Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.02.2019, Qupperneq 8

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8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • February 1 2019
Stefan Jonasson
Icelanders have been celebrating
the 100th anniversary of their
independence as a sovereign nation
in a variety of ways, from art exhibits
to concerts and from speeches to songs,
but one of the most creative projects
I’ve seen has been the book Portraits
of a Nation by author Svava Jónsdóttir
and photographer Friðþjófur Helgason.
The genius of this beautifully illustrated
volume is to celebrate the centennial of
sovereignty with the portraits of 101
representative Icelanders, one for each
year from 1918 to 2018.
This volume has become my favourite
keepsake from the visit I made to Iceland
to join the centennial celebration. In fact,
I wish I had bought two copies – one
for my coffee table, where family and
friends could flip through its pages, and
one to be kept untouched and pristine
behind the glass doors of my bookcase.
Several of the individuals profiled
are familiar to us here in North America,
while some may be more familiar to those
who have visited Iceland themselves:
Þórður Tómasson (1921), former curator
of the Skógar Folk Museum; Jón Baldvin
Hannibalsson (1939), former ambassador
to the United States; Ólafur Ragnar
Grímsson (1943), former president;
Svavar Gestsson (1944), former consul
general in Winnipeg; Kristján Jóhannsson
(1948), opera singer; Þorarinn Eldjárn
(1949), poet and novelist; Sigrún
Hjálmtýsdóttir (1955), opera singer;
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (1958),
composer and high priest; Arna Kristín
Einarsdóttir (1968), managing director
of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and
newly-appointed managing director
of the National Arts Centre Orchestra
in Ottawa; Katrín Jakobsdóttir (1976),
prime minister; Ari Eldjárn (1981),
comedian; Greta Salomé Stefánsdóttir
(1986), musician; Hera Hilmarsdóttir
(1988), actress; and Jóhanna
Guðrún Jónsdóttir (1989), musician.
There are others who are better
known primarily in Iceland. But whether
famous or not, each of the individuals
profiled in Portraits of a Nation offers a
glimpse into both the diversity and unity
of Iceland and their words are insightful,
appreciative, patriotic, loving, and
hopeful.
Save for the six youngest individuals
featured, each participant was asked
to answer one question: “What does
Iceland mean to you?” The responses
are as varied as the individuals profiled,
although there are common themes that
flow through many of them. Fittingly
enough, one of them, Bryndís Schram,
answered in the form of a poem.
In her answer to the question, Prime
Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said, “In
Iceland, the sun can shine so brightly that
it illuminates the people on the outside
and on the inside and still it is cold. In
Iceland, the colors can be so stark that life
becomes more beautiful, whether it is the
green of the grass, the mountain blue, or
the snowy white. In Iceland, the breeze
can be warm and the gentle wind can be
cool, the gale can be wet and the storm
frigid. To me, Iceland is light, colors, and
wind, as they exist only there.”
In contrast, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
focused more on culture, saying, in part,
“Iceland is like an eccentric poet and
author. The author is unconventional and
prone to being turgid and obscure but
there are surprising chapters where he
gains wings and the narrative escapes the
boundaries of the rational and becomes
illuminating in an unexpected way.”
Curiously enough, several of the
children thought to mention what you
won’t find in Iceland: war, tigers, and
dangerous flies.
Although almost everyone’s words
were profound and moving, the simple
eloquence of Emilía Dís Marýardóttir,
a girl born in 2010 who is pictured
holding a gorgeous cat in her loving
arms, touched me deeply: “Ísland er
fallegt land. Það er ekkert stríð hérna
sem er gaman. Það er skemmtilegt að
búa hérna. Við erum öll ólik hérna.
Ísland er stórkostlegt.” – “Iceland is a
beautiful country. There is no war in
Iceland, which is good. It is fun living
here. We are all very different. Iceland
is amazing.” I honestly cannot think of
anything to add.
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MYNDIR AF ÞJÓÐ /
PORTRAITS OF A NATION
ALDARSPEGILL / REFLECTIONS OF A CENTURY:
ÍSLENDINGAR / ICELANDERS 1918 - 2018
1958: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Telling the story of a nation in 101 portraits
Icelandic National League of North America
100th Annual Convention
HONOUR, CELEBRATE, BUILD
May 16 – 19, 2019 at the Fairmont Hotel, Winnipeg, Canada
to register: visit LH-INC.CA and click on EVENTS icfron.ca