An Elf By Any Other Name . . .

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

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.

Yeah, I always give them picks and hammers. Axes are for my world's Orcs (as well as spears).

 

[darjr]

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.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The Tuatha De Danann were almost certainly the Old Gods of Ireland written down by the monks, who did not want the old tales completely lost but were not willing to write down anything that related directly to the Old religion.
OSP does a pretty good take on it.

 

[darjr]

I didn’t know that! Cool! I love secret things like that coming at us from weird angles.

 

[Ryujin]

The Tuatha De Danann were almost certainly the Old Gods of Ireland written down by the monks, who did not want the old tales completely lost but were not willing to write down anything that related directly to the Old religion.
OSP does a pretty good take on it.

That video reminded me that a friend is doing a podcast on the mythological origins of what is currently known as the Devil, called "The Devil You Don't Know." Similar delve into how other mythologies have coloured our impression of the character along with little additions like "The Satanic Panic", for RPG player cred.

 

[Tonguez]

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.

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.

 

[Ryujin]

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.

I'd like to see just how long someone could cut wood with a battleaxe. Hint: Not long.

 

[Tonguez]

I'd like to see just how long someone could cut wood with a battleaxe. Hint: Not long.

Yeah not all axes are Battle axes and thats rather the point - Wood axes and sledge hammers are just tools, not weapons, so there is no reason why Dwarves couldnt decide that Battle Axes were the favoured ceremonial weapon rather than War Hammers

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

GRRM, Tad Williams, Raymond Feist, Julian May are all fantasy authors I have read with alternatively named elves.

Terry Pratchett's take on elves interprets them differently, rather than filing the numbers off.

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

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

 

[Kaodi]

I think Tolkien set the mold of elves using subdivisions from their own languages so other elves also tend to have other names that they call themselves. Like in The Elder Scrolls "elf" and "mer" are both used. The high elves/altmer, wood elves/bosmer, dark elves/dunmer (and before that chimer), snow elves/falmer. Heartland high elves though are ayleids, dwarves are dwemer, and orcs and orsimer.

Anyway I think dwarves like axes because they are a cutting weapon that have similar weighting and swing motion to hammers. Though given that they spend a lot of time in tight corridors and crevices you think maybe they should have gone for piercing weapons like shortswords and spears...