|
|
|
| Current Issue |
|
|
| Resources |
|
|
|
From the Edge of the Arctic: Icelandic Folk Narrative and Literary Humor
| Article
# : |
19974 |
|
|
Section : |
CULTURE
|
| Issue
Date : |
8 / 1992 |
3,530 Words |
| Author
: |
Shaun F. D. Hughes
Shaun F.D. Hughes is assistant head of the English department
at Purdue University. |
From the anonymous authors of thirteenth-century family sagas to Nobel laureate Halldor Kiljan Laxness, Iceland has produced a written literary heritage out of all proportion to its small population. This rich tradition is commonly associated with heroic encounters, tragic feuds, and the relentless struggle to survive in a hostile environment. But alpyoubokmenntir (Icelandic popular literature: poetry, folktales, legends, and other outpourings) is suffused with an undercurrent of humor that should not be overlooked.
This literary humor belies the hard physical and economic conditions current in the "Land of Ice and Fire" at the time of composition. Where the humor is obvious, it is frequently of the rough-and-tumble kind (beard pulling, toe twisting, and the like) indicative of a frontier culture. "The Icelandic sense of humour is of the ironic kind, rough and robust. It lacks the casual subtlety and refinement of Danish humour and is more akin to the American brand," according to Sigurdur Magnusson (1977).
No formal studies of modern Icelandic humor exist, and there is little on early Icelandic humor outside the work of Andre Manguin, Fritz Konig, and scattered articles in various learned journals. Since the topic is vast, I have chosen to single out one or two aspects for our attention: kimnisogur (folk narratives designated as humorous tales) and the early printed collections of jokes that began to appear in the 1920s.
Authenticity and the 'true' anecdote
Icelandic humor is closely interwoven with "metascript" of political, regional, and personal social situations. General humor does exist, but it is less valued than the anecdote--concerning a specific individual, time, and place--which has some claim to be "true." To the storytellers, the anecdotes are true (in the same way that our contemporary urban legends are frequently reported as fact). Whether an anecdote is factually true or not is often difficult to determine. But for the Icelandic audience, sophisticated in personal and regional histories, a story has to be appropriate.
Consider an anecdote recounted in Konrad Maurer's 1860 collection of Icelandic folklore. Gathered from pastor Skuli Gilason (1825-1888), an important informant for Jon Arnason's standard collection of 1862-64, it concerns one Jon Teitsson (1716-1781).
In 1780s, Teitsson went to Copenhagen to be ordained
...
Read Full Article
Look for this article in Ask.com
|
|
