Friday, April 15, 2011

Huldufólk - "Hidden" Icelandic Population

People and sheep and Icelandic horse aren't the only inhabitants in Iceland. It's densely populated by elves, dwarfs, and trolls. Tolkien spent a lot of time in Iceland when writing his Lord of the Rings. And his elves - as tall as people - are the Icelandic elves.

We sure did feel like hobbits often enough hiking in the foggy mountain paths.

Icelanders shrug their shoulders and explain that the movie wasn't filmed in Iceland because of its lack of forests. I would say the ever-changing, completely unreliable weather played a role there, too.

Looking around at all the rocks and mountains and cliffs, you can't help but start seeing things. There, see? A troll turned into stone. 


This looks exactly like a frog!



And this looks like a lovely dwarf's home in a cavity.


And the weird circular mushrooms or moss (I am not sure what this is) are seen as elves' signs.

If asked, Icelanders will deny that they still believe in all those fairy-tales. But they still build their streets and roads and buildings, doggedly avoiding the 'elf hills'. Because they know that the equipment will malfunction, or a worker will get hurt - so why bother? And if you try and suggest removing a particular rock in their garden, you will be told that that's the elf rock and you may not, under any circumstances, touch it.

The superstitions are very strong, especially since children are still raised with these folk tales. 

As one of my books on Iceland says, at a public lecture about Huldufólk (the hidden people), 80% admitted they believed in elves, 50% spoke to an elf, and 25% have seen one!

Well, we have seen... only one :)


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