Iceland is rich in folklore; its mountainous landscape, wide-open spaces, harsh climate and long winter darkness must have made it easy, in bygone times, to imagine ghosts, trolls and other supernatural creatures lurking around every corner. Educator and tale-teller Jón R. Hjálmarsson (1922–2018) retells many of the most famous of Iceland’s folktales and brings trolls and elves, wizards, mermen and a host of other mysterious beings to life.