Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People - by Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This unique and enchanting book opens the door to a captivating world of Icelandic folk legends unfolding across six chapters, each based on a different setting: farm, wilderness, darkness, church, ocean, and shore. The anthology provides translated tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as introductions by the author that place these often supernatural happenings in the context of Icelandic society. The legends include tales of hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters, and even polar bears, exploring themes of love, revenge, and conflict. The book highlights the tension between Christianity and heathen beliefs, past and present, nature and humanity, and divides within society. Drawing from a wide variety of Icelandic sources, the book makes these colorful, entertaining, lively stories available to non-Icelandic speakers, many for the first time." --

Book Synopsis

From the land of the sagas, a collection of little-known, little tales from myth and lore--many available in English for the first time.

This unique and enchanting book opens the door to a captivating world of Icelandic folk legends unfolding across six chapters, each based on a different setting: farm, wilderness, darkness, church, ocean, and shore. The anthology provides translated tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as introductions by the author that place these often supernatural happenings in the context of Icelandic society. The legends include tales of hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters, and even polar bears, exploring themes of love, revenge, and conflict. The book highlights the tension between Christianity and heathen beliefs, past and present, nature and humanity, and divides within society. Drawing from a wide variety of Icelandic sources, the book makes these colorful, entertaining, lively stories available to non-Icelandic speakers, many for the first time.

Review Quotes

"Many of the legends assembled in Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People blend the otherworldly with the everyday. . . . Dagrún provides helpful context for these charming stories, which deserve a readership far beyond those murky Icelandic farms."

-- "Times Literary Supplement"

"One of the book's great strengths is the effort Dagrún has made to contextualise the tales within Icelandic social history. . . . These are vividly told, sometimes brutal, sometimes hilarious tales which offer a wonderfully representative and engrossing conspectus of the long Icelandic past."

--Carolyne Larrington "Fortean Times"

"In Icelandic culture from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and well into the twentieth century, ghosts, trolls, and the hidden people were an integral part of everyday life. Stories of these beings were shared during the long nights at the so-called winter-evening gatherings (kvöldvaka), and these creatures felt just as real to Icelanders as the people sitting beside them. In this remarkable book, readers are invited into that world through the stories told during those times, brought to life and expertly analyzed by one of Iceland's most promising young folklorists, Jónsdóttir. With her insightful commentary, she offers a deeper understanding of these tales and their significance. This is a book no one with an interest in the world of northern European folklore should miss."--Sigurður Gylfi Magnússon, professor of cultural history, University of Iceland

"Jónsdóttir has selected here nineteenth-century Icelandic legends that offer insights into past beliefs, social attitudes, and daily life. They reveal views on gender, class, and traditions in rural households. Her commentary provides a deeper understanding, offering a historical perspective from the common folk's viewpoint."--Rósa þorsteinsdóttir, associate research professor in folkloristics, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies

"Richly illustrated and accompanied by carefully researched contextual material, this book opens a gateway into the wonderful world of Icelandic folk belief of the past, providing access to a number of narratives that have previously only been accessible to those who speak Icelandic. Jónsdóttir invites readers to enter a shadowy world of Nordic darkness, mystery, and enchantment; unforgettable surroundings populated by powerful nature spirits, lovelorn ghosts, vengeful outlaws, and marauding monsters."--Terry Gunnell, professor emeritus in folkloristics, University of Iceland

"The line between the natural and supernatural is blurred in Iceland, where, for over a millennium, farmers and fishermen have eked out an existence and told stories about wizards, hidden folk, ghosts, murderers and trolls. Jónsdóttir's selection of these Icelandic folk legends immerses the reader in a perilous landscape and provides glimpses into the dangers of the unpredictable behaviors of supernatural beings, while capturing the evolving role storytelling plays in understanding the world around us and the ways in which legend creates meaning for its tellers and audiences alike. Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People is a masterful and much needed addition to our growing scholarship on Icelandic and Nordic folklore and will delight readers of all ages and backgrounds. Oh, and be very careful when driving past Skriðinsenni . . ."--Timothy R. Tangherlini, professor in the Department of Scandinavian, University of California, Berkeley, and author of "Danish Folktales, Legends and Other Stories"

About the Author

Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir teaches folkloristics at the University of Iceland and has published widely in the field of Icelandic folk legends.