The Hidden People of Iceland

“Beliefs are a complex phenomenon, and rarely very easy to put into words. They express an attitude of the world around us, which has to be expressed in terms of the concepts and vocabulary available to us at any one time.”

Some people talk of gods, others of aliens, fairies, spirits, and some of their ancestors or forefathers. For many centuries the Icelanders have talked of “nature spirits” (náttúrvættir), “elves” (álfar) or “hidden people” (huldufólk) that they believed lived along side them. The belief still exists today, in one form or another. Naturally, the role and nature of these figures have changed over time.

The huldufólk are said to be very similar to human size and living similar lives to those of the Icelanders.  Occupying similar homes and wearing similar clothes, albeit in large stones and having much better lives.  Their clothes always more decadent, their livestock healthier, their homes more equipped.  Although very similar to humans,  they were clearly more powerful and suffered less misfortunes. Illness and death seemed to be less frequent.  Of their good fortunes, such as livestock, they were sometimes prepared to share it with worthy humans.

The image of the huldufólk seems to remain the overall image that was held in the early nineteenth century.  They are usually envisioned as dressing in nineteenth century clothing that was normal for Icelanders to wear, so seeing an old photograph of a native in that dress could very easily have been one of the hidden people, due to there being considered no physical difference up until the folk tales were recorded.  It is very misleading, for it cannot really be considered to be an up to date image of them as they are today, rather more of an image of what people want them to be, based on stories they have been brought up with.

Like the beings themselves, the origins of the Icelandic hidden people is shrouded in mystery.  So there are legends to try to explain these origins, which within the legends you see how the individual views the huldufólk.  There are several of biblical context, which underline the belief that they have been here for as long as we have.

The most well known legend suggests that the huldufólk were the children of Adam and Eve, and one day God paid a surprise visit to Eve as she was giving her children a bath.  Since Eve was not finished cleaning the children, and they were still dirty, thus she felt ashamed.  Due to the shame Eve felt, God punished her by hiding the unwashed children away from everyday view for eternity, hence the term “hidden people”.

Another account suggests that the huldufólk were the children of a less obedient wife of Adam, named Lilith.  Lilith was Adams first wife, meaning Eve was his second.  According to the story, Lilith had less self control over her physical desires, and that she and Adam had a large number of children.  When she was removed from Eden on Adam’s wishes, these children were sent to live in exile with her.

A third story, spread by churchmen who were appalled by the beliefs of the Icelanders, was that they were probably fallen angels.  If they were not directly involved in Lucifer’s rebellion, they were angels who would not take a side.  And due to their disloyalty, were condemned to live in between heaven and hell.

Whatever stories the Christians came up with as to explain the origins of the huldufólk, it is very clear that the names that people have for them date back to before Christianity was accepted by the people.  An old Icelandic law orders people to remove the dragon heads from their ships before they come near to Iceland, for fear that their “gaping mouths” might frighten away the “nature spirits of the land.”  In general, it seems clear that the settlers believed that the country was fully populated before the vikings ever arrived.

One particular belief describes the time between the birth of a newborn and the time the child is christened.  That time period was considered very risky for the health and safety of the child as well as the parents.  This was the time the child was at most risk of being taken by the huldufólk, who seemed to have a need for human blood and genes to strengthen their line in the struggle to survive.  There are many legends which tell of babies being stolen this way, and replaced by an unwanted, aged hidden men who have been beaten into baby shape by their hidden women.

There are also many accounts of hidden people mating with humans.  Which I do not find surprising, you can find that in many legends of many countries around the world.

As well as on land, there are plenty of legends of beings living in the oceans.  They are basically mermen, not many mermaids for some reason, that have their own lives in the ocean.  Again these kinds of legends you find in other countries.

In Icelandic folk belief, the Christmas period is a time at which the walls between our world and that of the supernatural temporarily dissolve.  The Yule Lads come down from the mountains, ghosts walk among us, and hungry trolls  apparently stole priests for their Christmas meals.  Also it was a time where the huldufólk were commonly seen.  They were believed to have been seen the most easily at a crossroads or at a moor where you could see four churches in moonlight.  In the stories, if you manage to block the path of a the hidden people, they will offer you plenty of treasures to try to get you to move, if you refuse to move and do not give in to their offers, you may keep the treasures.  Even today some Icelanders will walk around their house on late New Year’s Eve saying reciting the following: “Come all those who wish to come, leave all those who wish to leave, stay all those who wish to stay, but do no harm to me or my family.”

Anyone who visits Iceland would surely notice many large rocks scattered around the country today.  Some of them are different than others: they are protected by fences.  If you ask the locals of the area in question, you might hear stories of how no one is to disturb the site.  One group of such stones stands beside a road called Álfhólsvegur (Elf Hill Street) which is now in the middle of a suburb of Reykjavík.  If you look carefully you will notice that the road deliberately makes a bend around these stones.  You will also note that the modern buildings on either side are numbered 100 and 104 which suggests the rocks are numbered 102.  The story behind it dates back to the seventies.  When the local council planned to remove these rocks to build on the site.  Strange occurrences of machine malfunctioning, numerous times, hindered the building plans.  At this same time the council was approached by an individual who claimed to have been visited by the hidden people and asked to relay a friendly request for the desist of the construction.  The end result was that the road was carefully crafted around these rocks.  Interestingly enough, these occurrences are not rare to Iceland.  There are many stories of such instances.  I have visited this place and several others, and it is a magnificent sight indeed.

Various surveys have been carried out in modern Iceland, asking the people their beliefs of the huldufólk.  The most recent was in 2006-2007 at the University of Iceland.  Very few people denied their existence, while very few said they definitely believed, the seventy percent in the middle wouldn’t admit to one way or another, while thirty percent believed a definite possibility.  Such a view of ones surroundings is quite rare today in Europe, but is common on an island where houses are regularly rocked by earthquakes, the water smells of sulfur, the northern lights flicker across the sky, and the wind is so strong it can knock an adult on their back.

 

Advertisement