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Ancient elves were diabolical fiends and dangerous beauties.

Revealing the True Nature of Elves: Dangerous Beauties and Diabolical Fiends

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Present day movies show elves as beautiful beings who help people in their times of need. However, the original ancient form of these beings was quite hostile towards humans. Often enough, elves would lure humans to their death. The purpose of this article is to unmask and reveal the true identity of elves and to expose their hostility towards the human race.

Depiction of a "Korrigan", small elf of the Celtic forests

Depiction of a "Korrigan", small elf of the Celtic forests (CC BY 2.0)

Arthurian Elves

In the Arthurian legends, the wizard Merlin was said to have once fallen in love with an elven maiden. In fact, she used her charms to lure Merlin into the forest where she tried to trap him and kill him. It was a matter of luck that Merlin struggled with his attraction for the beautiful woman and escaped with his life.

Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, shown holding the infatuated Merlin trapped and reading from a book of spells, in The Beguiling of Merlin by Edward Burne-Jones.

Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, shown holding the infatuated Merlin trapped and reading from a book of spells, in The Beguiling of Merlin by Edward Burne-Jones. (Public Domain)

Sometimes the concepts of elves and fairies are regarded as one and the same. The origin of fairies is in Anglo-Saxon mythology and even King Arthur is at times regarded as being the son of a fairy. Fairies are said to be born of and associated with flowers and their wings are said to resemble those of butterflies or dragonflies. Elves are usually associated with trees and their origins can be traced back to Norse mythology.

Puck and Fairies, detail from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Puck and Fairies, detail from A Midsummer Night's Dream. (Public Domain)

Dangerous Beauties and Baby-Stealers

Fairies are usually neutral towards humans. At times they help humans, while they can also kidnap human children.

The devil steals a baby and leaves behind a fairy replacement, known as a changeling. Early 15th century.

The devil steals a baby and leaves behind a fairy replacement, known as a changeling. Early 15th century. (Public Domain)

Arthur was believed to be part fairy, while Merlin was believed to be part elf. Medieval elves seem to be a mix between elves and Greek nymphs. Writer Gustavo Adolfo Becquer’s elf from the tale Green Eyes resembles water nymphs by luring a human boy into the lake and drowning him.

Nymphs or Naiads would lure men to their watery graves.

Nymphs or Naiads would lure men to their watery graves. (Public Domain)

Elves of Nordic Legend

The most ancient form of elves came from the mythology of the Norsemen. In Norse mythology, elves came in pairs – light and dark elves. Light elves were appreciated and esteemed by the god Odin. Some legends say that the look of the elves was linked to the changes of the seasons in nature. Elves were mostly immortal, but they could die if their sacred oak tree was cut. Light elves or Ljosalfar, as the Norsemen called them, inhabited the beautiful world of Alfheim.

Light elves were said to live in Álfheimr, and were "fairer than the sun to look at". Elfplay, 1866.

Light elves were said to live in Álfheimr, and were "fairer than the sun to look at". Elfplay, 1866. (Public Domain)

Dark elves or Dokkalfar were said to be quite ugly and they lived in the world called Niflheim. While dark elves were said to be evil by nature, light elves regarded humans as inferior to them, so they did not hold the human race in high esteem. In a way, light elves can be seen as a portrait of the perfect Norseman; Blonde hair, blue or green eyes, the fine nose, and the close link with nature are all traits that the ancient Norsemen valued.

An artist’s depiction of Malekith the Accursed, ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim.

An artist’s depiction of Malekith the Accursed, fictional ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim from Marvel Comics. (Fair Use)

Also as a metaphor, dark elves could have represented the ugly Romans who had none of the beautiful traits mentioned above. Pointy ears were also a defining characteristic for elves, a characteristic which distinguished them from humans. This is explained through the fact that they were said to have very fine hearing.

In lore, elves had pointed ears, and excellent hearing.

In lore, elves had pointed ears, and excellent hearing. (Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

Beware the Ancient Elves

In the present day, movies show the funny image of the happy Christmas elves who help Santa by making toys for human children. Even though this image is more prominent in the present, this does not make the original depiction of elves any less true. In the past, elves were said to take away human children, to curse humans or to drive them mad. These things happened especially when humans interfered in the lives of the elves by disturbing them. The revenge or retaliation of the elves was to be feared.

Krampus, companion to Saint Nicholas, was a supernatural creature that stole away ‘naughty’ children.

Krampus, companion to Saint Nicholas, was a supernatural creature that stole away ‘naughty’ children. (Public Domain)

Still, despite this relative hostility that elves were said to have towards the human race, there were also beings who were said to be neutral towards humans and towards other matters as well. This refers to those beings who were neither good, nor evil, but beings who could do both good as well as evil, and beings who were at the same time beyond good and evil. However, this is a story for another time.

Featured image: Ancient elves were diabolical fiends and dangerous beauties. (Deriv; Korrigan and Elf)

By: Valda Roric

References

Valda Roric – “Loki – The Trickster Unleashed”

Padraic Colum – “The Children of Odin”

H.A. Guerber – “Myths of the Norsemen”

 

Comments

They where no considered Evil... they where no differen than us humans... and compared to us THEY where more enlighted than us even in "Modern" times... and Norse is more real... a group that left and made havoc... They become the Black/Dark Elves, since they where seen more Superior... the Light Elves, didn´t wa2nna meddle in us humans bussiness since like its said they where seen more "Superior".. compared to us "Barbaric" Humans... they Traded times to times, that was basically it..
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You said it perfectly starlady....blessed be!!

The magical realms are filled with both darkness and light, just as the physical / human realms are filled with both darkness and light, just as the universe as a whole is filled with opposing polarities. The esoteric teachings behind becoming spiritually whole is to be able to integrate both the darkness and the light and see what good is emerging from an experience or seeing the light within the darkness. We can never understand good without evil or any opposing polarity without it’s opposites. To understand anything we have to experience it and both polarties have to be experienced before we can then integrate the opposing polarities together to become whole. As a shaman I work within mother earth’s and mother nature’s magical realms  for spiritual healing purposes and I have experiened both healing and destructive spirits in the magical realms. If fairies or any magical creatures wants to communicate with you and you ignore them or are confused about the communication process, the magical creature will persist until it finds away to get its message through, even if it does drive you to insanity in the process. At this point in time so that Mother Earth can ascend out of the present spiritually dead dark age that we live as apart of and move more light in to her bodies of consciousness the darker magical realms are being cleansed and purified of the lower vibrational magical creatures that are creating harm in Mother Earths bodies of consciousness. It all has to do with the completion of the last masculine 5126 year Creative Evolutionary Spiritual mass Conscious Cycle ending at the end of 2012 , and the overlap of the age of Pisece/ Virgo and Aquarius/Leo that we are presently living in  and where we are heading towards as we as a group mass consciousness evolve forward. I know that nobody will understand what I am talking about, but maybe one day you will look back and the lights will go on inside of you and you will understand.

Blessings and Love Starlady

The Russians say the "little people" have haunted mankind since he first left the trees and moved into caves.

I don't know who built the pyramids, most likely humans had help from more technologically advanced star people (extraterrestrials). Our species has been around for millions of years and we have risen or evolved into highly evolved technological societies and once again fallen into more feminine/ spiritual periods of time so that mother earth can heal herself. This happens in the astrological ages such as Cancer/ Capricorn. It has to do with the astrological wheel and how the earth moves through the 25730 year earth cycle embedded in the astrological wheel.

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Valda Roric

Author of “Loki – The Trickster Unleashed” and “Supernatural in the Land of Count Dracula”, Valda Roric has always been fascinated by the supernatural. Interested in the topic, she has studied many aspects of the enigmatic. Always attempting to find... Read More

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