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It's Dwarfy McDwarferson from the Player's Handbook!
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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6331981" data-attributes="member: 177"><p>Yes, it literally means that - dark or swarthy. But how much of what you say is literal when you are writing down stories? </p><p></p><p>The various sources have different words - Dökkálfar (dark/black elves), Svartálfar (dark/swarthy elves), and Ljósálfar (light elves). Snorri was writing in the 13th century, and it is not clear how much he personally influenced the depiction. While the light elves do seem to be "elves" in most of the ways we think of them, the darker forms might be elves, might be dwarves - the terms are not consistently or clearly used with much description around them to be sure.</p><p></p><p>Moreover, it is not clear whether the black or swarthy nature of the creatures is really supposed to refer to traditional skin tone, or is an adaptation to the dualistic light/dark spiritualistic duality spreading through Europe at the time. Snorri may have said, "These things are supposed to be kinda nasty. We call nasty things dark, and their outward seeming of course matches their inward nature!"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 6331981, member: 177"] Yes, it literally means that - dark or swarthy. But how much of what you say is literal when you are writing down stories? The various sources have different words - Dökkálfar (dark/black elves), Svartálfar (dark/swarthy elves), and Ljósálfar (light elves). Snorri was writing in the 13th century, and it is not clear how much he personally influenced the depiction. While the light elves do seem to be "elves" in most of the ways we think of them, the darker forms might be elves, might be dwarves - the terms are not consistently or clearly used with much description around them to be sure. Moreover, it is not clear whether the black or swarthy nature of the creatures is really supposed to refer to traditional skin tone, or is an adaptation to the dualistic light/dark spiritualistic duality spreading through Europe at the time. Snorri may have said, "These things are supposed to be kinda nasty. We call nasty things dark, and their outward seeming of course matches their inward nature!" [/QUOTE]
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