The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-11-19
Customs In Iceland.

In sparsely peopled country, with
out public houses of any sort, hospital
ity is a necessary virtue, and ths Iceland
ers are hospitable TO al comers, as far as
their means will permit. But TO those
who happen TO live near much-fre-
quented tracks the burden Of hospi-
tality would be ruinous were it not GUS
tomary for them TO accept pecuniary
present from such guests as are well able
10 afford it. From foreign visitors
present is always expected, although 1t
is never demanded, and it is customary
on taking leave for the guest to hand q
few marks TO his host with polite
"Ver saa Rod!" (Be so good, or if you
please.) "Msnge taxi" (many thanks)
is the usual reply, with warm grasp Of
the hand, but not without careful in-
spection of the coin. The fare at an
Icelandic ber or farm is often frugal
enough, but the traveller may count at
least upon drink of delicious milk, and
need never scruple to ask for it. Unless
he is invited to enter he will drink it as
q stirrup cup outside the door; for Ice
landic etiquette forbids stranger TO
walk into house without an express
Pequest. During themonths when there
is no darkness in Iceland, midnight ar
rivals are of frequent occurrence; the
numerous dogs, reposing on the grassy
roofs of the parsonage or farmhouse,
soon arouse the inmates by noisy
greeting to the travellers, and prepara.
tions are made for their reception in the
guest chamber or in the church if ther
is one close by. The church is utilized
for variety of secular purposes, fre-
quently as a storehouse for the parsons
wool, and as regards air and light is
usually a preferable bedroom TO the
guest-chamber of the establishment; 4;
being built entirely of wood, without
any turf on the roof, it is also much
drier than ordinary Icelandic habita-
tions.
On one occasion we arrived, party
Of three, at midnight, and found no one
stirring about the farm excepta woman,
who was watching the cattle in the
home-feld or "Tun." Being invited
into the house, we entered the usual
dark passage, sliding and stumbling
over the slipper y and uneven pavement
and knocking our heads against the low
beams of the roof. The guest-chamber
contained only one bed, which the good
woman at once proceeded to arrange
for us all three to sleep in, heads and
tails, like herrings barrel. Two of
US being tall and one stout, while tho
bed was both short and narrow, it was
clear that this arrangement would not
be suitable; but politeness sealed our
mouths, and we solemnly watched her
operations, as she spread the couch
with pillows at both ends, and removed
from It's interior great variety of house
hold articles, for which it was used as
a general receptacle. As soon as she
had retired our suppressed merriment
burst forth, and we soon dragged bed
ding and elderdown quilts off the bed
enough to make two lairs in other parts
of the room. Although we were Of
various nationaities "a Dane, an
American, and an Englishman), and
had all three travelled much and roughed
it in many countries. we had never else
where witnessed similar bedmaking nor
seen bedstead used instead of a ward
robe and cupboard.-MIneteeaM Gen.
f,ITy