Go back

Audio clip from an interview with Hrund Skulason, 1989

Elderly woman with white hair and glasses seated indoors. She is wearing a patterned blouse with floral and paisley designs in dark and light tones. Behind her is a table with a tray of baked goods and a window letting in natural light.

Image courtesy of Blair Swanson

Audio: “The Winnipeg Icelanders” – Hrund Skulason, tape 5 of 6, 12 March 1989, Icelandic Canadian Frón Fonds, Archives of Manitoba (1990-204)

Bio: Hrund Skulason was born in Akureyri, Iceland on June 16, 1908. Her parents were Rev. Adam Þorgrímsson from Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Iceland, and Sigrún Jónsdóttir from Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Iceland. Hrund died on January 12, 2010.

Duration of Audio Clip: 2:18

Transcription of Audio:

Laurence Gillespie, interviewer: And Tímóteus Böðvarsson, he was quite active in drama in there.

Hrund Skulason: Very active in drama. He was the director for all the dramas that were enacted in Geysir. And Einar Benjamínsson helped him the last few years.

Laurence Gillespie: Where do you think his great interest in drama came from? Why do you think he was so.

Hrund Skulason: Well, they discovered, for instance, that it was by far the best way of making money for the library. So, whenever it was at all possible, we’d have a meeting early, early in January and decide what plays we’re supposed to be put on. And the ones I remember best was Vesturfararnir by Matthías Jochumsson. Now the first one in 1933 was Hertoginn frá Feneyjum by Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason. And then Vesturfararnir, then we had Vistaskiftin by Einar Kvaran. Vesturfararnir was a big play. It had a big cast. It was sort of half a musical type of one. And then the last two ones were Orrustu á Halogalandi and Posturinn kemur. That was the last one, Icelandic one.

Laurence Gillespie: When was Posturinn kemur produced?

Hrund Skulason: ‘51.