Cheery elves with pointy ears and long noses may very wellbe frantically busy in the North Pole polishing off the last of the toys tocomplete Santa’s extensive Christmas wish list.
But deep in the underground caves, there lives a darkerelven species, known for their aggression, deceit and stealth – and believe us,these beasties look nothing like Snap,Crackle and Pop.
Dark elves are ugly, with long-bulbous noses, and dirty-brownskin. Said to have come into existence as maggots produced by the decayingflesh of the Norse giant Ymir, they were then endowed by the gods with a humanform and great skill as an artificer.
They work with metals and wood, and boast Thor’s hammer as theirgreatest achievement. Ironic, as the hammer can produce natural weather changes– and excessive heat or rain have proven to be an elven weakness.
As with most monsters, pop culture has created both good andevil depictions – the good often used to brand product such as Keebler cookies(believed to be baked by happy elves in a hollow tree), or Dobby the house elf of J.K. Rowling’s,Harry Potter series. The dark species are popular in video games and fictionwhere elves can be wise, beautiful, and deadly, particularly in the work ofJ.R.R. Tolkien whose elven characters inspired an entire language still used byLord of the Rings fans today.
While Christmas elves are still associated with good cheer, thetide may be shifting. Some parents have long-used the “Elf on a Shelf” methodof ensuring their children stay off Santa’s naughty list – wooden or stuffedelves are strategically placed around the house to “keep an eye on little boysand girls.” * shudder *
How creepy is that?
Survival Tip: Elvenweakness depends upon legend and may include excessive heat, rain, nettles orblossoms of some plants and trees.
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