Posted: February 07, 2000 at 09:48:12: by Martin Read
: One of Tolkien's basic points in his mythology is that he is reviving an ancient view of elves as a higher race than Man, rather than the little winged sprites or fairies of romantic and modern stories. Does anyone have an idea if such an older view of elves actually existed? In other words, are there in fact old German, Norse, or Anglo-Saxon legends with these high and noble elves in them? Any examples?Well not really. By the time Anglo-Saxon folklore came to be written the stature and gravity of the original Old English Aelf had become very diminished. The only real echo of the former importance to the English of the Fey-folk is preserved in old personal names: Alfred meaning "Elf-wise," Aelfric "Elf-ruler," Aelfhelm "Elf-helmet" and Aelfgifu "Elf-gift." The probable nature of the Anglo-Saxon elf is best discovered by looking at their cousins (which have been better recorded in literature) the Irish Sidhe (pronounced Shee - as in banshee). These were of a race of human stature, immortal, beautiful, wise, perilous (though not normally malevolent), magical and musical. All in all not very dissimilar to Tolkien's elves. They had their equivalent in Welsh myth (the Fair-family Tyllwrdd-Teg - sp?) though this has not been so well preserved. An echo of these folk can also be seen in some of the episodes of Arthurian Myth - the Green Knight, Lady of the Lake, Morgan leFay (Fay or Fey - from the old-French Fae, a Fairy)etc. These examples of "Faerie" can be found in lots of Celtic Folk Tales - the earliest being the Irish Cu-Chulainn Cycle (Tain Bo Culainge etc) and the Welsh Mabinogion.
|
