-
The Little Book of the Hidden People: Twenty Stories of Elves from Icelandic Folklore
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Social Sciences
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws, and Things Unseen
- By: Alda Sigmundsdóttir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Icelandic nation has a long and rich history of storytelling. Throughout centuries characterized by hardship, poverty, and dark winters, the Icelanders kept their spirits high and moral values intact by telling each other stories. In this collection of 15 Icelandic folk legends, we get a glimpse of the world view of the Icelanders in centuries past as they endeavored to understand and cope with the natural phenomena around them. There are stories of malicious ghosts, outlaws living in carved-out boulders, hidden people residing in grassy knolls...
-
-
A Treat
- By J. Jones on 01-06-21
-
The Complete and Original Norwegian Folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe
- By: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe, Tiina Nunnally - translator, and others
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Magic and myth inhabit these chapters in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. These stories, set in Norway's majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe.
-
-
I love these stories!
- By Taylor on 12-26-21
By: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, and others
-
The Little Book of the Icelanders
- 50 Miniature Essays on the Quirks and Foibles of the Icelandic People
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After more than 20 years away, Alda Sigmundsdottir returned to her native Iceland as a foreigner. With a native person's insight yet an outsider's perspective, Alda quickly set about dissecting the national psyche of the Icelanders. This second edition, from 2018, contains new and updated chapters from the original edition, reflecting the changes in Icelandic society and among the Icelandic people since the book was first published in 2012.
-
The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christmas in Iceland is special. Ask any Icelander and they will tell you. It is a time of year when everything pulsates with vibrant activity, and the nation delights in those festive traditions that make them a tribe. Music is all around, friends gather, restaurants are filled with people partaking of festive Yuletide offerings, authors are out and about reading from their new works. Everything pulsates with a vibrant, happy energy. There is even a word for the gleeful excitement one feels when waiting for Christmas — jólaskap, literally “Christmas mood”.
-
-
Christmas time, the crazy time
- By Jutta Müller on 12-28-20
-
Nordic Tales
- Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark
- By: Chronicle Books
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner, Juha Sorola
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trolls haunt the snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea. A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear. This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century, and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy, and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime listen.
-
-
Really fun
- By Olivia on 10-14-19
By: Chronicle Books
-
The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland
- Tips, Tricks, and What the Icelanders Really Think of You
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iceland is in the midst of an unprecedented tourist boom that has brought wealth to the country, but also myriad issues and challenges. Through a series of short essays, this book provides a unique insight into the social and environmental impact that tourism is having on Iceland. With wit and intelligence, it offers invaluable tips for touring safely, responsibly, and in harmony with the locals.
-
-
Thoughtful, well-written, wryly humorous
- By bookish on 11-05-20
-
Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws, and Things Unseen
- By: Alda Sigmundsdóttir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Icelandic nation has a long and rich history of storytelling. Throughout centuries characterized by hardship, poverty, and dark winters, the Icelanders kept their spirits high and moral values intact by telling each other stories. In this collection of 15 Icelandic folk legends, we get a glimpse of the world view of the Icelanders in centuries past as they endeavored to understand and cope with the natural phenomena around them. There are stories of malicious ghosts, outlaws living in carved-out boulders, hidden people residing in grassy knolls...
-
-
A Treat
- By J. Jones on 01-06-21
-
The Complete and Original Norwegian Folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe
- By: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe, Tiina Nunnally - translator, and others
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Magic and myth inhabit these chapters in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. These stories, set in Norway's majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe.
-
-
I love these stories!
- By Taylor on 12-26-21
By: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, and others
-
The Little Book of the Icelanders
- 50 Miniature Essays on the Quirks and Foibles of the Icelandic People
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After more than 20 years away, Alda Sigmundsdottir returned to her native Iceland as a foreigner. With a native person's insight yet an outsider's perspective, Alda quickly set about dissecting the national psyche of the Icelanders. This second edition, from 2018, contains new and updated chapters from the original edition, reflecting the changes in Icelandic society and among the Icelandic people since the book was first published in 2012.
-
The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christmas in Iceland is special. Ask any Icelander and they will tell you. It is a time of year when everything pulsates with vibrant activity, and the nation delights in those festive traditions that make them a tribe. Music is all around, friends gather, restaurants are filled with people partaking of festive Yuletide offerings, authors are out and about reading from their new works. Everything pulsates with a vibrant, happy energy. There is even a word for the gleeful excitement one feels when waiting for Christmas — jólaskap, literally “Christmas mood”.
-
-
Christmas time, the crazy time
- By Jutta Müller on 12-28-20
-
Nordic Tales
- Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark
- By: Chronicle Books
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner, Juha Sorola
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trolls haunt the snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea. A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear. This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century, and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy, and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime listen.
-
-
Really fun
- By Olivia on 10-14-19
By: Chronicle Books
-
The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland
- Tips, Tricks, and What the Icelanders Really Think of You
- By: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Narrated by: Alda Sigmundsdottir
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iceland is in the midst of an unprecedented tourist boom that has brought wealth to the country, but also myriad issues and challenges. Through a series of short essays, this book provides a unique insight into the social and environmental impact that tourism is having on Iceland. With wit and intelligence, it offers invaluable tips for touring safely, responsibly, and in harmony with the locals.
-
-
Thoughtful, well-written, wryly humorous
- By bookish on 11-05-20
-
Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland
- By: Lisa Schneidau
- Narrated by: Joan Walker
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The islands of Britain and Ireland hold a rich heritage of plant folklore and wisdom, from the magical yew tree to the bad-tempered dandelion. Here are traditional tales about the trees and plants that shape our landscapes and our lives through the seasons. They explore the complex relationship between people and plants, in lowlands and uplands, fields, bogs, moors, woodlands and towns.
-
-
fantastic read
- By Laura on 07-24-21
By: Lisa Schneidau
-
How Iceland Changed the World
- The Big History of a Small Island
- By: Egill Bjarnason
- Narrated by: Einar Gunn
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Ian D. Jones on 06-01-21
By: Egill Bjarnason
-
Pimsleur Icelandic Level 1 Lessons 1-5
- Learn to Speak and Understand Icelandic with Pimsleur Language Programs
- By: Pimsleur
- Narrated by: Pimsleur
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This course includes lessons 1 through 5 from the Icelandic Level 1 program, featuring 2.5 hours of language instruction. Each lesson provides 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation and new vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. Practice for vocabulary introduced in previous lessons is included in each lesson.
-
-
Don't Waste Your Time & Money
- By Heather on 01-22-19
By: Pimsleur
-
Between Worlds
- Folktales of Britain & Ireland
- By: Kevin Crossley-Holland
- Narrated by: David Shaw-Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ancient, rich, and strange, this collection of eerie tales from across Britain and Ireland have influenced our culture and the folklore that followed.
-
-
The narrator is awesome!!!
- By heather pinson on 10-12-20
-
The Scottish Fairy Book
- Collection
- By: Elizabeth W Grierson
- Narrated by: Steven Cree
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of 28 Scottish fairy tales, perfect for children (and adults) of all ages. Herein you will find what may be called Celtic stories, which were handed down for centuries by word of mouth by professional storytellers who went about from clachan to clachan in the Highlands and Islands, earning a night's shelter by giving a night's entertainment.
-
-
Eerie and beautiful.
- By lisa stevens on 09-27-19
-
The Vikings in Iceland: The History of the Norse Expeditions and Settlements Across Iceland
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Dan Gallagher
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Vikings in Iceland: The History of the Norse Expeditions and Settlements Bcross Iceland looks at the history of the Vikings’ activities in Iceland, and how they affected subsequent exploration and colonization. You will learn about the Vikings in Iceland like never before.
-
-
Great history lesson
- By Lance H. on 02-09-21
-
Taking Up the Runes
- A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic
- By: Diana L. Paxson
- Narrated by: Rebecca Mitchell
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Diana Paxson has distilled her years of experience working with the runes and teaching others into this one definitive sourcework. In a series of chapters dealing with rune pairs, listeners will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture. But as Paxson shares, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and strength.
By: Diana L. Paxson
-
Celtic Mythology
- Dive Into the Depths of Ancient Celtic Folklore, the Myths, Legends & Tales of the Gods, Goddesses, Warriors, Monsters, Magic & More (Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Wales)
- By: Sofia Visconti
- Narrated by: Adrianne Moore
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With this book you will hear about heroic stories of gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, fairy tales, and epic tales of love and betrayal. Misty rolling hills, lochs, rugged mountains, and mysterious creatures form the grounds for the myths and legends. This audiobook covers all this and much more, including Celtics beliefs, ways of worship, and rituals; the mysterious tombs of the Celtics and how they aligned with the stars; how nature and her sacred creatures have shaped Celtic culture; and more.
-
-
Recommended reading
- By Beeze Silvain on 01-17-21
By: Sofia Visconti
-
Russian and Bulgarian Folk-Lore Stories
- Translated from Karel Erben’s One Hundred Popular Slavonic Folk-Lore Stories, with Notes, Essays, etc.
- By: Karel Erben
- Narrated by: Russell Stamets
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This small volume completes the translation of Karel Erben’s A Hundred Genuine Popular Slavonie Fairy Stories. The first volume, Segnius Irritant, maps out, so to say, the primitive folklore weather myth of which nearly the whole of the succeeding 92 stories are wholly or in part reproductions.
-
-
The real deal, including Baba Yaga
- By Nestagf6 on 05-02-21
By: Karel Erben
-
The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
- The Complete First Edition
- By: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, Jack Zipes - translator/editor
- Narrated by: Joel Richards, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style.
-
-
Very good. Here is a tracklist.
- By Elnath Alpheratz on 10-26-19
By: Jacob Grimm, and others
-
Bedtime Meditation Stories for Kids
- A Unique Short Fairy Tales Collection with Positive Affirmations to Help Children & Toddlers Fall Asleep Fast and Learn Mindfulness
- By: Gwenda Scott
- Narrated by: Orlena Cain
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Studies have shown that if you meaningfully communicate with your child, they will gradually become attuned to you. True education begins when parents impart valuable life lessons to their child in a way that they understand. An amazing transformation occurs within such children when they are told fantastic stories on topics that involve hope, courage, patience, and empathy. This wonderful book is a collection of many short stories on various positive themes that are specifically crafted to help children relax and become more restful.
By: Gwenda Scott
-
Seidr
- The Gate Is Open: Working with Trance Prophecy, the High Seat and Norse Witchcraft
- By: Katie Gerrard
- Narrated by: Leslie Howard
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate Is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of Seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices.
-
-
WOW
- By Drenen Tidwell on 04-01-21
By: Katie Gerrard
Publisher's Summary
Icelandic folklore is rife with tales of elves and hidden people that inhabited hills and rocks in the landscape. But what do those elf stories really tell us about the Iceland of old and the people who lived there?
In this book, author Alda Sigmundsdóttir presents 20 translated elf stories from Icelandic folklore, along with fascinating notes on the context from which they sprung. The international media has had a particular infatuation with the Icelanders’ elf belief, generally using it to propagate some kind of “kooky Icelanders” myth. Yet Iceland’s elf folklore, at its core, reflects the plight of a nation living in abject poverty on the edge of the inhabitable world, and its people’s heroic efforts to survive, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
That is what the stories of the elves, or hidden people, are really about. In a country that was, at times, virtually uninhabitable, where poverty was endemic and death and grief a part of daily life, the Icelanders nurtured a belief in a world that existed parallel to their own. This was the world of the hidden people, which more often than not was a projection of the most fervent dreams and desires of the human population.
The hidden people lived inside hillocks, cliffs, or boulders, very close to the abodes of the humans. Their homes were furnished with fine, sumptuous objects. Their clothes were luxurious, their adornments beautiful. Their livestock was better and fatter, their sheep yielded more wool than regular sheep, their crops were more bounteous. They even had supernatural powers: They could make themselves visible or invisible at will, and they could see the future.
To the Icelanders, stories of elves and hidden people are an integral part of the cultural and psychological fabric of their nation. They are a part of their identity, a reflection of the struggles, hopes, resilience, and endurance of their people. All this and more is the subject of this book.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about The Little Book of the Hidden People: Twenty Stories of Elves from Icelandic Folklore
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicholas C Cook
- 05-28-19
Fantastic
A very enjoyable and illuminating listen. A glance into a beautiful tradition and culture
of Iceland
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C Bilton
- 01-26-22
interesting fun and informative Tales from Iceland
I do love hearing the story read by an Icelander. the author's notes are interesting, insightful, and personable. It was a fun book to listen to and a joy for me to learn more about these Icelandic folk Legends.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Johanna
- 05-22-20
An Enchanting Book of Magic and Mystery
I have read many collections of folktales about elves, trolls, and fairy peoples yet this was one of the best. The stories are gripping, suspenseful, and humorous (often darkly so) with the author's notes at the end of each chapter, which offer context and interpretation in regards to Icelandic history. The narration is beautiful, just the right speed and easy to follow as an audiobook. I listened to the whole thing over a few days of walking outside. Then immediately bought another of her books. I highly recommend this book!
-
Overall
- Virginia A. Hipszky
- 07-22-19
Love this book
Iceland is a gorgeous place like nowhere else on earth. I enjoyed hearing all of these stories. When I lived there in a very rural area it was easy to believe in elves. Especially if you are miles from other people and things are always getting moved around the house or yard. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- GHC007
- 06-12-19
pure enjoyment
The stories were simple and rich at the same time. loved listening to the crisp clear voice in a beautiful cadence. The introduction felt long at first and I wanted to get to the tales, but once the tales started I was entranced and appreciated some of the explanations given.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gerald T. Walford
- 09-03-19
Enchanting
Enchanting...and NOT just in the elvish way! I loved the humanity and the understated drama within the deceptively simple narratives. Then there are the notes which add yet more layers of meaning to the stories. Alda Sigmundsdottir has a great voice to listen to: warm, direct, and accessible, and her message is a powerful one: Icelandic elves are not cutesy, quirky escapism. They're something rather more than that: a mental map and reference point for the old Icelanders, and a way of making life in the farthest North more bearable through the long wintertimes. As such their alive with coded messages, ideals and issues. A real joy to listen to! I still can't tell you why exactly these stories from so long ago and so far away have such an ability to draw you in: there's strangeness for sure, but also shocks of recognition and connection. Anyway, I loved this, and have downloaded Alda's other book from audible on the strength of it. Amazing!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Miss Jennings
- 07-15-19
Fascinating folk tales and history from Iecland
If you've ever seen any of those media stories about "those quirky Icelanders and their belief in elves", this book will teach you the rich literary tradition and harsh reality behind those stories. It's also fantastic to have a native speaker read the Icelandic words, place names, etc. Definitely recommend!