[126], Elves have a prominent place in a number of closely related ballads which must have originated in the Middle Ages but are first attested in the early modern period. [120], In Scandinavian folklore, a diverse array of humanlike supernatural beings are attested which might be thought of as elves and which might partly originate in medieval Scandinavian beliefs. Elrand – Although its meaning is unknown, Elrand is one of the most popular Elvish Tolkien boy names. The most famous name of this kind is Alboin. With urbanisation and industrialisation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, beliefs in elves declined rapidly (though Iceland has some claim to continued popular belief in elves). Because they were learned by heart, they sometimes mention elves, even though that term had become archaic in everyday usage. [13], Scholars of Old Norse mythology now focus on references to elves in Old Norse poetry, particularly the Elder Edda. German (Elfmann) : habitational name for someone from a place called Elvede or Elbe. For Tolkien's fictional version, see, "Elves" redirects here. Beliefs in humanlike supernatural beings are widespread in human cultures, and many such beings may be referred to as elves in English. This in turn inspired Goethe's poem Der Erlkönig. This list describes the meanings and characters behind several beautiful Elf names from LOTR. 1050-1500)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2019, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Also surviving are the English surname Elgar (Ælfgar, "elf-spear") and the name of St Alphege (Ælfhēah, "elf-tall"). One could appease the elves by offering them a treat (preferably butter) placed into an elven mill. [40], Throughout the medieval Germanic languages, elf was one of the nouns used in personal names, almost invariably as a first element. The idea also occurs in later traditions in Scandinavia and beyond, so it may be an early attestation of a prominent tradition. It comes Sindarin and means ‘noble’ or the ‘respected king.’ In the ‘The Lord of the Rings’ … Accordingly, investigating the relationship between beliefs in elves and Christian cosmology has been a preoccupation of scholarship about elves both in early times and in modern research.[8]. The Germanic word presumably originally meant "white one", perhaps as a euphemism. [94][95], The Kings' sagas include a rather elliptical but widely studied account of an early Swedish king being worshipped after his death and being called Ólafr Geirstaðaálfr ('Ólafr the elf of Geirstaðir'), and a demonic elf at the beginning of Norna-Gests þáttr. [72] They became associated with medieval chivalric romance traditions of fairies and particularly with the idea of a Fairy Queen. An example is Andrew Lang's fairy tale Princess Nobody (1884), illustrated by Richard Doyle, where fairies are tiny people with butterfly wings, whereas elves are tiny people with red stocking caps. [76], Evidence for elf beliefs in medieval Scandinavia outside Iceland is very sparse, but the Icelandic evidence is uniquely rich. Although this word took a variety of forms in different Old English dialects, these converged on the form elf during the Middle English period. There is a great sense of spirit among the squad. Do you believe in the existence of evil spirits? Even when Icelanders do not explicitly express their belief, they are often reluctant to express disbelief. 29. The spirit of kindness seems to be lacking in the world nowadays. Emoji Meaning. While the term is often translated as "elves", it literally translates to "hidden people" or "whistling people". 450-1100)-language text, Articles containing Old Norse-language text, Articles containing Old High German (ca. [129], In Iceland, expression of belief in the huldufólk ("hidden people"), elves that dwell in rock formations, is still relatively common. "[132] Elves are also prominent, in similar roles, in contemporary Icelandic literature. The only character explicitly identified as an elf in classical Eddaic poetry, if any, is Völundr, the protagonist of Völundarkviða. The same idea is present in two post-classical Eddaic poems, which are also influenced by chivalric romance or Breton lais, Kötludraumur and Gullkársljóð. [143], With industrialisation and mass education, traditional folklore about elves waned, but as the phenomenon of popular culture emerged, elves were reimagined, in large part on the basis of Romantic literary depictions and associated medievalism. Whether you are playing a video game or writing a book, these dark elf names can help. [120] Many of these ballads are first attested in Karen Brahes Folio, a Danish manuscript from the 1570s, but they circulated widely in Scandinavia and northern Britain. They include a fleeting mention of elves seen out riding in 1168 (in Sturlunga saga); mention of an álfablót ("elves' sacrifice") in Kormáks saga; and the existence of the euphemism ganga álfrek ('go to drive away the elves') for "going to the toilet" in Eyrbyggja saga. Medieval English evidence has, therefore, attracted quite extensive research and debate. However, the term Vanir is rare in Eddaic verse, very rare in Skaldic verse, and is not generally thought to appear in other Germanic languages. Elrohir (Sindarin origin) meaning "an elf man". [61] The term may not always have denoted an actual projectile: shot could mean "a sharp pain" as well as "projectile". [143], The fantasy genre in the twentieth century grew out of nineteenth-century Romanticism, in which nineteenth-century scholars such as Andrew Lang and the Grimm brothers collected fairy stories from folklore and in some cases retold them freely. This word became partly synonymous with elf by the early modern period. [97][98] According to Hrólfs saga kraka, Hrolfr Kraki's half-sister Skuld was the half-elven child of King Helgi and an elf-woman (álfkona). Attested beliefs about elves therefore need to be understood as part of Germanic-speakers' Christian culture and not merely a relic of their pre-Christian religion. [107][108] This deception sometimes shows the seductive side apparent in English and Scandinavian material:[105] most famously, the early thirteenth-century Heinrich von Morungen's fifth Minnesang begins "Von den elben wirt entsehen vil manic man / Sô bin ich von grôzer liebe entsên" ("full many a man is bewitched by elves / thus I too am bewitched by great love"). ( ɛlf) n, pl elves ( ɛlvz) 1. I met a little Elf-man, once, Down where the lillies blow. Sitting under a mushroom tall-- 'Twas taller than himself! [146] Despite the obvious fictionality of fantasy novels and games, scholars have found that elves in these works continue to have a subtle role in shaping the real-life identities of their audiences. Tolkien also appears to be the first author to have introduced the notion that elves are immortal. 2 : having an otherworldly or magical quality or charm. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. [35][36] These words must come from Common Germanic, the ancestor-language of the attested Germanic languages; the Common Germanic forms are reconstructed as *ɑlβi-z and *ɑlβɑ-z. Balin, is a popular name used in ‘The Hobbit’ meaning “like handsome”. Snorri Sturluson identified Freyr as one of the Vanir. [155] Meanwhile, an example of an equivalent in the Slavic-speaking world is the vila (plural vile) of Serbo-Croatian (and, partly, Slovene) folklore. [121], The elves of Norse mythology have survived into folklore mainly as females, living in hills and mounds of stones. Of the many words for supernatural beings in Germanic languages, the only ones regularly used in personal names are elf and words denoting pagan gods, suggesting that elves were considered similar to gods. Tolkien's writing had such influence that in the 1960s and afterwards, elves speaking an elvish language similar to those in Tolkien's novels became staple non-human characters in high fantasy works and in fantasy role-playing games. 2 . Most of them have Low German connections. (European Myth & Legend) (in folklore) one of a kind of legendary beings, usually characterized as small, manlike, and mischievous. In the words of the local historian Anne Marie Hellström: ... on lake shores, where the forest met the lake, you could find elf circles. James VI of Scotland and Robert Kirk discussed elves seriously; elf beliefs are prominently attested in the Scottish witchcraft trials, particularly the trial of Issobel Gowdie; and related stories also appear in folktales,[119] There is a significant corpus of ballads narrating stories about elves, such as Thomas the Rhymer, where a man meets a female elf; Tam Lin, The Elfin Knight, and Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight, in which an Elf-Knight rapes, seduces, or abducts a woman; and The Queen of Elfland's Nourice, a woman is abducted to be a wet-nurse to the elf-queen's baby, but promised that she may return home once the child is weaned. However, the characteristics and names of these beings have varied widely across time and space, and they cannot be neatly categorised. If I were to tell you "Elf" stars Will Ferrell as a human named Buddy who thinks he is an elf and Ed Asner as Santa Claus, would you feel an urgent desire to see this film? This fits well with the word ælfscȳne, which meant "elf-beautiful" and is attested describing the seductively beautiful Biblical heroines Sarah and Judith. elf. The Experience of Evil from a Cosmic Perspective", "Die sprachvergleichung und die urgeschichte der indogermanischen völker", "Light-elves, Dark-elves, and Others: Tolkien's Elvish Problem", Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, Mythological Norse people, items and places, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elf&oldid=996467118, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2020, Articles with dead external links from December 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from December 2016, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles containing Old English (ca. Man Elf emoji is the male version of the Elf emoji. This, in turn, is believed to have originated from the Middle English alven and elven, and ultimately from the Old Norse word for elf, alfr. [79][80] The pairing is paralleled in the Old English poem Wið færstice[68] and in the Germanic personal name system;[67] moreover, in Skaldic verse the word elf is used in the same way as words for gods. [114][115], From around the Late Middle Ages, the word elf began to be used in English as a term loosely synonymous with the French loan-word fairy;[117] in elite art and literature, at least, it also became associated with diminutive supernatural beings like Puck, hobgoblins, Robin Goodfellow, the English and Scots brownie, and the Northumbrian English hob. The lead researcher of the 2006–2007 study, Terry Gunnell, stated: "Icelanders seem much more open to phenomena like dreaming the future, forebodings, ghosts and elves than other nations". [122], If a human watched the dance of the elves, he would discover that even though only a few hours seemed to have passed, many years had passed in the real world. [136], Early modern English notions of elves became influential in eighteenth-century Germany. In the analysis of Valdimar Tr. And the SNL actor made the most of it, resulting in a seasonal sensation. [161], In the animistic precolonial beliefs of the Philippines, the world can be divided into the material world and the spirit world. Aduial - Eventide, twilight, 'Star-opening' Sindarin, from the Quenya Undomë. What does Elfman mean? Elves are known for being […] spirit1 1. the force or principle of life that animates the body of living things 2. a. an incorporeal being, esp the soul of a dead person b. [109] Elbe was also used in this period to translate words for nymphs. b. This is a fairly fresh emoji, so its support may be limited on some devices. Non-human anito are known as diwata, usually euphemistically referred to as dili ingon nato ('those unlike us'). There are 300 different male, female and surname options that you can combine for more unique names. [101][102][103], The Old High German word alp is attested only in a small number of glosses. [88], A kenning (poetic metaphor) for the sun, álfröðull (literally "elf disc"), is of uncertain meaning but is to some suggestive of a close link between elves and the sun. [7], Beliefs about elves have their origins before the conversion to Christianity and associated Christianization of northwest Europe. a diminutive person, especially a child. The earliest surviving manuscripts mentioning elves in any Germanic language are from Anglo-Saxon England. A bit of exercise will help lift his spirits. [38] Some scholars have argued that the names Albion and Alps may also be related. For example, a number of early modern ballads in the British Isles and Scandinavia, originating in the medieval period, describe elves attempting to seduce or abduct human characters. In the eighteenth century, German Romanticist writers were influenced by this notion of the elf, and reimported the English word elf into the German language. Still, beliefs in elves persisted in the early modern period, particularly in Scotland and Scandinavia, where elves were thought of as magically powerful people living, usually invisibly, alongside everyday human communities. The Elves of Middle-earth played a central role in Tolkien's legendarium, notably The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; this legendarium was enormously influential on subsequent fantasy writing. He slightly frowned, and with his eye He looked me through and through. [46], Elves appear in some place names, though it is difficult to be sure how many as a variety of other words, including personal names, can appear similar to elf. Elves entered the twentieth-century high fantasy genre in the wake of works published by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien; these re-popularised the idea of elves as human-sized and humanlike beings. [66], Like words for gods and men, the word elf is used in personal names where words for monsters and demons are not. These display as a single emoji on supported platforms. [118], However, in Scotland and parts of northern England near the Scottish border, beliefs in elves remained prominent into the nineteenth century. The word elf is found throughout the Germanic languages and seems originally to have meant 'white being'. [1] However, the details of these beliefs have varied considerably over time and space, and have flourished in both pre-Christian and Christian cultures. [125], Elves entered early modern elite culture most clearly in the literature of Elizabethan England. Freda (German origin) meaning "peace". This pair is also known as Eleen, ElfEver or EverMan. Historically, people have taken three main approaches to integrating elves into Christian cosmology, all of which are found widely across time and space: Some nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars attempted to rationalise beliefs in elves as folk-memories of lost indigenous peoples. However, from the early modern period onwards, elves started to be prominent in the literature and art of educated elites. Since belief in supernatural beings is so ubiquitous in human cultures, however, scholars no longer believe such explanations are valid. Even in the twenty-first century, fantasy stories about elves have been argued both to reflect and to shape their audiences' understanding of the real world,[5][6] and traditions about Santa Claus and his elves relate to Christmas. Viewing elves as being more or less like people, and more or less outside Christian cosmology. These seem to associate elves fairly consistently with woods and valleys. Using the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex Code we can obtain some variants of scripture of the same surname. They have therefore played a major role in transmitting traditional ideas about elves in post-medieval cultures. [135] Meanwhile, A Midsummer Night's Dream promoted the idea that elves were diminutive and ethereal. "How do you do, little elf," I said, "And what do you do all day?" The elves pose a threat to the everyday community by trying to lure people into the elves' world. [139], As German Romanticism got underway and writers started to seek authentic folklore, Jacob Grimm rejected Elf as a recent Anglicism, and promoted the reuse of the old form Elb (plural Elbe or Elben). /ɛlvz/. [30], The English word elf is from the Old English word most often attested as ælf (whose plural would have been *ælfe). A widespread survivor of these in modern English is Alfred (Old English Ælfrēd, "elf-advice"). [24][25] Research has shown, however, that stories about elves have often been used as a way for people to think metaphorically about real-life ethnic others. b : resembling an elf especially in its tiny size elfin portions. You have either failed or will fail because of your enemy. Mention of the land of Álfheimr is found in Heimskringla while Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar recounts a line of local kings who ruled over Álfheim, who since they had elven blood were said to be more beautiful than most men. [47], The earliest surviving manuscripts mentioning elves in any Germanic language are from Anglo-Saxon England. It is another version of the name Elladan. [134] Likewise, William Shakespeare, in a speech in Romeo and Juliet (1592) has an "elf-lock" (tangled hair) being caused by Queen Mab, who is referred to as "the fairies' midwife". However, these words are attested only in the Prose Edda and texts based on it, and it is now agreed that they reflect traditions of dwarves, demons, and angels, partly showing Snorri's "paganisation" of a Christian cosmology learned from the Elucidarius, a popular digest of Christian thought. 5 . Neither did I. I thought it would be clunky, stupid and obvious, like "The Santa Clause 2" or "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Old English names in elf- include the cognate of Alboin Ælfwine (literally "elf-friend", m.), Ælfric ("elf-powerful", m.), Ælfweard ("elf-guardian", m.), and Ælfwaru ("elf-care", f.). People into the elves by offering them a Treat ( preferably butter ) placed into an elven.. Humans, but the flesh is weak, it indicates the laughter of your enemy huldra Norway... Over time, people have attempted to demythologise or rationalise beliefs in elves in sagas is closely defined genre. 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