The Elves

Elves are beings inferior to the gods, but still possess great power. The white spirits, or Elves of Light, were very fair, more brilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and transparent texture. They loved the light, were kindly disposed to mankind, and generally appeared as fair and lovely children. Their country was called Alfheim, and was the domain of Frey, the god of sun, in whose light they were always sporting.

The black or night Elves were a different kind of creatures. Ughly, long-nosed dwarves, of a dirty brown color, they appeared only at night, for they avoided the sun as their most deadly enemy, because whenever his beams fell upon any of them they changed immediately into stones. Their language was the echo of slitudes, and their dwelling-places subterranean caves and clefts. They were supposed to have come into existence as maggots produced by the decaying flesh of Ymir's body, and were afterwards endowed by the gods with a human form and great understanding. They were particularly distinguished for a knowledge of the mysterious powers of nature, and for the runes which they carved and explained. They were the most skillful of artificers of all created beings, and worked in metals and wood. Among their most celebrated works were Thor's hammer, and the shi "Skidbladnir," which they gave to Frey, and which was so large that it could contain all the deities with their war and household implements but so skillfully was it wrought that when folded together it could be put into a pocket.