Elf Detection 101-How to find the hidden folk of Iceland

Slate ^ | 11 Mar 2009 | Juliet Lapidos

[BGHater]

An article on Iceland's de facto bankruptcy in the April issue of Vanity Fair notes that a "large number of Icelanders" believe in elves or "hidden people." This widespread folklore occasionally disrupts business in the sparsely populated North Atlantic country. Before the aluminum company Alcoa could erect a smelting factory, "it had to defer to a government expert to scour the enclosed plant site and certify that no elves were on or under it." How do you find an elf?

With psychic powers. According to a poll conducted in 2007, 54 percent of Icelanders don't deny the existence of elves and 8 percent believe in them outright, although only 3 percent claim to have encountered one personally. The ability to see the huldufólk, or hidden folk, can't be learned; you're just born with it. To find elves, seers don't really need to do anything—they'll just sense an elfin presence. The Vanity Fair article says that elf detection can take six months, but it's usually a quick process that can last under an hour. And although the magazine claims that a "government expert" had to certify the nonexistence of elves, the Icelandic Embassy insists that these consults are performed by freelancers, not government contractors.

The huldufólk are thought to live in another dimension, invisible to most. They build their homes inside rocks and on craggy hillsides, and they seem to favor lava formations. The port town of Hafnarfjördur, near Reykjavík, is thought to have a particularly large settlement of elves—as well as other mystical beings like dwarves (who also fit under the broad category of huldufólk).

[tarheelswamprat]

A pity we have a Goblin in the white house rather than an Elf.

Not goblins. Orcs...

[Grizzled Bear]

Some consider this easier than believing in Jesus. There’s no annoying “morals” and stuff.

Just saying...

[tet68]

What do you call a dwarf writing under an assumed name?

A gnome d’plume.

I wrote that one. hehe.

[tarheelswamprat]

What do you call a fugitive psychic dwarf?

A small medium at large...

[tarheelswamprat]

And so much of the wealth of what the phenomenal world has to offer is missed. God must think that this is a tragedy.

As a wise man once noted "the universe is not only stranger than we think, it's stranger than we can think".

[Fred Nerks]

http://www.asatru.org/voluspa.html

excerpt:

When Ymir lived long ago
Was no sand or sea, no surging waves.
Nowhere was there earth nor heaven above.
Bur a grinning gap and grass nowhere.

The sons of Bur then built up the lands.
Moulded in magnificence middle-Earth:
Sun stared from the south on the stones of their hall,
From the ground there sprouted green leeks.

Sun turned from the south, sister of Moon,
Her right arm rested on the rim of Heaven;
She had no inkling where her hall was,
Nor Moon a notion of what might he had,
The planets knew not where their places were.

The high gods gathered in council
In their hall of judgement. all the rulers:
To Night and to Nightfall their names gave,
The Morning they named and the Mid-Day,
Mid-Winter, Mid-Summer, for the assigning of years.

At Ida’s Field the Aesir met:
Temple and altar they timbered and raised,
Set up a forge to smithy treasures,
Tongs they fashioned and tools wrought;

Played chess in the court and cheerful were;
Gold they lacked not, the gleaming metal
Then came three, the Thurs maidens,
Rejoicing in their strength, from Giant-home.

The high Gods gathered in council.
In their hall of judgement: Who of the dwarves
Should mould man by master craft
From Brimir’s blood and Blain’ s limbs?

Motsognir was their mighty ruler,
Greatest of dwarves, and Durin after him :
The dwarves did as Durin directed,
Many man forms made from the earth.

[Fred Nerks]

[Candor7]

You have seen them too?

WOOT!

[Candor7]

Right you are, but its the same communication line.

Just different phone numbers.

Or at least thats what they say in Japan.

[Candor7]

ROTFLMAO.

Buahahahahahah!

Struck me funny.

[RichInOC]

[Candor7]

As a wise man once noted "the universe is not only stranger than we think, it's stranger than we can think". THe vastness of the universe and its dimensional qualities defy the ability of the human mind to encompass them. We are just beginning to understand the field.

Most can only be described mathematically. We do not have the ability to vizualize them.....yet.

[Candor7]

Thanks,
A beautiful bit of writing.

[Fred Nerks]

...otherwise perfectly 'normal' adults perform a 'zwergen' lore story at a German skiclub. I grew up with such stories...of course I see Dwarfs!

[Fred Nerks]

Völuspá (Prophecy of the Seeress) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a völva or seeress addressing Odin. It is one of the most important primary sources for the study of Norse mythology.

[Candor7]

This is a link to a dwarf sighting, one stepping in from another dimension it seems. The event was videoed, if you can believe it.

LOL.

Video at link.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336750,00.html

[Fred Nerks]

nah...no self respecting member of the ‘wee folk’ family would let themselves be seen in Argentina!

[Candor7]

Most of what I have read on the ancient cycles are from Ireland, the Tain Bo Cooligh, and some Scottish writings on my clans patron goddess, Scathach, the Queen of Shadows who trained cuchulain in the warrior arts. She was an historic person. Here castle’s remnants still exist on the Isle of Skye, ,called Dunscaith. I really enjoy reading the Norse mythology, but my reading of it has been spotty.

If you get a chance to see the movie LOKI, its very well done.I am sure you would enjoy it immensely from what you have said.

[Candor7]

The video is interesting though. Did you get a look at it?

[Fred Nerks]

Cuchulain...now there’s an interesting story. He had powers that remind me of Thor, the thundergod.

Yes, I did look at the video. Bunch of teenagers sitting there at night in the dark with a camera...somebody screams and everything goes blank.

Methinks they knew what was about to happen. Some poor old fellow dressed in a sack, probably comes out every night at the same time.