The Hickman courier., 1874-09-11
ICELAND'S MILLENNIAL.
Bayard TayIOr's Description of the Morse
I-IaDders, Celebration of their Thou
sandth Anniversary.


tbe commemorative festivities dawned
cIoniIess and splendid. A sharp wind
from the north, before sunrise, blew
o,vav every vestige of mist or cloud
! SnaefeU cleaned like an opal over the
vater. and when, at s o'clock, a gun
| from the kings frigate gave signal, the
| gIeam and sparkle of the linked flags,
| 9s tbev ran up to peak and yard-arm
and down to the water, was something
| really glorious to behold. On shore
I rffarts-yvere -rsis,Iie -Sf gathering and pre-
paratiOn, and many line of moving
/ speeks on the far hills showed that the
OF fhe day consisted
7 OF Commemorative services in the cathe-
| dral, q banquet in the hall of the uni
versity, and g popular festival on the
| hill of Asturvelii, a mile from the town.
! The last feature promised to be the
most attractive, since, after songs and
| speeches, there were to be dancing and
/ fuceldrar n7ykliY'-" great flying fires"
The new constitution, which vert into
/ force Yesterday, has not been announced
| with any special ceremonies. Copies of
/ i have already reached Iceland, the
! people were very generally acquainted
/ with the provisions, and content to ac-
/ cept it as the beginning of a reform.
! The celebrations here to-day, and on
! Friday next at Thingvalla, have there
| fore a historical rather than a political
/ character.
Six O'Clock, and the peoples festival
| had commenced on the eastern bill.
! We went ashore at 1870 o'clock, and
found everything fastening toward the
cathedral The open, grassy square
around the old building was covered
with picturesque groups of people;
| the lake in the rear of the town gilt
/ tered in the sun, and the high peaks of
! Kevlur slept IN the blue distance.
/ Genuine Icelandic costumes appeared
| at last, and original and graceful they
/ we're. TIE women wore white helmets
/ OFFS curious pattern, the horn curving
/ over in front, six inches above the head,
/ the base richly embrJ idered with gold.
| and q white veil thrown over all and
| floating upon the shoulders. They had
/ also ciosely-ftting jackets of dark cloth,
1 heavily braided with gold or silver, and
broad belts of silver fligree work.
Not more than half dozen of the men,
in all, wore the old national costume.
1t consists Of a jacket and knee
| brooches of dark gray homespun cloth,
/ stockings of the same cloth, seal skin
shoes, and q round hat with the brim
turned up. The only ornament is a
bow of red ribbon at the knee.
The king and his cortege had Just en-
/ tered the cathedral as we reached it,
and the foreign naval officers who had
been invited to the ceremony were
crowding with the natives into the low
northern portal. We had been furnish
/ ed with slips of parchment as admission
tickets to seats in the main aisle, and
/ the sscristan placed MS IN front, oppO-
site the bishops pulpit. The choir was
/ singing one of ten new anthems COM
/ posed for the occasion; lights were
I burning in the chandeliers, on the altar
/ and between the galley-pillars; wreatbs
/ Of heather decorated the walls, choir
/ and galleries, and there was glow of
| flowers around Thorwaldsen's baptis-
nal font. The dull red OF the walls and
4 dark panes of the wooden ceiling har-
/ monized well with these simple adorn-
[ ments: the building wore as aspect of
/ cheerful solemnity, becoming the occa-
/ sion. The seats filled rapidly during
/ the chant, men and women sitting to-
I 1ether as they could find places Then
/ the service commenced, after Ancient
/ Lutheran fashion. In fact it was nearly
an exact repetition of that we had seen
/ in Thorshaven, except that the Icelandic
/ language was used. The hymns were
very simply and grandly sung; and the
''Psalm of Praise, " written by Matthias
/ Jochumsson and composed by Svein-
biorSson-the first musical work of
native Icelander, [ am told-produced
a powerful effect. In whichever direc-
tion looked, saw eyes filed with
tears. The repetition of the refrain
Islands HusJt1ld dr-''Iceland's thous-
and years, rang through the cathedral
in tones which were solemn rather than
! proud, and gave expression to the ear
/ pie have come together.
! At the university building a lackeY in
| scarlet coat took our hats and mantles,
/ and directed rs to the waiting-room up
/ stairs. A number of Icelanders from
| the country were allowed to go up and
/ down, to peep into the dining-halls,
/ inspect the musicians and their in
/ struments, and otherwise indulge their
| curiosity. It must have been an extra
| ordinary sight to most of them. The
/ royal pantries, extemporized out of the
recitation rooms, seemed to attract tbeuN
haspecially, and even the empty dish
had its interest for them until the viands
| began to appear. By twos and threes
and half dozens the guests gathered
Except the Icelan5ers, the Danish poet
Carl Anderson and ourselves, all were
in civil, military or naval uniform. The
Royal Marshal, Baron Holten, who
seems to have been chosen, like his fell
low-marshals at all courts, for love of
good cheer and good-fellowship, Gov.
I,.assen. Minister Klein. Capt. Matte !
Swedish nav. the Bishop, Chief JUS !
tice johnson, and finally our hale and
hearty friend DIR. Aialtali9ss 9ssaSnse Sfs77amss
EhASsei1, Preceding the King and Prince
Waldemar. Tall and stately, in her
black moire robe, she was as composed
and perfect in manner as when we saw
her descend the garden steps to welcome |
his majesty.
The king walked around the circle |
without any ceremony, exchanging a |
few words with each person as he passed. |
The marshal did not make his appear |
ance when our turn came, so we were |
self-introdced as American guests and |
not as individuals. Prince WaIdemar
Is younger than I thought-not more
that Is or 19-and still boyishly diff
dent IN his manner. He seemed in
clin,6 20 keep in the background as
much as possible. / found Christian
TX. as frank, simple and cordial as he
at first. What he said it is
not necessary to repeat, being the usual
indulged In where both
sides ere restricted by etiquette of place
and persons. There was no more than
was necessary for pol1teness on either
side.
Nothing was done, of course, until
the kings arrival Then. in fling a
salute with hand grerades, two gunners
we're badly wounded, one losing his
right hand. Finally, when the royal !
had been made through lines
# eagerly staring and embarrassed ma
ives, the singing began. In Iceland :
lothing is done without singing, and it
S the most attractive part of the cele-
'Tation thus far. The song was fol-
owed by speeches from the rostrum. 3
hiefiy greetings 9 the people, winding :
Ip with sentiments and cheers. Admi- !,
al Lagercrautz spoke for Sweden, Rolf Z
en-, the author, for Norway land his
loquepce awoke a real enthusiasm,
nd then various others followed, the Fl
dmirable male choir of Reikiavik in =
errupting the speeches with national =
Ongs. W
Soon afterwards the dances began !; T