Le Petit Livre du Peuple Caché: Vingt histoires d'elfes tirees du folklore islandais

by Alda Sigmundsdóttir, Catherine Mercy (Translator)

Les contes du folklore islandais fourmillent d’elfes et d’êtres cachés qui vivent dans les collines et les rochers de l’île. Ils ont beaucoup à nous apprendre sur l’Islande et les Islandais du temps jadis. Dans ce livre, Alda Sigmundsdóttir offre une sélection de vingt histoires qu’elle a puisées dans ce folklore, chacune d’elle est accompagnée de commentaires passionnants sur le contexte dans lequel il s’enracine. Les media internationaux ont manifesté un tel engouement pour la croyance des Islandais en l’existence des elfes qu’ils ont largement alimenté le mythe de l’Islandais « givré ». Pourtant ce que le lecteur va trouver au cœur du folklore elfique, c’est bien le calvaire d’une nation qui vivait dans la plus extrême pauvreté au seuil du monde habitable et luttait héroïquement pour survivre physiquement, émotionnellement et spirituellement. C’est de cela dont il est vraiment question dans les histoires du peuple caché. Dans un pays quasiment inhabitable où la pauvreté était endémique, où la mort et le deuil faisaient partie de la vie quotidienne, les Islandais caressaient l’espoir qu’il existait un monde parallèle au leur. C’était le monde du peuple caché qui, par bien des aspects, était une projection des rêves et des désirs les plus fervents de la population. Les êtres cachés vivaient dans des collines, des falaises ou des rochers, tout près de chez les humains. Leurs demeures étaient somptueusement meublées et décorées. Leurs vêtements étaient luxueux, leurs bijoux magnifiques. Leur bétail était plus beau et plus gros, leurs moutons donnaient plus de laine que les moutons ordinaires, leurs récoltes étaient plus abondantes. Ils étaient même dotés de pouvoirs surnaturels. Ils pouvaient se rendre visibles ou invisibles à volonté et ils prévoyaient l’avenir. Pour les Islandais les histoires d’elfes et de peuple caché font partie intégrante de la construction culturelle et psychologique de leur nation. Elles sont constitutives de leur identité, elles reflètent les luttes, les espoirs, les résistances et l’endurance de leur peuple. Tel est le véritable objet de ce qui est développé dans ce livre.

Genres: Folklore, Short Stories, Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Audiobook

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2015

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short and sweet overview of Icelandic history in relation to its folklore, and the enduring effect that the tradition of storytelling has had on its culture. I enjoyed learning about the significance/purpose of these "fairy tales," and how the harsh environment was so closely connected to the creation of them.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and wonderful commentary on the Icelandic people and their history.

[Jalilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! These tales are certainly different from any others I've read. This book is a very fast read with Icelandic folk tales I've never read before. The author is a folklorist and her commentary was every bit as interesting as the tales!

[Madalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ia uite ce cărticică am descoperit eu fix înainte de Crăciun - ce-i drept nu mă așteptam să aibă neapărat treabă cu Crăciunul, dar multe povestioare sunt fix din Ajunul Crăciunului, sau din Ajunul Anului Nou.

Cartea este compusă din povestioare-legende ale elfilor din poveștile islandeze, plus notele autoarei - acestea din urmă mi s-au părut savuroase și m-au făcut să mă gândesc la nevoia oamenilor de a-și imagina povești, astfel încât realitatea să nu mai fie atât de crudă.

Fie că este despre elfi care schimbă copiii, care ucid muritori, care seduc, care aduc daruri sau care dansează și se veselesc până dimineața, relitatea este cu totul alta...dar nu-i așa?! Aceste povești aduc puțină magie în viață fiecăruia. 📚🎄

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of Icelandic folktales featuring the hidden people, the Icelandic version of elves. These stories speak to how isolated and difficult living in Iceland could be, and give insight into the everyday lives and relationships among Icelanders in the past. Most of all, these stories felt really true. The entire concept of a group of people being hidden to others but living in the same spaces is really fascinating.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's perfect.

[Austyn Rask · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of Icelandic legends spectacularly translated, as the author took great care to accurately represent the stories in English. Additionally, each story is supplemented with the author’s educated analysis and explanation. Great insight into Icelandic folklore, culture, and history. Very easy quick read. Absolutely recommend if you’re looking to learn more about this remote country. Gave four stars because I wish there was more elaborate analyses.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read thanks to twenty short stories of elves from Icelandic folklore - perfect after a long impressive day on holiday in Iceland. I especially liked the short analysis after each story. It was a bit repitive at times but nonetheless an enjoyable read.

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unusual book. It wasn't as cute as I anticipated it to be because the stories themselves actually aren't the greatest but please hear me out on this. They are written down in rough strokes, they used to be handed down through generations orally, the written form we see here is more of an afterthought to preserve them through time. The characters, situations and story arcs are a lot more basic than for example Grimm's Fairy Tales (which came to be in a similar fashion) so I really would stress to not pick this up because you want to read cute Icelandic folk stories about the Hidden People.

The stories can have a certain quirk factor, for example you can move without any transition from a maidservant gleefully dancing with Hidden People to having her head cut off by the same in the next sentence: and that level of quirk (for lack of a better term) has a certain appeal to twisted reader me. You will see that story elements appear in repeated form, similarities between these are often intentional. But truly, what makes these stories and this book so interesting is the historical and cultural context you need to put these little tales into. Sigmundsdóttir does exactly that by following each story with a brief chapter explaining their meaning, giving insights into Iceland's history and culture throughout the centuries. The morals you can find in these stories and with that the significance of the Hidden People to Iceland are a reflection of what life used to be like in Iceland and how Iceland shaped itself. That's what makes this book so great. It is an adorable way to learn about a country.

Also, this book finally clears up that the Icelandic "Elves" are nothing like the tiny leprechaun-ish creatures that foreigners often expect them to be.
Additional also: this is the perfect Jólabókaflóð book!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories that reflect on Icelandic culture in the early days.
The author's notes relate to the way of living of the time these stories were told which makes it certainly interesting to understand Icelandic culture and customs.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read...

[Adrienne Blaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first things I asked my Icelandic relatives upon meeting them was their thoughts on elves or “the hidden people.” I was disappointed when they told me those folk tales mainly served to help poor Icelanders deal with an oppressive society.

I, like many, had been enchanted by media narratives of Icelanders and their enduring belief in elves. This book sets the record straight with much needed historical context.

It is a short collection of transcribed oral folk tales with the author’s commentary following each. This is an accessible book, easy to read in one sitting, that will show you a different side of Iceland.

[Melanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all of the cultural notes that accompanied all of the stories. I enjoyed the stories in and of themselves, but having information about the cultural components made it even better.

[Ketevan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful collection of stories about Icelandic elves, translated by the author from Icelandic Folk Tales and Legends by Jón Árnason and Magnús Grímsson, originally published in 1852. On their own, the stories are pretty grim and dark. Sigmundsdóttir also made the editorial choice to not edit repetitive details out too much, so you’re getting as close to the original as possible.

Luckily after each tale, Sigmundsdóttir provides any necessary context and interpretation of what the larger meaning and placement in Icelandic culture is. Her lighthearted tone makes this a fun and very informational read.

[Elly Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun book to read while I was in Iceland. Certainly, worth the tiny commitment if you prefer folklore over history but still want to connect with a place. The author does a great job at tying the tales back into Icelandic history and culture in an interesting way. Cool to learn about the pregnancy restrictions and lack of economic mobility in the older times and how folks found relief in fables. Also love how hidden people are tied into Eve from the Old Testament.

Overall, it was fun to see how concisely gruesome Icelandic folklore can be. Sorta makes sense it in such a beautiful yet brutal landscape, especially in the less developed days. “Here today, gone tomorrow, so don’t get attached to things.”—Harold and Maude

[Gareth Tiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very cute book I picked up in an Icelandic tourist town. Although it was really interesting at the start, the lessons from the stories kind of became repetitive, though still relevant.

It’s a nice bedside book, felt like I was reading bedtime stories to myself, about Elves and the “Hidden people”.

Would not read again, but will definitely remember the stories if I ever have to tell bedtime stories myself.

[Jay C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable short collection of Icelandic folklore.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little stories about sometimes not so cute hidden people.

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall the stories are fun, and I always like the audiobooks read by the author, so that was a plus too!

However, as much as I appreciate, and understand, the author's sober handling of the hidden people and how they came to be such a huge part of Scandinavian, Irish, etc, folklore and folktales (and her frustration with the sensationalism occasionally attached to the topic), her rationalisation of their role as anti-depressants of the ancient people living in these areas and suffering hard-living conditions literally sucks all the awe and magic out of these tales!

The book reads more as a social treaty of how storytelling and fantasy were used to alleviate some of these hardships than a collection of folktales and the unique perspective and portrayal of the hidden people in the culture (which I agree, seem closer to Tolkien's elves than the Irish good people.)

So, yeah, it's an interesting book, and I can't deny I enjoyed it, but I hope the author had kept some of the awe and fantastical instead of grim realities of ages past.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of elf stories from Iceland, I especially liked how the author provides notes after each story with important historical and cultural information, as well as explanations about the themes included and the "purpose" of the tale.

The author also includes a few different versions of the same tale, showing how stories change, grow and meld.

A good read if you're interested in folklore, elves, or Iceland in general.

[Vida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book !! The newest book by Alda Sigmundsdottir groups together twenty stories that are quite touching and provide a context for the elves / hidden people. Each story is presented and then followed by notes from the author, placing the story into a historical or sociological context. Very informative, and entertaining as well. Highly recommended !!

[Mariska · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know what, I don't want to finish this book. It's really, really bad. The author is super pessimistic about iceland and the folklore and the stories don't have enough proper elements to be called stories. It's like a family member telling a story and when they are finished, the rest of the family is like, well that was a bad story, why did you feel the need to tell us this.

[Damian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot. The tales of Iceland's elves are very similar to those tales told of the fae in the British Isles. I liked the selection of tales, which were well told. I also enjoyed the little insights into Icelandic social history. A good book to dip into rather than read in one sitting.

[Pille Pruulmann-Vengerfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

LV 34. Islandi kirjaniku raamat. Alda Sigmundsdóttir The Little Book of the Hidden People: Twenty stories of elves from Icelandic folklore. 118 lk, 2015.
See Isandi kirjaniku teema hirmutas mind ka pisut, sest kogu selle virna ees, mis mul parasjagu lugemislaual oli, siis tundus, et "tõsiseid" raamatuid on liiga palju ja isandi kirjanikud tundusid kirjutavat ainult tõsiseid raamatuid. Siis ma asusingi otsima midagi kergemat, kuid siiski arusaadavas keeles :)
Alda Sigmundsdóttir ei ole loomulikult ise kirjutanud rahvajutte, vaid on valinud välja kakskümmend lugu, mida ta siis kommenteerib omalt poolt sissejuhatuse ja lühikeste aruteludega, miks sellised muinasjutud üldse olid. Sissejuhatuses vastandab ta islandi haldjaid iiri härjapõlvlastele, kuid tegelikult on lood muidugi sarnased keldi mütoloogiate sidhede lugudega.
Lood on universaalsed, kuid hästi napisõnaliselt jutustatud. Aga mulle üldiselt muinasjutud istuvad ja see raamat koos kommentaaridega sobis mulle lugemiseks väga hästi. Kasutasin raamatu algusest näidet haldjate ja ekspertide kohta ka loengus ning see aitas hästi illustreerida seda, et vahel on mõned käitumised ühiskonnas alles isegi, kui me täpselt ei tea, miks me nii teeme või kust see traditsioon tuleb. Raamatus oli ka tore viide islandlaste ambivalentsele suhtumisele koertesse. Sain uusi asju teada ja lugeda vahelduseks midagi kerget ja meeleolukat. 4/5

[Sharon Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought THE LITTLE BOOK OF THE HIDDEN PEOPLE because I'm researching Icelandic folklore for the second novel in my upcoming fantasy romance series. I adored the simplicity of this book. Each of the brief tales is followed by also-brief explanation that puts the tale in cultural context for the reader. Though the mystery of the significance of these tales is part of what makes them great fodder for fiction writers, as a modern reader I really appreciated this rich background knowledge. Also my preliminary research on Iceland painted a rather idyllic and even slightly utopian picture of the country's history. This author quickly disabuses the reader of these romantic notions, and I appreciated her honesty. With that said, there is a charmingly witty vein running through her explanations.

I noticed in reading the acknowledgments that this is an indie published book, and that the author's husband made the design and format decisions. The presentation is clean, easy to read, and appealing.

All in all, this quick read is an enjoyable introduction to Iceland's huldufolk, and I'm looking forward to checking out the author's other books.

[Kevin O'Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the collection of stories but the commentary leave a lot to be desired. It just felt very casual and amateurish. Perhaps it's the language barrier but it just didn't feel like it added too much. I think I would have preferred a book of just fables.

A few takeaways:

Women were treated awful. If their husband died all of their property, belongings and even children were auctioned off.

Hidden people can not see other hidden people at birth, they need a special ointment applied to their eyes by a mortal to see each other. Hidden people also need mortals help to give birth. Ironically, mortals can see Hidden people at birth but need to he baptized so they no longer do.

Hidden people can be violent for no reason. Likely because these fables were used as a warning to people not to engage in certain activities for fear of death.

Hidden people were created when eve tried to hide some of her children from God because she didn't have time to make them presentable, God punished her by making them Hidden.

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this wee brief book of Icelandic tales of elves.

The Icelanders’ “hidden people” were not helpful cobblers or tiny creatures in tiny hats. They physically resembled humans but were wealthier, more beautiful, more fortunate. Life in early Iceland was harsh, to put it mildly, and these tales reveal the inner desire the hardy Icelanders felt for better conditions.

One of my favorites featured the woman who had to return to the sea every Christmas Eve. The author afterwards talks about the blending of Celtic “selkie” (seal-people) stories with ones about Iceland elves. And I learned a new term: oikotypification, where folklore adapts to the different needs of a particular community.

I also learned about “Godding the window”: if you had to visit someone at night, you went to their window instead of knocking.

The author’s insights provided at the end of each story were very elucidating. I will be reading more of her books in this Little Book Publishing series.

[• MEL the Reading Spookticle • · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so much promise as for me you can’t go wrong in folktales. The tales are overall good, not great. I have heard many of the ones this author has and their variation of these stories seem very lacking and even repetitive as there was a story that was just a retelling of the first version of it that now lacks even more details then the first.

On another side rant, I appreciate when authors give their review feedback and notes to the stories, but this author.. even though they state once or twice that her family is from Iceland I felt like reading the words in the notes was very pessimistic and even disrespectful in some cases to the folklore tales and the people of Iceland in those times.

I normally don’t write reviews but this one just brought it out, and the only reason this book got 3 stars from me is the folktales themselves weren’t bad. These are versions of the full stories I’d read to my nieces and nephews.

[Eileen Breseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The true value in this little book is the author's comments which follows each short hidden people story. Explained from the perspective of the hard and miserable lives of the early Icelandic people & the harsh climate on their island, the highly restrictive church & civil laws, one gains insight to why the need for belief in a magical, other world of elves & other hidden (sometimes revealed) people living alongside.
Favorite quotes:
"This story thus makes abundantly clear that Icelandic elves were badass, and not of the airy-fairy, flit-among-the-flowers variety."
"As if it were not enough for mortal women to have sex with hidden men, hidden women to prey on mortal men, hidden men to make advance toward mortal women, hidden girls to give birth to children out of wedlock, - here we have ewes from the mortal world being knocked up by hidden rams. Is there no end to the debauchery?"

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was all set to like this one but, in the end, it was something of a disappointment. For starters, I planned to read this with the kids (aloud) and I spent my time editing it mid-sentence to avoid detailing sexual encounters between the hidden folk and other people. Secondly, two stories in this book are practically the same so I felt like the author wasn't very selective in choosing which tales to tell.

If you're looking for stories to read about Iceland's Hidden People I wouldn't say that this book should be skipped. I would, however, say to keep your expectations low and maybe just check it out from a library instead of purchasing it (as I did).