Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1996, Page 127

131
News and progress
Elin Súsanna Jacobsen
Rúsdrekka - siðir og ósiðir
Ph.d.ritgerð í søgu á Aarhus Universitet. Ph.d. dissertion from Historical Department,
University of Aarhus. Denmark
Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, Supplementum XX, Tórshavn 1995. ISBN 99918-41-20-2
Rúsdrekka - siðir og ósiðir er ein lýsing av,
hvønn týdning rúsdrekka hevur havt í Før-
oyum í mentanarligum, samfelagsligum og
handilsligum høpi, serliga síðan miðju 19.
øld og fram til okkara tíð.
Heimildartilfarið er løgtingstíðindi,
bløð, tíðarrit, hagtøl, skjøl og innsavning-
artilfar um føroyska fólkamentan; úrslit av
skipaðum kanningum um rúsdrekkanýtslu.
Rúsdrekkasiðir eru harumframt lýstir út frá
siðsøguligum tilfari, fagurbókmentum og
samrøðum við uml. 30 fólk í ymsum aldri.
Greitt er frá fyrimyndum og valmøgu-
leikum, ið føroyingar hava havt, tá ið lóg-
gevast skuldi um rúsdrekkasølu, heruppií tí
luti, sum ymsir fráhaldsfelagsskapir hava
havt í rúsdrekkapolitikki.
Heildarnýtslan av rúsdrekka í Føroyum
tykist hava gingið upp og niður: Eftir rætti-
liga bráðan vøkstur um miðju 19. øld vísa
atkomilig hagtøl minking fyri og eftir ald-
arskiftið, og síðan var heildarnýtslan eftir
innflutningstølum at døma rættiliga óbroytt
heilt fram til 1960árini, tá ið hon aftur fór
at vaksa.
Flestu heimildir eru samdar um, at fyrr í
hesi øldini var »góðtikin« rúsdrekkanýtsla
Fróðskaparrit 44. bók 1996: 131-134
The aim of this reatise is to examine and
describe the part .played by alcohol in
Faroese society, especially from the middle
of the 19th century to the present day.
The study is based on written sources, in
which the public debate figures, statistics
etc. as well as literature describing Faroese
traditional life, supplemented by some 30
interviews. The collection of material was
based on the principle that there is interac-
tion between possibilities and limitations
set by variations in the market supplies,
measures to regulate consumption, ideo-
logical trends and living conditions, and
that these factors influence habits, stan-
dards and attitudes to alcohol, and can thus
be seen as a cultural process.
In the previous century, an increasing
and excessive consumption of alcohol was
seen as a widespread problem, calling for
measures to regulate the sales of alcohol,
voiced especially by the temperance socie-
ties. The outcome of a prolonged debate
was an act according to which all local
trade of alcohol was dependent on the sup-
port of 25% of all men and women aged
over 25 in the district. The result of a