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652 VON TROIL’S LETTERS ON ICELAND.
owned not entirely free from fuperftition. ‘They have an inexpreflible attachment for
their native country, and are no where fo happy... An Icelander, therefore, rarely fettles
in Copenhagen, though ever fo advantageous conditions fhould be offered him *.
On the other hand, one cannot afcribe any great induftry-to them; they work on in
the manner they are once ufed to, without thinking of ufetul improvements, Perhaps
this defect lies more with the government, which being unacquainted with the nature of
the country, did not make the neceflary difpofitions and regulations for creating and
encouraging induftry. They are not cheerful in converfation, but fimple and credulous,
and have no averfion to a bottle if they can find opportunity ; but it may eafily be con-
ceived, that this is not to be underftood of all without exception. When they meet
together, their chief paftime confifts in reading their hiltory (/augulefur); the mafter
of the houfe makes the beginning, and the reft continue in their turns when he is tired.
Some of them know thefe itories by heart, others have them in print, and thofe that have
not, have them in writing. One of thefe paftimes is rumule/tur, confilting in the recita-
tion of fome verfes, which fometimes are indifferently fung. They befides amufe them-
felves in their meetings with what they call wike-waka, where aman and woman take
one another by the hand, and by turns fing ftanzas, which are a kind of dialogue, and
to which the company fometimes join in chorus. This however affords little amufe-
ment to a ftranger, as they generally fing very bad, without obferving time, or any
other grace, particularly as they have not the leaft knowledge of the modern improve-
ments in mufic +.
To their diverfions likewife belongs that called g/aeder, where one among them is dif-
guifed ; ringbrud, where ten or twelve men join hands, and forma ring in dancing ; and
itis reckoned a great dexterity to break through the ring, without deftroying their or-
der ; glimu-lift, which has been mentioned before, and means wreltling ; bnatt-leikur,
or playing with bowls on the ice ; /y/ridin, or riding races for a wager, &c. &c.
They are famous at playing at chefs, and had formerly two forts of this game; one
of which was called jung fru_/chach (ladies chefs), and the other riddare /chach} (knight’s
chefs): at prefent only the daft is cuftomary. ‘They alfo amufe themfelves with hotra
(a game at tables), they play on it ¢ogtadilla or olofstafl, when the men are ranged blind-
told, without dice, according to an old fong which mutt be faid by heart. Beiides thefe
games they have others called My/na Faringar-tafl, and Goda-tafl. ‘They alfo play fome
* It feems that Providence wifely inftilled into the human heart the love of that foil whereon a man is
horn, and probably with a view that thofe places, which are not favoured by nature with her choiceft ble
fings, may not be left without inhabitants. It may be affirmed with fome degree of certainty, that the
love of one’s native place increafes in an inverfe ratio of its having received favours from nature.. A French-
man feldom or never feels that longing defire for his home, which all Swedes are fenfible of. A peafant of
Scania (a rich country ina mild climate) eats his hafty pudding (the favourite difh in Scania) with equal
p’eafure and enjoyment in whatever place it be; but a native of Elfredahl and Serna (places ill- favoured by
na‘ure) thinks his bread made of flour, mixed with the bark of trees 1) his own country more preferable to
the beft difhes he eats in the low country. The chiefeft with of a Switzer is to die in his own country.
Vhen a Switzer in the French army fung a certain fong to his countrymen in the laft war, there arofe in
the breafts of all that heard him fuch a difeafe like longing for their native country, that it became abfo-
lutely neceffiry to the French generals to give the ftri@ett injunctions, that this fong fhould never be heard
again in the camp. ‘This will appear incredible to thofe who are acquainted with no other happinefs than
that which is produced by the enjoyment of luxury, afluence, and voluptuoufnefs. It always recalls to the
memory that fine paflagein Seneca: “ Ulyffes ad ithacx fue faxa fic properat, quemadmodum Agamemnon
ad Myvenarem nobiles muros ; nemo enim patriam amat, quia magna, fed quia fa.”
t+ Loebferved two kinds of mufical inftruments in Iceland, one called daang /pil, with fix brafs flrings ; the
other called fd/a, with two ftrings made of horfes hair; both are played by a bow. 1 likewile neardof
another inflyument called fimphon, but 1 never could get a fight of it.
} Vide Letter of Arnus Magnaus to Widalin, communicated to me in manufcript by Mr. Thorotti.
games
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