Wait, Do Elves Exist? Iceland Thinks So (And Maybe You Should Too)

If you walked up to a random person on the street right now and asked them if they believe in elves, they'd probably give you a look that says, "Did you eat one too many cookies?" We're not talking about Legolas or the folks from Middle-earth; we're talking about the actual, mythical kind. But here’s the kicker: If you asked that very same question in Iceland, many people might actually say yes. Over the years, numerous polls have shown that a majority of Icelanders believe in elves, or the "hidden folk," to some degree. This belief isn't just a quaint fairy tale, either. A few years back, a judge literally halted the building of a road in Iceland because it was thought it might disturb elves living in the area. That's real-world impact!

So, do elves exist? I'm not here to tell you what to think, but I am asking you to keep an open mind and check out these five intriguing accounts of "little people" encounters from around the globe.

1. The Cherokee and the Foot-Tall Mummy

Many Native American tribes have histories that speak of little people. The Cherokee Native Americans, for example, spoke of the Yûñwï Tsunsdi’, which translates to "little people." They were described as kind, helpful beings that barely reached a man's knee. Similarly, the natives of Hawaii spoke of the Menehune, a plentiful race of little people who were master builders, fishers, and farmers. The Shoshone natives of Wyoming spoke of the Nimerigar, whom they greatly feared offending, as they were known to shoot people with arrows. In 1932, a remarkable discovery was made near where the Shoshone lived: a mummy was found in the Pedro Mountains. It was just over a foot tall. It was examined by Harvard University and the American Museum of Natural History and was originally identified as a 65-year-old man. Though the mummy was later lost after one of its owners died, other people in the region have told stories of finding similar tiny mummies, as documented in local folklore books.

2. A Burial Site of "Pygmy Race" in Ohio

Back in 1837, the American Journal of Science published a truly strange account of a discovery made in Coshocton, Ohio. The report noted that from some remains of wood, the bodies seemed to have been deposited in coffins. But here’s the wild part:

"...the bodies buried here were generally not more than from 3 to 4 and a half feet in length. They are very numerous, and must have been tenants of a considerable city, or their numbers could not have been so great."

The account states that a large number of graves were opened, and the bodies were all from this "Pik-me race" (or pygmy race). Similar burial grounds were apparently found in Tennessee and near St. Louis, Missouri.

3. Bulldozers Baffled in Iceland

We can't talk about elves without circling back to Iceland. In 1996, an attempt to bulldoze a hill in Kópavogur, Iceland, was explicitly halted. The hill was supposed to be cleared for a graveyard, but it was believed to be occupied by elves. During the operation, two bulldozers inexplicably malfunctioned. Then, TV cameras trying to film the event also mysteriously malfunctioned, completely unable to focus on the hill! In a move that sounds straight out of a movie, elf communicators (yes, they do exist) were called in. They were apparently able to reach an agreement with the elves, who decided to leave. After the agreement was reached? The machinery started working again. This event was even reported by the New York Times!

4. An Elvish Gathering in South Africa

Steven Wagner, a paranormal investigator and author, shared an interesting story in an article about multiple elf encounters. One was from a man named Paul in South Africa in 1986. Paul was hiking near the Mangrove Swamps Nature Reserve with a group of friends around 6:00 p.m. when they came across an open space with distinct rock formations. Paul told Wagner:

"We looked around and witnessed little people sitting on the illuminated rock formations and others who were interacting with each other."

The experience lasted only about 10 seconds, but Paul estimated there were 20 to 30 of these little people. When they returned to the spot later, the lights, the rock formations, and the little people were all gone.

5. The "Hobbits" of an Indonesian Island

In 2004, something truly scientifically stunning was found: the fossils of small humanoid beings on the remote Indonesian island of Flores. These beings, named Homo floresiensis but better known as The Hobbit, stood only about 3 feet tall. The scientific journal Nature explained that bones from several individuals were uncovered, proving this wasn't just a fluke. This was a society of people consistently this size, not an anomaly. They were a separate species of ancient human.

So, where does that leave us?

I’m an extremely open-minded person about these things. To me, anything is possible. Do I think elves are sitting around baking cookies in a treehouse? Probably not, though that would be really cool! But I can't stand here and tell you without a doubt that things like elves don't exist. I don't know that, and I don’t think science has a full picture yet. Anyway, that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think! Do you believe that elves exist, or have you ever seen one?