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A new Icelandic Children's book is coming out in the USA in April. The Casket of Time by Andri Snær Magnason. This book was a best seller in Iceland, winner of the Icelandic Literary Award and has been reaching children of all ages. Andri is know for his humor and wild imagination, he makes dramatic and thoughtful books taking on big issues and questions. Often weaving Nordic mythology and classic fairy-tale myths with contemporary issues. The Casket of Time is woven from two stories. On one level we have a mad king that has conquered the world. He is still not satisfied and wants to have more TIME than other people. His life will just pass and his beautiful princess will grow old like they were normal peasants. Nobody can help him until some dwarfs come with something that looks like a glass casket. It is woven with spidersilk, so densely that time can not penetrate the walls. The other part of the story takes place in our world when a magic TimeBox has been sold to people. You can put it together with an Allen wrench and use the TimeBox to wait for better times.  The book is available at Amazon (or click here). Andri Snær Magnason is the only Icelandic Children's book author to break through the US translation wall, but his other book, The Story of The Blue Planet has been published in 35 languages and came out in English in 2012. A classic in the mind of a whole generation in Iceland. You can support writing in Icelandic, good literature for young people and independent publishing by reading the books, and donating to your school or public library, as they probably have no children's literature from Iceland in the shelves. The Story of the Blue Planet is used by teachers all over the world to discuss important planetary themes. Andri Snær Magnason is chairman of Reykjavik, UNESCO City of literature. He has won the Icelandic literary award in all categories and his book LoveStar won the Philip K. Dick special citation in USA. He is born in Iceland but has a family in the US, his sister Hulda Magnadóttir is a brain surgeon in New Hampshire and his grandfather Björn Thorbjarnarson is a retired surgeon in New Jersey. He hit the world headlines when he operated on the Iranian Shah in 1979.

There’s always another great story to be discovered in the Icelandic Roots database! The iron screw steamer ship Copeland, built in Britain in 1874, was used extensively between Britain and Iceland. In July 1888, the Copeland left Iceland with 11 passengers emigrating to North America, 30 crew and 482 Icelandic horses, bound for Leith (Edinburgh), Scotland. After an arduous trip across the North Atlantic, the Captain encountered thick fog. By the morning of July 25th, the ship ran aground near Stroma Island between the Orkney Islands and north mainland Scotland. Thankfully, all human life was saved but 110 horses drowned when one of the hold compartments flooded. Many of the other horses heroically swam to the nearby shore. By July 30th, the ship slipped off and submerged into deeper water. We are in the process of identifying these 11 emigrant passengers. Are you a descendant of one of these 11 emigrants who had to be rescued from the Copeland? What family stories do you have of this emigration journey? Icelandic Roots is here to preserve these kinds of wonderful stories. And beginning May 25th, the East Iceland Emigration Centre will open an exhibit for the summer season focused on the journey itself. Haven’t we all heard the phrase, “Life is about the journey, not the destination”? This wonderful, new exhibit will focus on the various aspects of the journey itself to North America – modes of transport used, routes taken, sights encountered along the way, things many took with them…and the fortitude that took. Stories of the journey gleaned from letters and diaries will bring the exhibition alive. If you are in Iceland this summer, a trip to Vopnafjörður to see this exhibition is a must. If you can't make it to Iceland this summer, you can still attend the 100th Icelandic National League Convention being held in Winnipeg this May. Cathy Josephson, who developed the exhibit, will be presenting there. #IcelandEmigration #Ships #Copeland #Genealogy

“Reflections of a Century: Icelanders 1918-2018. Portraits of a Nation“ is a new book that has been published in Iceland in Icelandic and English. The author, the journalist Svava Jónsdóttir, had the idea in connection to the centenary of Icelandic independence and sovereignty last year. In the book there are photos of Icelanders born 1918-2018 - one for each year. Each of them - except the youngest children - answer one question: What does Iceland mean to you? In the book there are also landscape photos taken in Iceland. Apart of Iceland, the book will be sold in a bookstore in Berlin, Germany, and probably in a bookstore in Gimli, Canada, as well. Svava says that it would be great if an American/Canadian publisher would like to publish the book solely in English for the American/Canadian market.

Dear Friends, Happy New Year! Greetings from the entire Icelandic Roots team. You can click on the video below to see many wonderful photos along with the narrated story. If you would rather read the text, just scroll down below this video link. Thanks for a wonderful year. We look forward to 2019. (Click on the picture below for the video.) Dear friends Happy New Year, As 2018 ends, the entire Icelandic Roots Team sends greetings and best wishes to all our supporters across the world. The volunteers live in Iceland, the United States, Canada, and Australia. We’re committed to the IR mission. Through research and your contributions of living people, We connect the pieces of our shared heritage. Over the past 5 years, the accomplishments have been remarkable and we can pay it forward” to invest in the future with scholarships, support to Icelandic organizations, education, and various heritage preservation efforts. The IT Team provides us a wonderful, high-tech environment to store the information, updated privacy policies, terms of service, and an excellent management system with complete backups of all this valuable information for your entire family to enjoy. Currently, more than 500 people are supporting members with special access to the incredible database. Working together – collaborating – this is the key. Thanks for contributing and keeping your family up to date for the next generations to come. With dedicated volunteers and your help, the numbers in the database continue to grow daily along with 1,800 sources, 13,400 Media like photos, documents, letters, and recordings. There are 1,240 cemeteries, Over 5,000 obituaries, 546,000 Notes plus much more. Almost 12,000 people like our Facebook page and over 1,000 people are in our closed special Facebook group page where we can interact privately. There is Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram … for anyone to join. Our revenue is up from increased memberships and donations. We keep the costs low and increase benevolence. 15 young people have received Snorri Scholarships over our short time in existence – most to Canadians. Icelandic Language Scholarships are helping people study at the University of Iceland and at the Gimli Icelandic Camp for youth. We helped with all the Snorri Programs including Snorri West and the new Snorri Deaf. Other organizations benefitting are the INLNA, INL Iceland, Logberg-Heimskringla, New Iceland Heritage Museum, Viking Festival in Virginia, Gimli Icelandic Camp, August the Deuce in North Dakota, in Iceland we are in cooperation with the Hofsós Emigration Center, and the Vopnafjörður Emigration Center. We have given grants to both these organizations and assisted with other projects over the years. Working together, paying it forward, and helping people discover their story has been key for the growth and improvement of Icelandic Roots over these past 5 years. We thank each of you for working with us to create such a wonderful and fun community. Look for our new website in a few weeks, updated software for the database, visit the store for merchandise, interact on social media, and stay tuned for more exciting additions, events, and activities in the future. Our heartfelt appreciation to all who have strengthened relationships and kept the connections strong. Thank you for being a part of this journey, for volunteering, donating, collaborating, and being a supporting member. We will continue on the hunt and document all people of Icelandic Roots wherever they may live. We look forward to the new year and continued growth of the entire IR Community. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much. And now … we send our very best wishes for a wonderful New Year to come. Happy New Year Gledilegt nytt ar.

Yesterday we received the sad news that Dr. Steve / Stefan Paul Guttormsson had passed away after trouble with his heart. Our deepest sympathies to Rosemary and the entire family. Family, friends, and all who knew him will miss his smile, laughter, and his big heart. I will miss the frequent Facetime calls to discuss Icelandic events, projects, Icelandic Roots genealogy, East Iceland Emigration Center, Saga sites and more in the Vopnafjörður area, and especially the Snorri Program and the scholarships that his Guttormsson Foundation and Icelandic Roots coordinate to help as many of these young people as possible. The first weekend in May, we had our 98th Annual Icelandic National League of North America convention in North Dakota. Steve was one of the first people that volunteered to help. He used his time and talents at the convention all day Friday at the Hallson Church. He and Rosemary also had a booth with their many wonderful treasures as a vendor on Saturday. So many people commented about how "happy" he was at the Hallson Church while telling stories about his ancestors and the church. Here he is ringing the bell Friday, May 5th, in the Hallson Lutheran Church. There is so much more to say about how proud he was to be Icelandic, being an Afi, teaching people about Bóndadagur, helping the young people of Vopnafjörður, and all kids on the Snorri Program plus much much more. He will be greatly missed by his Icelandic family and friends. Thanks again, Steve. I am personally going to miss you so very much. Our deepest condolences to Rosemary and all the family from Icelandic Roots, the INLNA, the Snorri Program, the ICA, the convention attendees, and all in our Icelandic Communities who were touched by Steve. Steve's father, Reverend Stefan Guttormsson, was the minister in Pembina County and then the Bishop Emeritus in the Evangelical Church in America. His grandfather, Reverend Guttormur Guttormsson, was a pastor and emigrated from Krossavik in 1893 from Vopnafjarðarsýsla. His 2nd great-grandfather was Jóhann Pétur Hallsson who was the minister and the leader of the Hallson, North Dakota area. He built this church pictured below, the Hallson Church. Dear Steve, Thanks again for a wonderful weekend in North Dakota. Thanks for all the great stories and smiles you shared with everyone at the convention! Góða nótt.

Dear people of Icelandic descent: Have you or your parents emigrated? Did your ancestors emigrate from Iceland? Would you like a digital photo or a wall photo of your family farm(s)? We are interested and truly care about keeping you connected to your genealogy and family history. Together, our team will preserve your Icelandic Family Story, help you discover Cousin Connections, and learn more about our shared history. The IR Database grows bigger and better every single day. The volunteers are experts in their field and ready to help you. Do you have a photo of your family's ancestral farm? Icelandic Roots is in collaboration with the expert photographer, Mats Wibe Lund. Send in biographies, obituaries, family photos, etc. Contact Mats to get an amazing landscape photo or digital file of your family farm. Fill in the 'Cousins Across the Ocean' form. Join our community. Join us on a great adventure in keeping our Icelandic story alive. Click on this link to learn more and thanks for preserving YOUR Family Story http://www.icelandicroots.com/types-of-membership

My first memories of learning about the Snorri Program were when I was 6 or 7 years old. My mom told me about this amazing trip in Iceland with other North American Icelanders that was six weeks long. I remember my immediate reaction was, “No way! I couldn’t be away from home with strangers for so long; besides I want to go to Iceland with you!” Góðan daginn, My name is Alyssa Cartwright and I participated in ‘The Snorri Program – 2016’ this summer. I am writing about my time in Iceland this summer to thank and bring awareness to both The Snorri Program and The Icelandic Roots Foundation. They are each incredible at what they do and I would recommend both to any north American Icelander. My dad is of English heritage and my mom is half Scottish and half Icelandic that makes me only ¼ Icelandic by blood, yet I feel like my childhood was built mainly on Canadian and Icelandic Canadian traditions. I always thought it was a phenomenon of living in such a multicultural country, most people like to emphasize the most interesting side of their ancestry, as if they have to make themselves more interesting, but I have started to notice that the importance of preservation of history, heritage and culture seems to be very common in Icelanders and those with Icelandic ancestry. This sentiment is exemplified in the Icelandic Roots Foundation whose mission is “to educate, preserve, and promote Icelandic Heritage.” I would like to take this time to thank Sunna Furstenau and the entire Icelandic Roots Foundation for choosing to grant me one of their scholarships. I was overwhelmed by their generosity, as I never imagined I could be awarded a scholarship that would cover nearly half the cost of the program. This incredible gift alleviated much stress and enabled me to save some money to better appreciate Iceland and all of its wonders during my time there. Since receiving this gift and joining the database I have looked up my relation to every Icelandic person I know and every famous Icelander I can think of, and then some! And not only have I found some amazingly close connections, I found that one of my emigrating ancestors had only one sibling stay in Iceland Guðrun Jonasdóttir, and that she had a total of 17 children, only 4 of whom died in childhood, which I believe to be an impressive feat for the late 1800s early 1900s. When I arrived in Akureyri for the 3 week family and volunteer period, I found out that the cousin I would be living with was in fact one of Guðrun’s descendants. I have also started documenting my own family tree which currently only includes me and my direct ancestors; none of my cousins, brother, or aunts and uncles. Last year the Snorri West Program 2015 came here to the West Coast, with the four participants staying Victoria for 5 days. After hosting Anna Lísa, Guðmundur, María, and Vala I didn’t want to just go to Iceland on a short vacation; these were four of the kindest and coolest people I had ever met and if even half of the people in Iceland were as awesome as them then I wanted to be friends with all of them! That experience reminded me about the Snorri Program, and after looking at their website I knew it offered exactly what I needed, mainly: Learning the language (something I have always dreamed of, but never had enough resources in my small city) for two weeks in Reykjavik. Discovering, meeting and living with Icelandic relatives. Something that would allow me to imagine and understand what life is really like as an Icelander. Touring the sights. A chance to see more of the country, simply the cherry on top of a perfect combination. My first two weeks in Iceland were a busy blend of classwork and field trips with my cohort of fellow Snorri participants, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new family. With so much to do and so little time, it all left me feeling like I needed more time for a little bit of all of it! My favourite part during this time was taking courses at the University of Iceland because it was an opportunity I could not get in any other trip to Iceland; I was able to learn Icelandic, among many other things; and I was able to imagine what it felt like to be a student in Iceland it was relieving to see that there isn’t much difference from most of the courses I have taken in university in Canada. When I got home it was brought to my attention that our courses were paid for and provided by the Icelandic Roots Foundation. Once again, I was amazed by their abilities and generosity to not only myself, but all the Snorri Program participants. After just two short weeks, I was out of time for now, and on to Akureyri to meet some of my closest relatives in Iceland, and stay with them for the next three weeks. While there, I lived with my cousin, his wife and two children, and was fortunate enough to be accepted as a volunteer at Íðavöllur Leikskólinn –a Kindergarten for children ages 2-5. It was a wonderful way to learn the language and modern culture, I spent my time in the oldest class, Jótunheimur, where the students happily taught me the colours, corrected my pronunciation, and answered my simple broken-sentence questions in such complicated stories that I often had to fake-it-you-make-it, and occasionally got myself stuck agreeing to something I shouldn’t have. It was a very unique and effective way to learn, as you had to learn fast or perhaps get laughed at by a small group of 4-5 year olds. One day in Akureyri I went for a walk, listening to music, as always. Halfway through the second song I heard the phrase “My roots have grown but I don’t know where they are,” and I nearly stopped mid step. Something about it really resonated with me and still does. The Snorri Program is all about discovering more about your roots, but this phrase also made me realise I am more Icelandic than I thought. Mathematically, by blood I am twice as much English as I am Icelandic, looking at experiences, I am almost completely Canadian, but being in Iceland I saw so many aspects of Icelandic culture I associated with. All throughout my childhood, and even my adulthood so far, my closest and favourite influences have been my immediate family, but somehow, after less than three weeks in Iceland, I was already questioning my goals and outlook on life. Though not necessarily the best song in the world, it will now be considered one of my favourites forever, simply because I heard it at the right time. By the time I left Akureyri I knew I wanted to come back and live there, or anywhere in Iceland. What really started to influence me was talking about the holidays. I found myself wishing I could experience these traditions so that I understood them better. As the plane left Akureyri I had three thoughts back to back so quickly they were almost simultaneous. Ahh, finally, home sweet home! I had missed Odinn’s guesthouse, and my Snorri family, and Reykjavik, and was excited to get back to this place where I knew I needn’t worry, as I feel so much safety and comfort. Homesickness! My first time feeling homesick all trip, and I wasn’t even thinking of my home. I had only been away from my family for a few minutes, from my newfound home for an hour or so, and I already missed it. This feeling was as, if not more, intense as when I leave Vancouver Island for any length of time. I can’t wait until I am back at this home with my family where everything is familiar and peaceful. Wait a minute, isn’t Victoria my home? I was surprised that my first reactions had nothing to do with Canada, but instantly not surprized to realize that I had grown so attached to Iceland that BOTH places felt like home, and a little ashamed that my hometown of 23 years could be nearly replaced so easily, but I know that no other place in the world will ever have this effect on me. My final week in Iceland on the Snorri Program was spent back with my fellow Snorris, Ásta and Kent showed us around some amazing sights, excursions, and museums in western Iceland, as in one week, that’s all you have time for. It was cram-packed and loaded with fun! By the end of the week I felt a nearly perfect balance of exhausted and relaxed! Especially after all the learning and self-discovery of the previous 5 weeks, the driving time was a good time to reflect; the sights were, of course, incredible. I’ve been home for a few months now and my desire and longing to return to Iceland has not lessened at all. Something about being in Iceland was unexplainably and perfectly peaceful. It gave me the feeling that everything would always be ok and that I was doing the right thing. I am currently planning and working towards finding employment, so that I can return to live and work for at least a year or so. The first avenue I am looking into is to work in a kindergarten, but I am not limiting myself to that alone, as the most important thing is living and experiencing Iceland as my ancestors would have, and my distant cousins do, especially since, as I’ve learned through Icelandic Roots, all Icelanders are related if you look back far enough. Snorri Program, Snorri Plus, and Snorri West Programs are accepting applications now. To apply and learn more visit the website: www.Snorri.is and if you are chosen for the program and need assistance to go, send Scholarship Applications to us at Icelandic Roots.

Here is an amazing story about Icelandic fishermen in 1869 - people who lost their lives and those who survived. Heimskringla Newspaper. 08 December 1937. Útilegan Mikla. Bréf úr Vestmannaeyjum. Translation by Julie R. Summers. August 2015. Fulbright Scholar to Iceland. The Great Fishing Voyage The narrative of Hannes Jónsson, sea pilot at Miðhús (b. October 21, 1852; d. July 31, 1937). The fishing season of 1869, Hannes was hired on the eight-oar Gideon by the farmer Árni Diðriksson in Stakkagerði. On Thursday, February 25, Árni planned to go out to sea and had shortly before put the Gideon in the boathouse, but the weather had been very unstable, so men were not often going to sea. Many went out that day. Jon Jónsson at Vilborgarstaður, captain of the six-oar Blíður, and Árni Einarsson at Búastaður, the father of Ingvar at Hólshús and the captain of the eight-oar Langvinnur, had already gone out. When Hannes went to the ship that morning, he fell on a hill in the wet slush above Naustin, where the ships' equipment was stored, and he got completely soaked through. So he headed back home to change his clothes, since it was considered unwise to go to sea wet. When he was finished, he again went down to Sandur and all except the Langvinnur had rowed or come out to Botninn to read the útdráttarbæn, a prayer customarily recited before the first voyage of each fishing season. Hannes didn't want to go with Árni because he was said to be a poor fisherman, although he was an intelligent and diligent man. So Hannes stayed on land for a few days. There were unusually strong south breakers that morning. There had been stormy weather out of the south-south-east overnight, but in the morning the weather was calm and the weather frostless. The surf was so great that Leiðin was cut off and men had to take advantage of the pauses between breakers. Most of the ships that went to sea went south in the bay Flóinn and south near the bay Stakkabót, except three ships which went north and west around Heimaey. Shortly before midday came a flare of strong weather due west. Some ships had then already come home. The men couldn't even tell if they'd gotten any fish because it was so difficult to keep control on the rough seas and visibility was extremely poor. Árni Diðriksson had just come in near Miðhúsaklettur on the Gideon. The storm was instantly so strong that they didn?t drag the fishing line out since the oars were blown up out of the oarlock. They, and all the ships that had gone south along the coast, turned around because of the weather and sought shelter east of Bjarnarey. Most rowed away from the storm. On board the Najaden they tried to raise the sail, but the mast broke. Two of the ships that had gone west were right by the rock column Stóri-Örn when the storm broke out. It was Brynjólfur Halldórsson, a farmer in Norðurgarður and the father-in-law of Hannes, the captain of the eight-oared vessel Áróra, and Guðmundur Erlendsson, the sea pilot who commanded the Svanur. They landed at Eiðið, and the surf was not as strongthere since it was southerly. But not long after, when the westerly storm had continued for an hour, the water began to crash chaotically over Eiðið. When they landed, Sigurður from Brúnn under the Eyjafjöll mountains was there to help them. He hadn't gone out fishing because he thought the skies did not bode well and the surf was too high. He was a very astute and weather-wise man. He often went out fishing and enjoyed good weather while others stayed on land, and he sometimes stayed on land while others went out fishing if he found the weather uncertain, and so avoided many hardships. He had a fishermen?s hut at Grímshjallur for his crew, and he was captain of the six-oared rowing boat Ísak. Guðmundur walked from Svanur to Eiðið but Brynjólfur was put in charge and went with his ship to Hrófin. By that time, the weather was so poor that he didn't trust himself to row directly to Lækurinn, so instead he went south along Botni opposite Básasker and hurried from there in the wind east to Lækur. The current in the harbor was so strong, that the waters at Lækur dried up in the undertow even though the seas were great. The third ship that had gone west was near the rock Latur when the storm broke out. Símon Þorsteinsson from Hólmur í Landeyjum was on the six-oar Dúfa. He turned east and searched for shelter in Faxabót. He remained there close by and held east of Yztaklettur and made his way to Bóndabót, where he stayed for the night. He reached land close to noon the next day. The ships that went east around Bjarnarey searched for shelter in the bay or caves around Haganef. These twelve ships were there: 1. The eight-oared Haffrúin. The captain was Magnús Magnússon, farmer at Vilborgarstaður. 2. The eight-oared Æolus, which belonged to Bjarni Einarsson, farmer at Kirkjubær. 3. The eight-oared Gideon. The captain was Árni Diðriksson, farmer at Stakkagerður. 4. The eight-oared Neptúnus. The captain was Símon, farmer from Steinn under Eyjafjöll. 5. The eight-oared Langvinnur. The captain was Árni Einarsson, farmer at Búastaður. 6. The six-oared Blíður. The captain was sea pilot Jón Jónsson, farmer at Vilborgarstaður. 7. The eight-oared Mýrdælingur. The captain was Þorsteinn Jónsson, district administrative officer in Nýjabær. 8. The eight-oared Najaden. The captain was Ólafur Ketilsson from Bólstaður in Mýrdal. 9. The eight-oared Enok. The captain was Lárus Jónsson, district administrative officer at Búastaður. 10. The eight-oared Eyfellingur. The captain was Magnús Þorsteinsson, farmer at Rauðsbakki and the brother of Bjarni in Gvendarhús. 11. Ægir or Farsæll, a four-oared boat. The captain was Jón Bjarnason, farmer at Oddsstaður. 12. The six-oared Farsæll. The captain was Oddur Pétursson, the father of Sigurður at Skuld in the Westman Islands, at that time a farmer at Raufarfell under the Eyjafjöll mountains, and it was his first voyage as captain. The weather remained the same all night and there came a sudden snowstorm. Men sat at the oars and held the boats a short distance from the rock, in a small area. The boats would have crashed into each other had there not been breaks of moonlight between snowstorms. The surf was so high that it surged over Haganef into the bay. The night was dreadful for everyone, both at sea and on land. It was unknown whether all the ships had reached land and it was uncertain whether men could survive the hardship of exposure and lack of food. It was not customary at that time for men to take food to sea with them in the Westman Islands, and this is still true today. In the night, the crew of the Ægi abandoned ship and boarded one of the large ships. The Ægi could not withstand the weather and was lost. Three of the crewmen couldn't stand the harsh conditions and the cold, since they would have already been freezing cold and soaked through by the time they finally abandoned ship. They died late that night. All these men were middle-aged or older: Vigfús Magnússon, who lived in the fishermen's quarters at Hólshús, the father of Siggi Fúsason at Fögruvöllur; Jón Jónsson, farmer at Vilborgarstaður, the father of Sigurður at Lönd and grandfather of Kristin at Lönd; and Jón Guðmundsson, laborer at Kirkjubær, whose family came from the area around the Eyjafjöll mountains. All were married men. The next day, February 26, the wind died down a bit and turned to the southwest as the day passed. It was five degrees Celsius. Before noon, Brynjólfur Halldórsson boarded the Áróra with dry clothes, food and drink for the fishermen. Packages of food and clothes were prepared at each home and marked for each man. There was also food and a bit of Brennivín sent from the shops. Brynjólfur had on board the best crew, men who had already returned from sea or hadn't gone out. When he had delivered everything, he turned towards home again, as the tide was beginning to rise. Many of the ships set off for home at the same time as the Áróra, although the Najaden and Neptúnus would have stayed put. Six of them reached land before midnight after fighting all day against the weather, which was still poor. But three, Blíður, Mýrdælingur and Langvinnur, had to turn east around Bjarnarey again. They had headed too far north, so that the great rising tide carried them north in a strong current on the north side of Heimaey and they didn't drag the fishing line out when they'd escaped the gusts. They turned around and sailed with just a scrap of the sail east out of the channel between Elliðaey and Bjarnarey. A short distance from Bjarnarey is the skerry Breki. The depth there is only about seven fathoms. There was an easterly current this time, and Hannes only remembered that happening once before; it only happened in incredibly bad weather. Right up by Brekaflá, on the north side of Bjarnarey, the sea was much deeper and this was usually the preferred route in stormy weather. All the ships sailed there and Jón the sea pilot went last with the Blíður. Mýrdælingur and Langvinnur got by safely and held east around the island, but an outcropping of Breki caught the Blíður and capsized it without warning. Jón and his crew of thirteen all drowned there. The crew were: 1. Jón Jónsson, sea pilot at Vilborgarstaður. He was only 26 years old. His wife was Veigalín Eiríksdóttir from Gjábakki. She later married Jón Guðmundsson at Gjábakki. Jón was well-to-do and good-humored. He had been an employee of Pétur Bjarnasen, shop manager at Garður, and under his influence he would have become a gifted sea pilot despite his young age. He had previously been the captain of the Neptúnus. 2. Eiríkur Hansson, farmer at Gjábakki, 53 years old, Jón's father-in-law. He was a great ship maker and had the previous autumn built the ship Blíður. It was the ship's second voyage. Between Christmas and New Year's, Jón had taken the boat on one shark fishing voyage. Shortly after, on January 19, he'd had to use the Blíður to save Ellert Schram of Kokkhús and one other man. The rowboat capsized under them at Leiðin, where they were collecting eider ducks that Ellert had shot. When they landed, there was such a loud cracking that the men on shore thought the boat had broken. They stopped what they were doing and ran west to Hróf and took the Enok. Both men were retrieved, but one was drowned in the boat. It was Eiríkur Runólfsson, who was nicknamed "earl." It was seen as a bad omen that the Blíður was not used in the rescue, because it later appeared completely undamaged. There were several other things that were thought to predict the accident. Guðmundur Björnsson, labourer at Nýjakastali, who worked for Margrét, the mother of Hannes, who had rowed with Jón on the Neptúnus and gone with him on the shark fishing voyage on the Blíður in the winter, said he wouldn't row with him again on that ship. He wouldn't give any reasons for his decision, but he thought well of Jón. Eiríkur Hansson had built the Blíður at Gjábakkatúnið. When he had begun work on the ship, Kristín, the wife of Sigurður in Snarlahjall, came to him where he was working and asked him whether he was building a casket. "There's no casket lid on it," replied Eiríkur. "Then you should remove the keel," said Kristín. But he didn't do that since he didn't place any faith in her words. 3. Jón, the son of Eiríkur Hansson, 21 years old. 4. Rósinkranz at Vilborgarstaður, Eiríkur's second son. Eighteen years old. 5. Guðni Guðmundsson, carpenter at Fagurlyst, 38 years old. He was Eiríkur's son-in-law, married to Eiríkur's daughter Málfríður. She later lived with Ólafur Magnusson at Nýborg and they had one child together. 6. Snjólfur Þorsteinsson, laborer at Garður, 22 years old. 7. Bjarni Magnússon, farmer at Kirkjubær, 55 years old. 8. Jósep Sveinsson, laborer at Háagarður, 21 years old. 9. Jón Guðmundsson, a teenager from Núpakot under the Eyjafjöll mountains, the illegitimate son of Margrét Halldórsdóttir, who later married Jón Þorgeirsson, farmer at Oddsstaður. The identities of the other four who died are unknown. Hannes was on the banks east of Skansinn when the ships sailed east through the channel. Those who were at Skansinn saw the Blíður upside down. It was painted red on the bottom, so it was easy to distinguish it in the foamy sea. The ships that had turned around and those that hadn't gone anywhere stayed the rest of the night near Bjarnarey. They didn't head for home until just before midday on February 27. It was then eight degrees below zero. The Neptúnus left last and sailed home. The direction had changed and by the last part of the day there was once again a southwest storm with strong winds. The crew of the Najaden had abandoned ship the evening of February 26, boarded the Neptúnus, and let the Najaden go. The men were nearly perishing from the cold and hunger. The ship's captain, Ólafur Ketilsson, was a hardy and spirited man, although he drank too much, but the crew was in a wretched state. Most were novices from the east country. It was the first fishing season for all but three of them. Níels Nicolaj Bryde owned the Najaden. The ship's equipment was not of the best quality, as was often the case with merchant ships. On such ships, the crews were often strange mismatched groups, because men were reluctant to join these small boats. The ship was, moreover, old and worn-out, having stood unused for six years because it was considered unseaworthy, but some repairs had been done on it before the fishing season. But the repairs were not thorough, so the insurance company Skipaábyrgðarfélagi didn't want to insure the boat that season. There was a lawsuit and the result was that the company was absolved of everything by Bryde's demand. At about this time in the fishing season there were usually nearly twenty large ships, owned by Westman Islanders and mainlanders. There were no more ships at sea that day, however, because the mainlanders' ships had not all come out yet, and a few of the captains from the Islands were still waiting for crews from the mainland. These men came a week after the incident. Almost one week later, Símon from Steinn went out again in the Neptúnus in a strong northerly storm. Símon, Árni Diðriksson and Brynjólfur Halldórsson were at sea that day east of Stórhöfði at Klakkar. The wind blew them toward Litlihöfði. Árni and Brynjólfur managed with difficulty to get home, but Símon gave up and was driven south around Stórhöfði, where he waited out the night. The next day the storm continued. District administrative officer Lárus Jónsson took the Enok to help Símon. He gave Símon more oars and they repaired the oarlocks on the Neptúnus. With the rising tide they made it to Ketilssker, west of Stórhöfði, and then to Víkin (Höfðavík), where they anchored. The weather this fishing season was unpredictable and volatile and the shares only between 50-200, which was still considered good. The 1868 season was the least fruitful fishing season the Westman Islands had ever seen, and it was a time of famine and hunger for all. Here is a current promo video from the Westman Islands -- Vestmannaeyjar. 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