Why Icelanders are wary of elves living beneath the rocks

BBC News ^ | June 19, 2014 | Emma Jane Kirby

[EveningStar]

Plans to build a new road in Iceland ran into trouble recently when campaigners warned that it would disturb elves living in its path. Construction work had to be stopped while a solution was found.

From his desk at the Icelandic highways department in Reykjavik, Petur Matthiasson smiles at me warmly from behind his glasses, but firmly.

"Let's get this straight before we start - I do not believe in elves," he says.

I raise my eyebrows slightly and incline my head towards his computer screen which is displaying the plans for a new road in a neighbouring town. There are two yellow circles marked on the plans, one that reads Elf Church and another that reads Elf Chapel. Petur sighs.

[EveningStar]

ping

[BenLurkin]

I strongly suspect that the invisible “elves” are in fact local nimbys doing their foul deeds under the cover of darkness.

[ClearCase_guy]

Magnus Skarphedinsson, the headmaster, a rotund, ebullient chap who ate large quantities of breakfast cereal during my one-on-one lesson, had regrettably never seen an elf himself although he did own an old cooking pot that apparently had once made stews in an elf kitchen before the bottom rusted away.

Settled science.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Time to give three Hail Marys. Warming up three regulation NFL footballs for the sacrifice!

[FlingWingFlyer]

Probably some prankster with a truckload of those plastic garden gnomes you pickup at the Garden Center at Walmart.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Many of the do actually believe in elves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulduf%C3%B3lk

[RightGeek]

In Iceland they have elves. In the USA we have sage grouse and snail darters.

[JennysCool]

campaigners warned that it would disturb elves living in its path

Pretty much just as mythical as most of the "endangered species" our own "campaigners" go on about.

[Dagnabitt]

Legend has it that peering through the bottom of an emptied vodka bottle is the best way to spot elves.

[drbuzzard]

No, according to the article, there’s a lot more stupid than that going on. The road in question was allowed to proceed after moving a 70 ton rock out of the way, so it can’t just be NIMBY. The road stayed on the same course.

These people actually believe in elves.

Then again we have a large number who believe in Obama, so who are we to criticize?

[Perdogg]

What about Hobbits?

[bunkerhill7]

History proves that Elves were brought to Ireland from Iceland by Vikings. 1,000 tears later elves migrated from Ireland to Hollywood, then to Hawaii as meinhunies.
Leif Ericsonn was an elf, as was his father Eric the Red Elf.

[RegulatorCountry]

Them Celts is a morose lot, they is.

[Chode]

JUST DAMN!!! glad i wasn't drinking anything at the time...

[mikrofon]

People think they see ALL sorts of things...

[ImaGraftedBranch]

“1,000 tears later elves migrated from Ireland to Hollywood, then to Hawaii as meinhunies.”

I know you meant years, but tears is more apropos.

[Beowulf9]

That's ridiculous. Everybody knows the Elves live in the tree!

[Kenny Bunk]

Jack, I firmly believe in Icelandic Elves.

But OTOH, incredible as it may seem to a rational being, many Americans believe in Barack Hussein Obama, II (or Jr.). Many believe that he was born in Hawaii. Many believe he is heterosexual ... and a Christian.

The real philosophical issue before us is,

"Do Icelandic Elves believe in Obama?"

[Jack Hydrazine]

I think the Gallup or Pew organization did do a poll of those elves not long ago, but I can’t find it...have do dig for it.

IIRC, the majority of elves were not exactly impressed with Obama or his work.