| In my capacity as the UK Director of Operations for | | | | stealing naughty children to put into her bubbling |
| One World Tours Limited, I would like to share some | | | | cauldron. These lads used to creep down from the |
| of the wonderful stories that I was told in Iceland | | | | hillside in the thirteen days running up to Christmas to |
| recently. Just over half of the country's population | | | | wreck havoc on unsuspecting families, stealing things |
| believe in trolls, elves or hidden people and hopefully I | | | | and generally making mischeif. I must admit that when I |
| have remembered enough to pass them on to you. | | | | was told some of the names of these lads Curd |
| I had the good fortune to have a tour guide that was | | | | Glutton, Peeping Tom, Bowl Licker and Door Slammer, I |
| very well informed about the history of the mountain | | | | pointed out to my guide that they would be locked up |
| trolls and she spent the entire day pointing out where | | | | in England for some of that behaviour. The lads are |
| some of them were and the stories behind them. In | | | | not as bad as they sound however, as they leave |
| times long ago these trolls would have brought terror | | | | behind small gifts in children's shoes in the run up to |
| into the hearts of the Icelandic people, however in | | | | Christmas. |
| modern times there appears to be only residual | | | | My guide then told me about the Huldufolk (I looked up |
| curiosity. It is believed that many of the ancient trolls | | | | the spelling of this when I got home, it took me a few |
| have turned to stone and indeed when they were | | | | tries!) this means "hidden people" and it was explained |
| pointed out to me I must say that I could see the | | | | to me that their origins concern Eve (I presume she |
| human- like forms after a while. Some of the huge, | | | | meant Adam's Eve). Now it would appear that Eve |
| moss-covered, basalt rock columns that can be found | | | | had many children(???) and one day God announced |
| all around the countryside looked amusingly like human | | | | he was about to pay her a visit. Eve wanted her |
| faces or petrified trolls. | | | | children to look clean and presentable in His presence |
| Iceland is geologically very young and many times I | | | | and scrubbed some of them. Some of the other |
| found myself thinking that I was witnessing how life | | | | children did not manage to get clean because God |
| must have been when the planet was just beginning to | | | | arrived much sooner than Eve had expected. In her |
| form. The continual reshaping by the ice and volcanic | | | | haste she decided to hide these poor children instead |
| fire make the whole country stunningly beautiful and | | | | of presenting them. The story continues that God was |
| mysterious. The most wonderful thing about Iceland is | | | | pleased with the children that he saw and asked Eve |
| that it is almost completely unspoilt and unpolluted so it | | | | if she had any more. Of course Eve was dishonest |
| is hardly surprising that it is believed that pagan spirits | | | | about the existence of the others and thus cemented |
| survive in this wonderful environment. | | | | these hidden children's fate who were destined to |
| Like elves, trolls are a big part of the ancient heritage | | | | remain hidden forever. |
| of the Scandinavian mythology and they are very | | | | They can make themselves seen apparently and are |
| often thought to be fearsome and cruel creatures. | | | | generally benign, but they can make terrible things |
| Some Icelanders believe though, that if you treat them | | | | happen to people who have deliberately disturbed or |
| as you wish to be treated yourself then they return | | | | destroyed their dwellings. |
| favours for favours if however you are mean to them | | | | My guide told me the story of a large boulder outside |
| they will seek their revenge. | | | | of Reykjavik which was reported to be the home of |
| Trolls are nocturnal creatures and are supposed to be | | | | some huldufolk. In 1999 building constructors had great |
| very sensitive to the sun and they turn to stone if | | | | difficulty in building the new connecting road to the |
| caught by the rays of the Sun. One of the most | | | | tunnel under the Whale Fjord to the town of Akranes. |
| dramatic and my personal favourite troll is Hvitserkur, a | | | | The construction equipment repeatedly broke down |
| troll cow in fact which is forever drinking the sea | | | | when it approached the boulder, which was scheduled |
| water on the northwest coast. Also in the north we | | | | to be moved. Apparently this story was reported in |
| have Dimmuborgir, which my guide pointed out is a | | | | the local newspaper at the time. |
| famous site with the tourists. The story is that some | | | | I think that if a taxi driver were to start talking to me |
| Trolls that were distracted by having so much fun | | | | about elves and trolls whilst driving me through the |
| enjoying a picnic, they forgot that in the summer the | | | | English countryside, I would have jumped from the |
| sun comes earlier unfortunately turning them into | | | | moving vehicle. Yet somehow it seemed perfectly |
| seven huge fortifications. | | | | natural to hear about these creatures whilst being |
| Gryla is Iceland´s most famous troll woman and it | | | | enveloped in the swirling mists and the sparsely |
| is believed that she is the mother of the 13 Icelandic | | | | populated areas of Iceland and I hope one day that |
| Christmas lads. Gryla is apparently well known for | | | | you will experience it for yourself. |