Amerikanski fotovinurin, Bill Schwab, kom til Føroya í dag at hava ein workshop kring landið við fotografum, sum vóru komnir higar at vera í eina viku. Tíggju ár eru liðin síðan hann fyrstu ferð var her, eftir at hava hoyrt um Føroyar í Íslandi. Tá kendi ongi av hansara vinfólkum Føroyar. Í dag er annarleiðis. Øll kenna Føroyar.
Tí skeyt eg upp at vit skiftu orð um springaradrápið, sum eingin av berari hampuligheit vildi nevna, men øll høvdu hoyrt um.
Grannin, Hans Jacob Hermansen, var til dystin fús og orðaskiftið var bæði virðiligt og hugvekjandi.
Sum fotografur kundi Bill illa hefta seg við annað, enn "The Optics of the World", heimsins eygu, sum nú eru heft á Føroyar, um vit vilja tað ella ei, eins og Chicago gjørdu á fyrstu LP plátuni í 1969: "The whole World is Watching" innan teir skiftu til sangin "Someday" og sipaðu til studentauppreistur, harðrenda løgreglu og Vjetnamkríggið alt í einum.
Hans Jacob segði frá um at vaksa upp við grindadrápi sum ein natúrligur partur av bygdasamfelagnum, men tá hann seinni kom aftur til bygdina, var tað sum at blaða upp aftur í eini bók, sum hann fyrr hevði lagt frá sær, og nú mátti taka støðu til, um hann vildi verða partur av hesi mentan ella ikki.
Síðan hevur neyvan nakar føroyingur verið so vitandi og aktivur at upplýsa heimssamfelagið um grindadráp sum júst Hans Jacob.
Ein nemandi løta við orðum, hugsanum og perspektivum, sum í allari lagaligheit fóru um borðið.
Hans Jacob nevndi, at eingin veiðumaður er kensluleysur, og hefti seg við orðini hjá bretska heimspekinginum, Herbert Spencer, um at "Opinion is ultimately determined by the feelings, and not by the intellect".
- Eg eri takksamur fyri hesa innleiðing í føroyska tankagongd, segði Bill, sum júst var lendur. - Civil and productive, segði hann um samrøðuna.
The Optics of the World
My American photofriend, Bill Schwab, arrived in the Faroes today to head a workshop around the islands for a week. Ten years have passed since he for the first time in Iceland heard about the Faroes. Then no one of his friends knew about the Faroes. Today it is different. Everyone knows the Faroe Islands.
Therefore, I suggested a meeting where we discussed the recent hunt of white-sided dolphins that no one of the polite visitors would speak of but everyone had heard of.
My neighbour, Hans Jacob Hermansen, former chairman of the whaler’s association, was ready to participate in a discussion which turned out dignified and inspiring.
As a photographer, Bill had to stick to the phrase "The Optics of the World", the eyes of the World that now are fixed on the Faroe Islands, whether we like it or not, just as Chicago did on their debut album in 1969: "The whole World is Watching" before the song "Someday" and referring to student protests, police brutality and the Vietnam war all in one.
Hans Jacob told about growing up with whaling as a natural part of the village community, but when he later returned to the village, it was as opening an old book that he had put aside many years ago and now had to take a stand being a part of this culture or not.
Since then there has not been any other Faroese person as knowledgable and active to inform the world about whaling as exactly Hans Jacob.
A touching moment of words, thoughts and perspectives that in all gentleness were flowing across the table.
Hans Jacob mentioned that no hunter is without sensibility and consciousness and touched upon the words of the British philosopher, Herbert Spencer, stating that "Opinion is ultimately determined by the feelings, and not by the intellect".
- I am thankful for this introduction to Faroese thinking on the first day of this visit, Bill said.
- Civil and productive, he said about the conversation.