Download or read book The Little Book of the Hidden People written by Alda Sigmundsdóttir and published by Little Books Publishing. This book was released on 2022-01-21 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Icelandic folklore is rife with tales of elves and hidden people that inhabited hills and rocks in the landscape. But what do those elf stories really tell us about the Iceland of old and the people who lived there? In this book, author Alda Sigmundsdóttir presents twenty translated elf stories from Icelandic folklore, along with fascinating notes on the context from which they sprung. The international media has had a particular infatuation with the Icelanders’ elf belief, generally using it to propagate some kind of “kooky Icelanders” myth. Yet Iceland’s elf folklore, at its core, reflects the plight of a nation living in abject poverty on the edge of the inhabitable world, and its people’s heroic efforts to survive, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That is what the stories of the elves, or hidden people, are really about. In a country that was, at times, virtually uninhabitable, where poverty was endemic and death and grief a part of daily life, the Icelanders nurtured a belief in a world that existed parallel to their own. This was the world of the hidden people, which more often than not was a projection of the most fervent dreams and desires of the human population. The hidden people lived inside hillocks, cliffs, or boulders, very close to the abodes of the humans. Their homes were furnished with fine, sumptuous objects. Their clothes were luxurious, their adornments beautiful. Their livestock was better and fatter, their sheep yielded more wool than regular sheep, their crops were more bounteous. They even had supernatural powers: they could make themselves visible or invisible at will, and they could see the future. To the Icelanders, stories of elves and hidden people are an integral part of the cultural and psychological fabric of their nation. They are a part of their identity, a reflection of the struggles, hopes, resilience, and endurance of their people. What you will read about in The Little Book of the Hidden People: • The fascination in the international media: why are they so obsessed with elves? • The meaning of elf: what do hidden people stories tell us about the psyche of the Icelanders of old? • The elves' badassery—they could make or break your fortune so you’d better be nice! • The ljúflingar ... hidden men who became the lovers of mortal women • Glamorous and regal: why were the elves so damn good-looking? • The grim realities: what do scholars believe about all those children abducted by elves? ... and so much more!

Download or read book Looking for the Hidden Folk written by Nancy Marie Brown and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In exploring how Icelanders interact with nature—and their idea that elves live among us—Nancy Marie Brown shows us how altering our perceptions of the environment can be a crucial first step toward saving it. Icelanders believe in elves. Why does that make you laugh?, asks Nancy Marie Brown in this wonderfully quirky exploration of our interaction with nature. Looking for answers in history, science, religion, and art—from ancient times to today—Brown finds that each discipline defines what is real and unreal, natural and supernatural, demonstrated and theoretical, alive and inert. Each has its own way of perceiving and valuing the world around us. And each discipline can be defined, in the Icelandic perception, by its own sort of elf. Illuminated by her own encounters with Iceland’s Otherworld—in ancient lava fields, on a holy mountain, beside a glacier or an erupting volcano, crossing the cold desert at the island’s heart on horseback—Looking for the Hidden Folk offers an intimate conversation about how we look at and find value in nature. It reveals how the words we use and the stories we tell shape the world we see. It argues that our beliefs about the Earth will preserve—or destroy it. Scientists name our time the Anthropocene: the Human Age. Climate change will lead to the mass extinction of numerous animal species unless we humans change our course. Iceland suggests a different way of thinking about the Earth, one that offers hope. Icelanders believe in elves— and you should, too.

Download or read book The Hidden Folk written by Lise Lunge-Larsen and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2004 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selkies, fairies, gnomes, hill folk, river sprites--do you believe in them? Perhaps among the flowers, beside a mountain, or near deep waters you’ve caught a glimpse, once or twice, of what you thought might be the silvery shadow of a dwarf, or a hint of a fairy’s wing, or the tail of the water horse. Or was it just the odd light of dusk or dawn playing tricks? As Lise Lunge-Larsen’s magical, timeless stories reveal and Beth Krommes’s enchanting scratchboard illustrations capture, the hidden folk are there, all right: you just have to know where--and how--to look.

Download or read book Hilda and the Hidden People written by Luke Pearson and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introducing a brand new paperback edition of the novel based on the animated series, Hilda, now on Netflix! Meet Hilda: explorer, adventurer, avid sketchbook-keeper and friend to almost every creature in the valley! Join our beloved heroine as she encounters her very first troll, negotiates peace with some very persnickety elves, and reunites two lovelorn ancient giants. Fantastic creatures and daring adventures are all just part of another average day for Hilda, but what will she do if she is forced to move to Trolberg city, far away from her beloved valley home? Dive into the adventure with this illustrated chapter book, based on the first two episodes of the show.

Download or read book Hidden Folk written by Eleanor Arnason and published by . This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Icelandic Folktales and Legends written by Jacqueline Simpson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1972 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A translated selection devoted to supernatural beings, ghosts, and magic practices.

Download or read book The Hidden People written by Allison Littlewood and published by Jo Fletcher Books. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "an excellent and engaging read, moving to an absorbing conclusion" --Historical Novel Society "The perfect book to curl up with on a chilly fall day, The Hidden People will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up." --Booklist In 1851, within the grand glass arches of London's Crystal Palace, Albie Mirralls meets his cousin Lizzie for the first--and, as it turns out, last--time. Coming from a backward rural village, Albie expects Lizzie will be a simple country girl, but instead he is struck by her inner beauty and by her lovely singing voice. When next he hears of her, many years later, it is to hear news of her death at the hands of her husband, the village shoemaker. Rumors surround his young cousin's murder--apparently, her husband thought she had been replaced by one of the "fair folk" and so burned her alive--and then disappeared. Albie becomes obsessed with bringing his young cousin's murderer to justice. When he arrives, he finds a community in the grip of superstition, nearly every member believes Lizzie's husband acted with the best of intentions and in the service of the village. And the more he learns, the less sure he is that there aren't mysterious powers at work.

Download or read book The Guardians of Iceland and other Icelandic Folk Tales written by Heidi Herman and published by Hekla Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2016-10-24 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trolls and Hidden Folk are a part of daily life in Iceland. This collection of Icelandic folklore and legends comes from the days of the Vikings. The twenty-five short stories are centuries old and have been updated for today's readers of all ages. Children and adults alike will love to delve into this fantastic collection of traditional Icelandic fairy tales and legends. These short stories of trolls, elves with magical powers, and Hidden People have been passed down from generation to generation. First written down hundreds of years ago, the stories are now brought together and updated for a modern audience, so now you too can read about the trolls who freely roamed Iceland, the race of Hidden People with strong magical powers and of the four powerful beings who still protect Iceland from invaders to this day. Packed full of fascinating myths, this collection of folklore is a must for anyone wanting to discover a world of mermaids and mermen, giants, shape-shifting seals and dragons in disguise. 2017 Book Excellence Award Winner for Multicultural Fiction 2018 International Book Awards - Award Winning Finalist in the Category "Fiction: Short Story"

Download or read book Icelandic Folk Legends written by Alda Sigmundsdóttir and published by Little Books Publishing. This book was released on 2022-01-19 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Icelandic nation has a long and rich history of storytelling. Throughout centuries characterized by hardship, poverty, and dark winters, the Icelanders kept their spirits high and moral values intact by telling each other stories. In this collection of 15 Icelandic folk legends, we get a glimpse of the worldview of the Icelanders in centuries past as they endeavored to understand and cope with the natural phenomena around them. There are stories of malicious ghosts, outlaws living in carved-out boulders, hidden people residing in grassy knolls, trolls that are tripped up by their own stupidity, and much more. In addition, there is one story exemplifying a fairy tale motif that scholars have discovered to be unique to Iceland: that of the good stepmother (The Story of Himinbjörg). Throughout we get a powerful sense of the Icelanders’ beliefs, values, and fears, as well as their strong need to cling to all that was pure and good.

Download or read book Hildur Queen of the Elves and Other Stories written by J.M. Bedell and published by Interlink Books. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Out of the country’s fascinating geography and history emerge a plethora of poetic and imaginative Icelandic legends that hold a particular wary respect of nature, and a wry wisdom at turns gentle and sharp: that we human beings are mere tenants on earth, with no control over weather or ghosts or wild. On the one hand, these stories come out of the great wellspring of Scandinavian tales that have so influenced the Western imagination: Here are elves and trolls, ghosts, goblins, and monsters; drama and mystery and moral. But Iceland’s particular geography, its long nights and savage weather, also led to the development of a unique oral tradition, from which grew the famous Icelandic family sagas and stories.

Download or read book A Hidden Ulster written by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first major study of the Gaelic song tradition in an area which was the main center of literature in Leath Chuinn (the northern half of Ireland) from the end of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century. Written in English, it gives text, source music, and the translation of 54 songs - mainly vision poems, laments, courtly love songs and the songs of the people. The collection includes material from recently discovered music manuscripts, which are reconnected here to their original texts. The catalogue section includes facsimile copies of unpublished dance tunes. As both a researcher and traditional singer, Ní Uallacháin gives a unique insight into her native Gaelic song tradition.

Download or read book By Rowan and Yew written by Melissa Harrison and published by Chicken House. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As autumn begins, Moss and friends travel to their former home in Ash Row, to find the rare mortal child who can both see and talk to them. The tiny beings know they should be brave and talk back–this is their chance to help reverse the fading of ancient Cumulus, who has now almost disappeared entirely. But they soon realize fading is connected to their role in the world … Can the Hidden Folk prove that guardians of the Wild World are needed after all?

Download or read book The Hidden World written by Carl A. P. Ruck and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was mainly only the European urban centers that converted to Christianity, and often more for political or commercial interests, than as a matter of faith. The old religions persisted in the villages or pagani, from which the term Paganism arose. The Christians built their sanctuaries upon the pagan sites, expropriating their numinous past, assimilating the symbolism of the former deities, and commonly incorporating the actual architectural remnants. The wisdom of those deposed gods and their rites persisted in less objectionable forms -- disguised to delude the censors -- as country festivals and quaint tales often about the fairy folk, who coexisted with this world and could be accessed by magical procedures that perpetuated half-remembered methods of authentic ancient shamanism. Such shamanism always involved pharmaceutical expertise. Mircea Eliade was mistaken in concluding that drugs were characteristic only of the late and decadent stages of a religion. Rock paintings of the greatest antiquity and his own abundant citations indicate that, instead, a pharmacological Eucharist was the norm; and Eliade was himself about to reverse his stance shortly before his death. Encoded in tales seemingly as simple as Snow White with her poisoned red and white apple are themes traceable back to the great epics of Homer and the Mesopotamian Gilgamesh. These patterns of shamanic empowerment lurk also in the histories of the leading families of Europe, who could not completely divest themselves of the former religious basis for their right to rule, but instead they embraced, Christianized, and buried it in sanctified graves, as was the case with the great fairy Melusina, whose eighth abominable son, called Horrible, was murdered. A number of churches involved in the Albigensian heresy claim his body was laid to rest beneath them.

Download or read book Troll Magic written by Theodor Kittelsen and published by . This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of macabre and magical folklore from the "godfather" of the Norwegian troll Across the stillness of the sprawling mountain heath, the shadow of the mighty forest falls, its wildness calling to the child in all of us. Here the Hidden Folk assemble: the stalwart little nisse, farmyard spirit and irrepressible prankster; the seductive hulder, with her crown of flowers and cow's tail; the fiddling fossegrim, summoning the music of wind and water; and most fearsome and enchanting of all, the one-eyed troll, head high above the treetops. A veritable bestiary of Nordic folk creatures was conjured by artist Theodor Kittelsen, whose late nineteenth-century paintings and illustrations gave these macabre and magical figures their enduring forms. In this book, first published as Troldskab in 1892, Kittelsen spins tales of wonder around creatures rumored to haunt the fields, forests, and waterfalls of Norway. Striding, gamboling, and slithering across these pages are witches and gnomes and sea monsters, fiery dragons waking from their stiff-winged slumber, mermaids rising from the deep, and sly shapeshifting nøkk. But first and foremost are the trolls, hapless, horrible, or just plain silly, working their spells and making their mischief to the terror and delight of the presumably human reader. Tailoring his whimsical artistic style to each tale, Kittelsen's stories, in Tiina Nunnally's nimble translation, reveal a Nordic world of wonder, myth, and magic as real as the imagination allows.

Download or read book Enchanted Tarot written by Giacinto Gaudenzi and published by . This book was released on 2002-03-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Long Hidden Friend written by John George Hohman and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-08 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 19th-century collection of traditional German folk-magic features spells, rituals, charms, prayers, recipes, remedies, and more. First appearing in 1820, The Long Hidden Friend was instrumental to the development of the Dutch Pennsylvania tradition of Pow-Wow. This beautiful edition is illustrated with Gemma Gary's line drawings, inspired by Dutch Pennsylvanian folk art, charms, and hex signs.

Download or read book The Hidden Folk written by S. D. Tucker and published by Fortean Words. This book was released on 2016-03-13 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fairies were genuinely believed in right the way across Europe in the not-too-distant past, and not only by little girls. For many adults, fairies were a part of everyday reality, and accounts of their alleged interaction with the world of humans are legion. But, when the 'realm of faery' did intrude upon our own, how did its inhabitants make their presence known? Apparently, they did so in a variety of different ways; by rapping, tapping and making loud noises around a person's home, by throwing pebbles about, by setting fires, moving furniture, breaking plates and speaking from out of thin air itself. In other words, then, they acted just like poltergeists are often said to do today.