For me, one of the most quintessential landscapes of Iceland is the endless fields of moss covered lava rock. And when I say moss covered, I don’t mean a little dusting. In some places on these rocks, the moss can be over a foot deep. One of my favourite things about these lava fields is that with moss that thick, you can walk across the rocks without making a sound and in that silence, you can hear everything else: you can hear the birds on the never far away shoreline, you can hear your heart beat pacing your steps, you can hear the clouds being swept into arcs by the wind miles away. Exploring these fields with people I love are some of my favourite memories. On my first trip to Iceland years ago, Jamie and I got caught in a hailstorm on one of these fields. I have never felt more epic before or since that day.
While Patrick and I didn’t get caught in any crazy storms this time around, encountering this landscape is always a breathtaking experience. After stopping for many a nap in fields along the way, we decided on our last night of camping that we’d like to set up the tent in the middle of one of these fields. We spent hours hunting for just the right place. When we finally found what looked to be ideal, the sun was just about set. We should have been excited to set out our tent and get ready for a night on the best memory foam mattress you could ask for. Instead, we stood there almost paralyzed by a supernatural feeling. Now, before I go too far here, you should know something about the people of Iceland, or rather you should know something about the Huldufólk (hidden people) of Iceland.
In recent years, the Huldufólk have become a great tourist draw and stories about the Huldufólk are starting to pervade the international media. These Huldufólk would be similar to what north Americans would call elves or fairies. The difference is that Iceland takes the Huldufólk very seriously. Recent studies have shown that over 50% of the population believe that the existence of the Huldufólk is possible, probable or even a certainty. You may have heard this week about a road construction project outside the capital of Reykjavik that is currently on hold while they work out a solution that serves both the need for infrastructure in the area and yet does not disturb the sacred sites of the Huldufólk. In fact, the government of Iceland is very careful when it comes to dealing with the Huldufólk and belief in them. They say that belief in the Huldufólk is a very personal matter and the government is not prepared to approve or deny their existence.
Most Icelanders say they’ve never actually seen any of the Huldufólk, though they’re reputed to be anywhere from 1-4 ft high and usually blue or green in colour. Those who claim belief in them usual say they have ‘felt’ their presence. Now, I know what you’re thinking: this is crazy. I thought that too for a while. I couldn’t believe that such an educated, modern population could think that the Huldufólk were even possible. That was before I had my own supernatural experiences in Iceland. To begin with, the landscape is something out of an opiate induced dream. It’s not a stretch to look at the rocks, hills, fields, volcanoes, beaches and waterfalls of Iceland and believe that there is something alive in them. Now fast forward to Patrick and I standing in a moss covered lava field at dusk getting ready to set up our tent. We had enjoyed exploring many lava fields before, and while we both knew that this was the perfect place to spend the night, neither of us were able to make a move towards setting up camp. Instead, we both separately felt the presence of what I can best describe as a heavy emotion and we knew we were trying to set ourselves up in a place we shouldn’t be, a place we were not welcome. We got in the car, turned towards Reykjavik and spent the night in the city.
What I love about the way Iceland deals with the Huldufólk is that they actively engage with the idea that there is something spiritual about the land they live on, that it is powerful and that it should not be dealt with lightly. Once again, we have so much to learn from them. Believe what you will about the Huldufólk, but there is something alive in Iceland – a spirit, a presence – that cannot be fully processed by human senses. I have felt it strengthen and energize me and I have felt it shake me to the core. And just maybe, when you stand in a lava field at dusk, you may feel it too.