Elves
The Elves in the Lore of the North are called, Alf ( Singular ) and Alfar ( Plural ) in Old Norse. In Old Saxon, they are called Aelf/Ylf ( Masculine ) and Aelfen/Elfen ( Feminine ).
There are a few compounds words with Alf as part of the word. They are Bergaelfen, Dunaelf(en), Muntaelfen ’Mountain Elf’, Landaelf ‘Land Elf‘ Feldaelf ‘Field Elf’, Waeteraelffen and Saeaelfen ’Water Nymphs’ and Wuduaelfen ‘Wood Spirits’ ( Simek, Dictionary of Northern Myothlogy pg. 73 ).
There are a few personnel names that contain Alf as part of their name. They are Aelfbeorht ‘Elf Bright’, Alfred ‘Elf Rede’ and Aelfgifu ’Elf Gift’ ( Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology pg. 73 and Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion pg. 110 ).
It is said that the Alfar are the male counter parts of the female Idises. Souls of the male forebears who see to the weal of their living kin ( Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion pg. 109 ).
There are three types of Elves spoken of in the Lore. They are Ljsoalfer ’Light Elves’, the Dokkalfar ’Dark Elves’ and the Svartalfar ’Black Elves’. The Ljosalafar and the Svartalfar were created from the maggots that ate the flesh of the Giant Ymir. When the Gods, Odinn, Vili and Ve killed Ymir to make the earth. The Gods saw that they were living. The Gods decided to give them form that was befitting to their natures. Some were of an evil mind and they were changed into the Svartalfar and were made to live under Midgard in Svartalfheim. And those of a good mind were shaped into Ljosalfar and they were given Alfheim to live out there lives. The Dokkalfar are the spirits of the mound-dead.
The Ljosalfar or Light Elves live in Alfheim. Alfheim is were the Vanir God Freyr has his Hall. It was given to Freyr when he cut his first tooth. It says in Hollander’s The Poetic Edda that “For Frey’s tooth-fee was fashioned of yore Alf-Home, as gift by the gods.” Freyr and the Alfar are both connected to the sun. Freyr by virtue of his power over rain, sunshine, and the earth, and the alfs througth the name which is given to the Sun in several texts; “Alfrodhull”, “Glory of the Alfs” ( Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion pg. 111 ).
Ljosalfer are tall skinny wights with shining white skin. They were thought of as wights of the air and of the sun. They were helpful and friendly to the folk. They would sometimes give food or drink to people who did them a favor. To some they gave dried leaves or wood chips, that would later turn to gold. To refuse these gifts would greatly insult the Ljosalfar. To refuse these gifts would greatly insult them.
The Dokkalfar or Dark Elves live in burial mounds. They are often called Mound-Alfs. They are the spirits of the dead who are buried there. Sometimes they live in in trees and stones and may be spirits without a home. The Mound-Alfs protect their kin and the land that they lived on. People would bring food and drink to offer the Alfar at certin trees or stones in which they lived. They would leave the food and drink at those sacred places or eat in honor of the Alf living there.
The Svartalfar or Black Elves live in Svartalfheim down underneath Midgard. They are of the race of Dwarves. They are very talented smiths. Loki once had got the dwarves Called The Sons of Ivaldi to make some gifts for the Gods. They had made fine Golden Hair for Sif. And they made Odinn’s Spear Gungnir and Freyr’s folding Boat Skidbladnir. Loki also had gotten the dwarves Brokk and Eitri into a contest with The Sons of Ivaldi. Brokk and Eitri made Thor’s Hammer Mjollnir. Then they had made a Golden Ring for Odinn, called Draupnir and a Golden Boar for Freyr called Gullinborsti.
If the dwarves are caught out of doors when Sunna rises in the morning they turn into stone. In Larrington’s translation of The Poetic Edda, it says in All-wise’s Sayings stanza #35 that “day dawns on you now, dwarf, now sun shines into the hall”. The dwarf All-wise had taken Thor’s daughter Thrud and wanted to marry her. So Thor had kept him out all night in a contest of knowledge.
By: Robert James Etter June 16, 2007