The Icelandic connection - 01.03.2018, Page 31

Vol. 70 #1
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
29
difference between a person who writes
verse and a true poet, but versification
can also be the primary characteristic of
true poetry. Unnecessary words are so rare
in Kainn’s poetry that a single instance
would break a poetry lover’s heart.
Still another example of Kainn’s
popularity is that some verses are
attributed to him that are not in any of this
books. I, myself, know several such verses,
but I will not bore you by reciting them.
Some bear a very definite resemblance to
his style, others not so much. There is a
tendency to attribute well-known poems
to well-known poets. And now since I
have made such a respectable speech,
I will allow myself to conclude it with
an ambiguous verse, and you can make
up your own minds as to whether it is
legitimate or not.
A woman, named Manga appears
several times in Kainn’s poetry. In a
poem called Heidarbylid (The Hut on
the Heath), a young girl who offers the
poet overnight accommodation is very
accommodating. She is called ‘Beautiful
Manga’. Another Manga is mentioned in
one of Kainn’s ‘Threshing Poems’. There
are several of these. Cutting and threshing
grain was done in a rush. The English
word “harvest” became “hardvist” in West-
Icelandic, and in fact harvesting was hard
work. In the harvest crew’s food wagon,
the ‘carid’ as the West-Icelanders called it,
there was always a woman in charge. In a
poem Kainn calls Home, Sweet Home,
the woman is named Manga. And the
story goes that Manga disliked the poet’s
drinking and she scolded him as he sat
with his flask then Kainn said:
Heyrdu, Manga, brott a bra,
biddu a medan, serdu:
Pannig ganga jjyrfti fra
J>er ad nedanverdu!
Listen Magga, swift to scold,
Let’s let this discussion slide.
This how this talk will fold,
Stuffed up your own backside.
And he stuffed the cork back into the flask.
References
Bref Vestur-Islendinga 1. 2001. Bodvar
Gudmundsson Compiled and Edited. Mai
og menning, Reykjavik.
Bref Vestur-Islendinga II. 2002. Bodvar
Gudmundsson Compiled and Edited. Mai
og menning, Reykjavik.
Guttormur J. Guttormsson, 1920.
Bondadottir. Hjalmar Gislason and Sig.
Jul. Johannesson, Publishers. Printed:
Hecla Press, Winnipeg. Kristjan N. Julius.
1920. Kvidlingar. /No publisher on record]
Winnipeg.
Kristjan N. Julius (K. N.). 1945
Kvidlingar og kvtedi. Richard Beck,
Publisher, Bokfellsutgafan, Reykjavik.
[Kristjan NielsJonsson.] 1965 Visnabok
Kdins. Tomas Gudmundsson Compiled
and Edited. Bokfellsutgafan, Reykjavik.
Vidar Hreinsson. 1999-2000.
Vesturfararnir. Servefiir a vefsetri
Rikisutvarpsins. Ritstj. Vidar Hreinsson
and Jon Karl Helgason.
Rikisutvarpid, Reykjavik. Website:
servefir.ruv.is/vesturfarar.
(Translated by Elva Simundsson except
where otherwise noted)