An Elf By Any Other Name . . .

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

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?

 

[Zardnaar]

Simple reason. Look at me I'm so original!!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Like all viruses, elves mutate.

Drow were just the Delta variant.

 

[Tonguez]

I Actually think theres some deeper psychology going on than just “Eeew we’re different” and it goes back to the ubiquity of Elf/Fairy across human cultures and for thousands of years of storytelling.

Elfs are Fae and Fae are the Idealised Other in Human Psychology, they look human but represent the ideal best form of the ego thats just beyond mortal reach. (Equally dockalfar and svartalfar represent the less desirable traits).

I think Humans cant help but to have fantasies about the idealised other, its hardwired into human psychology and so every fantasy story from Nuadas battle with the Fir Bolg King to Shakespears Midsummer Night Dream and right up to My Spock of Vulcan is going to have some variation of Elf in it.

Of course people want to make sure they dont look derivative and so will think up alternate names or make them sentient vegetables, but in the end they pretty much always fit the same psychological profile of idealised ego

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Alfar from Norse Mythology

Not sure the chronology works on this one...

Possibly Vulcans from Star Trek, but they might not count.

Space elves are their own subtrope. Babylon 5's Mimbari also go here. But JMS never denied he was doing Tolkien in space.

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.

 

[Leatherhead]

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?

Mostly for the Trademarks.

 

[Ryujin]

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?

Lord of the Rings uses Quendi, Teleri, Vanyar, Sindar, Nandor, Noldor, Eldar.... lots of names for the Elves, depending on where they were, and what they did.

"The Fair Folk" is a term frequently used in Celtic mythology for Elves, so just subsumed by some writers.

 

[aco175]

Would some of it come from the point that people- humans write the story or the game rules. We certainly like to categized all the types of humans. We do it to others and to ourselves. We don't walk around calling ourselves a human, but we are black, white, brown etc... Also, we may call ourselves American or Texan, or such. Not sure if it would be different if elves and dwarves lived on Earth.

Another thought is that it is a way to have more races and not have turtles, insects, crystals and chipmunks be player races. You can separate them into more defined cultures and have them fir a role or story.

There is also the drow elf, I cannot remember their Forgotten Realms name though.

 

[Morrus]

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?

You think Vulcans should have been called Elves?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

We don't walk around calling ourselves a human,

That's right. I don't do that. But I do walk around calling the rest of you humans.

"Puny humans."
-Snarf 'Dread Overlord from Taphao Kaew" Zagyg