or hidden people are
elves
An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda''.
In medieval Germanic-speakin ...
in
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
ic and
Faroese folklore
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
.
They are supernatural beings that live in nature. They look and behave similarly to humans, but live in a
parallel world. They can make themselves visible at will.
cites a 19th-century Icelandic source claiming that the only visible difference between normal people and outwardly human-appearing is, the latter have a convex rather than concave
philtrum
The philtrum (, from Ancient Greek , lit. 'love charm') or medial cleft is a vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip, common to therian mammals, extending in humans from the nasal septum to the tubercle of the upper lip. Toget ...
() below their noses.
In Faroese folk tales, hidden people are said to be "large in build, their clothes are all grey, and their hair black. Their dwellings are in mounds, and they are also called Elves."
Some Icelandic folk tales caution against throwing stones, as it may hit the hidden people.
The term was taken as a synonym of (elves) in 19th-century Icelandic folklore.
Jón Árnason found that the terms are synonymous, except is a pejorative term. contends that originates as a euphemism to avoid calling the by their real name.
There is, however, some evidence that the two terms have come to be taken as referring to two distinct sets of supernatural beings in contemporary Iceland. Katrin Sontag found that some people do not differentiate elves from hidden people, while others do. A 2006 survey found that "54% of respondents did not distinguish between elves and hidden people, 20% did and 26% said they were not sure."
Origins
Terry Gunnell writes: "different beliefs could have lived side by side in multicultural settlement Iceland before they gradually blended into the latter-day Icelandic and ."
He also writes: " and undoubtedly arose from the same need. The Norse settlers had the , the Irish slaves had the hill fairies or the Good People. Over time, they became two different beings, but really they are two different sets of folklore that mean the same thing."
Precursors to elves/hidden people can be found in the writings of and in
skaldic verse. Elves were also mentioned in ''
Poetic Edda
The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...
'', and appear to be connected to fertility.
The
Christianization of Iceland in the 11th century brought with it new
religious concepts. According to one Christian folk tale, the origins of the hidden people can be traced to
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
. Eve hid her dirty, unwashed children from God, and lied about their existence. God then declared: "What man hides from God, God will hide from man." Other Christian folktales claim that hidden people originate from
Lilith
Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...
, or are fallen angels condemned to live between heaven and hell.
In succession of Christianization, official opposition to dancing may have begun in Iceland as early as the 12th century, and the association of dancing with elves can be seen as early as the 15th century. One folktale shows the elves siding with the common people and taking revenge on a sheriff who banned dance parties. concludes that these legends "show that Icelanders missed dancing".
In the 13th and 14th centuries, books from mainland Europe reached Iceland, and may have influenced folktales about elves.
writes: "Round about 1600 sources for hidden folk become so voluminous that we can readily define the beliefs and legends about them, and after that there is one source after another about them right down into the twentieth century." According to Árni Björnsson, belief in hidden people grew during the 17th and 18th centuries when Iceland was facing tough times.
According to Davide Finco Genoa, elves have existed in religious context as far back as the Stone age. He uses Swedish elf offering cups, known as "alvkvarnar," as an example.
Holidays
There are four
Icelandic holidays considered to have a special connection with hidden people: New Year's Eve,
Thirteenth Night (January 6), Midsummer Night and Christmas night. Elf bonfires () are a common part of the holiday festivities on Twelfth Night (January 6). There are many Icelandic folktales about elves and hidden people invading Icelandic farmhouses during Christmas and holding wild parties. It is customary in Iceland to clean the house before Christmas, and to leave food for the on Christmas. On New Year's Eve, it is believed that the elves move to new locations, and Icelanders leave candles to help them find their way. On
Midsummer Night, folklore states that if you sit at a crossroads, elves will attempt to seduce you with food and gifts; there are grave consequences for being seduced by their offers, but great rewards for resisting.
Icelandic and Faroese folklore
Several scholars have commented on the connections between hidden people and the Icelandic natural environment. B.S. Benedikz, in his discussion of
Jón Árnason's grouping of folktales about elves, water-dwellers, and
trolls
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human be ...
together, writes:
: "The reason is of course perfectly clear. When one's life is conditioned by a landscape dominated by rocks twisted by volcanic action, wind and water into ferocious and alarming shapes ... the imagination fastens on these natural phenomena."
Ólina Thorvarðardóttir writes:
: "Oral tales concerning Icelandic elves and trolls no doubt served as warning fables. They prevented many children from wandering away from human habitations, taught Iceland's topographical history, and instilled fear and respect for the harsh powers of nature."
Michael Strmiska writes:
: "The are ... not so much ''super''natural as ''ultra''natural, representing not an overcoming of nature in the hope of a better deal beyond but a deep reverence for the land and the mysterious powers able to cause fertility or famine."
claims that in a landscape filled with earthquakes, avalanches, and volcanoes,
: "it is no wonder that the native people have assigned some secret life to the landscape. There had to be some unseen powers behind such unpredictability, such cruelty."
Alan Boucher writes:
: "Thus the Icelander's ambivalent attitude towards nature, the enemy and the provider, is clearly expressed in these stories, which preserve a good deal of popular – and in some cases probably pre-christian – belief."
Robert Anderson writes that
syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...
: "is active in Iceland where Christianity, spiritism, and Icelandic elf lore have syncretized in at least a couple instances."
Terry Gunnell notes that hidden people legends recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries showed them to be
: "near mirror-images of those humans who told stories about them – except they were beautiful, powerful, alluring, and free from care, while the Icelanders were often starving and struggling for existence. The seem in many ways to represent the Icelander's dreams of a more perfect and happy existence."
Anthropologist claimed that hidden people tales told by 19th century Icelandic women were a reflection of how only 47% of women were married, and
: "sisters often found themselves relegated to very different functions and levels of status in society ... the vast majority of Icelandic girls were shunted into supporting roles in the household."
He goes on to say that these stories justified the differences in role and status between sisters, and
: "inculcated in young girls the ... stoic adage never to despair, which was a psychological preparedness many would need as they found themselves reduced in status and denied the proper outlet for their sexuality in marriage, thereby sometimes having to rely on infanticide to take care of the unsolicited and insupportable effects of their occasional amours, an element ... related in stories."
contends that the hidden people symbolize idealized Icelandic identity and society, the key elements of which are seeing the "past as a source of pride and nature as unique and pure."
Hidden people often appear in the dreams of Icelanders. They are usually described as wearing 19th century Icelandic clothing, and are often described as wearing green.
In one version of modern Faroese folklore, the hidden people vanished in the 1950s when electricity was brought to the island.
"The Elf Maiden" is a Norse folklore about a young man who marries an elf woman. As their marriage progresses, the elf maiden begins to periodically, miraculously disappear from his sight. The elf maiden finally tells her husband that she will eventually disappear, permanently, and that the only way to prevent it is by hammering a nail into a threshold
According to Scandinavian Author Ármann Jakobsson,
: "In the Eyrbyggja saga", we find the familiar idea that people are expected to relieve themselves at a safe distance from a sacred spot, and the word used (dlfrek) indicates that the alfar be expected to get angry."
In her book, ''Icelandic Folktales and Legends'', Jacqueline Simpson provides two origins stories for the Huldufolk:
* The first story says the Huldufolk are some of the children of Adam and Eve. These children were not washed and therefore Eve avoided presenting them to God. In return, God said; "That which had to be hidden from Me, shall also be hidden from man," thus creating the "hidden people" / huldufolk / elves, out of the children and their offspring.
[
* The second folktale describing the origin of Huldufolk says that when the devil raised a revolt in heaven, the inhabitants who did not side with him, but also were not against him, were sent down to Earth. They would live in, "knowles, hills, and rocks" and "cannot live with other people." These people are the Huldifolk or Elves.][
]
Contemporary Iceland
A survey of Icelanders born between 1870 and 1920 found that people did not generally believe in hidden people and that when they had learned about supernatural beings in their youth, those lessons had mostly been made for amusement. About 10% seemed to actually believe in hidden people. A survey from 1974 showed that among those born between 1904 and 1944, 7% were certain of the existence of hidden people.
Several modern surveys have been made showing a surprising number of believers. Around 7–8% claim to be certain that elves exist, and around 45% claim it is likely or possible.
These surveys have been criticized as being misrepresentative, as journalists have claimed that they show that a majority of Icelanders believe in elves, despite belief not being that serious. Folklore professor Terry Gunnell has said: "Very few will say immediately that they 'believe' in such, but they won't deny it either." Different ways of asking could elicit very different responses.
Árni Björnsson claims the beliefs are simplified and exaggerated for the entertainment of children and tourists, and that it is a somewhat misrepresentative yet harmless trick used by the tourism industry to entice visitors. The stories of elves may have been fun tales rather than beliefs.
Tourism
The Icelandic Elf School in organizes five-hour-long educational excursions for visitors.
offers a "Hidden Worlds tour", a guided walk of about 90 minutes. It includes a stroll through Park, where the paths wind through a lava field planted with tall trees and potted bonsai trees in summer, and said to be peopled with the town's largest elf colony.
has the Icelandic Wonders museum, where "Museum guests will walk into a world of the Icelandic elves and hidden people and get a glimpse of their life."
Information boards at Dverghamrar state that the local variety of dwarf is 20–30 cm tall.
Recent incidents
During road construction in Kópavogur
Kópavogur () is a town in Iceland that is the country's second-largest municipality by population.
It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Capital Region (Iceland), Capital Region. The name literally means ''seal pup inlet''. ...
in 1971, a bulldozer
A bulldozer or dozer (also called a crawler) is a large tractor equipped with a metal #Blade, blade at the front for pushing material (soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock) during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous tracks, ...
broke down. The driver placed the blame on elves living in a large rock. Despite locals not having been aware of any elves living in the rock, newspapers ran with the story, thus starting the myth
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
that Icelandic road construction was often impeded by elves.
In 1982, 150 Icelanders went to the NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
base in to look for "elves who might be endangered by American Phantom jets and AWACS reconnaissance planes." In 2004, Alcoa
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for "Aluminum Company of America") is an American industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary alu ...
had to have a government expert certify that their chosen building site was free of archaeological sites, including ones related to folklore, before they could build an aluminium smelter
Aluminium smelting is the process of extracting aluminium from its oxide, alumina, generally by the Hall-Héroult process. Alumina is extracted from the ore bauxite by means of the Bayer process at an List of alumina refineries, alumina refinery. ...
in Iceland. In 2011, elves/ were believed by some to be responsible for an incident in where rocks rained down on residential streets.
In 2013, proposed road construction from the peninsula to the suburb of , was stopped because elf supporters and environmental groups protested, stating that the road would destroy the habitat of elves and local cultural beliefs. According to G Pétur Matthíasson, head of communication at the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, " ne of the protesterswas interested in this one big rock that was in the line of the road. We then look at it, not through believing in elves, but believing that elves or hidden people are part of our cultural heritage. We looked at this big rock formation and saw that it was unique, and decided that because we could move he road we would try to do that.”
In 2013, in Reykjavik, construction on a road was halted because a group of protesters showed up, included people who believed that the construction would "disturb the habitat of elves that live among the rocks."
Intentions
In her book, ''Icelandic Folktales and Legends'', Jacqueline Simpson says that Elves, "can do both good and evil, and both in the highest degree."
In Snorri Sturluson's ''The Prose Edda'', the story of "The Beluiling of Gylfi," Elves are described as being either Dark or Light, both in manner and appearance: "That which is called Alfheimer is one, where dwell the peoples called Light Elves; but the Dark-Elves dwell down in the earth, and they are unlike in appearance, but are far more unlike in nature. The Light-Elves are fairer to look upon than the sun, but the Dark-Elves are blacker than pitch."
Terry Gunnel argues that the Eddic poem, ''Völundarkviða'', presents elves as having a "Dangerous, supernatural 'otherness'" to them.
In a ''BBC Ideas'' Youtube Video, Icelandic residents are interviewed on their beliefs on the Huldufolk. Within the video, Storyteller, Sigurbjörg Karlsdóttir argues that "whether you believe it or not, these stories about the elves and these creatures, they teach us to respect nature." Student, Helga Osterby Thordardottir, argues similarly, saying that "Maybe the Huldifolk is giving Nature a voice"
In a Youtube film by Julia Laird titled, "Hidden People," politician and resident of the Icelandic town of Hafnarfjörður, Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir, claims that she can speak to the Huldufolk. Jónsdóttir argues that "Some are farmers, some are fishermen, you know just living their regular life like we do." She also says that the Huldufolk are "Willing to help everyone in need, and it does not matter what color, or where they come from or what faith ..If someone is in need, they are willing to help"
Significant sites
* (Elfin Hill), a hillock approximately 60 meters west of ()
* ; areas include:
** Lava Park ()
** Cliffs ()
** near swimming pool ()
** cliff ()
* ()
*
* (Elf Hill Road), a street in ()
* in ()
* in ()
*
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* Th
attic of Gimli Public School 1915
in the New Iceland Heritage Museum, Gimli, Manitoba ()
Modern cultural references
* In the 2018 musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
'' Frozen'', based on the 2013 film of the same name, the characters which were depicted in the original movie as troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
s, became in the Broadway show a reference to the Huldufólk, named in the musical "the hidden folk".
* ''Huldufólk'' is the title of French Nordic folk group SKÁLD's 2023 album.
* In the plot of the 2020 film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Huldufólk are called upon by Sigrit Ericksdóttir to help them win the Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
* In the 2024 video game Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, the Huldufólk, or hiddenfolk as they're called, appear as voices that guide Senua during certain points of her journey through Midgard
In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term : oikou ...
. Their faces sometimes appear in the environment, and the environment shifts when they are present or when Senua uses their magic to solve puzzles
See also
*
*Domovoy
In the Slavic religious tradition, Domovoy (, literally " he oneof the household"; also spelled ''Domovoi'', ''Domovoj'', and known as , (''Domovik''), (''Domovyk'') and (''Damavik'')) is the household spirit of a given kin. According to th ...
*Gnome
A gnome () is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depict ...
*
* Kabouter
*
*
*
*Troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
*
*
*
*
Notes
References
Further reading
* Ármann Jakobsson.
Beware of the Elf!: A note on the Evolving Meaning of Álfar
" Folklore 126 (2015), 215–23.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Huldufolk
Icelandic folklore
Elves
European fairy tales