2007 # 01 Tigoriannguaruk! Tag suluk med hjem! Your personal copy!

demand – also of you – that you are
considerate towards me? I wish I could
learn a little from you… Again today I
close your diary feeling totally powerless!
– How it bubbles and sparkles
with life – in contrast to all the trivialities
I dish up for you – simple, factual
information to keep you up to date
with what we are doing.«
An expedition diary would obviously
include “trivialities«:
November 26th:
»Dearest Dagmar. I feel I must say
goodnight before I go to bed. It has
been a busy day. Birket (ethnologist/anthropologist
Kaj Birket-Smith) and I
have been sitting down, working
together and we have just finished.
There’s a lot to take care of for the
person in charge. Today I have prepared
100 reindeer skins. All the members
of the expedition need new clothes
– and there are twelve of us.«
Never condescending
However, it was difficult for Knud to
find peace and quiet for his literary
work:
»I would have excellent peace and
quiet, if it were not for Peter (Freuchen),
but he is such a chatterbox
that there is seldom peace for long.
Incidentally, he is a splendid fellow and
is always in good spirits. We all admire
his good spirits. He provides entertainment
throughout the day, always full
of stories.«
Quieter were Birket-Smith, the
archaeologist Therkel Mathiassen
and Helge Bangsted, the assistant,
who all suffered from the hardships of
travelling – and in the case of Therkel
Mathiassen, also from the food:
»He is the only member of the expedition
who finds it difficult to live à la
Eskimo. He eats meat, even reindeer
meat, with disgust and often prefers
to go hungry rather than eat it. Not
for nothing did he marry a cookery
teacher.«
It is characteristic for Knud Rasmussen
that although he was able to laugh at
people’s idiosyncrasies, he never spoke
about anyone in a condescending
manner. Not even in a completely
private diary to his wife. Everyone
Air Greenland inflight magazine 31
■ Ilisimasassarsioriat qullersaqarfiat
»Supoorut«.
– without exception – was described
as being skilful, helpful and a good
comrade. »The Bellows« was overcrowded
– particularly because of the
many visiting Eskimos – and it was the
pleasant atmosphere, the peacefulness
and the cheerfulness that defined their
everyday lives. And this is what he had
to tell Dagmar – even though it was
just »trivialities«.
Knud Rasmussen concludes his diary
with a description of Christmas. The
exercise book was almost finished
– and so, it seems, was he. His spirits
were not the best and the otherwise
neat handwriting was untidy, large and
rushed for the first time:
Fell asleep on Christmas Eve
December 25th:
»It was quite impossible for me to
write yesterday – absolutely impossible,
and I don’t think it’s going to
work today either. It’s as though I got
too close to you – and I yearned too
much for you. It was a very quiet
Christmas. It was spent reading all
your old letters – which didn’t make
the longing for you any less.
In the evening I held a service in
Greenlandic for the Cape Yorkers.
■ Ekspeditionens hovedkvarter
»Blæsebælgen«.
They had asked me to do so and
Birket-Smith read from the Gospel in
Danish. We had decorated the mess
hall with flags that covered both walls
and Birket and Bangsted had made
small cones and hearts of ordinary
paper which they had painted red and
blue.
At the precise time when you were
having – or were starting on – your
Christmas Eve (we are 6 1 /2 hours after
you) we all fell asleep; Peter, Birket,
Bangsted and I – although we never
usually sleep during the day. »
December 27th:
»I do not have the strength to write
more. I am sending a fine head and
shoulders portrait of myself – let a
photographer take a picture of it – we
dare not send the plate – and give it
to those of my acquaintances who you
think would like it.
And so dear Dagmar, just a big hug! I
wish you all the best – and hope your
eyes get well again! I put my arms
around your neck and kiss you – dear
little Dagmar.
Your Knud.«
■ The expedition’s headquarters,
»The Bellows«.