Icelandica - People

CONTEMPORARY PERSONALITIES - ICELAND

Björk - Do we really need to say anything more? For better or for worse, Björk is
likely the most famous living Icelander.

Vigdís Finnbógadóttir - President of Iceland from 1980 until 1996, Vigdís was the
first woman ever elected head of state in any modern democracy. She is one of the
most truly regal public figures of modern times. She was appointed UNESCO Goodwill
Ambassador in 1998.

CONTEMPORARY FIGURES - NORTH AMERICA

Rev. Wayne B. Arnason - Unitarian Universalist minister of Icelandic descent
currently serving as co-minister of the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in
Cleveland, Ohio. A member of the board of trustees of the Unitarian Universalist
Association from 1997 until 2005, he was Secretary of the Association until his
retirement from the board.

Hon. Peter Bjornson - Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth for the Province
of Manitoba and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Gimli.

Hon. John Harvard - As Lieutentant Governor of Manitoba, John Harvard holds the
highest public office in the province, representing The Queen as Head of State and
symbolizing the unity of the people. Prior to being named to the vice-regal office,
Harvard was a Member of Parliament from 1988 until 2004, representing the western-
most riding of Winnipeg, after a distinguished career in broadcasting and journalism.

Rev. Stefan M. Jonasson - Unitarian Universalist minister of Icelandic descent in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Coordinator of Services for Large Congregations with the
Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston, Massachusetts, and minister of the
Unitarian churches at Arborg and Gimli in Manitoba.

Len & Karen Vopnjord - Len Vopnfjord is a retired city planner whose career
included service in both Winnipeg and Victoria, while Karen was a cable broadcaster
after their move to British Columbia (not to mention the first Fjallkóna on Vancouver
Island). Len and Karen are better known, perhaps, as folksingers who have been
delighting audiences for (gulp!) four decades. From The Wayward Singers in the
1960s, through The Hekla Singers to a duet, once their kids left home, Len & Karen
continue to sing their way into people's hearts. Their CD "Descendants" (Afkomandi) is
a collection of stories in song which tells the tale of those who built this country and
the legacy they bequeathed to us.

Lindy - One of Canada's tallest musicians, Lindy's videos have been featured on
MuchMusic and his song "Beautifully Undone," from his latest album, Suspension of
Disbelief, has been getting some good airplay. "Suspension of Disbelief" is a terrific
CD! Everyone should buy two copies, so they still have a copy to play after they
wear out the first one!.

HISTORICAL FIGURES - ICELAND

Árni Magnússon - Icelandic scholar and antiquarian in Copenhagen, who was largely
responsible for the preservation of key Icelandic manuscripts from the medieval era.

Jón Sigurðsson (1811-1879) - The foremost Icelandic patriot and statesman of the
nineteenth century, Jón Sigurðsson was known as Jón fórseti, or "President Jón," for
his leadership of the struggle towards Icelandic independence.

Jón Þorláksson Kjærnested - A teacher, author, and district administrator, Jón
Kjærnested inspired the poem, "At an Old Grave, 1841" (Á gömlu leiði 1841) by one of
the greatest Icelandic poets of all time, Jónas Hallgrímsson. This link will take you to a
web site showing the poem both in Icelandic and in English translation, along with a
commentary on the poem, short biography of Jón Kjærnested, photograph of the
churchyard at Ingáldshóll, and audio clip of the poem in Icelandic.

Jón Þórðarson - A sýslumaður (sherrif) and later member of the Alþing, Iceland's
parliament, for two terms in the 1840s. He is best remembered for his unsparing
challenge to the excesses of the state church and its priests at a time when they
exploited the impoverished Icelandic farmers. He is also remembered for his rich sense
of humour.

Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845) - A noteworthy naturalist and one of the most
beloved Icelandic poets of all time, Jónas Hallgrímsson was, to Icelandic science and
literature, what Jón Sigurðsson was to politics and government. Together, they are
the quintessential nineteenth century Icelanders in their respective fields of
endeavour. The University of Wisconsin's website, "Jónas Hallgrímsson: Selected
Poetry and Prose," contains a biographical sketch of Jónas, fifty of his most important
texts, insightful commentaries and associated resources.

HISTORICAL FIGURES - NORTH AMERICA

Hon. Hjálmur A. Bergman (PDF) - Prominent Winnipeg lawyer and justice of the
Manitoba Court of Appeal. Bergman was twice president of the Manitoba Bar
Association and also twice president of the Manitoba Law Society, as well as
chairman of the board of governors of the University of Manitoba.

Gudmundur Grimsson - Lawyer and judge in North Dakota. Coming in 2007.

Guðrún H. Finnsdóttir (Guðrún Johnson) (PDF) - Women's leader, social service
activist, and author.

Guttormur Guttormsson - Farmer-poet and playwrite from Riverton, best known as
the author of "Sandy Bar." Coming in 2007.

Hon. Thomas Johnson (PDF) - Prominent Winnipeg lawyer and politician,
Attorney-General of Manitoba and Minister of Public Works. Johnson moved third
reading of the bill extending the vote to women in Manitoba and was responsible for
other progressive social legislation during his time in office.

Kristinn Stefánsson (PDF) - Carpenter, poet, literary scholar and social activist.

Stephan G. Stephansson - Considered by some to be the greatest poet in the
Icelandic language (and by one Harvard scholar, the greatest poet of the Western
world!), Stephan G. Stephansson was, by any measure, a brilliant writer and social
critic. Jane W. McCracken's outstanding study, Stephan G. Stephansson: The Poet of
the Rocky Mountains, can be read in its entirety online, as can Rev. Stefan M.
Jonasson's essay about Stephan G. as a philosopher and social critic, "Out in the
Open Air." The Stephan G. Stephansson Homestead is maintained as a heritage site
by the Province of Alberta.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson - Arctic explorer and ethnologist. Coming in 2007.

Hon. Joseph Thorson - Member of Parliament, cabinet minister in the government of
Mackenzie King, chief justice of the Exchequer Court of Canada (now the Federal
Court of Canada), and president of the World Council of Jurists. Coming in 2007.

HISTORICAL RELIGIOUS FIGURES - ICELAND

Bishop Jón Arason - 16th century Bishop of Hólar and political martyr.

Séra Hallgrímur Pétursson - Priest, educator and author of the Passion Hymns.

Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson - Bishop of Skálholt in the 17th century.

HISTORICAL RELIGIOUS FIGURES - NORTH AMERICA

The website Icelandic Unitarians contains numerous biographies about Icelandic
ministers and lay leaders of the Unitarian and New Theology churches among the
Icelanders in Canada and the United States. Individuals listed at that website are
cross-listed below. (In such cases, the link will take you to the Icelandic Unitarians
website, from which you will be able to connect to a PDF file about each individual.)

Rev. Friðrik J. Bergmann (PDF) - Minister of the Winnipeg Tabernacle (Tjáldbúðin)
and leader of the New Theology movement among the Icelanders in North America;
editor of Aldamót and Breiðablík; lecturer in Icelandic at Wesley College (now the
University of Winnipeg).

Rev. Jón Bjarnason (PDF) - Pastor of First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg and
founding president of the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Synod in North America;
editor of Budstikken and Sameiningin.

Rev. Valdimar J. Eylands (PDF) - Pastor of First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg.

Rev. V. Emil Gudmundsson - Unitarian Universalist minister and denominational
leader, based in Minneapolis, originally from Lundar, Manitoba. Coming in 2007.

Rev. Björn B. Jónsson (PDF) - Lutheran pastor in Minnesota and Winnipeg,
Manitoba, where he was the second pastor of First Lutheran Church.

Rev. Ragnar E. Kvaran - Unitarian minister in Winnipeg and the Manitoba Interlake,
director of the Icelandic Tourist Board and president of the Icelandic Actors Society.
Coming in 2007.

Rev. Philip M. Petursson (PDF) - Unitarian minister in Winnipeg, Member of the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and Minister of Cultural Affairs in the daministration
of Premier Ed Schreyer.

Rev. Rögnvaldur Pétursson (PDF) - Unitarian minister in Winnipeg, founding
president of the Icelandic National League, editor of Heimskringla and Tímarít.

Rev. Magnús J. Skaptason - Lutheran pastor in Iceland and Manitoba; Unitarian
minister in Manitoba, Minnesota and North Dakota; editor of Dagsbrún, Heimskringla
and Fróði. Coming soon!