Blog # 12 What in the World are Elves?

 In the collection of fairy tales recorded by the brothers Grimm, Elves have a very peculiar description that is very different from popular modern conceptions. Elves are described as small human-like creatures who are very mysterious and good at working with their hands. They’re also described as pretty with big heads and exquisite beards. These little creatures hail from mountains laden with intricate furniture. One must begin to question, where in the world did the idea of elves come from? Tolkien wasn’t the first to come up with them with his famous Lord of The Rings series. He just gave the idea flesh with a unique language, history, and appearance. But besides the brilliant creativity of Tolkien, who was the first to come up with elves? The brothers Grimm published their stories in 1812 but they didn’t create these stories. They merely put oral tales and fables into paper and mass produced it. These stories could very well be from the early 1000s. Maybe in the 1st century someone really did encounter one of these pointy eared hard workers.

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