In Norse mythology, the Svartálfar ("black elves") or Døkkálfar ("Dark elves") are supernatural beings (Old Norse "vættir," wights) that are said to reside in the underground world of Svartálfaheim. They, like the trolls, are often correlated with the dvergar ("dwarves") and their home is often considered to be the same as Niðavellir, an area beneath Midgard.
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Dwarves as black elves
Svartálfar acquired their name because they were seen as the light-avoiding counterparts to the common elf, living in Álfheim. Snorri Sturluson, the presumed author of the Prose Edda, at times refer to the light elves as Ljósálfar.
The term black or dark elf might rather be suggestive of their place of residence than of their presumed nature, although they are described as greedy and troublesome for humans, in comparison to the prestigious (light) elves. Besides their underground lives, Svartálfar had many of the same traits attributed to them as the dwarves. These include growing from the maggots of Ymir's flesh, turning to stone when exposed to daylight, and being human-like, but ugly and misshapen.
Kevin Crossley-Holland states that:
"No valid distinction though can be drawn between the dwarfs and the dark elves; they appear to have been interchangeable."[1]
Confusion between unrelated, mythologic entities does arise over time, for example in the stories of the trolls (ogre-like beings that are also confused with dwarves).
Later influences
Like many mythological elves, regardless of morality (though much closer to the dire varieties in particular), dark elves are often said to be responsible for many of the maladies befalling humanity. In particular, bad dreams are said to be within the domain of the Dökkálfar, as indicated by the German word for nightmare, Albtraum ("Elf-dream"). It is said that the dark elves will sit upon the dreamer's chest and/or whisper the bad dreams into the sleeper's ears. In Scandinavia, the creature responsible for this is known as the Mara. In Danish for example the translation of nightmare is "mareridt". Mare referring to the Mara, and Ridt coming from the verb "at ride" meaning "to ride".
In popular culture
The history of the Elves in Tolkien's legendarium presents an explanation of the division into light, dark and black elves. By a historical "sundering", they become divided into the Calaquendi or "Elves of Light" who have seen the light of the Two Trees of Valinor and the Avari who refused to go to Valinor. Between the two extremes are the Grey Elves or "Elves of the Twilight". The title "Dark Elf" in Tolkien is given to an individual elf of the Avari, Eöl, who had close associations with the Dwarves.
In the Dungeons & Dragons module Descent into the Depths of the Earth, dark elves have little in common with the dark elves of legend, being rather evil opposites of the elves.
See also
References
- Wikisource:Prose Edda/Gylfaginning (The Fooling Of Gylfe) by Sturluson, Snorri, 13th century Edda, in English. Accessed Apr. 16, 2007
- Gylfaginning in Old Norse[1] Accessed Apr. 16, 2007.
- Marshall Jones Company (1930). Mythology of All Races Series, Volume 2 Eddic, Great Britain: Marshall Jones Company, 1930, pp. 220-221.
- Wikisource:Prose Edda/Gylfaginning (The Fooling Of Gylfe) by Sturluson, Snorri, 13th century Edda, in English. Accessed Apr. 16, 2007.
- Gylfaginning in Old Norse[2]) Accessed Apr. 16, 2007.
- Bulfinch, Thomas (1834). Bulfinch's Mythology. New York: Harper & Row, 1970, p. 348. ISBN 0-690-57260-3.
- Marshall Jones Company (1930). Mythology of All Races Series, Volume 2 Eddic, Great Britain: Marshall Jones Company, 1930, pp. 220-221.
- ^ Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. London, 1980. p. xxi
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