Blog Issue #3

Dwarfs/dwarves come out of Germanic folklore and vary greatly throughout history. They are mostly presented as living in mountains or stones, and as being skilled craftsmen. They are often described as short.

A Brief History Note

Historically, there were only references to male dwarfs, but later the literature and folklore also referenced females. It is believed to have come into existence based on references to an illness that attributed to a supernatural being. It’s also been suggested that a dwarf-related malady or connection with warding off the being responsible.

Early place names such as Dueridene (now Dwarriden), Dwerihouse (now Dwerryhouse), and Dwerfeholeadd to the supernatural concept of dwarfs as it’s often associated with subterranean spaces.

There are also early references to black elves and dark elves which appear to be the same as dwarfs. This suggests a maleficent nature of the historical dwarven creature.

Physical traits

Early literate describes dwarf superstition as being a formless spirit, potentially as the cause of a disease-causing short stature (genetic, hormonal deficiencies, or medical conditions).

They are often depicted and described as human-like in form and speaking the human language. Therefore, it’s suggested that they aren’t particularly small, but they are short in stature. However, there are stories which suggest both extremely tall—since they can reach the sky—or extremely small—being tiny and a little nub.

In other stories, dwarfs are able to change their physical shape/appearance. In some instances, this refers to being tiny but able to become enormous, and in others it’s the ability to change from a human shape to another object entirely. Some legends suggest that they change to stone.

Image: Catharina Steel, NightCafé AI

Characteristics

It is written in German literature that dwarfs can make themselves invisible using a “cloak of invisibility” (I wonder if this is the folklore that J. K. Rowling used as part of her inspiration for Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak?)

Some stories depict them as being hostile, while others show them as friendly to humans.

They are often described as treasure seekers who protect their hoard (which sounds a lot like dragons). The gems and other treasures are often imbued with magic so they can protect, or inflict harm to another.

It’s their roles that define them, rather than their physical appearance, as many sources reference dwarven names which mean light and brightness, but the stories (sadly) don’t explain the names. It’s been suggested that the names refer to the fires in the forges where the dwarfs work to make swords and other items, being skilled craftsmen.

Craftsmanship and Treasure

Dwarfs are often attributed with creating magical treasures for the gods or other beings. They are often said to be capable of making mead that has magical components such as the “Mead of Poetry” which grants skills in poetry to those who drink from it.

Their skills are highly sought by others who wish to use their magical treasures, or mead, for their own ends.

Image: Catharina Steel, NightCafé AI, edited with Photoshop

Mountains and Stones

Dwarfs as said to come from the earth and are masters of stone and rock (and gems). Legends typically describe them as living inside hollow mountains, but some show them as living above the ground inside a single stone. Some stories reference mounds as their homes which makes me think of the hobbits homes in “Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Coming Up Next

Next month I will be researching Gnomes.

To read my previous post about marrows, mermaids, and silkies, click here.

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