Based on the information given in the Scandinavian legends, it is almost impossible for them. They are viewed in them as spirits - elves, rather than real earth inhabitants. The gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the goddess Danu turned into the same spirits - sids and elves after being defeated by the Goidels - the Sons of Mil. This happened between 1700-700. BC. Apsaras were sometimes considered the same spirits - elves, however, from Indian mythology it is difficult to establish when the transformation into apsaras and Gandharvas - spirits (elves) of apsaras and Gandharvas - real earth inhabitants took place.
Based on the foregoing, we can talk about two possible periods of life in Scandinavia for Valkyries - elves (elves). 1) They lived there even before the flood and the time of their life coincided with the later events described in the Indian epic, which found an echo in the Scandinavian legends about moving through the air on winged horses female warriors (more likely).
2) Valkyries - elves lived in Scandinavia at about the same time as the Tribe of the Goddess Danu - Tuatha de Danann - elves in Ireland, that is, from about IV to II or I millennium BC Perhaps they even settled twice in Scandinavia, like the Tribe of the goddess Danu in Ireland, and were forced to leave there for several millennia immediately after the flood.

***

Thus, the life time on Earth of the elves, like other white gods, which they included, was incredibly long and lasted from the end of the Mesozoic era or the beginning of the Paleogene (65.5 million years ago) toII or I millennium BC What happened to them later is stated in my works "The Exodus of the White Gods. From Hyperborea to Easter Island" and "Emancipated Women's Societies: A View from the Depths of Ages."

Now, after studying North American, Central American, South American, Egyptian, Sumerian-Babylonian, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other legends, it became clear to me where the elves went (they are the Tribe of the goddess Danu, Tuatha de Danann, Tuatha de Anu, Gandharvas , apsaras, valkyries). Some of the elves (apparently, mostly male gods), probably together with other white gods Adityas, sailed on ships to North America, marched in the form of "white gods" led by "Quetzalcoatl", "Kukulkan", "Bochika" , "Vira Kochey", across the whole of North, Central and South America, traced the Nazca desert (apparently, having preserved one or more aircraft, the existence of which is noted in the legends of the Indians of North and South America), then sailed to Easter Island and other islands Polynesia was further killed there. Today, only past legends, North American hills-mounds and drawings of the Nazca desert testify to the power of the Tuatha de Danann. About the same as the representatives of this divine people looked like, the portraits of the Gandharvas-Tuatha elves left on Easter Island during their lifetime speak.
Another part of the elves, mostly elf goddesses, created settlements and states of the Amazons in the Black Sea region, Asia Minor, Africa and South America (probably, reaching there with male elves) and died during numerous battles and clashes with the local inhabitants.

Original Russian Text © A.V. Koltypin, 2009(2012 additions and fixes)

Humanoid fair-haired creatures living among forest nature - this is how myths and legends portray them. The ancient Celts and Scandinavians did not doubt the existence of elves. In their folklore, there are many references to the interaction between elf and human. Some respected researchers are convinced of the reality of the elven race.

Characteristic features of the external appearance

In Celtic legends, they are called Sids, Scandinavian mythology calls them Alwami. In legends different nations there are some differences in the description of elves, however, you can trace common features characteristic of the external appearance of these creatures.

How do they look:

• the similarity of the forest wizard with the person is great;
• the elf's tall stature is the first thing that attracts attention;
• very light skin;
• sophisticated face with pointed features;
• eye color - gray or blue: nature spirits have large expressive eyes;
• pointed ears;
• blonde hair;
• slender physique: it is almost impossible to meet a well-fed or unkempt elf;
• among the inhabitants of the forests, there are both male and female elves;
• a radiance may emanate from an elf;
• green tones prevail in clothes.

Every elf is a born sorcerer. If necessary, a light spirit can turn into a bird or a snake. Items made by him can long years protect a person from dangers. The characteristics of forest dwellers will be incomplete without mentioning their longevity. The average life span of an elf is at least 500 years. All this time, the creature does not age.

Nature and purpose

According to early Germanic-Norse mythology, there is a race of alves (i.e. elves), endowed with colossal knowledge and magical abilities. They can heal, but if a person hurts the interests of an elf, he can send illness to the enemy. In the Elder Edda, magical creatures are contrasted with the highest gods - the ases.

According to Anglo-Saxon legends, the Scandinavian Valkyries descended from the Alves. The Valkyries are immortal spirits who brought fallen heroes to Valhalla. Probably, the alves and their relatives maintained friendly relations.

Alwami was ruled by Welund, an elf blacksmith. The wife of a brave and just ruler was a Valkyrie. Elven creatures are well versed in poetry, music. An elf can sing unusually beautiful songs. From these creatures, unsurpassed blacksmiths are made. If the need arises, forest spirits can prove themselves as brave warriors. They always fight on the side of good.

In many legends, references to elven dances have been preserved. The forest dwellers dance at night. If a person sees their dance, he will join it even against his own will. They are not only kind. The Younger Edda describes 2 main types of mysterious creatures.

1. Friendly and lovely alves. They live in a magical kingdom. This kingdom, like its wise inhabitants, was described in the early Scandinavian epic as something real, physically tangible.
2. Insidious and evil creatures of small stature. Dark skin and a snide expression are characteristic of an evil elf. These outcasts live underground. The Scandinavians called them svartalvas.

Many folklore scholars are convinced that bad alves have nothing to do with elven entities. In their opinion, dark-skinned spirits are gnomes. In late Germanic-Scandinavian legends, elves were portrayed as disembodied spirits of nature. They stay awake and entertained at night, and sleep during the day. A man could meet an elf or hear him singing in the forest and in the mountains.

The inhabitants of the fabulous country are reluctant to admit mere mortals. Highly evolved creatures are independent and detached, but Scandinavian legends mention the love affairs between elves and earthly men. There are also ancient stories about people who, having visited the country of the Alves, began to possess the gift of foresight.

The main purpose of fair-haired creatures is to share their skills and knowledge with humans, to help maintain order in the world.

Elves in Celtic and Irish epics

Elves are often mentioned in Celtic mythology. Ageless magical creatures have struck awe in the hearts of mere mortals. The ancient Irish called them "sids" - creatures living in the hills. The word "seed" means "hill".

The magical people were ruled by Queen Medb, a powerful female elf. What the royal person looked like:

• slim;
• with a beautiful harmonious face;
• eye color - blue;
• curls of a light golden hue;
• a silk robe developed over the shoulders of the elven ruler.

An earthly man who met Medb faced a sad fate: love longing drove him to the grave.

Both girls and young men of the elven tribe possessed tremendous magical powers. Beautiful and inaccessible creatures with the touch of a hand could take away the mind of a mortal.

If a person wandered into the land of the Sids, they turned the unlucky traveler into their servant. And yet there were daredevils seeking to penetrate into the kingdom of eternal youth.

The reasons prompting a person to seek meetings with the Sidi:

• the desire to receive objects made by the magical people: weapons, jewelry and other things made by the sid, possessed witchcraft;
• love for the elf.

According to Irish and Scottish legends, earthly men often had romances and even married seductive Sid girls. The wife of the King of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles, became a representative of the Alv people - Bekuma the White-skinned.

Children were born from mixed unions. The descendants of the Alves and humans were distinguished by a shrewd mind and highly developed intuition.

Forgotten tribe of demigods

According to "Education in the Houses of Two Cups" and other Old Irish sagas, representatives of the tribe of the goddess Danu began to be called sids. These divine beings once inhabited Ireland, Wales and northern France.

The semi-divine creatures were defeated by the Goidels. In the Irish epic, the Goidels or Sons of Mile is the name of the mythical tribe that ruled this country.

When the representatives of the ancient human tribe defeated the bright children of Dana, they decided to hide in the underworld. Since that time, the descendants of the deities have received their new name "sids".

Part of the Danu tribe did not want to hide underground. These demigods sailed across the sea and settled on mythical islands. Researchers suggest that representatives of the elven people found their refuge in America.

Varieties of elves

Among modern inhabitants there is a different attitude towards the "elven" theme. Many believe that the elf is a fictional character from legends and fairy tales, but there are adherents of the theory that a tribe of sharp-eared magicians existed in reality.

In the legends of each nation, there are characteristic additions to the image of an elf. In late Scandinavian folklore, you can find references to little winged girls. These spirits lived in the forests.

In some tales, elves were portrayed as tall, white-haired women who turned into swans. Folklore researchers identify the main types of magical creatures.

1. Alves.
2. Evil dwarfs (svartalvas).
3. Flying girls.
4. Skoge. A mysterious appearance and colossal power are the main qualities of these spirits. Male creatures can take on any form. Usually skoge looks like a gray-haired old man with a large hat on his head and a staff in his hands. The only oddity that distinguishes an elf from an earthly man: an oxtail behind his back. The skoge girl is a slender, blonde seductress with lush breasts and a gentle voice.

The lifestyle and habits of the skoge are quite interesting. As can be judged from some legends, spirits are afraid of sunlight.

The elf girls were shown to the young men at night. The bewitching beauty of a virgin can captivate an earthly man so much that he will become her faithful slave.

Attitude to the world and man

Different types of elven creatures can differ in character. Alves are unlikely to seek friendship with a person, but they do not want to be at enmity with him either. If a mere mortal turned to an elf for help, he will help the unfortunate man.

The flying girl could show the lost person the way out of the forest. This was where their communication ended. An elf, in love with an earthly man, became for him the second guardian angel. She protected her betrothed from dangers, healed him from wounds received in battle.

In some legends and tales, it is mentioned that elves took their chosen ones to a magical land. Thus, they extended the life of men. In the land of the Alves, time passes very slowly. The elven year is equal to several human decades, so the inhabitants of the fairy kingdom have never encountered signs of aging.

Svartalvas are cunning creatures. They can promise help to a person, and then destroy him. Elves are depicted as unpredictable and wayward in Scottish mythology. Legends have survived to this day that an elf, meeting a traveler in the forest, killed him with his breath.

In Icelandic folklore, there are references to the theft of children by the inhabitants of the mountains. Representatives of the magical people abducted the baby from the cradle when his parents were not at home. The kid was brought up in an elven country.

The second type of fraud is to replace a child. The spirits stole beautiful babies from the peasants, and instead of them they placed voracious long-nosed creatures - their fellow tribesmen - in the bed. Such incidents occurred frequently. The baby's parents, upon discovering the ever-screaming, unsympathetic guest, suspected that they had been fooled.

There were two ways to get the spirits to return the child:

• surprise the elf with some silly trick;
• shock the "kid" (bring hot tongs to the cheater's face).

Legends say that the incidents of enmity between the Sids and mortal people were provoked by humans, and the tribes of elves sometimes fought among themselves. John Donald Ruel Tolkien studied the evidence of the elf race for many years. Mysterious creatures have become characters in the author's fantasy novels.

Written evidence and modern theories

It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer whether there are magical light-skinned creatures in real life, however, the countless references to these perfumes in Scandinavian, Germanic, English and other sources make scientists return to this topic again and again.

1. An unusual incident is described in the Scottish monastic records. At the beginning of the 4th century, local residents found a seriously wounded man in the mountains. The Stranger spoke in an unusual language. He was very thin and had pointed ears. When the guest recovered and learned the Scottish language, he began to talk about his people - Elva.
2. At the end of the last century, construction work in Iceland was suspended. When the local authorities set out to level the Kopavogure Hill, the following happened: in the midst of the work, the bulldozers began to fail. Suspecting that the equipment was spoiling due to the fault of the seeds, the workers called a woman who knows how to communicate with creatures from the invisible world. She persuaded the inhabitants of the hill to stop joking. Soon, all equipment resumed work.
3. About 30 years ago, in the mangrove swamps, two friends saw a group of small sharp-eared creatures. By description, they resembled Sids and Skoges.

Bold assumptions:

• alphas and sids are descendants of representatives of ancient civilizations - Lemuria and Atlantis;
• an elf is a guest from another planet.

If representatives of an unusual humanoid tribe existed on Earth, it is possible that for many centuries they have become like us. In every country there are descendants of the Elves, Sids and Skoges.

Conclusion

The encounters between humans and elves are often mentioned in Irish, Scottish, and Germanic-Scandinavian folklore. According to legend, an elf is a bright and wise humanoid creature with a witchcraft gift. IN modern world interest in elven creatures has not been lost. Some researchers hypothesize that charming wizards live among us.

Numerous tales speak of amazing elves, who are distinguished by their fragile constitution, short stature, long ears pointed shape. The main difference between elves is their magical abilities. Did elves really exist? Who are they?

The annals of the ancient monastery say that in the 15th century in the highlands of Scotland, people found a man who was dying of wounds. The man spoke in an unknown language. He was weak and thin. After the doctors were able to cure him, the man surprised him with his dexterity in archery and fencing. The stranger made no mistakes! He was soon able to learn the language. It was then that he said that he belongs to the people of the Elves, who live very far away. It is important to note that the guy had pointed ears, like real Elves. However, people who lived in the Middle Ages believed that this was a sign of belonging to those who serve the devil.

You can also study the family chronicle of Norway, which tells a story like XVI century, a young girl became the wife of a tall and handsome guy who was a representative of the elves. The young man showed amazing abilities in archery. The guy was persecuted out of envy. The man was able to become the father of two beautiful daughters who also had pointed ears.

It is important to note that elves have been described almost identically by representatives of various peoples over the centuries. If all the records were compiled correctly, then thanks to them you can find out what the elves really were.

Elves were most commonly encountered by humans from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Based on the information studied, two versions were put forward. According to the first hypothesis, elves are human beings with extra genes. Thanks to special genes, they manage to develop paranormal abilities. According to the second hypothesis, elves are creatures that can come from a parallel world to ours.

Approximately from VII-VI millennium BC. human memory retained, along with the giants, elves - white and black.

In the Scandinavian "Elder Edda" it is noted that the gods first created dwarfs - gnomes, and then elves: They converged on the fate, sat down on the benches, the advice was held by all the higher gods: someone should make dwarfs out of Brimir's blood from Blain's bone; was Motsognir made and named the first among the people of the Zwergs.

But the genealogy of Lovar's ancestors - the descendants of Dvalin, whose family appeared from the stone of the earth, came from the quagmire to the sandy land ...

Later, the "Younger Edda" added details about the land of the elves - Alfheim: "There are creatures called light alves. And the dark ones live in the earth, they have a different look and a completely different nature. The light alves are more beautiful than the sun in appearance, and the dark ones are blacker than resin. “The first belong to the day, the second to the night; the first - by air, the second - by the underworld.

Unlike black elves, whites could change their height and appearance at will, become visible or invisible - it was only necessary to remove or put on a cap with a silver bell.

In fairy tales, elves are most often depicted as frivolous creatures who adore music, singing, dancing, noisy feasts and festivities, willingly joining any procession or round dance. They seem to never do harm to people, and they respond to insults only with harmless tricks. They do not like only loud noise: bell ringing, thunder, shrill whistle.

Oxford University professor John Tolkien, author of the famous trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", strongly objected to such a simplified interpretation of the elven people. In his work "On Magical Stories" the scientist wrote: "... The babies fluttering in flowers are a consequence of our" rationalization ": we explained the enchantment of the Elven Land by simple tricks, and invisibility - by the tiny size of fragile creatures that can hide in a primrose flower or behind a stalk of grass ... ... Elves, faeris are a relatively new word. It first appeared in 1450 in a poem by the poet Gower:

His curls were combed. On them lay a Hoop with precious stones Or a green leaf,

Which just fell off a branch:

And everything about him seemed fresh.

And he was looking out for flesh.

Like a hawk looks at a bird. That I would like to grab.

He held himself like that

Like he was from Fairy.

... The description of the handsome youth gives a better idea of \u200b\u200bthe inhabitants of the Elven Land, ... and for the peoples of the Faeri do not always take (to our chagrin) their true guise; they are so proud and beautiful to us as we ourselves would very much like to be ... Elves are no less real than we are, and we, in turn, are no more real than elves. But our paths rarely cross, our destinies have long been divided. "

In accordance with his own understanding of the nature of elves, Tolkien described their birth in the epic "The Silmarillion":

“… At that very hour, the Children of the Earth, the Firstborn, awoke… they woke up from sleep: and while they - still in silence - lived at Kuivienen, their eyes saw the stars, and the starlight became the dearest of all… They lived for a long time in their first house under the stars and in wonder they wandered the Earth: and they began to speak and give names to everything that they saw. They called themselves Quendi - "those who speak", for they had not yet met other creatures with the gift of speech or singing. And it happened that Orome, hunting, drove to the east and, looking at the elves, was filled with amazement, as if they were strange, wondrous and unforeseen creatures ... Initially, the Elder Children were stronger and taller than they are now: but not more beautiful ... "

Elves are not only known for Scandinavian epics and the works of Tolkien. The Celts called them Sids, the Poles and Vends called them Ludoks and Ludshes (little people). The Russians distinguished the "white-eyed chud" - skilful underground farriers and volunteer assistants: the Boy-with-a-finger, the Little-man-with-a-fingernail. The Romans in Nero's time believed that the elves (they were called incubons), in exchange for their lost cap, would readily discover the location of the treasures. The Scots and Irish guessed the presence of these creatures from the column of dust on the road and bowed respectfully to him, greeting the invisible crowd of elves marching to their new home. In later times, the Bavarian spirit of Eckerken galloped along country roads in the form of an oak root, overturned carts and stopped carriages at a gallop. In the tricks of this spirit, it is easy to recognize the pranks of the elves.

So are elves just a figment of folk fantasy?

Perhaps, Tolkien answered this doubt best of all: “Everything said is true even when we call the faeris a product of our fantasy; in this case, we have one more way of comprehending the Truth of the World by a person. " Indeed, the Truth of the World, about which the English scientist, mythologist and creator of a new direction in the literature of "fairytale fiction" writes, in the variety of forms of reason on Earth. We must learn to understand dissenting, dissenting and dissenting brothers in this life. This is, perhaps, the main lesson of our life.

Despite the fact that many of Tolkien's works are perceived exclusively as fairy tales, it was he who, in his books of the "Lord of the Rings" cycle, was able to convey to our civilization the greatness of these creatures. Today, no one can say with certainty whether elves lived among people or were guests from other worlds. However, it should be remembered that all the mythical creatures described in the legends of a particular nationality were often found in other countries, even if we are talking about the opposite part of the planet Earth.

Many people complain that the film adaptation of the books leaves much to be desired, since at this moment the writers omit many details and facts provided by the author. However, the history of the elven people as brave, intelligent and refined creatures the best way featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Legolas, who fought bravely for his people. The king of the elves, who at the right time decided not to stand aside and fight evil. A fragile dark-haired princess who was ready to sacrifice herself for the love of Aragorn. All these characters are imbued with valor, honor, loyalty, because this is how Tolkien saw this amazing people.

In the legends of many peoples there are creatures that outwardly resemble people, but differ from them in their physiology and capabilities. Creatures with incomprehensible longevity and magical abilities are elves. People all over the world argue whether this ancient people in reality or only in fairy tales.

Elves are present in different cultures

Evidence for the existence of elves

Different peoples have myths in which these creatures are mentioned in different images and events. But in history, facts are noted about real mysterious finds. The Indians from North America have a legend about a small, kind people with supernatural abilities. The excavations at the place of their settlement also testify to this. Here archaeologists have found objects with an unclear purpose, made of materials unknown then to ancient people.

And in 1932, a small mummy was found during excavations in San Pedro. Archaeologists conducted research and found that the skeleton belonged to a man 30 cm tall, who died of natural causes at the age of about 65 years. The owner of such an unusual find did not live long, and after his death the mummy disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The indigenous people claim that such items are not uncommon in their area, but there is no documentary evidence for these words.

In 1837, archaeologists discovered a small cemetery in Ohio, where historical excavations were carried out. The growth of most of the mummies seemed strange to them: they did not exceed 1 m. Some researchers claim that this was a whole tribe of pygmies, and not an elven cemetery.

In Iceland, in 1996, an amazing event took place during the excavation work on Kopavogur Hill. The locals believed that the site was an elven settlement and protested against the leveling of the land. During the work, the inexplicable happened - all the equipment broke down the day before the excavation and it was necessary to curtail the activity. The construction company never returned to that place and preferred to erect the building in another place.

In Iceland, people still believe in, who lives in different parts of the country and tries with all his might not to be seen by the locals.

In the capital of the country there is even a special school of elves, the director of which has been communicating with people who have been magically affected for 30 years. Magnus Skarphedinsson collects stories and teaches eyewitnesses to properly interact with mythical creatures when they meet.

Elven origin theories

The birth of elves is one of the greatest mysteries, they are even elevated to the rank of People, they still argue where these mythical creatures came from. According to one version, evolution is to blame for everything, according to another, it is the creation of the gods.

The first theory instantly hits the rocks of logic, and questions arise here. One of them is how evolution allowed only one species of humanoid beings to gain immortality. For this, several factors had to combine at once:

1. Constant weather conditions on the ground.
2. Long period of time.

The human body changes throughout life, immortality does not affect this indicator. But elves do not age and skills undeveloped in their youth are irretrievably lost. Therefore, the lack of progress in development suggests that the creatures appeared to the world in a finished form.

The divine creation of elves is more logical, it is determined by all the facts about them. The appearance of ready-made magical creatures adapted for life in society was thought out.

Types of creatures

Signs of Williams syndrome

The disease consists in the loss of 20 specific genes on chromosome 7. The patient has problems with the cardiovascular system. They behave like children. All are diagnosed with a moderate degree of imbecility. It is difficult for them to study in educational institutions, but they are very caring, sensitive people. Everything beautiful is not alien to them, they have an innate artistry and a beautiful melodic voice.

Believe in mythical creatures or not - everyone decides for himself. Whether the legends were only descriptions of real cases of Williams syndrome or whether these are stories about real magical creatures - it's hard to say.

In Iceland, people still believe in their existence and try to prove to the whole world that they are right by building whole fabulous tourist complexes.