Table Of ContentTHE
ICELANDIC VOICE
in Canadian Letters
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THE
ICELANDIC VOICE
in Canadian Letters
The Contribution of Icelandic-Canadian Writers
to Canadian Literature
Daisy L. Neijmann
Nordic Voices, volume 1
CARLETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Copyright © Carleton University Press, 1997
Printed and bound in Canada
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Neijmann, Daisy L., date-
Trie Icelandic voice in Canadian letters : the
contribution of Icelandic-Canadian writers to Canadian
literature
(Nordic voices ; #1)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88629-317-0
1. Canadian literature (English)—Icelandic-
Canadian authors—History and criticism. I. Title.
II. Series.
PS8089.5.I3N44 1997 C810.9'83961 C97-900247-8
PR9197.33.I3N44 1997
Cover Design: Your Aunt Nellie
Typeset: Mayhew & Associates Graphic Communications, Richmond, Ont, in asso-
ciation with Marie Tappin
Excerpts from What Can't be Changed Shouldn't Be Mourned by WD. Valgardson, © 1990,
published by Douglas & Mclntyre. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.
Excerpts from "Brothers," "An Act of Mercy," and "The Burning" by WD. Valgardson
are reprinted from TMoodflowers by permission of Oberon Press. The excerpt from
"Capital" by WD. Valgardson is reprinted from God Is Not A Fish Inspector}^ permission
of Oberon Press. Excerpts from "Celebration," "Beyond Normal Requirement,"
"Trees," and "A Place Of One's Own" by WD. Valgardson are reprinted from Red Dust
by permission of Oberon Press. Excerpts from Gentle Sinners by WD. Valgardson, ©
1980, published by Oberon Press, are reprinted by permission of the author. Excerpts
from "Changeling Poems," "Monkshood Poems" and "Wake-Pick Poems" by Kristjana
Gunnars, © 1981, published by House of Anansi Press, are reprinted from Wake-Pick
Poems by permission of Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, Canada.
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities and
Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Carleton University Press gratefully acknowledges the support extended to its pub-
lishing program by the Canada Council and the financial assistance of the Ontario
Arts Council. The Press would also like to thank the Department of Canadian
Heritage, Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario through the
Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation, for their assistance.
For Wil and Anne ke,
mijn ouders
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction xi
I Omnia Mea Mecum Porto
Literary History and Background of the Icelanders 1
Introduction 1
Medieval Iceland and the dynamics of immigration 4
Old Icelandic poetry 8
Old Icelandic prose 11
Post-Medieval Icelandic literature 20
The Reformation and its literary influences 21
Religious poetry: Hallgrimur Petursson 24
Religious prose: Jon Vidalin 25
Secular poetry:rimur 27
Secular prose: folk tales 29
Characteristics of Icelandic folk tales 30
Creatures of the wilderness: huldufolk^ trolls and outlaws 36
II The Search For Vinland the Good
Emigration and Settlement in the New World 49
The nineteenth century: Romanticism and national revival 49
The Romantic movement in Iceland 50
The national situation 57
Emigration and settlement in the New World 61
Emigration 61
The year in Ontario 63
The founding of New Iceland 65
The preservation of Icelandic culture and identity
during the first decades 79
III "Without a poet you and yours / will disappear
and leave no trace"
Icelandic Immigrant Literature 99
Introduction 99
Western Icelandic poetry 106
Kainn 111
Stephan G. Stephansson 119
Guttormur J. Guttormsson 133
Western Icelandic Prose 144
Johann Magnus Bjarnason 146
Gu3nin H. Finnsdottir 158
The move from Icelandic to English: Laura Goodman
Salverson 171
Literary pioneer or minor immigrant writer? 172
Salverson and the Western Icelandic tradition 174
Salverson and Canadian literature 184
IV <r¥6ur pen is yet a power in your hands"
Icelandic-Canadian Literature in English 213
Canadian and Icelandic-Canadian literature 1940-1970 213
Canadian poetry 214
Canadianfiction 219
Icelandic-Canadian literature 223
Contemporary Icelandic-Canadian writing: Thematic and
stylistic concerns 229
The thematic role of ethnic heritage 232
Style 253
Theme and outlook 259
Documentation 280
Myth and myth-making in the New World 285
The role of Norse mythology 285
Mythical figures: The hero, the outcast and the trickster 290
Other mythic themes: Fatalism and sacrifice 306
Myths of time and place 313
Story-telling and myth-making 329
Concluding remarks 350
V The Icelandic Tile in the Canadian Mosaic
Icelandic-Canadian Literature and Canadian Multiculturalism 357
Multiculturalism in Canada 357
The Icelandic Canadians as an ethnic group in Canada 367
Icelandic-Canadian literature and the Canadian mosaic 375
The Icelandic-Canadian Contribution 387
Selected Bibliography of Western Icelandic
Icelandic-Canadian Literature 393
References 397
Index 425
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE by financial assistance from the
Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage,
financial assistance of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific
Research (NWO), and by research grants from the Canadian Embassy
in The Hague. The project was initiated by the late August J. Fry, who
introduced me to Canadian and Icelandic-Canadian literature and
inspired me to further study.
I owe special thanks to my mentors Richard Todd and Kirsten
Wolf for their tireless and enthusiastic efforts on my behalf, their
encouragement, guidance and friendship, and, most of all, for their
unconditional faith in this project. I am also grateful to Elrud Ibsch,
Christopher Hale, Haraldur Bessason, and ViQar Hreinsson, who
have provided helpful commentary and advice, saved me from errors
and have generously shared their ideas with me. As well, I would like
to acknowledge the assistance of Sigrid Johnson from the Icelandic
Collection at the University of Manitoba.
My Icelandic parents Katrin Eymundsdottir and Gisli AuQunsson
have disclosed many of Iceland's secrets to me and have been a
source of great assistance and affection, for which I will always be
thankful. Michel's brotherly admonitions and unfailing sense of
humour have been indispensable for my well-being and sanity.
My greatest debt is to Mark, who suffered most from my obsession
but never lost patience or faith. He has been a critical and insightful
discussion partner, a pillar of support, and an endless source of love
in frustrating as well as inspiring times.
This book is dedicated to Wil and Anneke Neijmann, my parents,
with my profound love and thanks for years of generous support
and encouragement, and for allowing me to find my own direction
in life. Without them, this book would not have been possible.
