"A NORSEMAN"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 14 September 1928, Page 8

"A NORSEMAN"

HISTORY RECALLED SIR ROBERT STOUT'S FAMILY' Professor O. Olsen, of Oslo University, Norway, who recently visited New Zealand, has contributed to the "Morgenbladet" newspaper an account of his world tour. He tells tho following incident, of his meeting Sir Robert Stout at tho Parliament Buildings, Wellington: —"Good roots produce strong trees. The old Norse-chieftain blood still lives, and makes itself heard, and the Viking spirit makes conquests there where one would least have expected it. I tako tho liberty to-day of presenting to the readers of 'Morgcnbladet' a countryman whom we ought- to know and of whom wo have every reason to be proud. He reckons himself a Norseman, and the country will receive him with gladness. I became acquainted with him immediately on my arrival in New Zealand. It happened in this way: I was shown round tho Parliament building, and introduced to the leading men of the country. Ono of tho Ministers remarked, "Come into the library; there is a man there who would like to meet you.' At tho tabic sat a distinguished-looking elderly gentleman. 'I am happy to make your acquaintance,' said he heartily. 'Jeg er selv norsk, og er stolt derfn.' I evidently looked like a living note of interrogation. 'Yes,' he explained, 'I am a direct descendent of the Orkney, juris, and in our family we preserve the tradition. We still feel ourselves to be Norsemen, and follow with groat interest all that takes place in Norway. My children have beon given traditional family names; my eldest son, for instance, is called Olav Eirik.' As lie noted my interest, he said, 'Come to my home to-night, and I shall explain it further.' "I did so, repeated the visit later, and was very glad I had done so. Seated in Sir Robert's fine library we had an interesting conversation, concerning the noted men of old Norway, who in a high degree assisted in thewing up the British nation. Sir Robert had already entcrd his S3rd year, but for all that has the vigour of a king. He showed me a row of Norse books translated into English, and several Scandinavian dictionaries. 'I do my best to familiarise myself with the history and literature of Norway,' said ho, 'and though I do not understand Norwegian, I can guess at much of it through the Shetland dialect, in which Norwegian words are freely mixed; wo say, for instance, 'dv' for 'thou.' "A great deal of my childhood's knowledge of Norse sagas was recalled to my mind, and as perhaps some of the readers of 'Morgcnbladet' stand in need of being reminded of such, I shall give a little of it here. The history of tho Stout family is clearly connected with the history of Norway. Sir Robert Stout was born in Lerwick, in Shetland, whore Norwegian was spoken until the 17th century, and where the family has maintained itself to our days. On Fair Isle, south of the chief island, may yet be found a couple of hundred of them, says Sir Robert. Some also live in Yorkshire. "Sir Robert started as schoolmaster in New Zealand G'_ years ago, and advanced with great strides. There are few pies in New Zealand in which he has not had a finger. He has even found time to write a book about the country. He has several sons and daughters in good positions. Sir Robert's great-grandfather lived at Scatnc'ss, to the south of Shetland, just by the ruins of Jarlshof, and his grandfather at Quendale. When Sir Robert a fow years since was here on a trip he found in tho sand dunes near Jarlshof a projecting tombstone, bearing the name Kathcrino Stout. Ho caused it to be erected in the church. It was the tombstone of his grand aunt."