Odin tasked another four dwarves, Austri (East), Vestri (West), Nordri (North), and Sudri (South), to hold up the corners of Ymirs giant skull, which makes up the sky and the heavens in Norse mythology. [30] In the quotation of Vlusp in the Prose Edda, the dwarfs emerge as beings with human form (mannlikun), while in the Codex Regius manuscript the first two dwarfs created either dwarfs or people with human forms. And, of course, there are a whole host of supporting characters, including trolls, dwarves, an eight-legged horse and the draugrs, which were corpses that housed the spirits of dead soldiers! The other half went to Valhalla. They were the opposites of the elves, who were creatures of light and grace. Compared to the dwarves of Norse mythology, we know comparatively little about the elves. He was left there, forced to work as a slave for the human king. [1] The Poetic Edda. Alfrigg, Berling, Dvalin, and Grerr are the four dwarves, who made the Brisingamen for the Goddess Freya. The story starts with the trickster god Loki cutting the hair of Thor's wife, Sif, leaving her bald. to learn more. Later on, Bothvild broke her ring and asked Wayland to fix it. This part of the casket features an Anglo-Saxon depiction of the Wayland (Volund) legend. Fjalar and Galar. Daniel McCoy 2012-2019. Also see Is Norse Religion Still Practiced? Some stories describe dwarves emerging from Ymirs dead body like maggots. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World, Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, Adventist Adventurer Claimed to Have Found Ark of the Covenant Beneath Crucifixion Site, Iron Age Comb Made from Human Skull Discovered Near Cambridge, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. Competing etymologies include a basis in the Indo-European root *dheur- (meaning "damage"), the Indo-European root *dhreugh (whence, for example, modern English "dream" and German Trug "deception"), and scholars have made comparisons with Sanskrit dhvaras (a type of "demonic being"). Close-up of the front panel of the Franks Casket, Auzon, France, 8th century AD. [2] While the boundaries between the different kinds of demigod-like beings were quite blurry in the Viking Age, Snorris terminology just introduces an additional and unnecessary layer of complication. In contrast, Snorri describes dkklfar (which are typically identified as dwarfs) as "blacker than pitch". The Ffnisml section of the Poetic Edda tells the story of how the Norse hero Sigurd killed a dragon. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1695/elves--dwarves-in-norse-mythology/. ]]> [note 1][50] As Norns are also female, this could mean that dwarfs were conceived of by the author of the poem as able to be female, it is not clear whether either their mother (or mothers) are dwarfs, or if they themselves are considered dwarfs just because they are descended from dwarfs. In Norse mythology, dwarves are short, stocky, and extremely skilled craftsmen. Regin. [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. The fallen giants blood and bones were used to complete the formation of Modsognir and Durin, the original dwarves from whom all dwarves are descended. The elves were depicted as often accompanying the various gods, joining them in council and when they went to war. [51], Female dwarfs feature in the late Gibbons saga, Bsa saga and jalar-Jns saga, where they are referred to by the term "dyrgja". [78], The conception of diseases as being caused by projectiles from supernatural beings is widespread in Germanic folklore through time, such as in the phenomenon of elfshot, in Wi frstice, where they are thrown by elves, se and witches, and in the Canterbury charm in which an infection is caused by the 'wound-spear' (Old Norse: sr-vara) used by the "lord of ursar". [3], Norri, Suri, Austri and Vestri are four dwarfs, potentially depicted as four anthropomorphic figures on the hogback stone in Heysham in Lancashire, that according to the Prose Edda each hold up a corner of the sky, that was fashioned from the skull of Ymir. In contrast, female dwarfs seek to possess the male hero in the legends. The elves werent just depicted as interacting with the gods; they had an ambivalent relationship with humanity. [5][6] Another potential synonym is dkklfar ('dark elves'); however, it is unclear whether svartlfar and dkklfar were considered the same at the time of the writing of the Prose Edda. WebSoria Moria Castle by Theodor Kittelsen (1900) In Old Norse literature, the home of the dwarves is called either Nidavellir (pronounced NID-uh-vell-ir; Old Norse Niavellir, Low Fields or Dark Fields) or Svartalfheim (pronounced SVART-alf-hame; Old Norse Svartlfaheimr, Homeland of the Black Elves).