Searching for

Legend has it that the the yule cat Jólakötturinn and his owner Grýla the ogress  hunt down and devour children who do not receive or wear new clothes before Christmas eve. Her many sons, the Jólasveinar, also come from the wilderness to disturb the flocks of sheep, steal food and slam doors during the night to wake everyone in the house.

Elves do not like to be called by that name. They prefer Huldufólk, the hidden people. Only those with a pure heart can see them, unless they decide to reveal their presence to someone. There are over fifty different types of elves.

These figures populate the legends of Norse folklore, and many Icelanders still grow up listening to stories about them. A large proportion of the population believes in these tales, but even those who do not would rather not risk showing disrespect towards these creatures.

In fact, there are several well-known cases in which, during the construction of roads or buildings, the machinery suddenly ceased to function with no logical reason. Indeed, it is believed that the rocks about to be removed are dwellings inhabited by the hidden people (álfasteinar). There are also accounts of Elves appearing in dreams of local inhabitants in order to ask them not to remove or damage their homes. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see ancient rocks around which roads or houses have been built.

Those who visit Iceland are faced with a force of nature so powerful that they cannot help but begin to believe in the existence of trolls. Here, you can see trolls sculpted in the surrounding landscape: in fact, if caught unaware by the sunlight, they are transformed into huge stone sculptures! The hidden people can be sometimes mischievous, but they often offer their help to the Icelandic community. However, in general, they are capable of causing unexplainable happenings.

The presence of all these creatures can be felt at any time of year, whether immersed in nature or wandering through Icelandic cities at night, but the energy is especially strong during the liminal month of December.

All the photos were taken during December 2022 at SÍM Residency in Iceland.