Today we visited the city of Hafnarfjörður. Our guide introduced us to the hidden worlds of Iceland. This was done while walking around the city to destinations that house or are segnificant to the hidden people. Our guide told us about the genesis of elves: God visited Adam and Eve. Eve hid some of her children from God because they were dirty and she was ashamed. God decided to make these children hidden. 

We also learned that you can recognise a hidden person by looking at their nose. The bridge from the tip os the bose and down is very thin on hidden people. 

Another interesting fact is that the different types of hidden people (elves, dwarfs etc) don’t see each other - they each live in their own dimension so to speak.

One of the stops during the tour was a lavapark, which is around 7500 years old. Many hidden people of all sorts live in this park. There id another type of hidden people as well; The Home-Alf. It lives in people’s homes, instead of in a rock. They like clean homes and sometimes they borrow things from people and return those things by putting them in a new place.

Four nights a year you can see the hidden people and get help from them if you need it: June 24’th (St. John’s Mass), Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and January 6’th - the last day of Christmas) 

The stories of the hidden people are shared by word of mouth and are used to teach people to respect each other and nature. These stories are not considered sagas, but are still a type of folklore. 

During thr tour we also passed by a house where a woman named Sigga used to live. She was a women’s rights advocate and amongst others she had the idea to establish a day-care centre for the children of working mothers. This idea became a reality in the year 1933. She was an active member of the labor movement, was one of the prime movers of establishing a women’s union in 1937 and worked for equal pay for women. She was elected the first member emeritus of the Women Workers’ Union. 

Another interesting fact that I learned today is that on the days with too much pollution in the air, public transport (busses) are free of charge for all Icelandic citizens. This is a great initiative to urge people to use public transportation as well as remind people of the fact that their actions throughout the day have an effect on the environment. 

Stories are told for many reasons, and most have been around for centuries. Stories that have led mankind to explain the world around them, to give meaning or justify their own place in the world and the environment in which they live and families have lived. Stories that give us our roots, our heritage and culture. 

Most stories make up the first lessons in life as we grow up. One could consider these stories childish or even folklore and therefore untrue. I’ve been on a little journey around Iceland and discovered that perhaps we should try to remain open minded and creative in all fantastic possibillities to preserve ones view of the world around us. We should not discard these stories just for being chilish, there is more than meets the eye. 

After all, we all used to believe in these wonderous stories when we grew up! We saw the world through different eyes when we were young, we might be getting old to fast! 

It’s not a question of truth or belief, it’s a question of sympathy for the magic we can’t just see or deny! 

 

Today's stories have made me realize that as adults, teachers, we need to be more open to the students' imagination to ensure that they don't speak less creatively. Creativity is a 21st century skill that we have to teach our students, it doesn't help if we always tell our students that something is not possible.

 

Habitually described as big, stupid and greedy—but sometimes kind and wise—the trolls of day and night occupy an immense portion of Icelandic folklore. Like elves, trolls become enraged when one does them harm, but one can expect to be richly rewarded when helping a troll in need. 

Hidden people are known to be extremely protective of their homes and will cause great harm to those who disturb them. In fact, countless episodes that reflect the fiercely territorial elfin nature have been thoroughly documented and building projects in Iceland are frequently altered to avoid causing damage to enchanted rocks and cliffs in which hidden people have made their home.

The most recent incident occurred in 2015 when a new road was to be laid through an enchanted spot in the lava. After many failed attempts, where heavy machinery had continually broken down for no apparent reason and numerous workers had suffered freak accidents, the construction company was forced to move the road so that it would bypass the elfin community completely.

Since the dawn of history, Icelanders have told fantastic tales of their strange encounters with the many peculiar supernatural beings with which they share the land. Icelandic folklore is riddled with countless tales of fantastic spirits that reflect the unique natural landscapes in which they reside. Probably, during the long dark winter nights of old, storytelling was the chief form of Icelandic entertainment, with each region fostering its very own bulk of tales and legends that were passed down from generation to generation throughout the centuries. The stories of antiquity are allegorical accounts that teach their audience to respect both the spirits of the land, and the natural environment. 

Erla Stefánsdottir writes: "Hafnarfjörður has one of the richest elf and spirir populaitions among all the towns in Iceland. The lava is particularly alive with them, with more than 20 types of dwarfs, four types of gnomes and all manner of elfin beings. "

 

We also went to Hafnarfjörður for the possible elves’houses (near humans houses), before entering Hellisgerði magic park known because is inhabited by Huldufólk.

 

The idea is to feel nature, in other words, to contemplate every nook, every detail, every vibration behind which hide hidden spirits, present in oneself, and that one feels outside oneself. Erla Stefánsdottir writes on this subject: "The earth has an energy sphere around which is at the outflow of the earth and an artery for life-force. [...] If we are prepared to harmonize ourselves, a break from the fast pace of modern life, would be united with the earth and at the same time with all living and natural beings.” These spirits are, in a certain way, likely to be perceived by a "third eye", as our charming and truculent guide told us, which makes us leads to respect the Earth and its inhabitants, whoever they are.

 

Erla Stefánsdottir adds: "Such places could inspire people to treat the land with consideration, feel love towards nature and respect to mother earth".

 

To joke, we tell you that we learned that Icelandic men did not do more housework than elsewhere on Earth, it’s a pity for elves ... who appreciate clean homes! ^^ 

 

But it was, indeed a real pleasure of feeling nature and its fairyland… Green was perhaps greener than usual, but there is no doubt that world was more sensitive this morning.

 

It is important to let childhood re-emerge so that hidden people can quietly live in front of our eyes which invent the original, the surprise in the story, without trying to understand everything

 

…to confront what seems so strange, the heart of silent which gaze and wonder about humanity, its beauty but also its desolation.

 

So, believe in the existence of elves, would it not be so silent the silence of science to hear the noise of pauses, sighs, words of our guide? It was for us to feel the sensitive as the flaws of men, and to accommodate the strangeness in the heart of familiar. Which is the otherness itself.

In addition, we must be careful not to upset elves… because they can be particularly teasing, if you disturb their living space or grateful, if you help them, in your dreams.

Today we had a trip to Hafnarfjördur, the elves capital of Iceland. This very nice town, close to the sea, has the biggest population  of elves and trolls throughout Iceland.

We walked the city, coming across a variety of places in town where the magical creatures were seen. Sigurbjörg Karlsdottir lead us around, telling us all the stories behind the things and places we saw. The passion with which she told the stories was inspiring and strengthening my believe that a lot of people in Iceland use these stories and folklore to pay respect and live in harmony with the nature. 

I believe this is the most important thing I've learned  throughout the week: it doesn't matter if all the stories and folklore are really true or not. It is a way of dealing with the most important thing Icelandic people have to deal with for thousands of years: nature.