| Dwarves | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
Dwarfs, Dwarves |
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First Appearance |
Norse Myth |
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Created by |
Norse Myth |
Origin[]
A dwarf (pl. dwarfs or dwarves) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Accounts of dwarfs vary significantly throughout history; however, they are commonly, but not exclusively, presented as living in mountains or stones and being skilled craftspeople. In early literary sources, only males are explicitly referred to as dwarfs. However, they are described as having sisters and daughters, while male and female dwarfs feature in later saga literature and folklore. Dwarfs are sometimes described as short; however, scholars have noted that this is neither explicit nor relevant to their roles in the earliest sources.
Scholars have noted that the Svartálfar ('black elves') appear to be the same beings as dwarfs, given that both are described in the Prose Edda as the residents of Svartálfaheimr. Another potential synonym is dökkálfar ('dark elves'); however, it is unclear whether svartálfar and dökkálfar were considered the same at the time of the writing of the Prose Edda. The partial overlap of dwarfs in Eddic sources with elves is supported by the names of dwarfs recorded in the Dvergatal section of Völuspá, which include Álfr ('Elf'), Gandálfr ('Wand-elf'), Vindálf ('Wind-elf'). Dvergatal further lists Yngvi – a name of the god Freyr who was given Álfheimr, the home of the elves, to rule according to Grímnismál.
Notable Eddic dwarfs:
- Andvari, a shapechanging dwarf featuring in the Völsung cycle who is extorted out of his treasure by Loki.
- Fjalar and Galar, two brothers who murder Kvasir and brew the mead of poetry from his blood.
- Brokkr and Sindri, brothers who craft Draupnir, Gullinbursti and Mjölnir for the gods.
- Sons of Ívaldi, brothers who craft Gungnir, Skíðblaðnir and Sif's hair for the gods.
- Alvíss, a dwarf who requested the hand in marriage of Thor's daughter Þrúðr. Thor outwits him by keeping him talking until daybreak, whereupon he turns to stone
- Litr, a dwarf kicked by Thor into Baldr's funeral pyre for an unclear reason.
Dwarfs feature throughout both fornaldarsögur and riddarasögur. In Völsunga saga, which details the events that unfold after Loki extorts treasure out of the dwarf Andvari, to pay the wergild for his killing of Ótr, a being whose brother Regin is also described in some sources as either resembling or being a dwarf. In Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, the sword Tyrfing is forged, and subsequently cursed, by a dwarf named Dvalinn, and another named Dulin in the Hauksbók manuscript.
Another famous group of dwarves from Gernamic folklore would be the Seven Dwarves that appear in the 1812 fairy tale Snow White by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Dwarves from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Prose Edda
- Poetic Edda
- Nibelungenlied
- Laurin
- Virginal
- Sigenot
- Heldenbuch-Prosa
- Völsunga Saga
- Grimms' Fairy Tales
Public Domain Theatrical Appearances[]
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Fairy Tale Parade #2-9
- Thrilling Adventures in Stamps #3
- Frisky Fables v2 #1
- Calling All Kids #23
- Strange Journey #2
- Super-Dooper Comics #8
- Lightning Comics v2 #2
- Mysterious Stories #2
- Fantastic Comics #3
- Sparkie, Radio Pixie #3
- Four Color Comics #140, 254
- Smash Comics #18
- Space Busters #1
- Unusual Tales #23
- Gorgo #8
Notes[]
- Most dwarfs in modern fantasy fiction closely follow those of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, where the dwarves (Tolkien's spelling) were distinguished from elves: most modern fantasy has continued this distinction. Dwarfs are also present in other fantasy literature such as C. S. Lewis's Narnia stories, Terry Pratchett's Discworld and the Artemis Fowl novels by Eoin Colfer.