New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
JON SIGURDSSON.

bl-AIH OF The lCKLANDIC PATP AND SCHOLAR
THE STORY OF WHAT HI ACCOMPLISHED FOR
Ills CoUN1RY-LTrRARY AND POLITICAL la
BoRs-HTs FUNERAL AT COPENHAGES
TO me Edtfor Of the Tribune.
SIRE little Nation has recently lost its greatest
man. Jon Sigurdsson. the Icelandic patriot and
scholar, whose almost uuassisted efforts restored
to his country after struggle OF many years her
lost political rights. died at Copenhagen on the 9TH
of December. II need. only slight reading Of
Northern history TO understand how difficult was
the task he accomplished. Iceland discovered
shortly after the middle of the nint century, was
colonzed between the years S74 and $780, partly by
Norwegisns. partly by the descendants OF NOrwc-
gans who had emigrated, generation or two be-
fore to Scottish isles At the latter date it had
already formed itself into commonwealth, gov
erned by an annual Althing, or free Parliament.
In 1924 this ancient republic in consequence
largely OF internal Discussions, came 10 end, and
the island acknowledged the supremacy Of the
Norwegian kings. Somewhat more than century
later. in 1884, occurred the union Of Norway with
Denmark, and Iceland began 20 be ruled or rather
misrued. from Copenhagen.
At the separation OF these two powers, in 1914.
the nsnlar nationality remained under the domino
ton OF the Danes, instead of sharing the destInes
OF the mother country. The suiferincs which it
was obliged to undergo, during more than four CEN
in human history. The Althing indeed continued
10 have anOmn3l existence down to the close of the
last century. but 1t was sh0rn Of all actual power
The island was governed in the interest, sometimes
of a Danish trading company sometimes Of royal
commercial monopoly, whose extOrtlOns aud cruel
ties often threatened the complete extlrpation of
the inhabitants. All exported products had to be
sold to these foreign traders and all imported com
mcdites bought of them at their own prices. To
prevent any trade with Great Britain or Norway,
the nearest markets, laws were enacted forbiddlng
the people to boats large enough to put TO sea-
a statute which virtually deprived them Of the con-
troll of their coast fisheries upon which they prnci
pay relied for subsistence. The severest penalties
inflicted upon those who ventured 10
buy OF sell except at q particular trading
station in their own immediate district.
In other respects the misgovernment was
equally great. The national lands were sold. and
the proceeds placed IN the Danish treasury. Moneys
contributed by lceanders to promote education
recklessy wasted. spent for purposes which
in no wise benefited the country from which they
came. In times of war the island was left utterly
unprotected, and repeatedly ravaged by
Algenne pirates and English freebooters The
Danes neither built roads nor established schools
nor improved agriculture. nor introduced better
methods into the fisheries; and, what
any Of these things for themselves. SO bad did the
affairs of the country become that, at the beginning
of this century the population had fallen TO forty
thousand. on total area one-fifth larger than
Ireland and tllable area exceeding in extent the
whole of the present Kingdom of Denmark
That Iceland Is now beginning to recover from
these accumulated evils is owing TO the neyerfailing
wisdom the resoute viii and the fervid patriotism
of the man whom she chose her trusted leader.
Jon Sigurdsson was born June II. 1913. in
lowly parsonage IN one of the most remote
corners of his remote country-in that cur
ions and rugged peninsula which projects from
the Icelandic mainland in the extreme northwest,
ard is washed by the waters Of the lev
sea. During the brief. Summers of that high latl-
tude. BY fishing and sheep-drivinp he assisted his
father eking ont the scant subsistence derived
from bis petty salary as clergyman and. during the
long Winters which interviewed. his father gave bm
In return the training necessary to enable him to
enter the University of Copenhagen This he did
in 1888 after earning the requisite means by serv-
ing for year clerk in a store at Reykiavfk the
Icelandc capital, ard for throc years secretary
to the Bishop of Iceland. The former position
doubtless gave him clearer insight into the detri
mental character Of the Danish-lcelandc trading
system; the latter. which brought him into contact
with cergymen OF intelligence from every quarter
of the island. was sure TO widen his knowledge Of
the lands condition and needs. So good was his
preparatory education that he able to take his
degree in arts, with the highest honOrs conferred
by the University, in 1884. The extraordinary
scholarship which he thus evinced led the Anna
MagnRan Commission, as it is styled, 70 elect
him, in the following year, one of its tive
stipendiaries. The fund which endowed these
scholastic positions had been established by the
Iceandlc Archaeological. Ami Magn1sson. at his
death in Copenhagen in 100 but like ali celandic
matters left to the custodianship of the Danes had
been msmanaged it was, therefore, not until half
a century later that il became operative; but since
that time the places have been filled by long line
of scholars The duties Of these stipendiares are
10 cOlate and edit the ancient lcelandic works |
which tic wealthy and erudite Ami, with lifelong
Gal gathered from every part Of his native coun-
try, and which have since formed such store
house for scholars. Here during the next few |
years. Jon SgurdssOn acquired that broad learning
which made him for so long time the foremost of
those scholars with whom the literature of the old |
North is a special study. In 1911 he was sent by |
the Arna-Magnaan Commission. and the ROYAL |
Society of Northern Anttquares to the neigh
boring country of Sweden to examine and |
catalogue the Icelandic manuscripts preserved |
in the libraries of Upsal and Stockholm
and in 1915 the Danish Government conferred on
him the Secretarysbip, and soon afterward the Di-
rectorsp of its lcelandc archives His productions
bearing upon the ancient literature had already |
begun to appear. He edited the Tr6jumanna Saga.
the Brcta SOgur tsagas relating to the history of
Great Britain, The saga Jatvsrdar Konungs saga of
ST. Edward, lsenzk FOrnkvDdi lancient iceandic
lays) partly edited the younger or Snorra Edda,
complied with wonderful care. an Icelandic Diplo-
matarium and contributed to the transactions OF
various learned societies multitude of essays on
the old lore. Besides all this he was constantly at
the service of foreign or native scholars and per-
formed a vast amount of work, such collating