Icelandic Elves: Fact or Fiction?
As Skye and many travelers have observed, Iceland has an affinity and reverence for magical creatures like elves, fairies, trolls and hidden folk. Many residents believe in the possible existence of elves and, for the fun of it, you should too!
To investigate Iceland's connection with elves and hidden folk, Skye visited Reykjavik's Elf School, which offers half-day courses on elf folklore and the supernatural. Classes are offered weekly and by appointment for approximately $50 per adult and $25 for children 10 and under.
Magnus Skarphedinsson, the Elf School's headmaster, has spoken with more than 1,200 witnesses and believes, without a shadow of a doubt, that elves exist. Witnesses from Iceland and other countries around the world have told Skarphedinsson about their personal encounters with fairies, hidden folk, trolls, elves or other beings. Skarphedinsson has collected their stories and bound them into a workbook, which accounts for a large part of the Elf School's curriculum.
About a 15-minute drive from Reykjavik, in Hafnarfjörður, is the Elf Garden. This popular elf attraction is helmed by Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir, a seer and artist who has a special relationship with the Elf Garden's residents since she was a child.
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I Went To Elf School in Iceland
The Elf school in Reykjavik, Iceland has been around for 30 years. I met with Headmaster Mr. Magnus Skarphedinsson to hear some elf stories.
Nýsköpun og stofnun fyrirtækja 2018 - 3. vika
Vinningsliðið í námskeiðinu Nýsköpun og stofnun fyrirtækja uppsker eins og það sáir. Þrjár vikur af þrotlausri vinnu að baki.
ALFAR Iceland Elf School Documentary
When my friend Jax & I sponsored a private session at the Elf School, we accidentally paved the way towards a super cool project - a young documentarian by the name of Chiem was flying back to Europe the next day, but because of the special session, he was able to make this awesome film about Icelandic culture, elves, and hidden people. During the session we made new friends, shared delicious bread from a hidden people recipe, & gained a deep & interesting perspective on the culture & history of this unique island. I highly recommend that you guys check it out if you're ever in Reykjavik!
Courtesy of Chiem Pels Films (chiem.pels@gmail.com)
All rights reserved
Íþróttafræði
Íþróttafræði BSc veitir nemendum framúrskarandi þekkingu á almennings- eða afreksíþróttum og færni til að miðla henni í kennslu, þjálfun, rannsóknum og stjórnun.
Hér segja nemendur og kennarar frá náminu í íþróttafræði við HR.
[CC-BY-SA] Háskólinn í Reykjavík, 2016
Huldufólk - Iceland's Hidden People
Huldufólkv - Iceland's Hidden People
Welcome back strangers. In the far north of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by cold and mysterious depths of unexplored waters, sits the striking land of fire and ice. Wrapped in endless fields of untouched beauty, the secluded Nordic island of Iceland is not all that it appears.
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Richard Ayoade & Jessica Hynes attend 'Elf School' | 48hrs in...Iceland
Richard and Jessica struggle to get their heads around the existence of Elves. BUT it is Christmas, so for all intention purposes, THEY EXIST!
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Det Gömda Folket - Bland Alver och Huldufólk på Island (ENG SUB)
SCROLL DOWN for English description.
Över hälften av Islands befolkning tror, eller kan tänka sig, att alver existerar sida vid sida med människan. En del vägar har konstruerats för att undvika konflikter med varelserna som ibland sägs besöka vår dimension. I dokumentärfilmen Det Gömda Folket träffar vi två av landets nyckelpersoner i ämnet, mediet Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir och alvskolans rektor Magnús Skarphéðinsson.
Eng:
Over half of the Icelandic population believe, or at least could consider, that elfs exist side by side with humans. Some roads have been constructed to avoid conflicts with the supernatural that sometimes is said to be visiting our dimension. In the documentary The Hidden People - we meet two of the countries key figures in the subject, the medium Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir and the headmaster of the Elf School Magnús Skarphéðinsson.
KEmultimedia is on Facebook:
Hidden People (2018)
Hidden People is a short documentary, focussing on people's belief that there are elves and hidden folk living in the natural Icelandic rocks. Daisy Dickinson & Julia Laird travelled to Iceland, where 54% of the population hold this belief, to explore where these beliefs stem from and their connection with nature.
Official Selection for Docademia Short Documentary Fesival 2018 (USA)
Screened at House of Vans, London - Screening was featured in The Guardian Top 10 things to do in the UK
See Iceland's Hidden Elves! (Elf Holiday - Threttandin)
Iceland has a holiday dedicated to elves! Once a year, elves move house and the belief is that if you sit at a crossroads, you'll be able to see one!
Over 50% of Icelanders believe in elves, and many have stories and experiences of their own. We traveled Iceland to learn more about Threttandin, the elf holiday, and hear the stories!
To learn more about Fab Figmentals Podcast and to subscribe: or
Acknowledgements & credits:
- Special thank you to Magnus Skarphéðinsson and The Elf School for your time!
- Thank you to all the Icelanders we met for their warmth, hospitality, and willingness to share their views and stories!
- Music: Crystal Waters by Purple Planet is licensed under CC BY 3.0 / A derivative from the original work
- Elf carving: George Pearson: 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 (Public Domain)
Iceland || We found the Elf Queen!
Mim and I drove on to east Iceland where we visited the Elf Queen, saw live puffins, walked through Iceland's largest forest and accidentally hiked a waterfall before visiting Seydisfjordour, one of my favourite places on this trip.
Music:
Craves - By My Side [Majestic Color]
Stupead - Alright [Majestic Color]
Icelandic Elves!
Magnus Skarphedinsson, Headmaster of the Elf School in Reykjavik, explains to me why elves are such an important part of the culture in Iceland and how humans can benefit from opening up to the little people worldwide. To plan your visit to the Elf School, see
Invisible Elves? Get to Know Iceland's Folklore (Learning World S4E37, 3/3)
Iceland. What started out as a joke has become a very serious business. The Elves school teaches all you need to know about these curious little inhabitants of the island's rocky landscapes. People come from all over the world to find out why this legend is so special to Icelanders. Find out more by watching the video.
More info on the school's page:
Education on myths, folklore and unusual beliefs:
Ninjas in Japan
UFO investigation
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Icelandic Culture #5 - True Stories of Elves and Hidden People
Clicc on CC for translation of this old Icelandic stories of elves and hidden people in Iceland but around 54% of Icelanders believe they exist in another dimension. These mysterious creatures are thought to be hardly visible for humans; hidden in rocks, hills and lava fields.
Even higher percentage of older Icelandic people believe in this and there is hardly any family in Iceland that doesn't have any first hand stories and even my father claimed to have seen them in cliffs near his home at young age.
So is it mental illness or what :)
It's really not for me to say since I have not seen elves or other hidden creatures in the Icelandic nature. But it's however a fact that roadwork projects in Iceland have to be consulted to prevent damaging areas where local elves are believed to live. It has been very common to see machines breaking down or tools getting lost when trying to remove certain rock from a planned road, which oblige the constructors to build a new road around the rock.
So Icelanders believe that if they disturb hidden people, there is a possibility that very bad things happen and still today we consult them and the latest example is from 2015 when a big rock was moved from a new road leading to the presidents home in Álftanes but you can read all about it here.
Those stories are now a part of Iceland's tourist industry and people from all over the world visit places where it's believed that hidden people live but here is a link to a map.
The video starts with an interview with the headmaster of the Icelandic Elf school but here is a link to it.
Believe in this or not, please note that this video and others I plan to publish over this same category are here for educational purpose and fun and as usual I'm grateful for all polite responses, where ever you stand toward this matter.
Viðskiptafræði og hagfræði
Nemendur og kennarar ræða BSc nám í viðskiptafræði og hagfræði við Háskólann í Reykjavík.
Do Icelanders really believe in Elves?
More Than Half of This Country Believes in Elves
For real. Yes, elves. Fifty-four percent of Icelanders either believe in them or say it’s possible they exist.
Roads have been diverted around boulders where the elves, or álfar in Icelandic, supposedly reside. A former member of parliament even swears his life was saved in a car accident by a family of elves.
Though elves are visible only to those with second sight, a great many Icelanders believe in their existence. Indeed, there is much evidence to support this belief, as stories abound of instances where new roads or housing developments were under construction and strange happenings took place.
Most Icelanders will not deny the existence of elves. As they say: Better safe than sorry.
One of the questions we regularly get is whether it's true the majority of Icelanders believe in elves and hidden people. This seems to be one of the facts people know about Icelanders, popping up regularly on English language entertainment or travel sites.
Do Icelanders really believe in elves?
Iceland, just like other Nordic countries, is known for its strong folk belief. There are many sagas and tales which describe huldufólk (= elves or 'hidden people' from Icelandic language). These mysterious creatures are thought to be hardly visible for humans; hidden in rocks, hills and lava fields.
According to one tale, the origins of huldufólk goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. When Eve had her dirty, unwashed child, she was hiding it from God who then declared: “What man hides from God, God will hide from man.” The huldufólk seem to represent an image of a more ideal and happier existence, although still very close to the human one. In my opinion, Icelanders, as a very atheist population, try to find a more perfect version of human's society in supernatural creatures such as hidden people.
They have Elfschool too, what?
Yes, The Elfschool is open all year around in Reykjavik. The school is 32 years old this year. What students in the Elfschool gain and learn is 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. And also 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.
Inside the magical world of elves
Many people in Iceland believe in little hidden people - huldufólk - or elves. Or so surveys suggest. But do they really? Check this interesting video from BBC:
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Music: Kristjan S.
#CrazyFireworksInIceland #liveinsnowhouses #icelandicvolcanos #reykjavikoldharbor #northernpearlreykjavik #elvesiniceland
Iceland's magical world of elves | BBC Ideas
Many people in Iceland believe in little hidden people - huldufólk - or elves. Or so surveys suggest. But do they really? And could we all do with a bit of this magic?
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This video was made by Angel Sharp Media.
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Sálfræði
Nemendur og kennarar við sálfræðisvið Háskólans í Reykjavík segja frá námi og kennslu.
Huldufolk The Hidden People
Third year documentary on Icelandic Mythology- First cut