Wow! You’re in for a treat! A follow up Elf story! Two in a row! This is a pollipops first!
In Iceland, rather than just having one Santa Clause, they have 13 individual trolls that visit the town each year. So, for the 13 days before Christmas, children leave shoes in their bedroom windows each evening to satisfy the visiting troll. For example, there is Stufer (Stubby) a very short troll who comes and steals pans to eat the crust out of, and there’s Bjugnakraekir who is a sausage swiper.
My favourite elf is Huroaskellir (door slammer). I guess every time you hear a door slam in Iceland, you know who’s responsible. These are some very specific trolls!
In a poll taken a few years ago, over 60 percent of children, and adults believed in these trolls.
When the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission planned on building a direct road from Alftanes peninsula, where the president lives, to the Reykjavik suburb, this was obviously a problem.
That is troll territory!!
Elf advocates in Iceland have joined forces with environmentalists to urge authorities to abandon a highway project that they claim will disturb Elf habitat, including an Elf church.
This is not the first time the Huldufolk (Hidden Folk), have affected planning decisions. In fact, they happen so often that the Road and Coastal Commission has a programmed response, “issues have been settled by delaying the construction at a certain point while the elves living there have supposedly moved on.”
Now, before we all go shaking our heads at the craziness of believing in such things, let’s try and compare this to our own beliefs. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go into religions, but let’s take a look at Santa.
I know what you’re thinking, we would never stop a road from being built because of Santa Clause!
Well, what if the story of Santa placed him in a very specific location that all children knew of? And what if that location was very close to your home and you could see it daily?
How would you explain that Santa’s home is being taken over by a road?
The story of Santa Clause is a pretty kick ass story right now. The flying reindeer! The chimney! How awful would it be to have to re-write the story to include how Santa had his house moved to allow space for a new highway.
That’s just lame!
Could this be enough to stop a road from being built where you live?
One things for sure, whether it be Santa or these 13 mischievous elves, these figures are used to achieve good results. Let’s wait and see if the Icelandic environmentalists are able to stretch their usefulness.
Happy New Year!
Mr. J
Source
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/22/22009310-icelands-hidden-elves-delay-road-projects?lite
13 Elves
http://www.iceland.is/the-big-picture/news/celebrating-christmas-with-13-trolls/7916/