This is the most awesome news story you'll read today.

[elisi]

Icelandic town hopes angry elves have been soothed by songs.

I'm not sure 'elves' is the right word, though. 'Little People' might be better. We have them in the Faroes as well - there are certain big stones which are Inhabited, and you do not mess with those stones. Which is why you'll get a harbour with A GIANT ROCK in the middle of it, f.ex. Once, when they were building a road, one of these stones were in the way, and rather than go around (it was on a hill, which made things rather complicated) they decided to just blow it up with dynamite. And after that the project was RIDDLED with mishaps and problems. At least one truck went off the road and into the sea. You might say 'co-incidence', but people (good, honest, 100% Christian people) will shake their head and say "Well..." and give you meaningful looks. You don't mess with the Little People.

(I obviously don't *believe* in the Little People. But... I'd not upset one of their stones.)

Comments

[jerusha]

You know...there are just some things you don't mess with, whether you believe in it or not. I believe that a scientific explanation exists for a lot of things, but that doesn't mean there's another explanation, like Little People.

[elisi]

Plus, what's the harm in being considerate? :)

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean... I grew up on stories about Menehune (the Hawaiian version of little people) and Taotao Mona (the Chamorro (i.e. Guamanian) version).

Although Taotao Mona are generally thought to be spectrally tall... they function the same way in mythology as little people everywhere else. They were really the ones I was aware of as a child (living on Guam, that's not terribly surprising) and I remember watching very carefully for trees they might inhabit and not disturbing them (Taotao Mona ate ants, so if a tree didn't have any ants, that generally meant it was inhabited). They were known for giving rather wicked bites, so we didn't take any chances!

[elisi]

Although Taotao Mona are generally thought to be spectrally tall... they function the same way in mythology as little people everywhere else.
I love how these things are almost the same wherever you go. Clearly there's something to it!

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

I saw that story linked somewhere else (Dave Barry's Blog maybe?) and actually wondered if you'd see it. It made me smile!

I do sort of think most of us have more superstitions than we probably want to admit. My very rational scientist dad had our well witched when we needed a new one. My mother roller her eyes, but went along.

[elisi]

I saw that story linked somewhere else (Dave Barry's Blog maybe?) and actually wondered if you'd see it. It made me smile!
My mother sent it to me! :) And she too believes. Just a bit.

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

Many years ago I visited the Isle of Man with a friend. We both went to stay with someone who lived there, and she took us to a glen. She warned us that we must say hello to the fairies. My friend was too rational to take any notice, and he refused. He bent over a brook to take a photograph, and immediately lost his lens cap downstream.

"Swines!" he muttered.

[elisi]

LOL! Oh that's brilliant! :D

[silverusagi]

They blew up a rock that was on A HILL?

[elisi]

Have you seen the Faroes? It's ALL hills. This gives you a good idea of an average road in the mountains.

[vocal-bard.livejournal.com]

This made my day. I had a professor in college who told us about similar rocks in Pakistan. They were pretty much identical, except that sometimes people disappeared into them.

[elisi]

I am happy to have made your day - it rather made mine too. :) And it's funny how similar all these legends are all over the world...

[promethia_tenk]

<3

This is one of those unrealized losses of living in America--our superstitions are all transplanted, and thus loose their power (which is the point of American Gods).

Best line: "The council failed to see the potential quirky PR value and refused to co-operate . . ."

*snerk*

[elisi]

This is one of those unrealized losses of living in America--our superstitions are all transplanted, and thus loose their power (which is the point of American Gods).
I really ought to read that...

And yeah, I keep trying not to call you all 'bloody Colonials'. ;)

[promethia_tenk]

I really ought to read that...
It's good. I enjoyed it. Not great, but good. And the premise really is kind of fascinating and brilliant. All the people who immigrated to America brought their gods and fairies and superstitions with them, but gods are sustained by belief, and divorced from their places of origin and the environments that supported them and concentrated pools of believers, they all faded in power and influence and are now living, forgotten, all over America, like so many Anyas from all over the world and all different cultures in a sort of sad, loose shadow society. I had to push myself to finish it, but I'm glad I picked it up.

And yeah, I keep trying not to call you all 'bloody Colonials'. ;)
I do respond to 'bloody Colonials.'

[elisi]

Sounds very interesting. Will have to see if I can get hold of it...

I do respond to 'bloody Colonials.'
Heh. The Brig will have to stand in for Giles, but I think they'd get along rather well. :)