Tíminn - 17.06.1930, Page 25

TÍMINN
the íinest of playgrounds, and to the farmer himself it is
the mainstay of his farm, just as the wheatfields are for
the farmers of the grain-produeing prairies. In the eyes
of the stranger, the foreigner, the tun is a friendly oasis,
resting the eye, weary from the austere and severe moun-
tain landscape around him. The tun, moreover, is a living
symbol of the richness of the Icelandic soil.
^tmtnn
stærsta og fjölbreyttasta vikublað á Islandi
— stofnað 1917 —
kemur út á hverjum laugardegi.
Sheep-Herding in Iceland.
The popuiation of lceland is chiefiy centred around
the coast and in the vaileys wliicii stretch iniand from tiie
fjords. But between rhe vaileys, anci beyond the settle-
ments are to be íound wide expanses of pasture-lands
reaching to the giaciers, separated in many places by
deserts and stretches of lava, and great giaciai rivers. The
farmers use these iarge areas as pasturage for sheep and
horses, in the surnmer tirne. Aithough not very fertiie,
the mountain grass is very nutrative, and the stock
thrives weil.
Each farming district possesses its own pasture iands.
In the spring when the lambs have grown to a suíficient
size, and tlie snow has disappeared from the upiands and
the mouutain sides, which are green-clad once more, the
sireep are driven in great numbers from the farms, and
they scatter ali over the pasture iands. In the fall, the men
of the district assemble on definite days, to herd the
sheep. Young and strong men go to the mosi distant
places in the mountains, provided with two iiorses eacir,
and riding over the mountains, they herd the sheep
together. iSometimes they are away for ten to fifteen
days at a time, and sieep in tents or small huts which
iiave been buiit for this purpose, and are scattered
throughout tlre mountains .
When the sheep have been brought back, they are
coiiected together in one or more piaces in each district,
and each sheep-owner cornes forward or sends a man to
eiaim his own herd and drive them horne. Every sheep is
so marked, that its owner can easiiy distinguish his own.
During the herding of the sheep, people assembie
at the appointed places, to amuse themselves, old men aud
young, women and cliildren. But the sheep-herding rs
often difficult and exacts the utmost in endurance and
iiai'dihood.
Sports in lceiand.
The Icelandic Glinra (wrestle) is an ancient Norse
sport, which has reached its greatest developement
amongst the Icelanders, and is nowhere else practised.
The Giima is a graceful and manly art, requiring great
skili endurance and speed on the part of the contestants
and doubtless has a great íuture as a special form of
sport in athletics.
Swimming was also very commonly engaged in during
ancient times and this sport is often mentioned in the
old sagas. The Laxdæla saga tells us tiiat Kjartan Ólafs-
son and king Ólafur Tryggvason oí Norway had a
swimming race in the Nid-river at Nidaros in Norway, in
the summer of 999. Grettir the strong was the most
famous swinmrer of the saga age. He swam alone from
the Drangey island in Skagafjörður to bring back fire-
brands from the mainland, a distance of almost 6 lúlo-
metres. The art of swimming has been practiced to a great
extent here for many years past, and swimming pools
have been established at many hot water springs in con-
nection with the public schools. A swimming stadium
(pool) is now being built in Reykjavik at a cost of about
500,000.00 kr. The water in the pool is heated from the
hotsprings nearby.
Snow usually appears on the lowlands in lceland
during the close of September and October. In the north
of Iceland the snow remains from early in October ull
late in May on the lowlands, somtimes, however, for a
shorter penod (November to April). But in the southern
part there is usually little snowfall, throughout the
winter on the lowlands, or only for a few days at a time,
depending however on the severity of the winter. The
people of Reykjavik, therefor must very often go up into
the mountains to engage in skiing; and the pond in
Reykjavik is very seldom frozen over for more than 3 to
6 days at a time, to make skating possible there. There is
more cold and even weather in the north of Iceland. The
conditions for skating and skiing are accordingly good
for weeks and months at a time, in the north and the
east, both on rivers and lakes.
The Icelanders brought the sport of skiing with them
from Norway, and this art has always remained with them
especially in the north part of the country. Skis are often
necessary there as a means of travel over the trackless
mountains and heavy snows in winter days. In later years
interest in skiing has increased greatly, due in part co
Norwegian iníluence. Skiing contests are frequently held
in the north country, as well as skating competitions.
Interest in athletics has increased generally among the
younger Icelandic generation during the last decade,
which is a very encouraging sign.
Partridge Shooting.
A wide variety of bird life is found in Iceland,
especially sea-birds of many kinds besides water-fowl
such as wild ducks w'hich are found on the inland lakes.
Great numbers of white sw'ans and grey geese dwell in
the lakes in the uplands during the summer months. The
eagle and the falcon, which are fewer than in the past,
have however increased of late years, for it is illegal to
shoot them. The partridge is the chief game bird. This
bird is quite numerous at times. Partridge shooting is per-
mitted for one month only during the winter season. The
Tímimi er aðalmálgagn Framsóknarflokksins, sem
er stærsti flokkurinn á Alþingi og hefir fai’ið með stjárn
síðan 1927. Núverandi forsætisráðherra Islands, Tryggvi
Þórhallsson, var ritstjóri Tímans 1918—1927.
Tíminn er blað íslenzkra samvinnumanna.
Tíminn er blað íslenzkra bænda.
Hátíðarútgáfa Tímans er rituð á 9 tung-umálum.
Ritstjóri: Afgreiðsla:
Gísli (jiuðmuudsson Hús Sambands ísl.
Asvaliagötu 27 sainvinnufélaga.
,sími 124h Sími 496.
firninn
is the biggest and most widely read weekly in lceland.
Founded 1917.
Published every Saturday.
Tíminn is the main political organ of the Pro-
gressive Party (Framsóknarflokkur) which is the biggest
party in the Alþing and has governed the country since
1927. Tryggvi Þórhallsson, the present premier of Iceland,
was the editor of Tíminn 1918—1927.
Tíminn is the paper of Icelandic co-operators.
Tíminn is the paper of
E d i t o r:
Uísli Guðmuudsson
Ásvallagötu 27
Pxione 1245
The celebration edition
languages.
Icelandic farmers.
Business oííice
iu the Building oí the Peder-
ation of Iceiandic Societies,
Reykjavik.
of Tíminn is printed in nine
partridge inhabits the highlands and the mountains. lt
is dark red in color in summer, but snow white in the
winter. With the coming of the snows in the mountains
in the fall the partridges fly down to the valleys in great
numbers, where they are shot down in wholesale quanti-
ties. Skilled hunters often bag hundreds a day.
Partridge shooting is quite common in the north of
Iceland. Hunters repair to the mountain fastnesses and
tramp long distances w'ith gun in hand and stalk ihe
partridge returning with big bags of game which are
transported by horse to their homes.
The Eiderduck.
In many places around lceland, on the islands and
islets, in the fjords and the lakes and rivers by the sea,
the Eider duck has its nesting place. Although it is pro-
tected by law, it has many enemies suck as birds of prey
and the íox, which rob its nest. Large revenues are de-
rived from those places where the Eider duck abounds,
because the dow-n which the duck plucks from its breast,
with which to line its nest and thereby protect the eggs,
is a very valuable commodity.
After the Eider duck has hatched its young, the
down is taken out of the nests, and after being thoroughly
cleansed, it is sold both in the home market and abroad,
at a high price.
The Eider duck is a very pretty bird, and because it
is protected, is often very tame. One sees the Eider duck
at its best, in early June. Wherever one gazes, one sees
nest beside nest. The females are so tame, that one must
frequently lift them off their nests, if one wishes to see
their eggs, while the black and white males may be seen
swimming in gi’eat numbers all around the nesting-place
in a placid and dignified manner.
Many an Icelander cherishes fond memories of briglit
and still spring nights, as he watched over the breeding
place of the Eider ducks. The calm sea, the midnight sun,
the silent, majestic mountains in the distance, all the
dreaming; waking, and awakening life around him, fills
his soul with content and leaves an undying memory of
beauty and peacefulness.
Wild Life of Iceland.
There are few wild animals in Iceland, due lai-gly to
the scarcity of forests combined with harsh winters.
Among wild animals one may name the fox. This animal
is common to all pai*ts of the islana, and some are white
(arctic fox) and others red. The fox is unpopular because
he kills sheep choosing particularily the lambs.
One can also name the reindeer, which were brought
to Iceland in 1772 from the north of Norway and have al-
ways dwelt in the mountains in their wild state. They are
quite common in the highlands of the north-east and
south-west of Iceland. During later years attempts have
been made to bring in muskox from Greenland, but these
experiments failed to a great extent although the attempt
is still being carried on.
Occasionally polar bears come to the island with ice-
bergs, but this happens very seldom. The walrus likewise
come to Iceland with the ice-floes and there is evidence
that the walrus have dwelt here in olden times. Seals are
found all around the island, not only land seal which fill
the river mouths, especially of the large glacier rivers,
but also sea seal which come here to hibernate during the
winter months.
Fowling-Cliffs.
In many places along the Icelandic coast, steep and
rocky mountains plunge into the sea. In the clifís, w'hich
vary in height. (100—500 metres) breed larg) numbej’s
of sea-fowl of every kind, such as the auk, the kittiwake,
the puffin, the fulmar, the solan-goose and the black-
backed gull. These cliffs are called, fowling places. In the
spring and the greater part of the summer, large numbers
of these birds inhabit these cliffs, build their nests and
hatch out their young. On the sills anA the stalls high
and low, are found innumerable nests.
If the birds are troubled, then they rise into the
air with loud cries, and the cliffs suddenly appear to be
alive. In appearance they are spotted with white, from
the guano deposited in them. But the stalls are covered
witli grass, fertilized by the birds, and the green color ís
very apparent.
The chief fow'ling-places are Látrabjarg, Hornbjarg
(Cape Horn) on the west Fjörds, w'hile there are also
numerous species of these birds in Drangey and Grímsey
on the north coast, and in the Vestmannaeyjar (West-
man Isles) on the south coast.
ln many of these cliffs, men find means of gaining
their livlihood in hunting the birds and gathering up their
eggs. It is a dangerous occupation, and demands skill and
courage. The hunter is lowered down the sides of the
cliff by means of a rope and the cliffs are often so steep
that he must swing in the air in order to land on the
sills and stalls. When he has gathered all he can hold,
he is then drawn up to the top of the clifí by themen who
hold the rope.
The Geysirs and Hot Springs of Iceland.
Iceland, as is well known, is a volcanic land. The main
volcanic area stretches across the centre of the country
from the north-east to the south-west. The best-known
volcanoes are mt. Askja in Dynju-mountain in the north,
and mt. Katla and mt. Hekla in the south. The last erup-
tion of mt. Katla occured in 1918, but mt. Askja is in a
continued state of activity. Mt. Hekla has not erupted
since 1845. ln many places the volcanoes are burnt out.
Volcanoes can be easily recognised from their conic
shape, as for example mt. Snæfellsjökull, mt. Skjald-
breiður near Þingvellir and mt. Keilir neai’ Reykjavík.
There are many hot springs in Iceland. They are
most numerous in the volcanic areas but on the other
hand they are found all over the country, not only in the
lowlands, but also in the mountains. The hot springs vary
in temperature. Some are just waim (25°—30°C.), ot-
hers quite hot (50°—80°C.) but many are at boiling heat.
Many of these springs eject the water to great heights
with great rumbling noises and explosions. Geysir, which
is famous the world over and from which we derive the
name of such phenomena, is situated in Haukadalur m
the south. Formerly Geysir erupted to the tremendous
height of two hundred feet, but is now inaetive.
Geysirs are found in the Þingeyjarsýsla-area in the
north, and in Lhe Borgarfjarðarsýsla and Árnessýsla
areas in the south. The geysir Grýta, which is quite
active and of considerable size is situated some distance
east of Reykjavík.
ln ancient times the water froin the hot springs was
used for irrigation purposes. Batliing-places were also
situated at the hot springs. The best known of these ís
Snorralaug, which is named after Snorri Sturluson, the
great lcelandic historian of the 13th. century.
Hot houses and experimental stations are situated in
neighbourhood of the hot springs, as for example at
Reykir in the Mosfellssveit district, a distance of 18
kilometers from Reykjavík, where vegatables and plants
are raised.
The water from the hot springs is used to heat farm-
houses in the country, and is likewise used in swimming-
pools. Two public schools, one in the south and the other
in the north, are heated from the hot springs, and two
more public schools are to be built the next year or so
and will be heated in the same manner. In the near
future it is expected that the hot springs near Reykjavík
will be utilized to heat up public buildings as well as pri-
vate residences in this city.
The hot springs are remarkable phenomenon in na-
ture. But while they are interesting to the sight-seer,
they have a practical use for the future as sources of
power and heat for industry and the material advance-
ment of the country.
Driftwood and Sea-veed.
The Icelandic coast-line is 5660 kilometres long. Along
the coast which is widely indented by bays and fjords,
steep cliffs rise above narrow, sandy and rock-filled
beaches.. Numerous skerries are found around
the coast which are covered with all kinds of sea vegeta-
tion. Two main streams flow around the coast of Iceland.
The gulf stream flows to the south and the west and a
branch flows eastward along the north coast. The gulf
stream is met by the Arctic stream from the north and
the west. Accordingly, the sea is coldér along the north
and east coast than along the south and west coast. These
streams have a great influence on the climate, and as a
result of the Gulf stream, the average yearly tempera-