I have just watched Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix (great film!) and it inspired me to do some research on the elves of Iceland. Iceland looks like such a lovely place and I'd love to visit and explore the beautiful country some time. Huldufólk, also known as hidden people, are elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. Hidden people are described as supernatural beings that live in nature. They are believed to resemble humans both in looks and behaviour and are thought to live in a parallel world. If you're curious about these beings, take a look at our most interesting facts about the elves of Iceland below...
#1 Tales of Huldufólk are still well-known in Iceland today. They are a big part of many holidays including Christmas, New Year's Eve, Twelfth Night, and Midsummer Night. On these occasions, people tend to leave food and candles out for the Huldufólk and some even create small colourful houses (álfhól) for them to live in.
#2 Huldufólk translates as "hidden people". Huldufólk are a group of elusive elves, goblins, and trolls found in Icelandic folklore. They live in a dimension that we can't see and live in the cracks of rocks, caves, and between cliffs. They are known to make themselves visible on certain days of the year.
#3 Hidden people look similar to humans but are slightly smaller. With regard to how they look, they are said to be large in build, wear all grey clothing, and have black hair.
#4 Huldufólk are very similar to humans and have very similar personalities. They are quite neutral and not particularly good or evil. They work for their living, they like to drink, look after livestock, row boats, get married, have children, and enjoy picking berries. Many locals believe they are territorial so it's not a good idea to disturbs their homes or special places.
#5 If you're wondering where you can find these Icelandic elves, there are many places around the country where they are believed to live. Some of the most popular places to find Huldufólk in Iceland include the Elf Stone in Grjótaþorp, along the south coast, and the Elf Garden in Hellisgerði. Keep a lookout for the many doors that have been painted on the rocks around the country. These are said to be homes of elves too.
I would love to go to Iceland one day, it looks so beautiful! And knowing of these magical beings makes me want to go and explore. I would love to visit the Elf Garden in Hellisgerði and the Icelandic Elfschool. Have you heard of Huldufólk? Have you been to Iceland before?