The Icelandic connection - 01.03.2018, Page 19

Vol. 70 #1
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
17
at the farm in Helgarsel in 1878, the year he
emigrated. He was then nineteen years old.
I did not find any letters that mentioned
him when I was browsing through the
University of Akureyri regions archival
collections while doing research here a few
years ago. However, it is not impossible that
some letters or letter fragments may turn up
with further investigation. Also, we have to
remember that, before the regional archives
was established, it was common to burn
all the papers of the deceased, along with
other very personal items that related to the
individual. Unfortunately.
In the book I edited, Bref Vestur-
Islendinga I-II (2001-2002), there are
three references to Kainn. In 1891 Stefan
Gunnarsson from Myrar in Skridardalur,
who lived in Winnipeg, wrote to his sister,
Margret Sigurdardottir at Stafafelli:
... well, my daughter Sigurbjorg is
engaged to Bjarni Bjornsson’s son, nephew
to Kristjan Jonsson, the verser. He is
currently at a religious college in Chicago.
(BrefVestur-Islendinga I, 2001:309)
Kristjan Niels had no brother named
Bjorn but he did have a brother named
Bjarni, but that’s neither here nor there and
we should not make anything more of these
few words than that he is called a ‘verser’
rather than a ‘poet’. I am not sure what we
can make of that, other than that at the time
Stefan wrote this letter, Kainn had been in
North America for thirteen years and was
already well-known for his verses. I would
like to mention here that Niels Jonsson,
Kainn’s great uncle was known in his time
as ‘Niels the Verser’.
borvaldur Jonsson Reykdal of
Borgarfjord, who was from Reykholtsdal
and later lived in Lundar, Manitoba, writes
to his sister Gudrun Jonsdottir at Husafell
in Halsasveit in the year 1935:
I have very few books; mostly books
of verse. I have all the books given out by
Matthias, 5. All of Stefan G., Bolu-Hjalmar,
Steingrimur, Rorskabitur, Gestur Palsson
and a few smaller: K.N., Guttormsson and a
few more by Icelandic-North Americans....
(BrefVesturislendinga II„ 2002:123)
And then finally Rorarinn Stefansson
from Alftagerdi in Myvatnssveit, who lived in
Winnipegosis, writes twice about Kainn. In a
letter to his sister, Gudbjorg Stefansdottir at
Gardur in Myvatnssveit, in 1920:
...two new books of verse are being
printed here, one of which I have seen,
“Bondadottir” by Guttormur J. Guttormsson
./.../ and now a book of verse by Kristjan
Julius (KN), of interest to Icelanders both
here and back home. But many of his
verses will pose a problem for those who
do not understand English as a lot of his
humour and hidden meanings are in the
English he throws into his poems which
also is an example of the Icelandic-North
American’s use of the Icelandic language.
(BrefVestuislendinga II2002:213-214)
In a letter to his brother, Hjalmar J.
Stefansson at Vagnbrekka in Myvatnssveit,
better know as “the Fiddler at Vagnbrekka”,
Rorarinn writes in 1939:
There are two Icelandic poets in
Wynyard, Saskatchewan, Magnus
Ingimarsson frequently publishes poetry
in both papers (Logberg and Heunskrmgla),
some of it rather decent but perhaps a bit
too much of it. However, Jakob Norman’s
poetry is wonderful. I have included a verse
of his here. Then there are two verses that
came out in Heimskringla last October
4th and you will get to see them later. It is
evident that he is mimicking the style of
K.N. (BrefVesturislendinga II, 2002:251)
Then follows a verse where J. Norman
throws in some English-isms:
Voru og eru oft med spar.
Allir segjast vera raet.
Vilja stundum fara f fret.
Flestir [ressir County Guide.
(BrefVesturislendinga II, 2002:252)