Elves have been a part of novels, tales, and myths for hundreds of years, being creatures with magical powers. Elves are often depicted as men and women of great beauty living in forests and other natural places. They are said to be shape-shifters and can control the weather, shift tides, and even cause landscapes to shift with their miraculous powers. Elves and fairies are considered alike and to a certain extent, these two creatures even resemble each other. The earliest evidence of elves comes from Norse mythology, and the real tales of elves began to be written around the 1500s, and to this day they have been featured in various novels, films, and cartoon shows.
These humanoid supernatural beings usually make their settlements in dense forests and often hollowed-out tree trunks are said to be their abode. In addition, the other habitat places for elves could be grasslands. After reaching a certain age, elves stop aging physically, and after that their body remains untouched by the cycle of time. The nature of elves is said to be mischievous, and sometimes even cause unintentional harm to humans. In some countries, elves are often attributed to different strange occurrences, such as if the hair on a horse or human is badly tangled and knotted, it is called elf lock. Similarly, many other mischievous acts are often done by elves. Usually, elves are known to be friendly with humans, but if someone insults and disrespects them, they can also take dreadful revenge by deliberately causing illnesses and misfortunes.
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There are mainly two types of elves, one category is Ljosalfar ("Light Elves") and the other is Dokkalfar ("Dark Elves"). Light Elves originated from heaven and their skin color is fairer than the sun and their alluring beauty is unmatched. They have great powers and are known to behave lovingly with humans. There are many stories about Light Elves' love affair with humans, where they and humans also had children. It is believed that these children were far ahead of humans in beauty and also possessed miraculous powers due to the blood of the elves in their bodies. Dark Elves, on the other hand, have a dark complexion and reside within the earth, and have the ability to generate weapons with their magical powers. They are considered very cruel and brutal by nature and known for their aggression and deceit, showing little mercy when dealing with the life of another being. Elves were even worshiped in different civilizations and traditions around the world.
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In Icelandic folklore, Elves are also known as the "huldufolk" (hidden people or hidden folk). The author D.L. Ashliman wrote in the book "Folk and Fairy Tales" that one day God visit the earth to meet Adam and Eve. Eve was very embarrassed because her children were not bathed, so were not clean. So she hid them away and lied about their existence, but God knew everything. God said, what man hides from God, God will hide from man. After this those children came to be known as the "hidden folk" of Iceland, who often dwell in large rock formations.
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