News Tagged with “Elves”

Lighting bonfires on New Year's Eve is an Icelandic tradition.

Icelanders light bonfires for the elves on New Year's Eve

30 Dec 2018 If you're in Reykjavík on New Year's Eve, you won't miss the multitude of fireworks being lit on every street corner. Another Icelandic New Year's Eve tradition is to light bonfires where families gather to sing songs about the elves and the hidden folk who according to folklore are prominent at this time of year.

A Þrettándabrenna - a bonfire for twelfth night at Ægissíða in West Reykjavik.

Icelanders celebrate Twelfth Night with bonfires for the elves

6 Jan 2018 Today marks the epiphany, Twelfth Night, the end of Christmas which in Iceland is celebrated in a somewhat pagan fashion.

The Lake Valley, or Vatnsdalur in North Iceland is a lush green area perfect for dew-bathing.

Roll in dew covered grass tonight according to Icelandic folklore

21 Jun 2017 Jónsmessa, or Midsummer's Night is celebrated on June 24th and is shrouded in a mysterious veil of folklore. However, the real midsummer's night is actually today, on June 21st, the longest day of the year when the sun never sets in Iceland.

View on Iceland: John Grant, Equality and Elves

10 Dec 2016 Once you’ve finished browsing Iceland Monitor’s wide selection of news, events and features, you might like to have a look at some other Iceland-related material from around the world that we shall be collecting for you weekly.

The rock was unearthed from layers of mud after it disappeared from view one year ago.

Elf rock restored after its removal wreaks havoc on Icelandic town

30 Aug 2016 A rock in Siglufjörður, Iceland, reputed to be the home of elves, was covered in metres of soil last year by roadworkers. A series of mishaps later, allegedly caused by the elves, the rock has now been dug up and restored.

Appeased Iceland elves allow work to go ahead

18 Jul 2016 A group of disgruntled North Iceland elves have been appeased and previously blocked drilling work has finally been completed, it would appear.

Shunned elves take revenge on Iceland drilling workers

11 Jul 2016 Ground drilling work in North Iceland has been hit by one setback after another – and locals suggest that not securing the permission of the ‘hidden people’ is behind the trouble.

Snæfellsjökull glacier has always been reputed as a place of great magic and power.

Belief in elves very strong in West Iceland

6 Jun 2016 The municipality of Snæfellnes is collecting documentation and stories about places where elves are believed to reside because of a review of the Snæfellsbær municipal land-use plan. The locals hold a strong belief in the hidden people.

A photo taken on April 22nd this year shows a rock which is supposedly an elvin palace.

Do the elves in Iceland actually exist?

13 May 2016 AFP have just run a story investigating the Icelandic belief in elves. Anthropologist Magnús Skarphéðinsson, who has spent decades collecting witness accounts is interviewed by AFP on the existance of elves in Iceland.

Eymundur Jóhannsson lives at Kambastígur, a small street under the Nafir hills in Sauðárkrókur, Skagafjörður, North Iceland.

Living under the protection of a mysterious elf woman

21 Jan 2016 Eymundur Jóhannsson lives with his wife and daughter at Kambastígur, a small street in Sauðárkrókur, North Iceland, a place in most danger of avalanches for the town according to a new report by the Iceland Met Office. Despite the danger the family sleep soundly, under the protection of an elf woman.

Bonfires on January 6th mark the end of Christmas and the beginning of the New Year.

Elf bonfires postponed until Saturday

6 Jan 2016 The bonfires planned in Reykjavik and Reykjanesbær today on the occasion of the epiphany, January 6th, have been postponed until Saturday due to weather. The bonfires are traditionally associated with Icelandic folklore, the elves and the hidden people.

Tomorrow marks the end of the Christmas and New Year's season.

Join in Iceland’s end of Christmas celebrations!

5 Jan 2016 Tomorrow, 6 January, is traditionally the last day of the Christmas holidays in Iceland and locals mark the occasion with bonfires, dance and song.

A traditonal Icelandic New Year's bonfire, or "brenna."

Bonfires for the elves on New Year's Eve

31 Dec 2015 If you're in Reykjavík on New Year's Eve, you won't miss the multitude of fireworks being lit on every street corner. Another Icelandic New Year's Eve tradition is to light bonfires where families gather to sing songs about the elves and the hidden folk who according to folklore are prominent at this time of year.

Bella Howard's photograph of Seljalandslaug, a murky but charming pool in South Iceland.

Iceland's so cool it's in Dazed and Confused

10 Dec 2015 There's a brand new travel series in hipster style bible Dazed and Confused and guess what the first destination piece is? Yes, that's right, it's hipper than thou Iceland, home of Björk, elves, trolls and indie rock pixies. Or something on those lines.

Björk says Iceland has a deadline and harshly criticizes the Icelandic Government for destroying Iceland's nature.

"There's no elf power." Björk and Andri Snær call for an emergency press conference

6 Nov 2015 "There's no elf power. Iceland is a real place, with real waterfalls and real nature," said writer and activist Andri Snær Magnússon at a press conference with Icelandic musician Björk Guðmundsdóttir today.