Intriguing article. Thank you for sharing. I lived in Keflavik, Iceland in my childhood and I can vouch for it being a magical, mystical place. Keep following your passion! <3
Sleeping with crystals, water sprites and elves, you can new age your mind if you really try. Beat some drums get some shaman on see the world in a different light and maybe get your ka-ka together and help a few Syrians, Rohingya, Congolese, Sudanese, etc etc ..... might be possible.
Thank you, I saved this article up and it cheered me up wonderfully. The photos were wonderful and the story is a gem.
The “Demon Haunted World” of childish fantasy and lack of thought has arrived, to ease us of the pain of being adults.
2
@Carmine ??? Your reality has no precedence here or anywhere else. Give it a rest, lady.
“Judgmental heart has lack of introspection.” ~Toba Beta.
1
Absolutely lovely article. As an Elf myself, I appreciate the coverage.
3
This is wondrous and amazing. Thank you!
Wait. Am I reading the New York Times of the National Enquirer?
5
To each their own. In my early years I had a stuffed bear named "Bursy" with whom I communicated. He war my early elf. That I didn't continue on with him was a function of growing up. These Icelanders have simply chosen a different path. Good for them.
3
Very sad that people still believe in this nonsense. Given the surge in religion in the last 30 years I truly believe we are in a period of DEvolution.
3
Good to know that the world yet has room for the mystical and a strong connection to nature and is not totally consumed by bottom line grabbing, results at any cost Christianity that is so full of self righteousness and "I'm in charge or else". And since I'm a practicing Catholic that's not ALL Christians just some. There is room for everybody if we are sincere and careful and don't care too much about results. Life is much more than just results. Something mysterious and something a bit whimsical and not particularly judgmental.
Very refreshing article that has restored my faith for the moment. Until the next Trump tirade. I hope the gremlins get Trump and put him where he belongs---
in prison in 2020.
10
People are seeking the transcendent in their lives - and this fascination with ancient mythology and folklore seems to be one path toward the transcendent and mystical - but with none of the discipline or moral/ethical guidelines of organized religions.
I get the appeal: instant mythology and self-mythologizing. For example, Nina, who, guided by a Hindu goddess (?) finds a swan feather she uses for "healing" and who is "sensitive to the energy in stones." Yeah, sure.
Still, a beautiful place and stunning photographs.
5
Magic. The world is not as our minds tell us...
Connecting to spirit, to the energies in nature, to angels, guides, faeries, elves.. It’s possible everywhere and some places more than other.
Thank you for publishing a piece about a place where the energy is so present.
2
The 'forests' I saw in Iceland were mainly knee-high. Some houses have trees but I've never seen a forest such as depicted. I wonder where it is.
2
This how spirits are photographed:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bregalis/39514429762/in/photostream/
1
I don't find this charming. Nor do I consider it moral or ethical to encourage people to believe in the nonexistent (including the various gods). Just as easy to believe in demons and witches and to act accordingly. Call it intolerant if you like. I was astonished when the MDs in charge of one psychiatric ward where my bipolar friend had been admitted (at that point in time believing in witches) permitted/encouraged her psychic crystal brandishing therapist to visit and advise. That person did lose interest, my friend got back on her meds and came back to reality... without crystals, voices or witches.. (until she was off meds again...)
6
Saraswati? In Iceland? Yeah, yoga is taking over the world...
10
A lovely article.
Even Herman Melville wrote about Mythical Creatures. In about 1856, Herman Melville wrote a short story, “The Piazza,” while living at Arrowhead in Western Massachusetts. In this tale, he believes he sees fairy lights on Mt. Greylock.
To this day, Arrowhead still celebrates Melville’s belief in fairies, with an annual summertime festival.
As Joseph Campbell taught us, we can learn quite a bit from myths, legends and mythical creatures.
In our current world, the truly unbelievable is somewhat refreshing in order to take our minds away from the unbelievable reality of the day to day news.
32
She conjured the trees? Iceland has virtually none.
Dan Kravitz
5
"Virtually none" means it has trees. And it does.
When I first visited there in 1972, there were truly no trees, but now there are. No a lot, but there are small forests and clumps around the country. The arborists have been busy.
2
A lovely article and pictures. These Viking people are my tribe, and it would be wonderful to see it all in person someday.
5
Wonderful, wonderful !!!
8
These photos give me goosebumps.
8
A beautiful, magical place that will soon be destroyed by mass tourism.
13
That’s what happened in Ireland.
1
The country is considering limiting visitors. A wise idea.
5
And next time Ms. Antón goes to Iceland she will see the number of people around has increased exponentially, thanks to this article and her photos. Don't complain about what you create or unleash, however unintentionally.
11
Give me that old time religion......I prefer the reverence for the natural to modern evangelical gloom and doom.
55
"“There are elves in Iceland,” Ms. Antón wrote in her book’s introduction. “Also fairies, unicorns, huldufolk, trolls, beach dwarfs, water sprites, mountain spirits and ghosts.”
Yeah, sure! There are also gods, demigods, zombies, trolls, djinn, demons, devils, and a thousand kinds of Santa Claus!
4
You forgot Krampus.
2
He's in the White House.
1
I am surprised to see trees in the photos. Trees are rare in Iceland, and where they exist they are quite small. The Icelandic word for botany is grasafræði (grass science), and there is a reason for that. Where were those photos taken?
10
I was wondering about that too. Note this NY Times article from last October: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/20/climate/iceland-trees-ref...
1
For those whose comments question the presence of large trees in some of the photos: those shots were probably taken in Reykjavik Botanical Gardens. A lovely place.
1
Wonderful article. When we and all of our technology are dust these spirits will still be here.
18
"Religion is the opiate of the masses." Karl Marx certainly nailed this one right on the head.
7
Shades of Findhorn; a nice fantasy for believers and those curious about the possibility of alternate and magical realities. But, it would be great of these illusive elves and fairies would please help us with the real world darkness of Trump! After all, even if they're ethereal beings, they live on this soon to be destroyed planet, too. We need all the help we can get. I wonder if they read the Times.
26
Trump is a troll. So we know that exists.
59
We do.
1
OMG, your comment made me laugh out loud. Thank you for brightening my day!
1
More unicorns than Silicon Valley? Nah.
5
I was in Iceland last year and our tour guide showed us elf-like profiles in the rock formations. We Americans on the tour didn’t take it too seriously - we just thought it was neat (“oh wow look, it does look like a face!”, we’d exclaim). However we would agree that there is indeed something quite magical and otherworldly about the country. I, for one, felt very much transported, as if I were on another planet. It’s a breathtaking place.
45
I have been assured that Nissa, though unseen, are present and active in South West Wisconsin. It is best not to upset them.
Yours
Frank Johnston
6
I love this article.
22
mulitply all of this and go to scotland.
17
No doubt many of these people reject things like modern medical care, vaccinations, and so forth.
6
And your source of this assumption? Been there? Read about their longevity? Quality of life? Technology applications? Hmmmm?
31
lovely, magical article...thank you NYT and kerrimac
11
Saraswati is also a hindu goddess.
7
And also a Tibetan Buddhist deity.
1
I've never seen an elf before, but .... is that what I'm seeing in the photo, "Brindys trying to help Ms. Antón see elves at the site of an elf stone on the hill at Laugar."??? I definitely see something there and just can't imagine what it could be!
9
If you're talking about the darker area in front of her, inside her arms, I was intrigued as well, but, after looking closer, I realized it's merely her shadow being cast on the snow behind her, from a flash bulb on the left side of the photographer.
1