Mar 21, 2025 · In the British Isles, flint implements called elf-bolts, elf-arrows, or elf-shot (which are now known to be prehistoric tools used by the aboriginal Irish and the early Scots) were believed to be the weapons with which elves injured cattle. Elves occasionally also were benevolent and helpful.

An elf (pl.: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda.

English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the region's mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, dance, balladry, and folktales that have been passed down through generations, reflecting the cultural heritage of …

Jun 1, 2017 · From this limited evidence it may be possible to postulate a basic Anglo-Saxon mythology of an Elf-home, divided between the good (white) elves and the bad (black) elves. Beyond that, it is not safe to go.

Jul 15, 2024 · Elf. Originating from north Germanic folklore as well as in Iceland’s Prose Edda, they are referenced in James I defining book on all things supernatural, Daemonologie. Seen as beautiful beings, they lived in places of great beauty too, reflected in Old English words like aelfsciene (“elf-beautiful).

In the British Isles, elves from folklore encapsulate a rich tapestry of magic and mischief. These mystical beings come primarily in two types: the Seelie Court elves who are generally benevolent, and the Unseelie Court elves, who indulge in darker deeds.

Expert naturalist John Wright gives his absolutely factual and not-at-all invented species guide to elves. Find out about their habitat, diet, language, population size and role in popular folklore.

Hall, Alaric T.P. (2004) The meanings of elf and elves in medieval England. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow. This thesis investigates the character and role of non-Christian belief in medieval societies, and how we can reconstruct it using written sources.

Anglo-Saxon elves [Old English ælfe] are one of the best attested non-Christian beliefs in early medieval Europe, but current interpretations of the evidence derive directly from outdated nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholarship.

Jan 7, 2020 · Reconstructing the early concept of an elf depends largely on texts, written by Christians, in Old and Middle English, medieval German, and Old Norse. These associate elves variously with the gods of Norse mythology, with causing …