High School Dropouts Thrive At Elfschool'Big deal. I starred in Amelie.'
At Álfaskólinn (aka The Elfschool) you can earn a diploma in half a day. Which makes it ideal for Iceland's slackers who don't want to be bothered with a full day of classes and years of study in public schools. But don't think this is a frivolous certification. Rumor has it that many of Iceland's elite have built careers in banking, science, and even top positions in government with only an Elfschool diploma.
Trolls, fairies, dwarves & gnomesMagnús Skarphéðinsson
Álfaskólinn is the brainchild of Magnús Skarphéðinsson. He collects stories about trolls, fairies, dwarves, and gnomes. "Nearly seventy percent of our stories are about hidden people, because they are most seen here."
Magnús organizes five hour-long educational excursions for visitors, and finishes the tour with coffee and pancakes at the school. And despite never advertising his school, Magnus typically gets 5-10 people per excursion. Since opening in 1991, over 9,000 people, most of them |
foreigners, have attended the school. The Álfaskólinn also provides aura readings and past-life explorations.
According to Magnús, these hidden people "are just the same size, and look exactly like human beings. The only difference is that they are invisible to most of us. Elves, on the other hand, aren’t entirely human. They’re humanoid, starting at around eight centimetres." He also claims there are gay and lesbian elves. Although it hasn't yet been reported if any of the elves and fairies have taken advantage of Iceland's favorable same-sex marriage law. But it just goes to show, elvin folk are just as topical as the rest of us.
The only question is, to what lengths would you go for a trip to the Elfschool? At least Suze Orman will tell you if you can afford it! |