Museum of Hidden Beings

Throughout the centuries, the people of Iceland have told stories of their encounters with hidden beings. Accounts of these creatures have been recorded, and collected from the 13th century to the present day. The most common of these refer to various types of elves, ghosts and monsters of land and sea.

In the Museum of Hidden Beings, artist Arngrímur Sigurðsson reaches into this vast and complex fantasy world, creating a fresh vision of this strange zoo of the imagination.

Meet the Finngálkn, a halfbreed of man and beast. The Kráki, a giant octopus that preys on trawlers and oil rigs. The Lyngbakur, a giant immortal whale, that travels the seas disguised as an island, slurping up fishermen as he goes. The friendly Dagtröll and their hostile kinsmen, the Nátttröll that wander the mountains and deserted valleys. The Dwarfs and Elves that live in rocks and crannies. Milk Fetchers, Spirits, and the mythical kingdom of Tröllbotnaland. These beings and many more take shape in the oil paintings found in this book. Based on true stories and eyewitness accounts, they present a unique insight into the exotic and monstrous world of the past, and shed a light upon the culture that created these beings, and that has nurtured them until the present day.