Growing up I am fascinated in
reading books about fairy tales, folktales, and fables which further my
imagination.
Most cultures have their own
mysterious creatures unseen by the human eyes. In the Philippines we have
Aswang, a shape-shifting creature, Sirena, a water creature with a human-like
upper body and the body of a fish from waist down which is similar to mermaids,
Engkanto which are environmental human-like beings and Duwende which is small
magical beings. Reading stories about these creatures makes me believe that
they do really exist, though our belief in magical creatures fades away with
childhood, in Iceland their magical creatures, specifically Elves are not just
for kids as they still believe in the existence of Elves.
The story begins with a traveler
who gets lost and stumbles upon a farm one night. He knocks on the door and is
greeted by an elderly woman who invites him in. The woman provides him with
dinner and introduces the traveler to her daughters. The traveler is then given
a bed for the night, and he asks if one of the woman’s daughters could keep him
company, a request which the elderly woman agrees to. In bed, the traveler
tries to embrace the young lady, but his hands pass through her. The traveler
asked about what was going on and was told the story of the Huldufólk.
In this tale, the Huldufólk came
into being following the revolt of Lucifer in Heaven, as they were those who
neither supported nor opposed the Devil and his fallen angels. As a result of
their neutrality, the Huldufólk were driven down to earth and forced to live in
the rocks and hills.
It is common in Iceland that
people still believe in huldufólk - hidden people or elves and they have lived
with it.
Traveling to Iceland will give
us the opportunity to visit the location of thousands of years of legends and
folklore. Experience Icelandic culture by learning its unique folklore.
Prepare your cameras and get ready to take pictures of Álfhól. In Iceland, people constructed Álfhól - small wooden houses for the benefit of the elves
who are said and believed to be living with them. We can even see very small
churches, which are created to convert the elves to Christianity, well this
sounds interesting, right?
Tale about Elves was put into
good use as Iceland has an organization called Icelandic Elf School that offers
lectures and guided tours about Icelandic Folklore. This kind of attraction and
activity will take out each and every traveler's imagination and creativity.
The next time we talk about
Iceland it will not be limited to their famous Northern Lights and Glaciers
which is really majestic but it will be added with its unbelievable folktales
that will really tickle our imagination.
Truly, Iceland’s history and
geography created the perfect setting for magical creatures and definitely for travelers like us too.
Explore and find out more through our Exploring Iceland tour package.
Read more about Iceland's most visited tourist attractions.
Article Contributed by: Arby Lipang
***
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