Icelandic Folklore
To travel short-term can be a fickle process - our goal is to become one with the locals, but one week (give or take) is hardly enough time to take an active part in every item on the ever-expanding agenda. We’re often left repeatedly assuring ourselves that we will definitely prioritize A, B, and C...next time. Sometimes we make it back for round two, and sometimes we don’t.
Iceland is one of the few places in the world, however, where it almost becomes a necessity to visit twice - once in the summer and once in the winter. The stark differences between the two experiences would seem as if they belonged to two completely separate countries. Eternal sunshine vs. eternal nightfall - both assist in providing the ultimate Icelandic experience, one that is lively and unique to the region. In the summer months, travelers may opt to do more activities along the lines of hiking through the mountains or riding horses that are indigenous to the region, whereas during the winter months, exploring a glacier or ensuring a front row seat for the Aurora Borealis (more commonly known as the Northern Lights) may be of a higher priority.
Because we currently reside in the home city of the renowned Kentucky Derby, it probably isn’t a surprise that we chose to partake in some good old fashioned horseback riding through a true mom and pop operation called Icelandic Riding. I actually stumbled upon the company quite by accident through a fortunate turn of the conversation via AirBnB. This family owned and operated organization doesn’t typically practice any traditional marketing, so the bulk of their business comes from word of mouth. The operation runs out of the family’s home, and they offer complimentary pick-up as well as a mouth watering spread of homemade, local cuisine post-ride. Because the Icelandic way of riding differs from western style, prior to the ride, we were each trained based on our individual need. The landscape that we traversed lied just twenty minutes outside of Reykjavik proper, but felt of supreme and total seclusion. During our ride we were briefed on our Icelandic history, everything from the country’s close U.S. ties and participation during World War II to its whimsical folklore that consists primarily of elves, Huldufolk, the hidden people.
Icelandics are probably some of the few well-educated groups of people in the world today who will still wholeheartedly admit to believing in elves. Our guide suggested that this adamancy is a reflection of their respect for the beauty and complexity of nature and the Earth in its primal state. To provide an example, she told us a story about the development of her hometown that unfolds as follows...
Many years ago, when the townspeople were first paving the neighborhood’s streets, there was a huge rock lying in the center of the designated path; it was completely immovable. Rocks are believed to be the homes of the elves, and this particular rock was withstanding every attempt of its demolition to the point where it was universally decided to leave the rock as is and to build the road around it. To this day, the rock remains. Was it indeed immovable even with the aide of heavy machinery? Or, were the elvish tales an unspoken excuse to protect the land in its original state, and as a result, to leave behind a legend that will act as a precedent in conserving this protective mindset forever thereafter?
Whether the Icelandic people truly believe in elves and whether or not the elves are actually tied to the idea of nature conservation, the people’s undeniable global acceptance and appreciation for natural beauty throughout is both invigorating and contagious. And believe you me, it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.