# The Elves explained — Bulfinch’s Mythology

> Chapter companion for Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch.

## What happens

This chapter describes the two classes of Elves in Norse mythology: the Light Elves, who are fair, benevolent, and dwell in Alfheim under Freyr's domain, and the Dark Elves, who are ugly dwarfs that shun sunlight, live in caves, and are skilled in runes and metalwork, having originated from the decaying flesh of Ymir.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Immortality

The Dark Elves' vulnerability to sunlight, which turns them to stone, highlights the boundary between life and death.

## Character check-ins

### Freyr

God of the sun, ruler of Alfheim, domain of the Light Elves.

### Thor

His hammer was forged by the Dark Elves.

## Key lines

> The white spirits, or Elves of Light, were exceedingly fair, more brilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and transparent texture.

The Light Elves were radiant beings, brighter than the sun, wearing fine, see-through clothes.

_Describes the appearance of the Light Elves._

> The Black or Night Elves were a different kind of creatures. Ugly, long-nosed dwarfs, 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 them immediately into stones.

The Dark Elves were ugly, brown dwarfs with long noses who only came out at night, as sunlight would instantly turn them to stone.

_Describes the appearance and vulnerability of the Dark Elves._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters/the-elves
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters