A closer look
Icelandic road construction projects are frequently delayed or completely rerouted to avoid disturbing heavy boulders that local folklore experts genuinely believe are inhabited by invisible, magical elves known as the Huldufolk. Rather than risk the supernatural wrath of imaginary subterranean creatures, the notoriously pragmatic government will literally hire self-proclaimed elf whisperers to negotiate with the rocks before authorizing any heavy machinery to dig up the dirt. For a country that is highly educated and technologically advanced, their absolute refusal to disrespect the mythical tiny people living in the moss is a hilarious juxtaposition of modern engineering and medieval superstition. It definitely gives tourists a bizarre thrill to realize the winding, inefficient highway they are driving on only curves because a civil engineer was deeply afraid of getting cursed by an invisible troll
