Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1995, Page 68

72
A NOTE ON THE DERIVATION OF FAROESE GRIND
of grind was no longer known in Norway
(nor in the Faroes for that matter) at the
time of his writing. The matter is compli-
cated by the fact that there is very little ev-
idence to indicate how far back the use of
grind to refer to schools of whales in the
Faroes dates, although we may assume
from the term Grindamørcke (grind-fog),
as mentioned in Claussøn Friis’s account,
that it was already well-established in the
context of whale hunting in the Faroes by
the end of the sixteenth century.
With respect to the connection so fre-
quently made between grind (a school of
pilot whales) and gates, it is not surprising
that this explanation has been so highly
favoured, given the methodological simi-
larities between driving whales and driving
sheep which have been so often noted in the
many accounts of the hunt over the years.
As I have attempted to point out, however,
there seems to be little real substance to
such interpretations of the derivation of
grind. Rather they have become a self-per-
petuating component of popular represen-
tations of grindadráp. From a strictly ety-
mological point of view, they would appear
to require further investigation.
References
Blondal Magnússon, Á. 1989. íslensk Orðsifjabók,
Orðabók Háskólans, Reykjavík.
Debes, L. 1676. Færoæ & Færoa Reserata: That is a
Description ofthe Islands and Inhabitants of
Foeroe, English ed by John Sterpin, printed by
E.L. for William Iles , Flower-đe-Luc e in Little
Brittain , St. Bartholomews Gat e.
Evans, P.G.H. 1987. The Natural History ofWhales
and Dolphins, Christopher Helm, London .
Foote, P. 1964. Færeyinga saga, chapter forty.
Fróðskaparrit 13: 84-98.
Hermannsson, H. 1924. Jón Guðmundsson and his
Natural History of Iceland, Islandica, Vol. XV,
Comell University Library, New York.
Kjørsvik Schei, L. and Moberg, G. 1991. The Faroe
Islands, James Murray, London.
Matras, C. (ed.). 1966/1970. J.C. Svabo -
Dictionarium Færoense: Færøsk-dansk-latinsk
ordbog, Vol. I (1966) ordbog ; Vol II (1970)
indledning og registre, Færoensia Textus &
Investigationes, Munksgaard, Copenhagen.
Miiller, H.C. 1882. Whale Fishing in the Faroe Islands.
Intemational Fisheries Exhibition, Edinburgh:
1-19.
Orðasavnið. Føroyamálsdeildin, Fróðskaparsetur
Føroya - the dictionary collection in the
Department of Faroese Language, University of the
Faroe Islands, Tórshavn
The Oxford English Dictionary. 1991.Second Edition,
Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Petersen, P. 1968. Einføroysk bygd, Egið forlag,
Tórshavn.
Sanderson, K. 1990. Grindadráp - the discourse of
drama, In: Whaling Communities - North Atlantic
Studies, vol.2. nos 1 & 2, Árhus: 196-204.
Sanderson, K. 1992. Grindadráp - A textual history of
whaling traditions in the Faroes to 1900, Master of
Philosophy thesis, University of Sydney.
Storm, G. (ed). 1881. Samlede Skrifter afPeder
Claussøn Friis, A.W. Brøgger, Kristiania.
Wylie, J. 1981. Grindadráp. In: J. Wylie & D.
Margolin, The Ring ofDancers - Images of
Faroese Culture, University of Pennsylvania Press,
Philadelphia: 95-132.
Note
1 This article has been adapted from the Appendix to
the author’s Master of Philopsphy thesis,
Grindadráp - A textual history ofwhaling
traditions in the Faroes to 1900, University of
Sydney, 1992 (unpublished).
Kate Sandersson
Oscar Larsensvej 15
N-9007 Tromsø
Norge