason gave a short speech about how
this all came about, and then the mayor
and the president of the town council,
Matthias Rognvaldsson, jointly clipped
the ribbon of the monument. Afterwards,
everyone was invited to a reception at the
town library, where Vilhjalmur Bergmann
Bragason Vandras3askald performed his
song again and Kristin M. Johannsdottir
gave a brief presentation about the life
of Kainn. The ceremony ended on a very
appropriate note, eating kleinur and
vinarterta.
It is our hope that now that Kainn’s
monument graces the old part of town, his
memory will not die in Iceland. Children
will ask their parents about him. Parents
will recite his poetry. The teachers of
Akureyri will make Kainn a part of their
curriculum. Schoolchildren will learn his
poems by heart.
Kainn was the son of Akureyri and we
will not forget.