Huldufoulk

The "hidden Inhabitants" (isl. huldufólk) are characters in Icelandic folk tales. They used to be called "aulvas", which is etymologically the same as "elves".

They practically do not differ from people: they are born and die, they run a household, they have their own churches, priests and cemeteries.

Outwardly Hidden inhabitants also differ little from humans: the only difference is the absence of nasal cartilage or a vertical fossa between the upper lip and nose.

The world of these creatures is somewhere not far from the world of people, but people see them only if they are clairvoyant, or if the Hidden Inhabitants themselves want to be seen.

After Christianity became the state religion in Iceland, elves began to be divided into two types — "pagans" (evil towards people) and "Christians" (kind towards people). However, this division was soon forgotten.

Icelandic fairy tales tell about interesting contacts of people with huldufoulk. They often ask people for help, and if people help them, then they do something good for them or give them something, and if they don't help, then they take revenge on them.

Some fairy tales tell how "hidden inhabitants" ask for help from people during childbirth, since they cannot give birth until a human hand touches the woman in labor.

Some Icelanders still believe in the existence of huldufoulk and try to leave the places where they think they live unchanged, and even if they build a road crossing the huldufoulk trail, they narrow the road so that it is easier for fairy-tale characters to cross it.