trickstersmakethisworld: Scandinavian folklore – ElvesWhile Tolkien was heavily inspired by No
trickstersmakethisworld: Scandinavian folklore – ElvesWhile Tolkien was heavily inspired by Nordic folklore, his ubermenschen depiction of elves is incredibly different from the one in folklore. The elves of Scandinavia are beautiful to be sure, beautiful, terrible and cruel.Like most other creatures of myth they were rarely, if ever, seen in daylight. The fair folk lived underground, in the hills and mountains and only emerged in the early mornings or late evening when the sun already set. Instead you would most likely stumble upon them in the early morning dancing over fields covered in morning dew and mist.You would hear them before you saw them, hear their music and their laughter, but if you were unlucky their music would stay in your ears forever. And then you saw them, pale, beautiful girls in white dresses twirling through mist. You would want to follow them, to join in their dance, but any human who danced with the elves would inevitably fall seriously ill and die just a short time after.Even if you never encountered the actual elves, you could probably find signs of their presence, the most common one being the ‘’fairy ring’’, a circular formation of mushrooms, left by the fair folks dancing. Most people took great care to maintain a good relationship with the elves, because they could make your and your families lives miserable if enraged. People would leave needles, coins and other trinkets for the fair folk. In fact, archaeologist has found sacrificial sites, meant for the elves, in Scandinavia that date back to the Iron Age. -- source link
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