Note: The story is based on Jón Árnason's Icelandic Folktales and taken from the book Hildur, Queen of the Elves, and Other Icelandic Legends retold by J. M. Bedell.
Once there were two brothers who constantly argued about whether or not elves really existed. One brother insisted that they did; the other insisted that they did not. Their argument continued for many years and became so intense that the brother who denied the elves’ existence became so angry that he decided to leave home. He announced to his family that he would only return when he knew for certain whether or not elves truly lived.
After making this declaration, the man took his dog and travelled over mountains, through the dales and across vast wasteland in search of the elves.
One New Year’s Eve, the traveller arrived at a farm. Instead of finding the household gaily celebrating the holiday, he discovered a group of very unhappy people. Curious to know why, he asked what was stopping them from enjoying such a happy occasion.
Their reply surprised the traveller. They were sad because no one could attend midnight Mass. For the past several years, anyone left guarding the farm on New Year’s Eve had disappeared while the others were away. Fearing it could happen again, no one ever stayed alone on the farm.
The young traveller laughed at the men for believing in such a silly superstition. Then he offered to guard the farm and prove that there was nothing to fear. The farmer accepted his offer and although he worried about what might happen later that night, he allowed everyone in the household to go to church.
Once he was alone, the traveller set to work. He went into the main room of the house, grabbed a plank from the wall and ripped it off. Then he slid behind the paneling and pulled the plank back into place, leaving a small opening so he could clearly view the entire room.
A few moments later, he heard noises and then footsteps coming into the house. A large number of men and women filtered into the room. Suddenly, to the young man’s horror, one of them picked up his dog and flung it to the ground. The dog landed so hard that even behind the paneling, he could hear its bones breaking.
The traveller held his breath when several of the strangers announced that they could smell a human. The others replied that it wasn’t unusual since the humans had only recently left for church. Content with that answer, they began setting up tables and covering them with gold embroidered cloth. On each table, they placed silver bowls, platters, and beautiful goblets and knives.
Before the visitors sat down to enjoy their splendidly prepared meal, they positioned a small boy in the doorway. He was to keep watch and tell them when dawn arrived. The boy popped in and out of the main room, each time announcing the number of hours left before daybreak.
Whenever the boy left his position, the young man behind the paneling silently loosened some of the framework from around the doorway.
When the banquet was finished, a man and woman walked to the front of the crowd. A third person, who was dressed like a priest, stood with them. The visitors began singing psalms like those sung at a marriage service in a Christian church. As soon as the marriage service was over, laughter filled the room and the floors vibrated from their dancing.
Some time later, the boy-guard reentered the main room. When asked how much of the night remained, he said that there was one watch left. At the same moment, the young traveller slipped out from behind the framework of the door and stood behind the boy. He yelled out, “He’s a liar! Daylight is filling the sky!” and then quickly slipped back behind the framework, into the wall, and out of sight.
The elves were so upset by the announcement that they killed the small boy. In a panic, they raced out of the house, leaving all their possessions behind.
The young traveller jumped out of the wall and chased after them. He followed the elves to a lake that lay near the farm. To his amazement, one by one the elves flung themselves into the water. When the last water-elf disappeared beneath the surface, the traveller returned to the farm and gathered up the leftover food and valuable dishes.
Shortly after dawn, the household returned from church. They joyfully greeted the young man and asked if anything unusual had happened during the night. He told them them the entire story. Apparently, the other men who were left to guard the farm must have been seen by the elves. And just like his dog, that mistake had cost them their lives.
The entire household thanked the young man for his services and rewarded him with as many of the elves’ valuables as he could carry.
The young man returned to his home. He told his family about his adventures and said that he would never again deny the existence of elves.
Years later, he married, inherited his parent’s farm, and lived a long and prosperous life.
And if you are wondering what happened at the farm where he spied on the elves, it is said that no man ever disappeared from there again.
The story is based on Jón Árnason's Icelandic Folktales and taken from the book Hildur, Queen of the Elves, and Other Icelandic Legends retold by J. M. Bedell.