An Elf By Any Other Name . . .

[Paul Farquhar]

I've always liked the way Robert Jordan subverted the trope:

"Huh... what if elves and ogres were memories of the same creature?"

I think that has a real world analogue: what if elves and ogres are memories of when humans lived along side Neanderthals?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I think that has a real world analogue: what if elves and ogres are memories of when humans lived along side Neanderthals?

Cool theory, but because Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago, and oral tradition typically doesn't last that long. It is technically possible, but there's not really way that we could figure out if it's accurate. (I do like the idea that myths about dragons were inspired by dinosaur bones that people found, though.)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Cool theory, but because Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago, and oral tradition typically doesn't last that long. It is technically possible, but there's not really way that we could figure out if it's accurate. (I do like the idea that myths about dragons were inspired by dinosaur bones that people found, though.)

There is some evidence that a small number of Neanderthals (and a couple of other near-humans) may have lingered rather longer. And all you need to survive is a memory of a memory, not an actual story.

 

[TheSword]

Our Elves Are Different is a very common trope in the fantasy genre, but I've lately become more aware of a subtrope of it; the need for nearly every fantasy writer that builds a world that contains elves in it to make their own fantasy name for them. There's a ton of them. Here are just a few examples that I can think of off of the top of my head:

• Eldar from Warhammer 40k
• Tel'Quessir from the Forgotten Realms
• Alfar from Norse Mythology
• Mer from The Elder Scrolls
• Quendi from The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit (feel free to correct me if I got this wrong, any of you Tolkien-enthusiasts)
• All of the names for the elven races in Dragonlance end with "esti" (similar to "mer" from The Elder Scrolls)
• Älfa in the Inheritance Cycle (very similar to the Norse Alfar)
• Possibly Vulcans from Star Trek, but they might not count.
• Fair Folk in Fablehaven

(If anyone has any other examples, please list them in the comments below, and I might edit this post to compile them all together.)

And this leads me to ask why? Why are there so many different names for elves in the fantasy (and sci-fi) genre? Why do people feel the need to make yet another name for the elven race? I have also noticed that this applies to dwarves, giants, and other fantasy races to some extent, but none of them have it to the same extent as Elves. Any thoughts?

Are you sure you’re not over complicating it? Most of those either mean elf in various languages (elf, alfar, alfa), or are just that language’s translation for people, person or an adjective attached to such. (Tel’Quessir, Eldar, Quendi, fair folk, mer).

The question isn’t so much why there are so many different names for elves, but rather why are there so many different languages in fantasy fiction. I would have thought that was obvious,.. it’s a part of world building.

 

[Thunderfoot]

I now want to run a game where the “elves” are actually human who have discovered immortality but are keeping it a secret. For thousands of years they’ve kept their little gem from ship sinking lips. But now the adventurers are either going to be mired in a plot about it and in a position to find out or they have and are now just trying to stay alive.

Glad I could help.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Wood is needed for the beams that support the mine tunnels and for general warmth. Dwarves still need axes so perhaps them give Axes prestige whereas Hammers are just tools.

Well that'ss true, but if you study the progression of weapons of war, with the exception of the firearm (which went the other way) most weapons of war start as tools or farming implements that are altered by the population so there is a sense of 'familiarity' to ease the training of militias.

 

[MoonSong]

Well that'ss true, but if you study the progression of weapons of war, with the exception of the firearm (which went the other way) most weapons of war start as tools or farming implements that are altered by the population so there is a sense of 'familiarity' to ease the training of militias.

Not so sure. I meant, the spear, bow&arrow, axe and hammer kind of predate farming?

Though I'm reminded of the Corvo, the official knife of the Chilean army. It is essentially a kind of sickle that they adopted during their war with Bolivia with deadly effect.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Not so sure. I meant, the spear, bow&arrow, axe and hammer kind of predate farming?

Though I'm reminded of the Corvo, the official knife of the Chilean army. It is essentially a kind of sickle that they adopted during their war with Bolivia with deadly effect.

The spear, bow & arrow, hammer and axe were tools first. Notice I said tools and OR farming implements. They were used as war weapons after they were developed for other uses, hunting for the first two, construction for the later two.

 

[MoonSong]

The spear, bow & arrow, hammer and axe were tools first. Notice I said tools and OR farming implements. They were used as war weapons after they were developed for other uses, hunting for the first two, construction for the later two.

Sorry, I read that "or" as an "of". Still, I wouldn't call the spear and bow as anything but weapons.

 

[Samloyal23]

I've always wondered why Dwarves, being a mining race, would have axes? But then you realize that they were a Germanic myth and Germania was mostly forest. In 'reality' they would use picks amd hammers. So yeah, what you know.

Dwarves need timber for mine braces and to create charcoal for their smithies. There is a reason Ents did not like them. Also, they are based in part on Vikings, who made frequent use of axes as weapons, and picks have never been really popular as weapons. You do see dwarves using swords and hammers as weapon, too.