Mysteries Of The Huldufolk – The Hidden People Of Iceland

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The belief in the Hidden People is taken very seriously in certain countries, like Iceland, for example.

Not far from Reykjavik, there is a small harbor town called Hafnarfjöròur that is said to be the home of the Huldufolk or the Secret Folk.

These interesting beings are the race of Hidden People who have magical powers and protect the island.

Credit: Adobe Stock - franco ricci

The Huldofolk have been part of Iceland for as long as anyone can remember.

As Heidi Herman writes in the interesting book The Guardians of Iceland and Other Icelandic Folk Tales, “As the years passed, the Huldufolk spent less and less time with their other brothers and sisters, and less time in the garden that had been their home. They eventually made their home among the rocks of the field and the cliffs by the sea. They became protective of the land and did not allow humans to harm it. They did not like rocks to be moved, or the moss to be disturbed, nor did they like anyone to come too close to their homes.

Sometimes, they would go visit the humans to see if they would be welcomed. The Huldufolk became generous with gifts and rewards for hospitality, but misfortune often fell on those who were selfish or inhospitable.

The Hidden’s ability to remain invisible made it easy for them to confuse humans and bring misfortune or bad luck. If a human angered or offended one of the Hidden, the human often misplaced tools, lost supplies, or even had holes mysteriously appear in their shoes or all their fish become rotten.

To this day, any time an Icelander meets a stranger, they make sure to always be polite and courteous, sharing food and lodging freely, especially if the stranger is unusually beautiful. You can never be sure if it’s one of the Huldufolk.” ¹

The belief in the Huldafolk is so strong in Iceland that special precautions are taken when roads and buildings are constructed, making certain the dwellings of the Hidden People are not disturbed.

Experts stated various accidents result from people who dared to disturb the Huldafolk.

“In 1970, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration had intended to blow up a series of rocks referred to locally as the Troll’s Pass, but was convinced not to do so. The road remains uneven to this day, but as of 2013 there had been zero traffic accidents on it, as the grateful elves protect those who drive near their home.

Elf houses in Iceland. Credit: Adobe Stock - NJ

Similarly, in 2010 a man named Árni Johnsen was in a car accident in southwest Iceland, but remained miraculously uninjured. He believes he was saved by a family of elves known to dwell in a nearby boulder and actually had that thirty-ton boulder relocated to his home, after having consulted with the elves to make sure they would like to move to a place that had more fields and fewer cars.” ²

According to a study in 2007 by the University of Iceland, about 62% of the population in Iceland are convinced the Hidden People are much more than a fairy tale.

In Reykjavik, there is even an Elfschool where students learn about “everything that is known about elves and hidden people, as well as gnomes, dwarfs, fairies, trolls, mountain spirits as well as other nature spirits and mythical beings in Iceland and in other countries.” ³

An engraving showing a man jumping after a woman (an elf) into a precipice. It is an illustration to the Icelandic legend of Hildur, the Queen of the Elves. Credit: George Pearson - Icelandic Legends : Collected by Jón Arnason : Translated by George E. J. Powell and Eiríkur Magnússon, Richard Bentley, London, 1864. Public Domain

Students of the Elfschool are also taught “where these creatures live, what they look like, their ideas about humans, about them as well as all the other nature spirits that seems to live around us here in other dimensions – as the elves themselves claim that they live in.”

Such studies offer a unique opportunity to learn about these elusive little creatures. Students are given the chance to meet people who encountered the Huldufolk and learn from their experiences.

According to the representatives of the school, “the elves and Hidden people of Iceland have saved hundreds of lives of Icelanders through the centuries is explored and explained to the students, as well as how this strange friendship between these two or many different worlds and dimensions can and does exists.”

Anyone seriously interested in mythology, fairy tales, or folklore can benefit from learning more about the enigmatic little creatures that have captured the hearts of Icelanders for generations.

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Updated on November 27,  2023

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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