dǫkkalfar

Old Norse

Etymology

dǫkkr (“dark”) ‎ alfar (“elves”)

Proper noun

dǫkkalfar ?

1. (Norse mythology) The "dark elves" who dwell down in the earth.
   • c. 1220, Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning:

     Margir staðir eru þar gǫfugligir. Sá er einn staðr þar, er kallaðr er Álfheimr. Þar byggvir fólk þat, er Ljósálfar heita, en Dǫkkálfar búa niðri í jǫrðu, ok eru þeir ólíkir þeim sýnum ok miklu ólíkari reyndum. Ljósálfar eru fegri en sól sýnum, en Dǫkkálfar eru svartari en bik.

     Rasmus Björn Anderson's translation:
     There are many magnificient dwellings. One is there called Alfheim. There dwell the folk that are called light-elves; but the dark-elves dwell down in the earth, and they are unlike the light-elves in appearance, but much more so in deeds. The light-elves are fairer than the sun to look upon, but the dark-elves are blacker than pitch.

Usage notes

Whether the "svartalfar" are the same beings as the "dǫkkalfar" is unclear; whether either or each term is a kenning for "dwarves" is also unclear.

See also

• alfar (“elves”)
• ljósalfar (“light elves”)
• svartalfar (“black elves”)

References

• Wikisource:Prose Edda/Gylfaginning (The Fooling Of Gylfe) by Sturluson, Snorri, 13th century Edda, in English. Accessed Apr. 16, 2007
• Gylfaginning in Old Norse ([1], accessed April 16, 2007)
• Thomas Bulfinch, Bulfinch's Mythology (1834; republished in 1970 by Harper & Row, →ISBN, page 348
• Mythology of All Races volume 2 : Eddic (1930, Marshall Jones Company), pages 220-221