Elves Add Magic to Northern Wonders

A scoop on Nordic elves

Imagine a cluster of far northern lands immersed in greenery, volcanoes, fjords, waterfalls, and magical mists. These would be the Nordic countries which by virtue of their amazing geography are already enchanting. Add to this, the belief in elves. Yes, just picture those small, beautiful fairy creatures with pointed ears, silky hair, and tiny, sculpted features wearing elegant and beautiful clothing.

The crux of this belief is not quite uncomplicated although it has been truncated a bit to mainly center on Iceland these days with a bit more than half of the population of Iceland certainly not able to deny the existence of elves. Foreign visitors and interactions have seemingly ended the belief in elves in all the other Nordic countries now except for Iceland. Iceland, by its very nature, is more isolated and less influenced by those traveling foreigners with “clear vision” or perhaps less imagination.

The elfin fascination in these Nordic countries, like many things, can be traced far back into the ages to Viking lore, particularly poetry dating around 1000 AD. Interestingly enough, tales of elves can actually be found sprinkled across countries on the globe, and some have related quite closely to those tales in Iceland.

The elves are also known as “hidden people” because they seem to be invisible to most of us except perhaps for pure believers and children, of course. They supposedly live in rocks and lava fields but may also have their own small elf houses as well. Elves can be good neighbors if they are not disturbed. Don’t go messing around their territory or their houses, and all will be well. If a clueless person should have the bad judgment to do so, it could lead to mayhem for retribution and much woe for the ill-informed intruder. For careless folks roaming around and damaging their stones, a high price can be extracted to pay for it.

The elves are also apparently environmentalists, so that’s definitely a perk to have these little folks in the fight for the environment. Today in Iceland, there is quite a lot of concern over construction activity possibly impacting elf environs which has spurred the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration to create documentation with standard replies for inquiries regarding any planned work.

During the Christmas holidays, certainly a special and magical time for much of the world, it is a custom for Iceland people to not…