Hidden people

Huldufólk

Engraving of a man jumping after a female elf into a precipice.
Grouping	Mythological
Similar creatures	Elf, huldra, fairy, mermaid, pixie, sprite, leprechaun
Mythology	Icelandic
Country	Iceland
Habitat	Various

Huldufólk (Icelandic and Faroese hidden people from "pertaining to secrecy" and "people", "folk") are elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. According to these Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk.

Former president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has explained the existence of huldufólk tales by saying: "Icelanders are few in number, so in the old times we doubled our population with tales of elves and fairies."

They are also a part of folklore in the Faroe Islands. In Faroese folk tales, Huldufólk are said to be "large in build, their clothes are all grey, and their hair black. Their dwellings are in mounds, and they are also called Elves." They also dislike crosses, churches and electricity.

The term huldufólk was taken as a synonym of álfar (elves) in 19th century Icelandic folklore. found that the terms are synonymous, except álfar is a pejorative term. Konrad von Maurer contends that huldufólk originates as a euphemism to avoid calling the álfar by their real name.

There is, however, some evidence that the two terms have come to be taken as referring to two distinct sets of supernatural beings in contemporary Iceland. Katrin Sontag found that some people do not differentiate elves from hidden people, while others do. A 2006 survey by Erlendur Haraldsson found that "54% of respondents did not distinguish between elves and hidden people, 20% did and 26% said they were not sure."

Terry Gunnell writes: "different beliefs could have lived side by side in multicultural settlement Iceland before they gradually blended into the latter-day Icelandic álfar and huldufólk." He also writes: "Huldufólk and álfar undoubtedly arose from the same need. The Norse settlers had the álfar, the Irish slaves had the hill fairies or the Good People. Over time, they became two different beings, but really they are two different sets of folklore that mean the same thing."

According to one folk tale, the origins of the hidden people can be traced to Adam and Eve. Eve hid her dirty, unwashed children from God, and lied about their existence. God then declared: "What man hides from God, God will hide from man." Other folktales claim that huldufólk originate from Lilith, or are fallen angels condemned to live between heaven and hell.