In Norse mythology, the Light Elves (Old Norse: Liósálfar) live in Álfheim. They have shining white skin. Snorri describes them as being "fairer to look upon than the sun" (Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur's translation). Snorri also stresses the great difference in both appearance and nature between them and Svartalfar. Ljósálfar are the common elves of Norse mythology. Norse mythology, Viking mythology or Scandinavian mythology refer to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Álfheim (Old Norse Álfheimr Elf-home) is the abode of the Álfar Elves in Norse mythology and appears also in northern English ballads under the forms Elfhame and Elphame. ... Snorri Sturlason (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... The Svartálfar (black elves) are mythical beings from Norse mythology. ... An artists rendition of an elf, as a peaceful woodland humanoid. ...
Elves is often used as a general term for fairies especially in the XIXth anglo-saxon litterature.
In modern descriptions, elves are either light or dark, the lightelves having starlike eyes, faces brighter than the sun, and golden-colored hair; the dark elves are pitch fl and have sometimes fluorescent eyes, this quality being indicative of their dealing with fl magic.
During the course of time elves moved to other places in the world and in many tribes their spiritual shape was lost completely and elves changed to beings consisting of blood and flesh.
As such, elves appear similar to the animistic belief in spirits of nature and of the deceased, common to nearly all human religions; something that, on a side note, is true also for the Old Norse belief in fylgjur and vörðar ("follower" and "warden" spirits, respectively).
Small wingless elves of British folklore also appear distinct thus Santa's Elves (of whom it should be noted are referred to as Gnomes also, by many in the UK rather than Elves) are called "tomte" in Swedish or "nisse" in Norwegian.
Machine elves, a term first introduced by writer and psychedelic researcher Terrence McKenna, is used to describe the presumed other-worldly intelligent beings which subjects sometimes feel they encounter during psychedelic experiences (especially those induced by naturally-occurring tryptamines, such as DMT or psilocybin), as well as during shamanic and alien abduction experiences.
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