Elves in the City, Reykjavik, Iceland

(Post 1 of 2)

This map from an old newspaper tells us where the elves live around Reykjavik, and this is part of my introduction to the country. Dagný Ívarsdottír has brought us to the city park to explain a long standing family tradition.

Dagný is 29 years old, and she has been coming to these woods with her family every New Year´s Eve at noon for her entire life. “It’s close, it’s beautiful, and it has elves.” Elves, hidden people, trolls, spells and folkore are common topics in this country.

This tradition began with Dagný’s aunt, who was creative and artistic and wanted something for the family to do together. “I don’t know if any other families do this, but we do.” I have already asked several people about elves (who are small) and hidden people (who are like us), and the answers vary, but Dagný sums it up well: even if you can’t say that you believe in them, you can’t say that you don’t. “You just can’t say no! We were all raised with elf stories.” She will take us into the woods to learn the elf dance and the songs. Check out the next post.