Tíminn - 17.06.1930, Qupperneq 20

TlMINN
lived and Althing continued te be the supreme and most
cherished political institution of the nation, for which
everi foreign governments bore respect.
Following the reconstruction of Althing in 1845, with
its resultant increased influence, the nation has pro-
gressed materiaily and mentally; especially so, during the
last twelve years, since Iceland regained its sovereignty.
^cel'anöic Itteraíure
anö art
Many will doubtless consider it folly to speak of an
independent literature among a people who only number-
some 106,000 souls, and speak and write a language which
no stranger can learn to understand without considerable
erfort. It can therefore hardly be expected that a book
printed in Icelandic will be read outside the country. For
this reason, it is evident that the circulation of such a
book will be limited, and the price correspondingly higher
than for books in other European languages. It follows,
of course, that the lcelandic author’s income must be
small.
The sáving fact is that the greater number of Ice-
landers read most books that are published in the island.
The usual edition of a new book is from 1,000 to 2,000
copies. In proportion to the population this is a very
high ratio, (10,000—20,000 per million). Frequently the
edition of a new book is even greater.
Iceland and the Icelanders are best known to foreign
scholars through their ancient literature. The Sagas and
Edda poems are ranked with the best works in the world’s
literature, of any age and of any country. While the old
lcelandic literature does not receive full justice in transla-
tion, however well done, it repays in full measure, every
student and scholar who values great poetic art, to
acquaint himself with the chief works of the old Icelandic
authors. These works may be had in translation in the
ohief literary languages.
While Icelandic literature of the later centuries is
scarcely known abroad, it exists, nevertheless, and of a
high order. Such writers as Hallgrímur Pétursson, Bjarni
Thorarenseii, Sveinbjörn Egilsson, Jónas Hallgrímsson
and others have had a great influence on Icelandic
thought, and have developed taste for beauty in language
and style among Icelandic readers. The first named, Hall-
grímur Pétursson is the great hymn writer of Iceland,
and many of his Passion Hymns have been translated
into English, and collected in a volume called the Passion
Hymns of Ieeland.
Less cannot be said conceming the more recent writ-
ers, such as Matthías Jochumsson, (who wrote the Ice-
landic Millennial Anthem, besides having translated
Shakespeare and Byron into Icelandic).
Stephan G. Stephansson, who spent almost all his
life in Westem Canada, and Einar Benediktsson, who all
three are great poets which any nation would consider an
honur to possess and place amongst its finest authors.
Among Icelandic authors known abroad, one can name
Jón Sveinsson (,,Nonni“), Jóhann Sigurjónsson (Fjalla
Eyvindur — „Eyvind of the Hills“), Gunnar Gunnarsson
(Saga Borgar Ættarinnar — „The Saga of the Borg
Family“), Guðmundur Kamban (Ragnar Finnsson), Einar
H. Kvaran (Gull — ,,Gold“) and Kristmann Guðmunds-
son (Livets Morgen — „The Morning of Life“).
The first author named, has written in German, the
next three mentioned, in Danish, and their works have
been translated into English and German, as well as those
of Kristmann Guðmundsson, who writes m Norwegian,
while Mr. Kvaran’s works, written in Icelandic have also
been translated into the Scandinavian.
In respect to Icelandic art mueh the same may be said
as about Icelandic literature. A nation of little over
100,000 people has difficulty in creating and upholding an
original and independent art, in sculpture, painting and
music. These arts are moreover, young in Iceland. Albert
Thorvaldsen, whose father was Icelandic, is the most
famous of Icelandic scupltors, although he spent all his
life on the continent. Einar Jónsson, who lives in Reykja-
vík, is widely known, and a collection of his works is
housed here in the city, and belongs to the state. The
youngest living Icelandic sculptor is Ásmundur Sveinsson.
Two others should be mentioned here, namely, Guðmund-
ur Einarsson, and Ríkarður Jónsson.
The more prominent painters are, Ásgrímur Jónsson,
Jóhannes Kjarval, Finnur Jónsson, Gunnlaugur Blöndal.
Jón Stefánsson and Tryggvi Magnússon.
Among the leading composers should be mentioned
Sveinbjöm Sveinbjömsson, who spent a great part of his
life in Edinburgh, Páll ísólfsson, Sigfús Einarsson, Sig-
valdi Kaldalóns, Bjami Thorsteinsson, Jón Leifs, Þórarinn
Jónsson, and Björgvin Guðmundsson, who has lived for
many years in Westem Canada and at present dwells m
Winnipeg.
Pétur Á. Jónsson and Eggert Stefánsson are the two
best-known singers, and have dwelt mostly abroad. Har-
aldur Sigurðsson and Emil Thoroddsen are well-known
Icelandic pianists.
Many of those above mentioned are still young men,
and much may be expected of them in the future, while a
number have already done important work.
liJ
'r-vi
Firmað Bræðurnir Ormsson er stofnað árið 1921. Það er hið eina fyrirtæki, hérlent, sem frá upphafi hefir jafnframt haft
vinnustofu til viðgerðar á allskonar rafmagnstækjum, enda hefir vinnustofan átt mikinn þátt i hinni öru stækkun fyrirtækísins og
þeim orðstir sem það hefir unnið sér. Það er nú langstærsta fyrirlækið hér á landi i þessari iðn og hefír ætíð verið vel samkeppn-
isfært á verklega sviðinu, svo sem um byggingu vatnsknúinna rafmagnsstöðva og frágangi lagna i skip og hús, einnig allmikið
unnið að útvarpi og frágangi þess. Eigendur fyrirtækisins hafa nú um 20 ára reynslu i iðninni og hefir hún kent að nota að
eins besta efní og vélar. Innkaup gerð aðeins hjá viðurkendum firmum. Verkfræðilegar upplýsingar og aðrar leiðbeiningar látnar
viðskiftamönnum í té án endurgjalds.
BRÆÐUENIB ORMSSON
Beykjavlk
Óðinsgötu 25 og Hafnarstræti 11. Símnefni: Orms. Pósthólf 867. Símar 1867 og 867
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Raftækj aTerzlun íslands h.f.
Simi i 126. Skrifstofa: Sambandshúsinu, Reykjavik. Simnefni »Elektron«.
Einkaumboð fyrir hið heimsþekta rafmagnsfirma,
Allgemeine Elektricitáts Gesellschaft. (A. E. G.).
Selur allskonar raftæki og efni frá A. E. G., svo sem vélar, töfluútbúnað allan, meélitæki, jarðstrengi,
suðu- og hitaáhöld, ljóskúlur, rafmagnslampa, spenna (transformatora), rafstöðvar af hverskonar gerð
og stærð, nlt efní í rafmagnslagnir, kvikmyndahúsútbúnað o. m. fl.
Sérsíök aihygli skal vakin á vaínsaflsiöðvum
allt að 140 Kw., með Peiersen-jafnspennurafala (generaior) og sjálfvirkri
spennubreyiingu, fyrir fallhæð frá 1—150 meira.
Félagið hefir í þjónustu sinni þýzkan sérfræðing og getur því án tafar gefið allar upplýsingar er kaup-
endur þarfnast, gert uppdrætti og nákvæm tilboð.
,u.
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Acei'anöic gnöttsfries
Ever since Iceland was first inhabited sheep farming,
stock-raising- and fishing have been the principal indu-
stries of the country and are so yet. But nevertheless the
modes of pursuing these have naturally undergone some
changes in the course of time. The first settlers found
here a land where up to then man had been unknown.
Vegetation was not only more abundant but also more
diversified than now. There v/as more wild animal life in
the country, the rivers and the lakes better stocked with
fish. It was a boon to these settlers that the country
was rich in such material blessings, for considering the
means of communication and the tools and implemencs
at their disposal, it was bound to be a strenuous task to
do all that required doing: building houses, cultivating
the ground and increasing the scanty live-stock brought
from overseas. But by untiring application they succeed-
ed in meeting these demands, and by 930 A. D. it is
reckoned that all service able land had been occupied, this
having thus been done in the space of less than sixty
years.
Until about 1300 A. D. farming was the principal
industry in the country, especially the raising of cattle
and sheep. Agriculture was never but of a minor import-
ance. Fishing was also pursued, but mainly for domestic
consumption. Exportation of fish and other sea produet
may be properly said to commence after 1300, i. e. with
the rise of German influence in Norwegian commerce,
Icelandic trade being mainly with Norway at that time,
or after the close of the republican period in 1262 (-1264).
About 1400 England begins to trade in Iceland, and the
increased export gives an impetus to the fishing industry
in the country. Indeed the country’s industrial life under-
goes a considerable change at that time,and thus increased
imports put an end to the growing of cereals. These condi-
tions prevailed until the close of the sixteenth century.
From 1602—1787 the Danish Government claimed a mono-
poly of Icelandic trade, farming out to Danish merchants
or trading companies the exclusive right of sending ships
to Iceland to trade there. This resulted in a merciless
exploitation of the people and during this period the
country was reduced to the most abject state of misery
and privation. There were devastating famines, the
number of the population dwindled appallingly and all
spirit of enterprise seemed to die out. In 1787 the mono-
poly was partially abolished and a marked improvement at
once became evident, but it was not until 1854 that trade
restrictions were entirely removed.
Until 1800 fishing was pursued exclusively in open
boats, but after that decked vessels begin to be employed
by Icelandic owners although they are very rare until
after the National Bank had been established in 1885.
The first years of the twentieth century see the intro-
duction of the steamtrawler though it is mainly after
1907 that the Icelandic trawler fleet begins to grow.