Icelandic Elf School Explained

The Icelandic Elf School (Icelandic: Álfaskólinn) is an organization located in Reykjavík, Iceland, that teaches visitors about Icelandic folklore.^{[1] [2] [3]}

The organization teaches about the hidden people and thirteen types of elves, entities purported by the institution to reside within Iceland.^[4] The school's principal, Magnús Skarphéðinsson, states:

Hidden people are just the same size and look exactly like human beings, the only difference is that they are invisible to most of us. Elves, on the other hand, aren’t entirely human, they’re humanoid, starting at around eight centimeters.^[5]

The Icelandic Elf School publishes materials on hidden people, which serve both as an educational resource and a teaching aid within the classroom.^[6]

Established in 1991, the school arranges educational excursions lasting approximately five hours for its visitors. Since opening the institution has welcomed more than 9,000 attendees, the majority of whom are foreign.^[7] Other services provided by the Álfaskólinn include aura readings and explorations into past lives.^[8]

See also

• Fairy Investigation Society
• Cottingley Fairies

Further reading

• Rakoff, David, Fraud: Essays (Broadway Books: 2002) pp. 85 ff.
• Baldacchino, Godfrey, Extreme Tourism: Lessons from the World's Cold Water Islands (Elsevier Science: 2006) pp. 121–122
• Sullivan, Paul, Waking Up in Iceland (Sanctuary Publishing: 2003) p. 117
• Baedeker: Iceland, (Mairs Geographischer Verlag: 2009) p. 246
• Packard, Mary, Ripley's Believe It or Not!: Strange School Stories (Scholastic: 2010)

External links

• Archive of Magnús Skarphéðinsson's old webpage
• Amazing Iceland: In search of elves
• Elf School website

Notes and References

1. News: Alfar og huldufólk flutt út . 1997-07-09 . Alþýðublaðið . 1 . 2009-06-07 . is .
2. News: Barbara . Gruber . Iceland: Searching For Elves And Hidden People . June 2007 . Deutsche Welle . 2009-10-31 .
3. Dreams, Darkness and Hidden Spheres : Exploring the Anthropology of the Night in Icelandic Society . Paideuma: Mitteilungen zur Kulturkunde. 2005. Adriënne. Heijnen. 51. 203. 2010-02-11 .
4. News: VIDEO: Belief in Elves Strong in Iceland . 2008-12-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081217024813/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081211-elves-video-ap.html . dead . December 17, 2008 . National Geographic News . 2009-05-30 .
5. News: Vincenz . Marc . 2009-05-27 . To Be or Not to Be; Álfar, Elves, Huldufólk, Fairies and Dwarves: Are They Really All the Same Thing? . The Reykjavík Grapevine . dead . 2009-06-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100404114957/http://www.grapevine.is/Features/ReadArticle/Article-To-Be-or-Not-to-Be . 2010-04-04.
6. News: Douglas . McArthur . Elfschool tries to make a believer out of everyone . 1996-03-13 . The Globe and Mail (Canada) .
7. News: Carl . Honoré . The Hidden Beings Of Iceland . 2005-07-01 . American Way . 2009-06-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090220181307/http://www.americanwaymag.com/icelandic-elf-school-reykjavik-soccer-little-house-on-the-prairie . 2009-02-20 .
8. Book: Rakoff, David . Fraud: Essays . Broadway Books . 2002 . New York, NY . 85 . 978-0-7679-0631-9 .