Note: Icelandic Language Day (dagur íslenskrar tungu, English: "day of the Icelandic tongue") is celebrated each year on November 16. Oliver Leif Cunningham, 2024 Snorri Participant, shares his experience in learning Icelandic this summer while staying with his host family.
By Oliver Leif Cunningham
One of the most important parts of rediscovering your ancestral roots is learning the language of your ancestors. Learning your ancestral language unlocks new doors for connecting with your heritage that may not have been apparent before.
I began learning Icelandic on my own leading up to the Snorri Program with hopes of being able to converse with locals while I was in Iceland. When I arrived in Iceland, however, the only Icelandic I was able to speak was in basic conversation with other Snorri participants (and sometimes with the very patient project managers). It was not until my homestay with my third cousin Dóra, her husband Röggi, and their 11-year-old son Björn, that I would have to put my learning to use.
Dóra and her family live on Keta farm on the Skagi peninsula in Northern Iceland. Keta is home to nearly 400 sheep and 30 horses that the family tends to every day. Dóra and her son Björn speak fluent English, however, Röggi does not, which made communication a challenge on the farm.
I spoke mostly with Dóra and Björn while working and when Röggi and I were working together most of the communication was done through
hand gestures due to my limited vocabulary and terrible pronunciation. Nevertheless, we worked together every day, and naturally, the communication improved slowly but steadily. Each day consisted of new jobs such as feeding the lambs, collecting driftwood for repairs, and planting potatoes, however my favourite job, herding the sheep, was an everyday occurrence.
Most afternoons, after the morning jobs were done, we got on horseback to drive the sheep to the mountains for the summer. Unfortunately for me, the horses seemed to respond much better to Icelandic than English.
When I wasn’t working on the farm or playing soccer with Björn, I was trying to learn more Icelandic. Fortunately, Björn lent me some of his children's books so that I could improve my vocabulary (and also probably so that I would stop asking him to teach me himself). Each day I learned a little more and I was able to understand a little more of their conversations.
By the end of my stay at Keta, I was able to understand parts of every conversation at the dinner table and even speak with Röggi about basic things. It may not sound like much, but it allowed the four of us to have conversations at the dinner table about family heritage, food, and traditions such as the Yule Lads, which my family in Canada incorporates with the younger ones around Christmas time.
When I left Keta after two weeks of working, playing, and not-so-fluent conversations, I felt more like a family member than a distant relative who showed up on their doorstep two weeks before.
After having an incredible experience in Iceland, I want to encourage others to participate in the program as well as promote Icelandic heritage and language in Canada. Shortly after returning to Canada, I spent a week as a counsellor at the Icelandic camp in Gimli, Manitoba which incorporates Icelandic language, music, and art in an overnight camp experience for children of all ages.
The camp is integral in promoting the Icelandic language and culture among the youth, ensuring Icelandic heritage is alive and vibrant across the sea in Canada. By instilling a passion for Icelandic language and culture in children in a fun and engaging way, I hope many of the children will have the urge to explore Iceland as young adults through the Snorri program.
Additionally, a convention is being held in Gimli in May 2025 which will commemorate the 150th anniversary of New Iceland – I hope to see you all there!