26 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSEn's 



This kind of reading had the double advantage of relaxation and 

 improvement; besides which, it tended to keep awake those who 

 had business to perform in the evening. After the fourteenth 

 century, the poets employed themselves in writing histories 

 in verse, in order to render them agreeable: they recited 

 them with a loud voice and a musical tone. 



OF THE ICELANDIC LANGUAGE. 



This language is spoken tolerably well in the district of Kiosar, 

 and it would be wrong to suppose that the trivial change in the 

 pronunciation of certain words forms a particular dialect ; though 

 it is a fact, that the difference of the language in some cantons 

 is very remarkable, as it is a perceptible mixture of the lan- 

 guages of Denmark and Norway, which is proved by a variety 

 of Danish words in their juridical acts and other legal writings ; 

 though there are likewise many German, French, and Latin 

 words, of which it is impossible that the people can understand 

 one half. This corruption can only be attributed to that spirit 

 of frivolity which induces most people to adopt foreign phrases 

 in preference to their own ; or it may perhaps arise from neces- 

 sity, as the Icelandic jurisprudence was introduced from Nor- 

 way ; but, on the other hand, it may be seen, that those who 

 pique themselves most on writing their language in its greatest 

 purity, introduce a number of Latin and other words. The 

 ancient Iceland idiom is daily losing ground; and though 

 there is scarcely a corner of the island, in which the most il- 

 literate peasant does not understand word for word, and listen 

 with pleasure to the ancient sagas or histories. Yet is it to 

 be feared, from the little use they make of it, that the language 

 of Iceland may soon become extinct, which must be regretted, 

 as it is one of the most ancient of the living tongues. 



OF THEIR GAMES. 



The inhabitants of this district, as well as those of the other 

 parts of the island, play various games, in which they take no 

 small interest. There are, however, few persons in this quarter 

 who know them. They also play at draughts ; but in this game 

 they have variations which are totally unknown to foreigners. 

 They play at cards in various ways, particularly a game which 

 appears to be lansquenet. It is remarkable, that though, as we 

 have just observed, the Icelanders take much delight in their 

 games,, they never either play for money or -any other thing; 

 according, however, . to all appearance, this was not the case in 

 former times, when there was much cash in the country ; and it 

 was doubtless the abuses which then existed, which gave rise to 



