Pointy Ears, Green-Brown Clothing: Searching For Elves In Iceland

NPR

Published December 25, 2020 at 12:20 PM EST

Headmaster Magnus Skarphéðinsson of Reykjavik's The Elf School. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)

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A year ago, in a simpler time, Here & Now spent a week in Iceland covering environmental issues.

But everywhere we went we also heard about elves: How elves figured into building projects — you couldn’t disturb them! How they sometimes played tricks on people — like hiding your keys or glasses. And how even those who wouldn’t commit to believing in them (including the country’s environment minister) would also not commit to not believing in them.

So for Christmas, we bring back our visit to Iceland’s elf region, and of course, its Elf School.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.