Best of Q: Why do so many Icelanders believe in elves?
Journalist Ryan Jacobs explains why so many Icelanders believe in huldufolk (hidden people), also known as elves.
You might think of elves as Santa's cute little helpers, or characters in Lord of the Rings -- but in Iceland, elves are taken far more seriously. Recently, for instance, protesters railed against a road development partly because it might disturb the huldufolk (hidden people).
In a conversation from the Best of Q, Jian speaks to journalist Ryan Jacobs, who wrote about Icelandic elves for The Atlantic. They discuss elf society, their place in Icelandic culture and how the phenomenon affects outsiders' perceptions of the country.
The original segment aired November 14, 2013