Pramas C. Elf Warfare

Osprey Publishing, 2017. ― 66 p. ― (Open Book).Elves, like many common creatures in fantasy fiction, have their roots in our myths. They feature in stories that go back a couple of thousand years at least and are present to a greater or lesser degree in all the Germanic mythologies. While some such creatures maintain a fairly cohesive identity over time, elves have changed substantially through the ages. They may have been gods originally but if so, they were demoted from that lofty status. They were still magical beings though and were associated with beauty and sometimes sex (though rarely the fun kind). Sometimes they were called demons. Later elves became associated with the fae, and often conflated with various types of faerie. They also shrank alarmingly in this period, becoming tiny creatures in stories and songs. The Victorians gave elves pointed ears and stocking caps, and this led to the form most familiar to modern children: the Christmas elf. All the supernatural and sexual threats of previous elves were gone, replaced by tinkers who make toys for Santa Claus. In America elves were reduced even further to makers of sugary cookies.