*laugh* No, not Icelandic, but somewhat familiar from visiting twice and continuing interest. And yes, same Norse root = "hidden."
In modern Iceland the various feys, including what other places might be called elves, fairies, dwarfs, and trolls, are collectively called the hildufolk. How many Icelanders actually believe in them is difficult to pin down due to Icelanders' notorious reluctance to pronounce upon agnostic issues (when they don't know, they won't commit to a belief one way or another) but surveys typically find about 10% report either they or close relations have had encounters with hildufolk. Roads under construction are routinely routed around landscape features local lore associates with hildufolk, just to be safe, and there's a thriving segment of the tourist industry that caters to foreign interest in the lore.
I am, to be honest, more interested in Icelandic magical traditions and ghost lore, including ghosts so corporeal that they were wrestled with. (And then there's the saga where ghosts were exorcised by lawsuit (!) ... )
(Full disclosure: I'm married to Janni and so got to partake of her research.)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-05-14 07:35 pm (UTC)In modern Iceland the various feys, including what other places might be called elves, fairies, dwarfs, and trolls, are collectively called the hildufolk. How many Icelanders actually believe in them is difficult to pin down due to Icelanders' notorious reluctance to pronounce upon agnostic issues (when they don't know, they won't commit to a belief one way or another) but surveys typically find about 10% report either they or close relations have had encounters with hildufolk. Roads under construction are routinely routed around landscape features local lore associates with hildufolk, just to be safe, and there's a thriving segment of the tourist industry that caters to foreign interest in the lore.
I am, to be honest, more interested in Icelandic magical traditions and ghost lore, including ghosts so corporeal that they were wrestled with. (And then there's the saga where ghosts were exorcised by lawsuit (!) ... )
(Full disclosure: I'm married to Janni and so got to partake of her research.)
---L.