- HAFNARFJORDUR, Iceland -
In the United States, we think of elves as Santa's little helpers. In Iceland,
elves are a bigger deal.
-
- Icelandic elves don't work in
Santa's workshop. They are an independent lot, with magical powers. They
aren't even associated with Iceland's Santas, which number 13. That's right:
Iceland has 13 Santas, brothers each with a weird name and bad habits.
They're like a crude version of Snow White's footmen, the Seven Dwarfs.
-
- Every culture has its mythology.
Iceland's is strong, with roots in age-old Nordic sagas. Mention elves
here and the skeptics and cynics will roll their eyes, but just as many
Icelanders will relate an elf story passed on from friends or passed down
from uncles, aunts or grandparents.
-
- How deeply does this belief reside
among the human population of Iceland? Well, highway engineers and construction
crews take elves very seriously.
-
- Elves live in rock outcroppings.
In the United States, road builders have certain salamanders, spotted owls
and other endangered wildlife species to contend with when plotting a route.
In Iceland, it's the elves.
-
- Mischief befalls Icelandic road
builders who can't recognize good elf domain, including breakdowns of heavy
equipment and even worker mishaps and injuries. It is said to have happened
on more than one job site, enough to take the mythology seriously. Consequently,
road planners here consult with an elf expert before routing a road or
highway through rock piles that may be elf habitat.
-
- According to elf seer Erla Stefansdottir,
"Elf Central" in Iceland is this town, just a few kilometers
southwest of Reykjavik, the Iceland capital. The town, she said, has "the
richest elf and spirit populations" in all of Iceland. Elves, gnomes,
dwarves, angels, light-fairies and "the hidden people" are all
classes of what Stefansdottir calls elvin beings.
-
- To learn more about Hafnarfjordur's
wee population, visitors can sign up for the town's Hidden Worlds tour,
a guided walk of about 90 minutes. It includes a stroll through Hellisgerdi
Park, where the paths wind through a 7,000-year-old lava field planted
with tall trees and potted bonsai trees in summer, and said to be peopled
with the town's largest elf colony.
-
- Tour guide Sibba Karlsdottir
is not an elf, but with a pointed red wool cap on, she looks like one.
She leads the tours, relating old elf tales and a few modern "firsthand"
stories along the way.
-
- She points out the "Dwarf
Stone," where an Icelander wanted to build his house in the early
1900s. When workmen could not break up a pile of rock on the property,
an old neighbor told them a dwarf lived in the rocks and did not want to
move. The property owner decided to build elsewhere. No one has disturbed
the rock pile since.
-
- "We think most of these
creatures, they are good," Karlsdottir said, "elves and dwarves
and hidden people - but they can get quite upset if we ruin their houses
or go against their wishes. They get very upset and we have to face the
consequences. They can put a spell on us."
-
- On the other side of town lived
a farmer who dug up rock to use for the basement of his farmhouse, she
said. All his neighbors said this is not a good idea. "You know you
shouldn't do that," they told him. "You know elves live there."
-
- The farmer didn't believe in
elves, though. Shortly after he moved into the house, his daughter became
mysteriously ill and died. The sad farmer sold the house to a Catholic
priest and moved away. The priest forbade anyone to disturb the rocks on
the farm, and no one has, Karlsdottir said.
-
- Whether or not you believe in
the existence of elves, Karlsdottir reasons, "It doesn't cost you
anything to pay respect to the old ways."
-
- Her tour offers visitors the
chance to walk the back streets of Hafnarfjordur, to enjoy its eclectic
mix of architectural styles and to spend a peaceful interval in Hellisgerdi
Park.
-
- Though few townspeople or visitors
claim to have seen elves, there are four nights when your chances are best:
Midsummer's night, June 24, when the northernmost latitudes enjoy 24 hours
of sunlight; Christmas Eve; New Year's Eve; and Jan. 6, the 13th day of
Christmas, when the last of Iceland's Santas returns to the mountains.
-
- The 13 Santas, or Icelandic Yulemen,
have enjoyed a place in the nation's folklore since the 16th century. They
are the sons of two trolls: Leppaluoi, their father, and Gryla, their monster
of a mother, who were rumored to snatch and eat children. Their sons were
comparatively harmless, noted for stealing and playing tricks.
-
- By 1930, Icelandic seamen had
brought home from the North Sea countries tales of St. Nicholas, which
blended with the old lore of the Yulemen.
-
- Children began to practice a
new custom of placing their shoes in the window before going to bed. The
Yulemen had become so nice they would leave small gifts or treats in the
children's shoes.
-
- Putting shoes in the window begins
Dec. 12, the night the first Yuleman comes down from the mountains. A different
Santa comes each night until they are all there on Christmas Eve. They
return in the same order they came, night by night, the last one leaving
Jan. 6.
-
- If you go
-
- Getting there: Icelandair flies
nonstop from Boston to Reykjavik, a 5-hour trip. Round-trip fares begin
at about $350 (www.icelandair.com).
-
- Getting around: If you're staying
in Reykjavik, take a taxi or local bus, the S1, to the center harborfront
of Hafnarfjordur.
-
- Touring: The Hidden Worlds walking
tour is offered Tuesdays and Fridays, January through mid-September and
by appointment thereafter. To book, call 354-694-2785 or e-mail sibbak@simnet.is
-
- Dining and lodging: Stay and
eat like a Viking at Fjorukrain ("Viking Village"), Strandgata
55, on the Hafnarfjordur harborfront. For reservations, go to www.fjorukrain.is
-
- INFORMATION: Go to www.hafnarfjordur.is,
or for other Iceland destinations, go to www.goiceland.org
-
- Every Yuleman has his weakness
-
- Their names have varied in different
locales and have changed over the centuries, but here's a roster of Iceland's
Yulemen and their bad habits, in the order by which the Yulemen arrive:
-
- 1. Sheep-Cot Clod - Sneaks into
the sheep cot (pen) and harasses the sheep.
-
- 2. Gully Gawk - Tries to milk
cows because he loves heavy froth on milk.
-
- 3. Shorty - Hovers in the kitchen,
waiting for the chance to snatch a roast.
-
- 4. Ladle Licker - So thin he
resembles the utensil he loves to lick.
-
- 5. Pot Scraper - Snatches dirty
pots and pans and scrapes the burned-on food by hand.
-
- 6. Bowl Licker - Like the puppy
of the house, he's adept at licking bowls clean.
-
- 7. Door Slammer - Out of sight,
late at night, doors go bang in the night.
-
- 8. Skyr Gobbler - Skyr is the
Icelandic term for yogurt, which he has a penchant for.
-
- 9. Sausage Snatcher - Skilled
at clambering into rafters, where the sausages are hung to smoke.
-
- 10. Window Peeper - A very ugly
guy, who can be a fright to see peering through windows.
-
- 11. Door Sniffer - Leave the
door to the kitchen ajar and he'll stick his big nose into it, looking
for food to steal.
-
- 12. Meat Hook - Down your chimney
comes his long pole with a hook on the end, aimed at snatching meat that
may be hanging from your rafters.
-
- 13. Candle Beggar - Steals Christmas
candles when no one is looking.
-
-
|
