Elf (folklore)

Elves have been described in a variety of different ways over the years, and each generation has its own variation of this folklore character. In Germanic folklore, the term referred to a spirit of some kind, a miniscule creature, often a tiny replica of the human form. Elves were portrayed as beautiful people inhabiting forests and other natural places, mostly immortal and having magical powers.

Over the years, elves have taken on the role of the industrious worker, full of ambition and righteousness, or as scary evil-doer with supernatural abilities that would secretly steal healthy human babies and replace them with some of their own. The most recent elves were those of J. R. R. Tolkien who wrote in his Lord of the Ring trilogy that they were good looking, lived underground, and were called High Fantasy Elves.

Something associated with elves or containing the qualities of elves is described as elven, elvish, elfin, or elfish.

History

The character of the elf changed many times over the centuries. The elf was often interchanged in stories and legends with fairies as they both possessed the same magical characteristics. Elves lived in forests and meadows and were known to be mischievous and troublemakers, usually with a playful and unpretentious intent. Elves have taken many forms—they could be tiny or tall, good looking or sinister, of human form or ghostlike.

The first mention of an elf can be found in early Norse mythology in the late 1400s, where it was commonly described as an almost God-like being associated with fertility. Elves were not bound by physical laws and could pass through walls and doors. They then appeared as the creation of Germanic paganism that thought them to be the creatures of light who lived in the heavens.

In Old English legends, elves were harmful creatures, and in German folklore, they were described as pranksters that caused disease to cattle and brought bad dreams to people. The German word for nightmare, Alptraum, means "elf dream."

More modern folklore, such as the Scandinavian, Danish, Icelandic, English, and Scottish varieties, gave the elf a more endearing persona. He was helpful, trustworthy, and usually on the right side of the law.

The fantasy genre in the twentieth century, where the elf played a prominent part, grew out of nineteenth-century Romanticism with writers such as the Grimm brothers collecting "fairy tales" from popular folklore and distributing them among the populace, which then became known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

These fantasy elves that were created at that time were wiser and had more beautiful features than humans, including their pointed ears. They were portrayed as smarter and more intuitive, with obscure powers and an appreciation for nature, song, and art. Some were accomplished archers, and others were seen as agile and athletic.

With the introduction of Tolkien’s trilogy in 1945, a somewhat different type of elves materialized with less supernatural characteristics and more angelic features. They were closer to human-sized, tall, and blond—a throwback to Scandinavian folklore. These elves were not immortal but could live hundreds of years.

Overview

The elf was once an important character in folklore. Depending on when it appeared and in which location, the elf took on particular features that suited the cultures of the people at that time. Elves were sometimes referred to as fairies, dwarves, gnomes, leprechauns, or pixies, but the elf always appeared in tales and stories as a special magical creature.

In Scandinavian folklore, elves were believed to be house gnomes who guarded homes against evil. If the homeowner was good, the elves were good to him, but if he didn’t behave, he was subject to their tricks and pranks. In fact, it was the Scandinavians who connected the image of the elf with the story of Santa Claus, bearer of toys and gifts for children along with his fleet of elf helpers.

Icelandic folklore considered the elf to be a special figure, and many of their stories involved elves and their relations with humans. Icelanders today maintain that the elf is an important part of their heritage. In 2007, the University of Iceland conducted a survey whereby students were asked if elves still existed. Eighty percent of the respondents insisted that elves might still exist although only 8 percent said so with absolute certainty.

To prove their continued connection with elves, a strange occurrence took place recently in Iceland. Plans to build a new road were held up by a group of Icelanders who were concerned that the construction would disturb the elves living in its path. The work was put on hold pending a solution.

When elves are mentioned in literature today, it is J. R. R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings trilogy that immediately comes to mind. Tolkien’s first work was The Hobbit, a novel written in 1937. In 1954, he released the first of the three books in his trilogy, The Fellowship of the Rings, which introduced the reader to a host of characters including several hobbits, small human-like folk with curly hair and hairy feet, and a many elves, one of which played a main role in the story.

Tolkien’s "Elves of the Middle Earth," as they were called, were most probably based on the elf-like figures in Norse mythology. They had the appearance of humans but were quite clever and had spiritual powers, were more perceptive, and felt a strong affinity to nature.

In the best-selling Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling, elves were referred to as slaves, resembling goblins rather than upscale fantasy creatures.

Elves have been brought back into the limelight lately with a variety of fantasy games such as Dungeons & Dragons, the Warcraft computer game series, and the Dark Age of Camelot, which features elves as a playable race in the realm of Hibernia. The elves in this game are based on the Celtic sidha but are more human-like than typical fantasy lore.

There are also several computer sites devoted primarily to elves that provide elf-aficionados with interesting blogs, forums, and discussions. And interactive fantasy games have become quite popular with players pitting "fake" elves against "real" ones and evil ones against respectable ones.

Bibliography

Cristea, Leo Elijah. Elves in Mythology and Fantasy. Fantasy Faction, 2 April, 2012. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Elf-Mythology." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2016. Web 17 May 2016.

"Elves." Norse Mythology for Smart People. Norse Mythology for Smart People, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

Gudmundur. "Elves in Iceland and Elf Belief." The Icelandic Horse Park Fakasel, 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Hobbits." Tolkiengateway-Celebrating 10 Years. Tolkien Gateway, 7 Dec. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.

Radford, Benjamin. "A History of Elves." Live Science. Live Science, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Sprites, Faeries & Pixies" The Pagan’s Path, Metaphysics 101. Springwolf’s Spiritual Educational Network, 11 June 2013. Web. 17 May 2016.

Zerrow, Xenon. "Elves: the real facts." Mythical Creatures Guide.com. Mythical Creatures and Beasts, 1 April 2014. Web. 16 May 2016.