Elf

Nils Blommér (1816–1853) Painting located at the Stockholm National Museum

Poor little bird mocked by Richard Doyle

The elves are creatures from Norse and Germanic mythology. Originally it was a minor fertility deity and represented as young men and women, of great beauty, who live in forests, caves or springs. They were considered to be long-lived or immortal beings with magical powers.

Etymology

The word elf comes from Proto-Germanic *albo-z, *albi-z, and Old Norse álfr, the High Middle German elbe. The feminine in Spanish is "elfina/elfa", "elfinas/elfas" (in plural).

The primordial etymology may be the Proto-Indo-European root *albh- meaning "white", from which also comes the Latin albus &# 34;white".

The corresponding terms in the Germanic languages are:

• Nordic
  • Old Nordic: alfr, plural alfar.
  • Icelandic: alfar, alfolk and huldufólk (people hidden).
  • Danish: Elver, elverfolk or alfer
  • Norwegian: alv, alven, Alver, alvene / alvefolket
  • Swedish: alfer, Alver or älvor
• Western German
  • English: elf, elfen, elven Old English: ælf)
  • Dutch: elf, elfen, elven, alven (from middle Dutch): alf)
  • German: English: Elf (m), Elfe (f), Elfen elves. Male Elb is reconstructed from the plural by Jacob Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuchwho rejects Elfe as a recent anglicism (in 1830).

. Elb (m, plural Elbe or Elben) is a reconstructed term, while Elbe (f) is attested in Middle High German. Alb, Alp (m), plural Alpe has the meaning of "incubus" (Old High German alp, plural *alpî or *elpî).

• Gothic ♪ albs, plural ♪ albeis

Elves in Norse Mythology

The god Frey, lord of the elves of light.

The earliest preserved descriptions of elves come from Norse mythology. In Old Norse they were called álfar (singular, nominative case: álfr), and despite the fact that there are no older or more contemporary descriptions, the appearance of beings etymologically related to alfar in various later folklore strongly suggests that belief in elves was common among all Germanic peoples, and not limited to the ancient Scandinavians.

Although the concept itself is never clearly defined in extant sources, elves seem to have been conceived as powerful and beautiful beings or spirits. Myths about elves have never been recorded. Several famous men seem to have been raised to the rank of elves after their death, such as King Olaf Geirstad-Alf. The blacksmith hero Völundr (or Völund) is identified as 'lord, leader, or sage of the elves' (vísi álfa, from víss, "certain, wise") in the poem Völundarkvida. A second title of Völundr is more obscure: álfa ljóði, where the stem points to the poetic expression ljóðr or lýðr, "a people, people, men". This title has been interpreted as "leader of the álfar", but more likely as "one of the people of the álfar", indicating that Völundr he is one of them and not simply a human. In the Saga of Thidrek a human queen is surprised to discover that her lover who impregnated her is an elf and not a man. In the Hrólfs saga kraka a king named Helgi rapes and impregnates an elf woman dressed in silk.

Consequently, interbreeding between elves and humans is possible in Old Norse belief. The human queen who had an elf lover gave birth to the hero Högni, and the elf who was raped by Helgi gave birth to Skuld, who married Hjörvard, the murderer of Hrólfr Kraki. The Hrólfs saga kraka adds that since Skuld was a half-elf, she was highly skilled in sorcery (seid), and to the point that she was nearly invincible in battle. When her warriors fell, she would pick them up again so they could continue fighting. The only way to defeat her was to capture her before she could summon her armies, which included elven warriors.

There are also statements in the Heimskringla and Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar of a line of local kings who ruled Álfheim, corresponding to the modern Swedish province of Bohuslän and the Norwegian province of Østfold, and since they had elven blood, they were said to be more beautiful than most men.

The land ruled by King Alf was called Alfheim, and all its prole is related to the elves. They were more beautiful than anyone else...

The last king is called Gandalf.

In addition to these human aspects, they are described as semi-divine beings associated with fertility and ancestor worship. In this way, the notion of elf is similar to the animistic belief in spirits of nature and of the dead, common to almost all human religions; which also corresponds to the old Norse belief in dísir, fylgjur and vörðar (follower and protector spirits). Like spirits, elves were not bound by physical limitations and could pass through walls and doors, just as in Norna-Gests þáttr.

Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson refers to dwarves (dvergar) as "dark elves" (dökkálfar) or "black elves" (svartálfar); but it is uncertain whether this reflects Scandinavian belief as a whole, he refers to other elves as "light elves"; (ljósálfar), which has been associated with the elves' connection to Frey, the sun god (according to Grímnismál, Poetic Edda). Snorri describes the elves' differences this way:

"There [in heaven] is a place that is called the elves' home (Álfheimr). People living there are called elves of light (He's got a headache.). But the dark elves (Dökkálfar) live under the earth, and do not resemble them in appearance - and do not resemble in reality. The elves of light are brighter than the appearance of the sun, but the dark elves are blacker than the darkness itself." (Snorri, Gylfaginning 17, Edda prosaica)

"Sa er einn staðr þar, er kallaðr er Álfheimr. Τhaw byggvir fólk þat, er Ljósálfar heita, in Dökálfar búa niðri í jörðu, ok eru þeir olíkir þeim sýnum ok miklu olíkari kingndum. "Bring eru fegri in sýnum, in Dökalfar eru svartari in bik."

More evidence of the presence of elves in Norse mythology comes from skaldic poetry, the Poetic Edda and legendary sagas. In them, the elves are related to the Æsir, particularly by the common phrase 'Æsir and the elves', which presumably means 'all the gods'. Some scholars have compared the elves to with the Vanir. But in Alvíssmál ("Sayings of Alvíss"), the elves are considered to be distinct beings from the Vanir and the Æsir, as revealed by a series of comparative names in which one's own versions of various words are given for the Æsir, the Vanir, and the elves as a reflection of their individual racial preferences. It is possible that these words mark a difference in status between the greater fertility gods, the Vanir, and the lesser ones, the elves. The Grímnismál tells that the Van Frey was the lord of Álfheim ("world of the elves"), and home of the light elves. The Lokasenna tells how a large group of Æsir and elves had gathered at Ægir's court for a banquet. Several servants of the gods were present, such as Byggvir and Beyla, who belonged to Frey, lord of the elves, who were probably elves themselves, since they were not counted among the gods. Two other servants are also mentioned, Fimafeng (killed by Loki) and Eldir.

A poem from around 1020, Sigvat Thordarson's Austrfaravísur ('Verses from Journeys to the East'), mentions that, as a Christian, he was refused entry to a pagan residence, in Sweden, because an álfablót ("sacrifice to the elves") was taking place. However, there is no more reliable information about what an alfablót implies, but like other blóts, it is likely that it included food offerings.

In addition, in the Saga of Kormák there is evidence of the belief that sacrificing for the elves could heal serious combat wounds:

Τorvarð healed slowly; and when he could stop, he went to see chārðís, and asked him what could help him heal better.

"There is a hill," he replied, "not far from here, where elves have their shelter. Do with the bull that killed Kormák, and reden the hill with his blood, and make a feast with his flesh for the elves. So you'll be healed. "

German Elves

The original Germanic elves (Old Saxon alf; Middle High German: alb, alp; plural elbe, elber; Old High German alb, from the 13th century) are believed to have been light creatures that lived in the sky during the it was from Germanic paganism, and may have included dark elves or subterranean dwarves (as they were understood to be similar to the álfr of Old Norse mythology). In post-Christian folklore they began to be described as mischievous rogues who could cause disease in livestock and people, as well as cause bad dreams. The German word for nightmare, Albtraum, means "elf dream". The archaic form Albdruck means "elven burden"; nightmares were believed to be caused by an elf sitting on the chest of a sleeping person. This aspect of Germanic beliefs in elves corresponds similarly to Scandinavian beliefs in mara. It also bears some similarity to the legends about the incubi and succubi.

In the folklore of Denmark and Sweden elven kings appear very occasionally, but there is a predominance of female elves. In the Middle German Nibelungenlied era, a dwarf named Alberich plays an important role. Alberich whose name is literally "elf sovereign" It contributes even more to the confusion between elves and dwarves that comes from the Prose Edda. Through the French Alberon, the word entered the English language as Oberon – king of the elves and fairies in Shakespeare's play, A Night's Dream summer.

The legend of Der Erlkönig seems to have originated more recently in Denmark and Goethe based his poem on "Erlkönigs Tochter" ("Erlkönig's Daughter"), a Danish work translated into German by Johann Gottfried Herder.

The nature of Erlkönig has been the subject of several debates. The name literally translated from German would be "King Alder" more than his usual English translation of, "elf king" (which would be in German Elfenkönig). It has sometimes been suggested that Erlkönig is a mistranslation of the original Danish source ellerkonge or elverkonge, which in this case does mean &# 34;elf king".

According to German and Danish folklore, the Erlkönig appears as an omen of death, similar to the banshee in Irish mythology. Unlike Banshee, the Erlkönig only appears to a person about to die. Its shape and expression tells the person what kind of death he will have: an expression of suffering indicates a painful death, a peaceful one is a sign of a calm and painless death. This aspect of the legend was immortalized by Goethe in his poem Der Erlkönig, which would later be set to music by Franz Schubert.

In the first story of the Grimm brothers' fairy tale, Die Wichtelmänner, the protagonists that give the story its title are two little beings who help a shoemaker with his work. When he rewards his work with little clothes, they are so delighted, they run away, never to be seen again. Although the Wichtelmänner are similar to beings such as kobolds, dwarves and brownies, the protagonists of the story have sometimes been translated as elves.

Variations of the German elves in folklore include the tree people and the white ladies. Jacob Grimm does not directly associate them with elves, but other researchers see a possible connection to the glowing light elves of the ancient Norse.

Elves of literary fantasy

In fantasy novels and folklore, elves are often described as little people with pointy ears and mischievous personalities. In addition, in the most modern vision they are imperceptible, and they live in forests and other natural places; thus, they are mixed with goblins and other traditional fae beings. They also appear in ancient Spanish literature: in the Cantar de mio Cid, for example, there is a verse that alludes to the legend of the "caños de Elpha", that is, the "Elfa cave" where this strange character would be locked up, about whom little else is known.

To sinister dexan to Griza, that Alamos poblated; / there are cranks to Elpha ençerró (Song of My Cid, vv. 2694-5)

In their modern literary version, they are long-lived (they can live for millennia) or immortal and have magical powers, which they use to protect nature, in which they will continue when men have already disappeared, as the Italian romantic poet Giacomo Leopardi postulates in the "Dialogue between an elf and a gnome" (1824) of his Opúsculos morales / Operette morali (1834). Elves are mainly characterized by their pointy ears and large eyes. His tall stature and his agile and light movements are also distinguished. They possess great prowess with magic and superior strength to humans, as well as greater intelligence and good sense. Elves have always been related to nature and the appreciation they have for it. And they live to protect her with the help of their magic from dark beings. Elves are of a serious nature, although friendly. They are responsible, loyal and honest, above all. Like many of the fantastic beings, the elves think that humans are an inferior race, due to their lack of intelligence.

The elven race is said to have preceded Mankind (J. R. R. Tolkien) by a great number of millennia. They live in societies analogous to humans, with kings to whom they are subject. They love playing, dancing and singing. They often spend the whole night in tireless rounds interrupted only by the crowing of the rooster, fearing daylight and the gaze of humans. He who, at night, in a solitary plain, is fascinated by the beauty of his daughters and agrees to enter his circle, is lost. But the most frequent thing is that their dances do not have witnesses; in the morning the trace of their footsteps is only noticeable on the damp grass.

In high fantasy, elves are generally not hostile to humans, considering them inferior and of little importance. They often look down on the human species as inferior and barbaric, just as some look down on companion animals and other animals; the most extreme case of this can be found in Pratchett's elves, where they are beings without any kind of empathy or remorse, who treat humans (and everything in general, even themselves) as a source of entertainment, without giving too much importance to the type of entertainment they provide (music, dance, subjects to torture, etc.).

There are also dark elves (svartalfer in Norse mythology), who are twisted and evil. The elves are enemies of the orcs and goblins, and they tend to be permanently at odds with the dwarves.

Major modern releases

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien

A lord of the elves, just as Tolkien imagined.

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, elves, who call themselves Quendi in Quenya, are beings of great power, wisdom, and beauty; the first born of the so-called sons of Eru, since men would be the second to arrive in the world, are conceived in the third song with which the world was created, as told in the "Ainulindalë". They awoke for the first time when Varda, the Mistress of the Skies, a Valar female spirit, lit the stars and they awoke in Cuiviénen, a coastal region east of Helcar's inland sea. Since the first thing they saw were the stars, they love them above all things and adore Varda. These beings are immortal, they cannot die due to illness or old age, although they can die due to violence or, in extreme cases, sadness, and thus they return to the Mandos ranches where they await the end of time. For Tolkien, the elves are powerful beings, excellent musicians and craftsmen, although only the Noldor among them can surpass the mastery of the dwarves in metallurgy; Furthermore, the elves were the first creatures to create a spoken and written language, and in many cases the languages of Middle-earth derive from them. Sometimes they ally with men to face a common enemy, but generally they prefer to have little to do with them. According to Tolkien's work, these beings are "bound to the world", and unlike men who are gifted with the power to shape their own destiny and mortality, their destiny is tied to the song that created the world.

In the Harry Potter saga

In the Harry Potter saga appear those who are defined as house elves, faithful servants of wizards and witches from the magical high society, unconditionally obeying the wishes and orders of their masters. They have little explained magical powers (among them the ability to appear and disappear), and they wear dirty and unkempt clothing. They are repressed and consider it a great shame to be freed, but they can be freed if their master gives them an item of clothing, like in the second Harry Potter book, when he manages to put a sock in a book and thus free his master. one. It is the most degraded and horrifying example referred to, which is why some fans consider them an inferior and differentiated subspecies.

There are three main ones in this saga:

• Dobby
• Kreacher
• Winky

In The Legacy

Here, the elves are dexterous beings in control of nature, who have great skill and strength, and never die of age. This last characteristic was obtained from the dragons, because before they lived as long as humans, thanks to the fact that they manipulate the trees they were able to live forever.

When the elves arrived in their silver ships in Alagaësia, they became involved in Du Fyrn Skulblaka (the War with the Dragons). This war began when a young elf made the mistake of hunting down a dragon as if it were an ordinary animal. The dragons, outraged, slew the elf. But the slaughter did not stop there; the dragons united, and attacked the elves. Dismayed, they tried to stop the conflict, but found no way to communicate with the dragons. At first the elves only defended themselves, but the ferocity of the dragons meant that the elves had to attack to survive. This war would have lasted much longer if an elf named Eragon (who is not the protagonist of the saga) had not found a dragon egg.

No one knows how the egg got there, but Eragon thought it would mean a lot if an elf nurtured a dragon with care. When Eragon's dragon reached maturity, the two traveled to the dragons, and convinced them to end the war. Peace was consummated, but it was inevitable that tensions would start again. Both factions understood that a stronger alliance than a simple treaty was necessary. They decided to link the fates of elves and dragons with magic.

For nine years, the wisest and most powerful elven sorcerers prepared the spell. When it was ready, the dragons contributed enormous amount of energy that was required, and the elves, the structure of the spell, melting the souls of elves and dragons. The dragons gained the use of language and other tools of civilization, and the elves, the longevity of the dragons. Hundreds of years later, when humans arrived in Alagaësia, they were added to the spell.

They are immortal; they can only get sick from meat, or killed.

On Artemis Fowl

Unlike in other modern works, Eoin Collfer's elves are more like the short creatures of Irish mythology. They define themselves as Magical Creatures, despite living in a super-technological underground society. It is not known exactly what their average lifespan is, but it is much higher (by centuries) than that of humans. It has also been emphasized that their biological rhythm is slower than that of humans (it could be an attempt at a rational explanation), and that radioactivity is deadly in their case. They have magical powers that are quite limited by very precise rules, collected in the Book of Creatures, which could be compared to a Bible for lack of a better analogy.

The most prominent rules (that is, with a more direct influence on the plot) are:

• Creatures cannot enter human buildings without an explicit invitation from them, or they will suffer the consequences. (It seems silly, but this rule becomes a serious problem sometimes) This rule is only valid until book VI.
• In order to "reload" the magic level of a Creature, it is necessary to carry out a certain ritual in a place where an old oak and a clear stream a full moon night. No "scientific" explanation has been provided in this regard.
• Humans should not learn of the existence of the Magical Creatures. This rule is carried to the extent that the entire combat team referred below has satellite-activated self-destruct systems, which destroy the user's body.

The most well-known powers of the Creatures are the Encanta (a type of hypnosis much more advanced than what humans are used to), the universal and common to all power of healing, the gift of tongues, etc.

According to Collfer, these elves coexisted with Humanity on the surface of the Earth until around 7500 BC (according to human chronology, assuming Collfer gave the date "10,000 years ago") a war broke out between the Magical Creatures and the human species, whose dramatic end was the Battle of Taillite, probably happened in Ireland, with the Magical Creatures being defeated and forced to live underground. It is to be assumed that then they did not have the technology that they have now, because if it does not make sense that humans armed with bone spears and slingshots would defeat them despite having the advantage of magic. Of course, the human tradition was not slow to forget such a story and reduced them to the category of myths.

At the beginning of the XXI century, when the events of Artemis Fowl take place, these creatures inhabit a place called Haven City, below the British Isles; a place called Atlantis located under the Atlantic Ocean is also mentioned. The few descriptions of the habitat of these beings allow us to know that this city would be in a gigantic cavern, communicated by a network of tunnels with the surface and with other places (in the purest style of the subterranean world of Verne or Myst), where they have all kinds of advanced technology, from space shuttles (a mission to the far side of the Moon is mentioned) to solar-simulating lamps, through the most advanced equipment for espionage, memory wiping, and weapons based on nuclear energy (open contradiction with what was referred to above) or even the technology to stop time. In short, all the hardware of a futuristic movie company.

In Warcraft

In the world of the art of war, all elves are evolutions of trolls that mutated as they approached the well of eternity, the first being "Kal'dorei" (Children of the stars) or known by the rest of the races of Azeroth as Night Elves, Night Elves or Dark Elves who belong to the Alliance and live as refugees in the human capital Stormwind after the destruction of their home.

For various reasons or events, a long list of ethnic groups of this race appeared:

Ren'dorei "Children of the Void" or void elves are a group of exiled Sin'dorei belonging to the Alliance who are capable of controlling the forces of the void.

Quel'dorei "Wellborn" o High/High Elves are elves who left Silvermoon during the third war and decided not to leave the Alliance.

Sin'Dorei "Children of the Blood" o Blood elves are high elves who recaptured Silvermoon from the Scourge and accepted fel magic to satisfy her thirst for magic in order to survive. They adopted this name in honor of their fallen brothers. They left the Alliance after the near annihilation of their people by Arthas, a king of the Alliance; after being abandoned by it and after the attempted assassination of Garithos, a marshal of the Alliance, the surviving sin'dorei and their prince. Needing allies due to Kael'thas's betrayal, the blood elves join the Horde with the help of Sylvanas, an undead who was once a Silvermoon elf in life.