Elves are a real-life people that lived before humans and at the same time with humans and constituted the elven civilization, powerful at the dawn of the human era.

Elf by John Anster Fitzgerald.

Elves - Spirits of the "Fairy Land"

For the first time, the concept of elves, apparently, appeared in Ireland to denote the magical people who lived in the hills - the Sids and at first were called the Sids. The Sids were both male and female. Their ruler was Queen (elves) Medb, a tall, slender beauty with bright blue eyes and long blond hair. A wide robe of the finest white silk developed behind her. The man who happened to meet with Medb soon died of love anguish. Other sids - elves were also very tall, and their beauty could immediately "blind" a mere mortal. With one touch of the hand, they took away the will and reason from a person.

A person who accidentally wandered into their lands (they were always men), the sids - elves, as a rule, turned into their slave. If the unfortunate man still managed to escape and get home, his reason never returned to him. Sometimes the former captives of the Seeds became prophets or healers, acquiring the ability to foresee the future or heal people. Despite this, there are many plots in Irish mythology in which mortals and elves vied with each other, and people entered their world for the purpose of matchmaking or in order to obtain wonderful objects. There are also legends and historical evidence (and not only in Ireland) about marriages between the Sids - elves, fairies and people - for example, Beckum the White-skinned with the King of Ireland Equestrian of the Hundred Battles - and the birth of children from them.

Mythological and historical elves

According to "Upbringing in the Houses of Two Cups", "Taking the Seeds" and other Irish sagas, men and women of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann) who lived earlier in Ireland, Wales and in the north of France, after their defeat by the Sons of the Spanish Mil ( approximately in 1700-700 BC). According to one of the versions of the saga "Education in the Houses of Two Cups" (there are only five of them), the country was divided into two parts by Amorgen - the poet and sage of the Goidels (the people to which the sons of Mil belonged), so that the Tribe of the goddess Dan got the lower one, underworld. The mythological elves, which I mentioned above, began to live in it. The Sids were not the only place where, according to legend, the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann) left after being defeated by the Sons of Mil. The Irish sagas also say that the people of the Tribe of the Goddess Danu sailed across the sea and settled on the mysterious islands - Brendan, Blessed, Yablonev ... A fragment from the saga "The Adventures of Art, Son of Conn" can serve as a landmark for the location of the new homeland of Tuatha de Danann. The tribe of the goddess Danu, who gathered for a council in the Promised Land because of Beckuma the White-skinned (daughter of Eogan Inbir), who committed adultery, exiles her to Ireland:

"" So, she was expelled from the other side of the sea space and the great abyss; and it was sent to Ireland, for

The tribe of the goddess Danu hated the Sons of Mil after they were expelled from Ireland. "Thus, after the defeat of the Sons of Mil, the men and women of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann) were pushed to the periphery of the reclaimed space - across the sea, to the islands, in the bowels of the hills, which received the name "Fairyland." And they themselves began to be called elves.

Elves - men and women of the Danu Goddess Tribe who lived in Ireland

As follows from the above, those who lived from the VI millennium BC. until 1700-700 BC. in Ireland, men and women of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann), in essence, were historical elves (the prototype of mythological elves from the Other World). In the work "Elves in Ancient Ireland. The Secret of the Tribe of the Goddess Danu" I reconstructed in detail the appearance, clothing, abilities and way of life of this people. Therefore, I will note here only their main features.

The elves were tall, perfectly built, forever young and beautiful young men and women with very fair skin, delicate features, blue, gray or green eyes and long golden hair, which, with their impeccable beauty, could drive ordinary mortals crazy.

Elves were eternally young and did not die of old age, which indicates a very long duration of their life - for example, the god Danda and the goddess Banba lived for more than 3000 years, and according to some sources, even more than 10,000 years. They could only be killed. Unlike their predecessors (except the Fomorians and Fir Bolg) and their successors, the Sons of Mil, the elves possessed secret magical knowledge and possessed the secrets of witchcraft. They were the greatest sorcerers who trained the early druids. Elves could revive the dead. One of the most important features of this people was their wonderful magical ability to change shape, appearance and size. They could turn into animals, birds, fish (horses, wolves, cows, swans, ravens, eels, etc.), ugly old women, as well as various elements of nature.

Elves were not only the greatest sorcerers, but also learned people who perfectly comprehended the laws of nature and knew how to control it. They had a comprehensive knowledge of the healing and energetic properties of plants and used them to treat various diseases, mortal wounds, and when casting spells.

Elves were also highly skilled artisans and musicians, warriors and poets, and their weapons were considered the finest and most modern. Women enjoyed almost the same civil rights as men and took an active part in all male affairs, even in war. Often they acted as envoys in negotiations between the warring parties, and also sat on councils at the conclusion of peace.

Elves had the custom of raising children on the side, either in the form of a "pledge of friendship" or for a fee - for pedagogical purposes, to strengthen the character. Boys remained in education until seventeen, girls - until fourteen. The responsibilities of adoptive parents were widely understood. The close bond between the dairy or stepbrothers was established for life - sometimes stronger and deeper than blood relationship.

Elves are a divine race of immortals and sorcerers

As follows from Irish (and Welsh) legends, elves were a divine race of wizards and sorcerers, endowed with longevity or immortality, magical abilities and similar to the most beautiful people, only many times more beautiful. It is no accident, therefore, that they have always been opposed to people and referred to beings between mythical supermen and deities, divine demons, fallen gods or fallen angels (and here).

In the story of Tuan MacKairil from the Book of the Brown Cow, written about 1100, it is said that no one knows where the Tuatha de Danann came to Ireland from, but that, "it seems, they came from heaven, as evidenced by their intelligence and perfection of their knowledge. " According to one of the versions (apparently the earliest) of the "Battle of the Mag Tuired", the Tuatha de Danann reached Ireland on dark clouds directly through the air, landed on Mount Konmeikne Rhine and covered the face of the sun with darkness for three days.

Elves are real creatures. In many legends and tales, elves are mentioned - humanoid creatures, almost no different from us, except perhaps in some fragility of constitution, a different shape of ears, but possessing magical abilities. Of course, a fairy tale - it is a fairy tale. However...

In one of the monastic chronicles, it is mentioned that at the beginning of the 15th century in Scotland, a man was found dying of wounds in the mountains, speaking an unknown language. He was thin, even fragile. Having recovered, the stranger surprised everyone with his dexterity in fencing and archery - he never missed!

Over time, having learned the language, he told that he belonged to the Elwe people. According to him, this people lives very, very far away. One interesting feature: he was sharp-eared! It is known that the pointed tops of the ears are a sign of belonging to a satanic tribe, and the unfortunate elve would have burned at the stake, but the fact that he, wounded, was immediately brought to church, saved him. And since nothing happened to him (the devil in the holy walls would either die right away, or, at worst, he would be huddled in cramps), no one touched him. Unfortunately, there is no more information about the mysterious alien.

You can find such references in other countries. For example, in one of the family chronicles of Norway, it is mentioned that in the 14th century one of the girls married a tall and handsome foreigner, an unsurpassed archer. However, he was soon accused of witchcraft and, in today's language, repressed. He lived in marriage for eight years and left two daughters, also distinguished by their beauty. But the daughters, in addition to their beauty, inherited the "family trait" of their father - pointed ears, which, of course, greatly complicated their further existence ... This foreigner himself called himself Helve.

Other evidence can be found in the chronicles. Interestingly, different peoples, different storytellers, often without any contacts, have described the mysterious Helve or Yelve in almost the same way for centuries. And this, especially taking into account the reliable (relatively, of course) chronicles, cannot but suggest that the portrait of an average elf was actually written off from life. Moreover, all the "magical" skills attributed to them, by and large, do not go "beyond the scope".

Start with their shooting talents. Not a single arrow missed the target - could this be possible without magic? Here it is appropriate to recall something from the experience of the Chinese master archers, who shoot no worse than fairy elves. This is how one of the wizards describes the process:

“I look at the target and I don’t think about the bow when I draw it. I put my entire consciousness in the arrowhead and continue to stare at the target. Eventually, it grows in my mind to an incredible size, it takes up the entire universe. And I rush to the target - at the tip of the arrow. I know I can't miss - and I don't miss. " Moreover, an arrow fired from a bow by a master pierces thick walls. There is a known case when an arrow pierced almost 10 centimeters into a stone! That is, the flight is directed not so much by the bow and muscular strength of the shooter as by his will, his "qi" energy. Is it magic? Rather, human paranormal abilities.

Or, for example, the "invisibility" of elves, their ability to dissolve in the forest, walk on snow and sand without leaving a trace. If we turn to the experience of the same Shaolin monks or ninjas who own the qigong technique, everything becomes clear. Experts of this technique demonstrate truly real miracles (many times, by the way, captured on film, photo and videotape): they walk on the sand, leaving almost no traces, stand on a board lying on the eggs, and the eggs do not break, hang on the "harsh" threads ... Scientists cannot yet explain the phenomenon of qigong, but the fact that after mastering the technique, almost any person is capable of miracles is a proven fact. And as for the ability to "dissolve" in the forest - ask the old people: they will tell you what it means to "avert your eyes". Walking past a person without him seeing you is just a kind of suggestion, a kind of hypnosis.

Comparing these and some other facts, we can conclude that the mysterious Helve are people or creatures that are extremely similar to them, according to some information, they can have children from ordinary women and possess abilities that are now considered paranormal. And meetings with them in the XII-XVI centuries were not uncommon - remember the numerous "witchcraft" processes, where pointed ears were called as the main evidence betraying a connection with otherworldly forces.

Another question is what kind of people it is, where did these elves come from and where did they go now? The researchers put forward two hypotheses. First: elves are the same homo sapiens, but possessing a certain "extra gene" that allows paranormal abilities to be inherited. Maybe these are the descendants of the Atlanteans, maybe some "branch of development", which by the 10th-11th centuries was almost completely assimilated with people and only in some hard-to-reach unexplored areas (and at that time there were enough of them in Europe and Scandinavia) preserved their communities ... Another version is quite fantastic and is based on a hypothetical theory of the discreteness of universes: in one place per unit of time there is an infinite number of non-intersecting universes. Of course, points of contact (intersection) exist, and elves are aliens from a parallel world.

By the way, this theory also explains something, for example, the eternal youth of elves. Perhaps, in different parallel universes, time flows in different ways, and it is not surprising that a person, having entered the world of elves and spent several hours there, finds out, upon returning, that years have passed on earth.

Are there representatives of the Elwe people among us today? Maybe. But even if this mysterious race completely disappeared, dissolved in "ordinary" people, the "gene pool" remained: from time to time, children with pointed ears are born, some people show absolutely "elven" abilities ... For example, American Kenneth O "Hara ( newspapers repeatedly wrote about him), first taking a bow in his hands at the age of 43, he realized that he simply "did not know how" to miss. He was examined by doctors, psychics, and it was thanks to the latter that he did not become a professional athlete: psychics determined that at the time of the shot 0 "Hara" throws out a huge amount of mental energy. On this basis, he was forbidden to speak. Having studied his ancestry, Kenneth 0 "Hara learned that in the 15th century one of his ancestors - an Irishman - married a Helve captive - a woman was captured during a raid on one of the islands off the coast of Scandinavia.

Dance of the Elves: Digital Painting by Susan Justice

Great elven civilization

Based on the foregoing, it was concluded that the people of "gods", wizards and sorcerers, which were called the Gandharvas, Apsaras, the Tribe of the Goddess Danu, Tuatha de Danann, Tuatha de Anu, Royal Scythians and other names, or, simply put, elves, were quite widespread on the globe - in different places and at different times. Its number may have even been comparable to the number of people.

This means that elves could be a whole race and even a civilization of non-human beings who lived "in parallel" with other non-human beings and people. Moreover, according to the Indian, Irish, Slavic, Scandinavian epics and legends of many other peoples, all these creatures and people waged fierce wars with each other. In the end, almost everywhere the "inhumans" were defeated by humans. But these are already other stories, which I will tell you about in the following works. So the civilization of elves or elven civilization is not a fantasy, but a historical reality. True, historical elves, most likely, differed from fictional elves - who came to us from the fantasy world. I never managed to find in any of the Irish sagas information that they (men and women of the tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann), Tuatha de Anu, Gandharvas and Apsaras) had long pointed ears - after all, you must agree, this is exactly how most of us represent elves. Most likely, such data simply does not exist.

Mythological and historical elves

According to "Education in the Houses of Two Cups", "The Taking of the Seeds" and other Irish sagas, the gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann), who lived earlier in Ireland, Wales and in northern France, began to be called Sids, and then elves after their defeat from the Sons of Mile of Spain (approximately 1700-700 BC). According to one of the versions of the saga "Education in the Houses of Two Cups" (there are only five of them), the country was divided into two parts by Amorgen - the poet and sage of the Goidels (the people to which the sons of Mil belonged), so that the Tribe of the goddess Dan got the lower one, underworld. The mythological elves, which I mentioned above, began to live in it. The Sids were not the only place where, according to legend, the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann) left after being defeated by the Sons of Mil. The Irish sagas also say that the people of the Tribe of the Goddess Danu sailed across the sea and settled on the mysterious islands - Brendan, Blessed, Yablonev ... A fragment from the saga "The Adventures of Art, Son of Conn" can serve as a landmark for the location of the new homeland of Tuatha de Danann. The tribe of the goddess Danu, gathered for a council in the Promised Land because of Beckuma the White-skinned (daughter of Eogan Inbir), who committed adultery, exiles her to Ireland: "So, she was expelled from the other side of the sea space and the great abyss; and she was sent precisely to Ireland, for the Tribe of the goddess Danu hated the Sons of Mil, after she was expelled by them from Ireland ".
In the saga "The Disappearance of Kondla the Beautiful, son of the Kond of the Hundred Battles", approximately the same location of the country where the elves settled is indicated. The elf who seduced Kondla sang to him:
« Sweet desire has long attracted you
You want to take off with me for the wave.
If you enter my glass boat
We will reach the kingdom of the Victorious.
There is another country, distant,
She is sweet to the one who finds her.
Though, I see, the sun is setting.
We will reach her, distant, before the night ».
This mythical land of elves was located across the sea, probably where the sun sets (that is, in America).

Read my work "The Exodus of the White Gods. From Hyperborea to Easter Island"

Thus, after being defeated by the Sons of Mil, the men and women of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann) were pushed to the periphery of the developed space - beyond the sea, to the islands, into the bowels of the hills, which was called "Magic Land". And they themselves began to be called elves.

Elves - gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the Goddess Danu Tuatha de Danann), who lived in Ireland

As follows from the above, those who lived from the VI millennium BC. until 1700-700 BC. in Ireland, the gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the goddess Danu (Tuatha de Danann), in essence, were historical elves (the prototype of mythological elves from the Other World).
In the work "Elves in Ancient Ireland. The Secret of the Tribe of the Goddess Danu" I reconstructed in detail the appearance, clothing, abilities and way of life of this people. Therefore, I will note here only their main features.Elves were tall, perfectly built, forever young and beautiful young men and women with very fair skin, thin facial features, blue, gray and probably green (?) Eyes and long golden hair, which, with their impeccable beauty, could drive ordinary mortals crazy ... Elves were eternally young and did not die of old age, which indicates a very long duration of their life - for example, the god Danda and the goddess Banba lived for more than 3000 years, and according to some sources, even more than 10,000 years. They could only be killed. Unlike their predecessors (except the Fomorians and Fir Bolg) and their successors, the Sons of Mil, the elves possessed secret magical knowledge and possessed the secrets of witchcraft. They were the greatest magicians who trained the first druids. Elves could revive the dead. One of the most important features of this people was their wonderful magical ability to change shape, appearance and size. They could turn into animals, birds, fish (horses, wolves, cows, swans, ravens, eels, etc.), ugly old women, as well as various elements of nature. Elves were not only the greatest sorcerers, but also learned people who taught the first druids, who perfectly comprehended the laws of nature and knew how to control it. They had a comprehensive knowledge of the healing and energetic properties of plants and used them to treat various diseases, mortal wounds, and when casting spells.

Not many people know how and where Where to find an elf in Skyrim, because they are quite inconspicuous and fast, so to make it easier for you to find them, we will help you find out all the information you need! Elves originate from the same ancestors with people. This is about elnofey... Their physiological differences from humans are very small. The first thing that catches your eye when you look at them is their pointed ears. But this is not their main difference from other races. This race real centenarians, they live up to three hundred years.

Wood elves in fact live in Valenwood (West), but for some reason, most of them move to the vastness of Skyrim. They are relatives of the Dark and High Elves who live in harmony with nature, their difference is that they are very fast. Their abilities are great for such professions as: Thief, Assassin, Archer, Pathfinder, because they are quite dexterous and know how to merge with nature.

How and where to find an elf in Skyrim

Very often, when a player goes through the storyline of Skyrim, he may have a logical question, but where can I find these elves? Depending on which of the races you are dealing with, you can look for the right elf for a long time.

1. High Elves live on the island Summerset... This beautiful island is located near Tamriel. Towards the south-west.
2. The Wood Elves have this city Valendwood, which is also located on one of the islands in the southwest.
3. Dark elves live in Morrowind, which is also in Tamriel, its northeastern part.
4. If you want to find one of the High Elves, then you need the Falmer who live in dwemer ruins.
5. These creatures can also be easily found in the camp area. Quiet Moons... This is the northwest direction from Whiterun.

Where to Find Blood Elves

Usually, the need to find an Elf appears when you need to complete one of the tasks in the game, in which you need get blood from a representative of each race. In order for you to be able to complete this task, you will need to find a Dark Elf in the area where the Grays live in Windhelm, or in Solitude, if you urgently need a High Elf, you can find him there. And if you need, for example, a Wood Elf, then go boldly to the village of Riverwood, which is located near the sawmill.

In fact, the question of Where to find an elf in Skyrim is quite versatile, because they often change their habitat, and try not to attract much attention to themselves. But we hope this quick guide helped you a lot!

When we hear the names of elves (we are talking about the names of peoples, and not about the elven names themselves), we represent not the classic characters of myths and legends, but the heroes of the fictional world of Middle-earth, which was created by the talented writer John Tolkien. But are elves the author's fantasy, or are there prerequisites that they exist?

In the article:

Types of elves and their description in folklore

In German-Scandinavian mythology, the origin of the elves is closely intertwined with the history of the universe itself. There are two common names used for elves - Alva and D (ts) vergi.

Keeper of nature Alva.

The first are the spirits of nature, they are beautiful, kind and help people. It is believed that the word "Alves" later transformed into "Elves".

Miniatures live underground, and are good blacksmiths. They are afraid of the light (like the trolls). When sunlight hits the miniature, it turns into stone. It was believed that zwergs are dark entities, they do not like mortals and do bad things to them in every way.

In English folklore unlike the Scandinavian, there is no division of elves into dark and light. The British called these creatures "fairies". These are not good, but not evil characters, they have their own character, they have advantages and disadvantages.

The main vice of the characters is a passion for theft. They loved to steal peas and barrels of wine. Such entities stole small unbaptized children, and instead of babies they put freaks in the cradle.

In Ireland elves were divided into two categories. Some are humanoid, while others are small, with wings.

In Danish folklore elves - forest spirits, men looked like old men in large headdresses, and ladies - young and beautiful, but with tails.

In Swedish folklore, there are references to the forest people. The people believed that wood elves lived in large trees.

At the time of paganism on the territory Sweden many so-called elven altars where sacrifices were made. Tusser is the name of magical creatures from Norse folklore. Elves, gnomes, etc. are hiding under this name. It was believed that such creatures live like mortals - they build buildings, engage in agriculture and agriculture.

Santa's Helper Parade.

In modern culture, an elf is a funny creature, an assistant to Santa Claus. Similar magical creatures are present in the literary works of writers from different countries: William Shakespeare, Goethe, Kipling, Tolkien.

Elves - myth or reality

There are many tales and legends where elves are mentioned. In different countries of the world, there are legends about the little men found by local residents.

The Cherokee Indians have legends about a small people. Local legend says that they were short people, kind and possessing supernatural powers.

In 1932, a tiny mummy was found in the San Pedro mountains. A man with a height of 30 centimeters. Archaeologists of the American Museum of Natural History and Anthropology at Harvard University, after research, assured that the mummy really died at the age of 65 years.

The mummy of the San Pedro mountains.

When one of the owners of the find died, the mummy mysteriously disappeared. Locals say that similar mummies were found here. However, there is no evidence for this.

An unusual find was made in 1837. In Coshocton, Ohio, a cemetery was accidentally discovered, where creatures resembling people are buried. The bodies did not exceed 50-100 centimeters. It is believed that these are not elves, but simply the burial of pygmies.

The emergency happened in 1996 in Iceland. One construction company was trying to level the Kopavogure Hill. The inhabitants were against this - according to legend, elves lived in this hill. The company failed to complete what it started. The technique suddenly stopped working at this location.

Another story took place in the National Mangrove Conservation Area. She was told by Stephen Wagner, he is studying supernatural phenomena. It is about a man walking in the reserve. When I went to a small forest edge, I saw 30 small people, they settled down on the rocks and calmly talked to each other. The frightened traveler hastened to return to the car, and when he came back, the little people disappeared.

Wagner also described another case. It all happened in 2003 in Greenburg. The woman who told the story left only initials - KT The lady was walking in the woods in the evening when she saw that everything around her was starting to blink a little. Turning, the lady saw a little man watching her from behind a tree. An eyewitness insists that he looked exactly as described in the legends. The woman screamed, and the magical creature instantly disappeared.

Elf school in Reykjavik: Icelandic Hogwarts with trolls and fairies.

The amazing "school of elves" is located in the capital of Iceland. Its director, Magnus Skarphedinsson, has been in regular contact with people for 30 years who claim to have encountered magical spirits. He described an incident that happened to Ellie Erlingsdottir.

The woman said that her scissors were missing, but after a couple of days they appeared again in the room. The lady is sure that these are the tricks of magical creatures, and to prove her case, she invited a special person who knows how to talk with elves. And now, in order to make an important decision, the woman asks for advice from magical assistants.

A real "little people"

Howard Lehnhof, a scientist at the University of California, has suggested that the myths about elves have a real basis and describe real people.

Williams syndrome, aka "elf face" is a genetic malfunction.

Today these are patients with Williams syndrome. A genetic abnormality that occurs when 20 specific genes on chromosome 7 are lost. The first time they learned about such a syndrome was in 1961.

The main difference between people with this syndrome is small stature, constant childish facial expression, pronounced lips, nose, eyes, problems with the cardiovascular system. In behavior, they resemble what is described in the tales of elves.

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 the legends of different peoples, there are some differences in the description of the elves, but 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 protect a person from dangers for many years. 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 opposed to the highest gods - the ases.

According to Anglo-Saxon legends, the Scandinavian Valkyries descended from the Alves. The Valkyries are immortal spirits that 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 later 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 beings 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 elven ruler's shoulders.

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 had witchcraft power;
• 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, Konn 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

If you believe the "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 seen 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 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 Seeds 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 a definite answer whether there are magical light-skinned creatures in real life, but the countless references to these perfumes in Scandinavian, Germanic, English and other sources force scientists to 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 the modern world, interest in elven creatures has not been lost. Some researchers hypothesize that charming wizards live among us.