Modern day perceptions of dwarves derive mostly from Tolkien's cosmology. In Gods and Creatures by SkjaldenJune 1, 2011. Theyre also extremely knowledgeable, wise, and magically powerful. See also Pygmy.). It has been proposed this may be because narratives typically centre on the gods rather than dwarfs and that female dwarfs were not conceived of as of great relevance to the gods, given their primary interest in obtaining goods from dwarfs, which does not depend on their gender. Among the many irreplaceable treasures created by them are: Mjollnir, the hammer of Thor; Gleipnir, the chain that bound the wolf Fenrir when all other fetters failed; Skidbladnir, a ship which belongs to Freyr and always has a favorable wind; Gungnir, the spear of Odin; Draupnir, a ring owned by Odin; the Brisingamen, a magnificent necklace owned by Freya; and the long, golden hair of Sif, Thors wife. They spontaneously generated, as maggots were thought to, in the dead flesh (earth or stone). [16] Opinions on the degree of continuity in beliefs on dwarfs before and after Christianisation differ greatly. The word dwarf appears in numerous forms in the old languages of Europe: In Middle Dutch is is dwerch, in contemporary Dutch it appears as dwerg; in Old High German it is twerg, while in Middle High German it is dwerch or dwarch. They prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. [35], In Middle High German heroic poetry, most dwarfs have long beards, but some may have a childish appearance. The typical fantasy dwarf is, like the original dwarves, short in stature, long-bearded and skilled at mining and metallurgy. They are wise, friendly, and talented craftsmen who can create magical objects. Dellinger meaning "the gleaming one like Clarus". Generally dwarves are described as shorter than humans, about the height of a three-year old human child (approximately three feet tall), ugly, big-headed, stockier, and hairier, and usually sporting full beards. [2] Although dwarrow has passed from the language, both "dwarfs" and "dwarves" are in current use. While the elves were tall and beautiful, the dwarves were almost grotesque. In Ynglingatal, it is told how King Sveigder is lured into a stone by a dwarf. In some societies dwarfs have served as favourites, jesters, or entertainers in the courts of sovereigns and the households of important persons. It has a variety of cognates in other Germanic languages, including Old Norse: dvergr [dwerz] and Old High German: twerg. The forests, mountains, and sea all seemed strange, dark, and magic, and because of that, we are now left with evil spirits and monsters who represent our own way of seeing nature. In Gods and Creatures by SkjaldenJune 1, 2011. Dwarf (folklore) Two dwarfs as depicted in a 19th-century edition of the Poetic Edda poem Vlusp (1895) by Lorenz Frlich. In one example, the heat of the furnace is believed to increase the fertility of the soil . Mare is a female Vette who gives people bad dreams at night by sitting on them in their sleep. They often appeared in ballads throughout Scandinavia, such as in Eline af Villenskov, Sir Thynne, and the Heimskringla, where they are described as friendly creatures that are often kind towards humans, incredibly wealthy and rich, but also very ugly. While their metalworking and names were Norse, however, some details were more in line with later Germanic folklore. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. While his brother Fafnir was cursed by the ring Andvarenaut and ended up turning himself into a dragon. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gives many of the dwarves names taken directly from the Norse Eddas. [72], The 8th century Ribe skull fragment, found in Jutland, bears an inscription that calls for help from three beings, including Odin, against either one or two harmful dwarfs. [7] The partial overlap of dwarfs in Eddic sources with elves is supported by the names of dwarfs recorded in the Dvergatal section of Vlusp, which include lfr ('Elf'), Gandlfr ('Wand-elf'), Vindlf ('Wind-elf'). 546pp.). [59], Dwarfs maintain their roles as reluctant donors of their possessions in some later Old Norse legends such as Volsunga saga and Hervarar saga ok Heireks, where they are forced to give up Andvaranaut and Tyrfing respectively. The modern English noun dwarf descends from Old English: dweorg. There is no Santa in the shape of a fat, bearded guy who lives at the North Pole in the Scandinavian Christmas tradition. They are most familiar from the Norse myths and sagas, where they were called the dvergr. Archived post. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) [8][9], After the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples, dwarfs continued in the folklore of Germanic-speaking areas of Europe and in the literary works produced there. Some are even given the cosmological function of holding the dome of the sky aloft, certainly not a job for a three-foot-tall creature. [21], The Codex Regius version of Vlusp records that dwarfs were produced out of the earth, while in the Prose Edda they form like maggots in the flesh of Ymir, which became the earth. dwarf, an individual who is much below the ordinary stature or size for his ethnic group or species. Subsequently, they would take a select group of the slain warriors on horseback to Odins hall, Valhalla, where they would join the einherjar, the exclusive entourage fighting for sport during the days and feast at night. Some scholars have proposed that female dwarfs were not believed to exist, however they are likely attested in charms dating to the early medieval period and are explicitly described in later saga material. [44] In later German folklore, the Zwergknig ('Dwarf King') is a tiny being but is capable of becoming enormously tall at will. Writers of fiction have devised many new powers for dwarves, and modern dwarves have no strict definition. This name generator will give you 10 random names for dwarves. In order to prevent the sky from falling down to the Earth, the dwarfs Norri, Suri, Austri, and Vestri were sent to the four corners (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western respectively . Looking for more great information on Norse mythology and religion? [61], In German legends, they also possess other magical objects and often appear as master smiths. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Yet, most of the oral traditions involved humans encountering dwarfs. They looked back in time to rediscover their old myths and legends, folklore which had been forgotten because of the coming of Christianity. In Ortnit, Alberich seduces the queen of Lombardy, thereby spawning the hero Ortnit. They are similar to the dwarves of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, which they largely started out as a homage to, and dwarfs/dwarves in other fantasy novels. Oh, and if they ever came in contact with sunlight, they turned to stone. Lindow, John: Handbook of Norse Mythology; 2001 (p. 98). Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which says of dwarf women that "They are in voice and appearance, and in garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other peoples cannot . Of course your favorite cartoon dwarfs are included, but this list doesn't only feature animated characters that can talk. [63][64][65], In German legends, they typically live inside of hollow mountains, though in some cases, they may live above the ground,[66] while in saga literature, such as orsteins saga Vkingssonar they commonly live in individual stones, which could also serve as workshops, such as in the forging of Brsingamen in Srla ttr. They have a human-like appearance, but they are incredibly ugly and huge, and every story about them tells of how stupid they are. While regal elves reentered the popular imagination with Tolkeins Lord of the Rings, in many countries they were traditionally seen as diminutive sprites rather than semi-divine beings. Hlfdan's brother later gives the child a gold ring to atone for the harm and is rewarded by the father, once more in a dream. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article Dwarfs continue to feature in modern popular culture such as in the works of J.R.R. A dwarf (PLdwarfs or dwarves) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic folklore, including mythology. The Prose Edda names many dwarves, but four are given special importance. [26] Anglian folklore tells that one can hear a forge from within a mound and feel furnace fires under the earth, while in Switzerland, the heat can be attributed to the underground kitchens of dwarfs. It has its roots in Appendix A of J.R.R. This has been suggested to be a key differentiator between dwarfs and elves in pre-Christian Germanic religion, who maintain reciprocal and positive relationships with gods and humans; Kormaks saga describes how food was to be shared with elves to heal sickness and Austrfararvsur records an lfablt being held around the early 11th century in Sweden. [34] Alvss is described by Thor in Alvssml as being as unsuitable to wed his daughter rr as he was "pale about the nostrils" and resembled a urs. He is also said to be a talented musician, playing the violin so that the villagers can hear him at night. (1996). Warhammer retains the Dungeons & Dragons dichotomy between Dwarves and Dark Dwarves, referring to the latter as Chaos Dwarfs. Apart from the Eddas, they notably appear in the fornaldarsagas. Instead, it is with our own notion of what a dwarf was. . Christopher Tolkien (ed. The dwarf is an example of creatures who have some mystery attached to them, some ability or nature that transcends the known world, suggesting the existence of creatures and a world beyond this physical realm. 7. They were principally famous for their skill in all kinds of metalwork and the forging of magical swords and rings, but they were also credited with profound wisdom and secret knowledge, having power to foresee the future, assume other forms, and make themselves invisible. The paintings of Diego Velzquez record the appearance of the dwarfs of the court of Philip IV of Spain. Privacy Policy. He is, in Norwegian tradition, described as a dark monster with his eyes just above the surface, watching as people walk by. These creatures are typical pranksters but can easily be befriended, and around Christmas, they have the same function as Santa in Western traditions. Dwarves have made appearances in European stories and folklore for centuries. While other races have worlds named for them, such as Alfheim for the elves and Jotunheim for the jotnar, there is no world named for the dvergr. In western Europe household dwarfs were still heard of in the 18th century, but the institution declined. Household dwarfs were kept by the early pharaohs of Egypt and still abounded at the courts of the Ptolemies. Named Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri, they correspond to the four cardinal directions. Fullangr, for example, means Tall Enough, while Har translates as High.. The mountain dwarfs were organized in kingdoms or tribes, with their own kings, chieftains, and armies. Tolkien and Terry Pratchett, where they are often, but not exclusively, presented as distinct from elves. These days, Draugen is commonly associated with anything dark and mystical about the sea. This interpretation is paralleled in Wi Dweorh XCIIIb (Against a Dwarf XCIIIb) in which a harmful dwarf's sister is called to prevent him from causing an afflicted person's illness. In contrast, Snorri describes dkklfar (which are typically identified as dwarfs) as "blacker than pitch". The troll comes from Norse Mythology, inspired by the cruel giants who were the main enemies of the gods, known as jotner/jotuner/jtunn, who lived in the mountains of Utgard. Eitri and his brother Brokkr, then crafted a boar with golden bristles Gullinbursti, a gold ring Draupnir, and Thors hammer Mjlnir. Following the murder of Ymir - the first jtunn and the progenitor of all giants - Odin and his brothers Ve and Vili fashioned the sky out of the giant's head. If your favorite fictional dwarf is missing, don't be salty- just add it to the list so that other people can vote for for it too . [79][80] In the case of dwarfs, this association has continued in places into the modern period such as in the Norwegian words dvergskot or dvergskott which refer to an 'animal disease' and translate literally as 'dwarfshot'.[23][81]. he also has a foster son named Sigurd. A dwarf, in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy roleplaying game, is a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for player characters.The idea for the D&D dwarf comes from the dwarves of European mythologies and J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955), and has been used in D&D and its predecessor Chainmail since the early 1970s. Tolkein's Dwarves were created by Aul, one of the Valar, when he grew impatient waiting for the coming of Children of Ilvatar. Both The Hill Man at the Dance and The Dwarfs Feast tells of a dwarf presenting a human with an allegorical treasure, while The Dwarf Stealing Corn and The Dwarf Borrowing Bread are anecdotal stories that revolve around their mischievous behavior.[4]. The image of the Valkyrie is one of the most enduring of the Norse Era. Abhartach was another dwarf immortalised in Irish legend. The Edda, a textbook about Norse mythology written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, claims that the valkyries served drinks to fallen warriors in Valhalla. The idea that dwarves cannot be in the sunlight is not mentioned anywhere else and many named dwarves live aboveground. The Prose Edda, however, gives them an even more inglorious origin. You are sinking; I float!. [29] Dwarf names in Eddic sources include Fullangr ('tall enough') and Hr ('high'), however, the terms are ambiguous and do not necessarily mean the dwarfs were conceived of as tall relative to a human. In the Norse belief system, valkyries were supernatural women who determined who lived and died on the battlefield. Instead, the title could have been another name for the dwarves. A dwarf (Old Norse dvergr, Old English dweorg, Old High German twerg, Proto-Germanic *dwergaz[1]) is a certain kind of invisible being in the pre-Christian mythology and religion of the Norse and other Germanic peoples. [75] A similar inscription dating between the 8th and 11th century is found on a lead plaque discovered near Fakenham in Norfolk, which reads "dead is dwarf" (Old English: dead is dwerg), and has been interpreted as another example of a written charm aiming to rid the ill person of the disease, identified as a dwarf. Their knowledge of metallurgy might have seemed magical to the northerners, whose lifestyle was still neolithic; the southerners' superior weapons and armor might well have been perceived as enchanted. Their major distinction was not their size and appearance, but their behavior and where they lived. [25] These craftsmen can be referred to explicitly as dwarfs or terms that describe their roles such as Swedish: bergsmed ('mountain smith'). [6] Svartlfaheimr ("world of black-elves") appears in the Prose Edda twice, [3] [7] in each . Mythological Norse people, items and places, List of figures in Germanic heroic legend, Anthropomorphic wooden cult figurines of Central and Northern Europe, Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_dwarfs_in_Norse_mythology&oldid=1149509762, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "the one who works with metal fragments; blacksmith", "the dormant one", "the one slumbering", "Torpid", Hard work, An (undefined) part of a sword, "The one buried in the famous stone-heap", "The famous one buried in the stone-heap". fairy, also spelled faerie or faery, a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans. Nkken/Nyk/Nykkjen is a mysterious water creature residing in freshwater, lakes, and deep ponds. While the stories are inconsistent in regards to the role of the dwarves, they are equally as contradictory about their origins. American showman P.T. Together, this suggests that dwarfs could be conceived of as loving and protective of their children by the saga authors. Instead, we each have our own Nisse, living in the barn (that is to say if you are a farmer or living in the countryside), like a household guardian. 6 . p. 235. A point of interest comes from the allusion of Tolkien to female dwarves having beards, which was borrowed by other writers. The god keeps him engaged in conversation until the sun rises, at which point Alviss is turned to stone. [67][65] The presentation of dwarfs living within stones continued into modern folklore surrounding specific landscape features such as the Dwarfie Stane, a chambered tomb located on the island of Hoy, and the Dvergasteinn in Seyisfjrur. It has been suggested that this would imply that dwarfs could be very tall, however, it has been noted that the sky could have been conceived of as being close to the earth at the horizon. and ed.) [40] In some German stories, the dwarf takes on the attributes of a knight but is most clearly separated from normal humans by his small size, in some cases only reaching up to the knees. The significance of a name cannot be disapproved, especially for fictional characters. Dvergatal further lists Yngvi - a name of the god Freyr who was given lfheimr, the home of the elves, to rule according to Grmnisml. Alfrigg, Berling, Dvalin, and Grerr are the four dwarves, who made the Brisingamen for the Goddess Freya. [54], In Eddic sources dwarfs are attributed with creating magical treasures for the gods such as Mjlnir, Sif's hair, Draupnir, Gullinbursti, Skblanir, Gleipnir and Gungnir, while in Srla ttr they craft Brsingamen for Freyja. [83][84], Most dwarfs in modern fantasy fiction closely follow those of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, where the dwarves (Tolkien's spelling) were distinguished from elves: most modern fantasy has continued this distinction. Dwarfs are also widely referenced in these sources as having family relations to others such as being brothers and sons. Tolkien, continues to link dwarves to their Norse roots through their imagined culture and connection to smithing. Four dwarves, Austri, Vestri, Nordri, and Sudri (East, West, North, and South) hold aloft the four corners of the sky, evidencing their colossal strength. Here is a list of (almost) all Slavic mythical creatures. In these cases, female dwarfs are only mentioned alongside males and are not independently important to the plot. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Prose Edda. The Norse dwarves also lived in Svartalfheim, Home of the Dark Elves. This has provided a major clue to modern scholars that the Norse dwarves were not entirely like our modern idea of them. Oxford English Dictionary. Your email address will not be published. A dwarf (Old Norse dvergr, Old English dweorg, Old High German twerg, Proto-Germanic *dwergaz [1]) is a certain kind of invisible being in the pre-Christian mythology and religion of the Norse and other Germanic peoples.No one really knows what the word "dwarf" and its cognates originally meant, but there's no indication that it had anything to do with a small stature, a characteristic . They were often meant to scare children, but they are essential and important to modern northern society even today. Some, such as Alviss and Gandalfr, refer to the elves, or alfar. They were fair and beautiful and commonly seen as peaceful creatures. However, it was later popularized by the fiction of philologist and legendarium author J. R. R. Tolkien, originating as a hypercorrective mistake. Dwarfs remains the most commonly employed plural. Dwarves are short and human-like beings who originate from Norse mythology. The dwarves also fabricated a certain kind of helmet, called hulishjlmr (concealing helmet), or sometimes a cloak, with which they could make themselves invisible. Naal i vatn. In Virginal, Dietrich rescues the dwarf queen Virginal from a force of invading heathens. Dwarfs are one of the many races in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. The first detailed description was made by the Danish writer and biologist Erik Pontoppidan in 1752. These dwarves fill an archetypal role often taken by giants or gods in other cultures. Some were troll-like villains like Alviss, while others were industrious inventors like the sons of Ivaldi. The form "dwarfs" is generally used for human beings affected by dwarfism; the form "dwarves" is used for the mythical people described by Tolkien and other authors. When people think of the dwarves, a common image springs to mind. and ed.) Upon the arrival of Christianity around the 1300s, the stories changed. Many modern views of dwarves have been inspired by Tolkien's works. After Otr was accidentally killed by Loki, the Aesir repaid Hreidmar with the cursed ring Andvarinaut, plus the gold made by the ring. In the Heldenbuch-Prosa, a dwarf takes Dietrich out of this world after the death of all the other heroes, a role given to Laurin in some different versions of Dietrich's end. Thor, as he was prone to do . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. They could be heard moving about the lower levels and were sometimes seen by miners, who took care to placate them by gifts of food. While both races were known in the myths and folklore of many Germanic cultures, they are most familiar from the Norse legends. Nabbi is a dwarf, but not much is known about him. Draugen is the ghost of a man who died at sea. Daniel McCoy 2012-2019. The dwarves were demonized by these writers while the elves were seen as characters of goodness. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The trolls were able to smell the blood of a Christian man, and basically, they stood for anything of the old times, which the new religion condemned. Some legendary and romance sagas diverge from this, with dwarfs acting friendlily and helpfully, however, this is attributed to their lateness and likely do not represent perceptions that predate Christianisation. Dwarfs on the other hand according to these sources are asocial and there are no records of them receiving blts or other gifts in this period. J.R.R. Kvasir, for example, was murdered by two dwarves who brewed his blood into the Mead of Poetry after he was invited to their home as a guest. The Aesir gods killed a dwarf for his disrespectful behavior during the funeral of. [23][24], Some dwarfs in modern folklore have been argued to belong to a wider group of smith-beings living within hollow mountains or in caves such as the Grinkenschmied. Out of the limited information that we have about a character, its name holds the prime spot. They were sometimes referred to as Ebeltoft, or "hill-people," because they were said to live in the hills and mountains. She is a flirtatious young girl who is neither good nor evil. [58], In Eddic and some saga sources, rather than being exchanged, items of value move from dwarfs to others, often through extortion. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed. He later rescues a woman whom Laurin had kidnapped. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. The dwarves are pitch-black in appearance and live underground in Svartalfheim,[2][3] a place which was probably thought of as a labyrinthine complex of mines and forges.