When local governments or private citizens want to build a road or add an extension, they may face difficulties from the bureaucracy of the situation. There are always lots of boxes to be ticked and forms to be filled in.
In Iceland, however, there is another group that requires appeasement when it comes to construction that will impact their life: the elves. Construction workers are likely used to having their plans disrupted by protected habitats of bats or newts but only in Iceland is the work disrupted by the meddling of the elves.
The elves, or Huldufolk (meaning hidden people) in Icelandic, are supposedly located all across Iceland. It is a nation in which the landscape is terrifically evocative, yet nearly completely barren adding to the supernatural feeling.
Couple this with the gurgling geysers, explosive eruptions, and whistling winds, it does feel like the elves would be right at home here. But how did they manage to take place such a prominent part of Icelanders’ lives and why do their superstitions still exist today?
Origins
The Huldufolk are traditionally found in the folklore of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Typically, they are beings of the supernatural that live and have an affinity to nature. Unusually supernatural beings, they are supposed to look and act like humans but live in a world that is parallel to our own and can make themselves visible whenever they want.
A 19th-century Icelandic source claimed that the only difference between the Huldufolk and people is that they have a convex medial cleft rather than a concave one: the crease above their upper lip sticks out. From the same source, hidden people are equated with elves and the terms are used synonymously. However, some people believe that elves and Huldufolk may be two different types of supernatural beings.
Some of the earliest source material for the elves and Huldufolk can be found in Snorri Sturluson, of the late 12th and early 13th century. They feature in his Poetic Edda, a series of Nordic poems, and are connected to fertility and the natural world.
Hidden people even managed to survive the Christianisation of Iceland in the 11th century. They were adapted into Christian folklore. One tale has them originating from Adam and Eve. In the story Eve hides her dirty and unwashed children from God due to embarrassment and in punishment for this, he hid them from humanity.
Hidden people and elves were often used in opposition to oppression from lords and the nobility. In the 12th century, there was an opposition to dancing placed on the people by the government.
By the 15th century, it was well established that elves and hidden people were associated with and practiced dancing. Elves and folktales about them were likely influenced by European books and stories. In the 13th and 14th centuries, works were beginning to travel around Iceland and be traded with other European powers.
From the 17th century, volumes for sources on hidden folk became so large that there is a clear idea about the beliefs and legends surrounding them, that they can still be read today. Stories were continuously produced right down to the 20th century with a real peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. It coincides with tough financial and environmental times within Iceland.
Holidays and Celebrations
As of today, there are four holidays that are considered to have a special connection to the elves and hidden people. These are New Year’s Eve, the Thirteenth Night (the end of Christmas celebrations on the 6th of January), Midsummer Night (a night dedicated to John the Baptist, where strange occurrences happen on June 24th), and on Christmas night.
During these celebrations, it is common to see Elf bonfires known as alfabrennur. In these celebrations, it is one of the few times that the hidden folk become seen, and people are visited by the elf king and queen.
Many folktales tell of the elves and hidden people invading people’s homes and throwing wild parties during these celebrations. Because of this, it is customary to clean the house before Christmas and to leave food and drink for the Huldufolk.
On New Year’s Eve, candles are lit to help them find their way as elves are expected to move on to new locations. Though not every story is pleasant. One tradition claims that if an elf is spotted at a crossroads, they will attempt to seduce a person with food and drink. If a person succumbs, then they are punished, but they are rewarded greatly for resisting temptation.
Beliefs Today
A survey in the 20th century across Iceland found that people did not generally believe in hidden people or elves. As little as 10% of people believed in hidden people and thought that the lessons that were taught in school were for general amusement. A survey taken in 1974, showed that these numbers had dropped further with only 7% of people believing. A surprising drop.
However, more modern studies have been conducted, and whilst only 7-8% of people believe that Huldufolk and elves exist, around 45% of people believe that it is possible that they could exist.
Whilst few will readily admit that they believe, the tradition of elves existing in Iceland remains remarkably strong. Tourism boards have strongly pushed the idea of the existence of elves to engage tourists and children which may help explain the skewing of the data.
Although, whilst few people will admit to their beliefs, roads are sometimes not built or diverted to accommodate rocks believed to be associated with elves and fairies and many people do not remove large stones from their properties in fear of offending the elves. Ominously, when people have attempted to move large rocks, machines break down or construction workers get sick.
One incident even had TV crews’ equipment malfunction when they tried to film a rock being removed. People may not be outwardly willing to admit to their beliefs about elves and the Huldufolk, but few will ignore the warnings of broken machinery and illnesses. Maybe it is better to not upset the elves, just to be on the safe side.
Top Image: The Huldufol are said to live hidden away from ordinary people, and to have magic powers. Source: John Bauer / Public Domain.
By Kurt Readman
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