Elf

Elf

Naming
Others	Álfr Elb
Binomen	N/A
Morphology
Body type	Humanoid
Average height	Varies
Intelligence
Sentience	Sentient
Sapience	Sapient
Aggressivity	Varies
Ecology
Place of origin	Álfheimr (possibly)
Habitat	Woodlands
Locomotion	Bipedal
Lifespan	Varies (typically very long-lived)
Subspecies	Light Elves Dark Elves
Related species	Alp, Duende, Dwarf, Fairy, Goblin, Imp, Nisse
Status	DD
Behind the Scenes
Universe	Real

Tomtebobarn — Elves trying to play on a seesaw with a couple of Nisses in Elsa Beskow's *Children of the Forest* (1910). Notice that the Elves here are so light that eight of them aren't enough to match the weight of only two Nisses.

Elves (singular: Elf) are a legendary species of magical humanoids originating from Germanic folklore and also present in Norse mythology. Traditionally, they have been well-known for their beauty, their magical skills, and frequently displayed ambivalence towards humans, as they can be benevolent, antagonistic or neutral.

In the past, Elves have been accused of walking invisibly among humans, provoking illnesses and seducing people. At the same time, however, they seem to have been widely admired for their beauty and thought of as almost divine beings.

Nowadays, Elves have become one of the most popular races featured in fantasy fiction, and may be portrayed as diminutive mischievous tricksters or human-sized recluses from the woods. The former kind has also attained popularity as the cheerful assistants of Santa Claus, which make up the workforce of his toy factory.

In some works, the terms "Elf" and "Fairy" are used interchangeably, such as in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Types[]

Norse mythology makes a distinction between Light Elves (Ljósálfar) and Dark Elves (Dökkálfar). The former seem to resonate more with the traditional Germanic Elves and have been described as being "fairer than the sun". The Light Elves dwell in the realm of Álfheimr, which is regarded as one of the Nine Worlds sprouting from the world tree Yggdrasil.

The Dark Elves, as their name indicates, are dark-skinned subterranean dwellers and may in fact be just another name for the Dwarves, according to some scholars. The idea of referring to the subterranean Dwarves as "Dark Elves" wouldn't be out of place, given that they have indeed been referred to by the alternate name "Black Elves" (Svartálfar) in some sources.

Modern portrayals[]

In modern fantasy, Elves figure among the most commonly represented species and their portrayal is often inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's. They tend to be depicted as a mythical, magical, noble and long-lived race, and often display some sort of rivalry with Dwarves. Alternatively, works aimed at children may prefer to represent them as small and friendly (although often mischievous), and they're most often associated with Santa Claus. Their size and appearance varies, but they have been consistently represented with pointed ears which set them apart from humans.