Dwarf
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A dwarf is a short, stocky humanoid creature in Norse mythology as well as other Germanic mythologies, fairy tales, fantasy fiction and role-playing games.
The plural form dwarfs has been traced to the 17th century. The alternate plural dwarves has been recorded in the early 18th century, but was not generally accepted until used by Philologist J. R. R. Tolkien in his fantasy novel The Hobbit. Neither is the historical plural: dwarf was pluralized dwarrow in Anglo-Saxon.[1] Although dwarrow has passed from the language, both dwarfs and dwarves are in current use. Many grammarians prefer dwarfs, many fantasists prefer dwarves. The form dwarfs is generally used for real people affected by dwarfism; the form dwarves is used for the mythical people described by Tolkien and others.
In mythology, Dwarves are much like humans, but generally prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. Some literature and games ascribe to dwarves the ability to see in the dark and other adaptations for living underground. Here they have accumulated treasures of gold, silver, and precious stones, and pass their time in fabricating costly weapons and armour. They are famed miners and smiths although, like humans, they specialise in any number of trades. Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, usually sporting full beards. Though slow runners and poor riders, dwarves are said to be excellent warriors and defenders of their strongholds. Some myths and games also ascribe to dwarves the ability to forge magical items. In Norse mythology, for instance, dwarvish smiths created some of the greatest and most powerful items of power, including the magic chain Gleipnir that bound the wolf, Fenris as well as Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.
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[edit] Mythology and folklore
For Norse dwarves specifically, see that article.
Dwarves are known as Härdmandle, pl. Härdmändlene, (lit. "little Earth-men") in Swiss, and Kröpel (lit. Earth-men) in German. They are described as being about the height of a 3-year old human child (about 3 feet tall), ugly and big-headed. Nidavellir is the land of the dwarves in Norse mythology. Some dwarves of mythology and fairy tales include: Rumpelstiltskin, the dwarves from Snow White, Dvalin, Lit, Fjalar and Galar, Alvis, Eitri, Brokkr, Hreidmar, Alfrik, Berling, Grer, Fafnir, Otr, Regin (rarely given as Mimir), Andvari (or Alberich), and Gimli.
[edit] The creation of dwarves in Norse mythology
"Then the gods set themselves in their high-seats and held counsel. They remembered how the dwarves had quickened in the mould of the earth like maggots in flesh. The dwarves had first been created and had quickened in Ymir's flesh, and were then maggots; but now, by the decision of the gods, they got the understanding and likeness of men, but still had to dwell in the earth and in rocks. Modsogner was one dwarf and Durin another. So it is said in the Völuspá:
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[edit] Dwarves in non-Germanic cultures
The Egyptian god Bes is a dwarf. In the Talmud, it is said that the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Bible and the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar were dwarves. A number of Native American peoples also believed that dwarves had special powers and often chose dwarves born among them as priests. In this case the term "dwarf" is used to connote a person of shorter stature, rather than the mythical race.
Finns had folklore about different kinds of small beings. Sometimes small creatures appeared from the sea and achieved miraculous deeds, which nobody else could do. There were also tales about the folk or race of creatures called Hiisi. Hiisis were usually evil and small in size. Prehistoric stone structures were said to have been built by Hiisis and giants.
[edit] Dwarves in Arthurian legend
Though most dwarves in the Arthurian romances of Chrétien de Troyes seem to be short humans, there is a reference to a kingdom or kingdoms of dwarves (suggesting a non-human race) in "Erec and Enide." The following passage is from Carleton W. Carroll's translation.
- "The lord of the dwarves came next, Bilis, king of the Antipodes. The man of whom I'm speaking was indeed a dwarf and full brother of Bliant. Bilis was the smallest of all the dwarves, and Bliant his brother the largest of all the knights in the kingdom by half a foot or a full hands'-breadth. To display his power and authority Bilis brought in his company two kings who were dwarves, who held their land by his consent, Gribalo and Glodoalan, people looked at them with wonder. When they arrived at court, they were very cordially welcomed; at court all three were honoured and served like kings, for they were very noble men."
More ambigious are the dwarfs found in attendance on ladies in romances. Although these might be humans afflicted with dwarfism, who were often kept as curiosities by courts and nobles of the era, the ladies are often of uncertain origin themselves; many enchantresses were in original stories fairies, and their attendants might likewise be nonhuman.[2]
[edit] Other mythological beings characterised by shortness
- underground or secluded: mine kobolds (German), gnomes (alchemy), Kallikantzaroi (Modern Greek), knockers (Cornish—see Pasty), huldufólk (Icelandic)
- house spirits: vetter (Scandinavian, including the tomte), Brownies (British), Domovoi (Slavic), Krasnoludek and Krasnal (Polish)
- others: pygmies (Classical Greek), Hackers (Sweden), leprechauns (Irish), menehune (Polynesian), Ebu Gogo (Indonesian)
[edit] Dwarf places
The Dwarves' Cavern (in Hasel, Germany) was supposedly once home to many dwarves. This legend gives the cavern its name.
Harz Mountains (in Germany): On the north and south sides of the Harz mountains, and in areas of the Hohenstein region, there once lived many thousands of dwarves according to local tradition. In the clefts of the cliffs, the dwarf caves still exist.
Tyre (in Lebanon): In ancient Jewish scriptures, dwarves were numerous in the towers of the fortresses of Tyre.
[edit] Folk tales (and similar stories) featuring dwarves
The Adventures of Billy McDaniel, Aid & Punishment, Bottile Hill, Chamois-Hunter, The Cobbler and the Dwarfs, Curiosity Punished, Dwarf in Search of Lodging, Dwarf-Husband, Dwarf's Banquet, Dwarves Borrowing Bread, Dwarf's Feast, Dwarves on the Tree, Dwarves Stealing Corn, Dwarf-Sword Tirfing, The Field of Ragwort, Fir Cones, Freddy and his Fiddle, Friendly Dwarves, Gertrude and Rosy, The Girl Who Picked Strawberries, The Hazel-nut Child, The Hill-Man at the Dance, History of Dwarf Long Nose, Journey of Dwarves Over the Mountain, Knurremurre, Laird O' Co', Little Mukra, Loki & the Dwarf, Lost Bell, Nihancan & Dwarf's Arrow, Nutcracker Dwarf, Rejected Gift, Snow-White and Rose-Red, Rumpelstiltskin, The Silver Bell, Sir Thynnè, The Skipper and the Dwarfs, Smith Riechert, Snow White, The Story of Maia, Thorston & the Dwarf, The Three Little Men in the Wood, Thumbkin, Timimoto, Wonderful Little Pouch, The Yellow Dwarf
[edit] Possible origins
Stories of dwarves may have a historical background: during the Bronze Age, tin miners from southern and south-eastern Europe slowly migrated northwest, since the relatively rare tin, which is needed to make bronze, was more common in the north. Being southerners, they generally were of shorter stature than northern Europeans and had darker skin, hair and beards. Their knowledge of metallurgy might have seemed magical to the northerners, whose lifestyle was still neolithic; the southerners' superior weapons and armour might well have been perceived as enchanted. This would explain why stories of dwarves are especially common in Northern Europe, and also why dwarves are portrayed as workers, while few other mythological creatures seem to be associated with any kind of organized industry.
More generally, the pygmies of Africa, the short Eskimos, Sami (Lapps), the Asian Dropa pygmies of Tibet, short rainforest natives, people with dwarfism, and similarly short people may have had a hand in the origin of dwarf legends in many countries.
The field of Depth Psychology has suggested that dwarfs are most frequently psychological symbols of what Carl G. Jung termed the "Shadow." The Shadow is the portion of the human psyche which contains personalities, behaviors, and/or events that have been suppressed by consciousness in the unconscious in a personal, societal, or collective manner.
Another origin might go back to hunter-gatherer times, when only those with physical defects would be available to do anything other than hunting and gathering. Those with dwarfism might be stuck as permanent craftsmen, and an association between crafting, and dwarfism might have developed.
[edit] Dwarves and the Orange Alternative
During the 1980s, behind the Iron Curtain, in Poland, the Dwarves entered into politics. This happened thanks to an underground artistic opposition movement known as the Orange Alternative. The Orange Alternative was created in 1981 by Waldemar Fydrych alias "Major", a graduate of history and art history at the University of Wrocław. He began his opposition activities by painting absurd dwarf graffiti on spots created by the authorities covering up anti-communist slogans.
[edit] Dwarves in modern fantasy fiction
[edit] Tolkien's dwarves
Traditionally, the plural of dwarf was "dwarfs", especially when referring to actual humans with dwarfism, but ever since J. R. R. Tolkien used dwarves in his fantasy novel The Hobbit, the subsequentThe Lord of the Rings (often published in three volumes), and the posthumously published The Silmarillion, the plural forms "dwarfs" has been replaced by "dwarves". (When discussing Tolkien's universe, though, only the latter should be used.) Tolkien, who was fond of low philological jests, also suggested two other plural forms, dwarrows and dwerrows; but he never used them in his writings, apart from the name 'Dwarrowdelf', the Western name for Khazad-dûm or Moria, which was, inside his fiction, a calque of the Westron name Phurunargian. His Dwarves' name for themselves was Khazâd, singular probably Khuzd.
The Dwarves were created by Aulë, one of the Valar, when he grew impatient waiting for the coming of Children of Ilúvatar. Ilúvatar gave them life after speaking to Aulë about what he had done and seeing that he was both humble and repentant.
Dwarves in Tolkien are long-lived, living nearly four times the age of man(about 250 years), but are not prolific breeders, having children rarely and spaced far apart, and having few women among them. Dwarvish children are cherished by their parents, and are defended at all costs from their traditional enemies, such as Orcs. A longstanding enmity between Dwarves and Elves is also a staple of the racial conception.
Many modern views of dwarves have been inspired by Tolkien's works. An example of this is Christopher Paolini's Eragon. In both cases dwarves are small, stout, bearded men-like creatures who favor the mattok or battle axe as primary weapons. These dwarves also burrow in mountains, being very skilled miners and making entire civilizations under the mountains. In The Lord of the Rings, one of these mine-civilizations is called Moria. In Eragon, a very similar civilization is called Farthen Dur.
[edit] Dwarves after Tolkien
Tolkien's immense popularity led to numerous imitators, and rewrites and reworkings of his plots were extremely common, as a bit of reading through the advertisements in the back of paperback fantasy books printed in around 1960–1980 will show. The Dwarves from the book The Hobbit became the fathers to hordes of dwarves that would follow, with their surly, somewhat suspicious demeanour passing to an entire race. Still, re-envisionings and creative reuses of the concept exist.
[edit] Dwarves in Role-Playing Games
The Dwarves of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game are closely derived from the Old Norse stereotype popularised by J. R. R. Tolkien, although a few unique variants on the theme exist.
In Warhammer Fantasy, dwarves are miners and blacksmiths of great repute who live in massive halls beneath the mountains. In addition, they are consummate engineers who are often portrayed as having a very down-to-earth attitude. Like most modern interpretations (originating with Tolkien and used in Dungeons and Dragons) dwarves have an antipathy against Elves.
In the MMORPG RuneScape, dwarves are, obviously, a short race with short tempers to match. They are also blessed with a remarkable ingenuity that surpasses the other races. Their particular interest is in engineering, for it seems to them a thoroughly sensible way of doing things that weaker and more foolish races resort to magic for. This mistrust of magic is a long-held conviction for the dwarves, who, aside from the odd casting of Superheat Item, have not used magic in any significant way since the construction of Keldagrim all those many centuries ago.
The dwarves of RuneScape are an especially economically aware race, as visitors to Keldagrim will notice when they first view the impressive trading floor in the Consortium's Palace. The Consortium, who rule the dwarves, are the most powerful of the dwarven corporations and their wealth is beyond compare even among other races. This is no real surprise, of course, for the dwarves have been mining for gold and precious stones and metals since well before humans abandoned their nomadic existence.
In Earthdawn, dwarves are one of the more widespread races. They generally have a lifespan of around 100-120 years and are great craftsmen. Appearance wise, they are around 4 feet tall, stocky and well muscled with short legs and slightly pointed ears.
In Warcraft the Dwarven archetype is taken to the extreme in emulating the highland miners of the British Isles replete with Scottish accents and inhabitting the Brittonic sounding kingdom of Khaz Modan.
Dwarves in the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game are also accomplished smiths, but their distrust of magic dates to the Elf-Dwarf War, where the Dwarves caused many atrocities by misusing magic. Their descendants have since sworn to never use magic.
In the MMORPG Guild Wars, Dwarves are a strong race that resides in the Shiverpeak Mountains, and are in the middle of a fierce civil war between the Deldrimor Dwarves, lead by the King Jalis Ironhammer, a powerful warrior who uses a mighty hammer, and the racist Stone Summit, who believe that only Dwarves are pure and worth living. They are lead by a powerful elementalist Dagnar Stonepate, who rides on a mighty ice drake.
In The Elder Scrolls series of RPGs, the Dwarves are, in fact, a sub-race of elves known as the Dwemer, or "Deep Ones". The name "Dwarves" was given to the Dwemer by a race of friendly giants the Dwemer were reputed to have encountered in the mountains to the west of Resdayn. In the case of the Dwemer, therefore, "Dwarf" is a misnomer, used commonly by the misinformed.
[edit] Dwarves in Artemis Fowl
In a rather more creative reworking, the Artemis Fowl series' dwarves act as a sort of earthworm, tunnelling through soil and loose rocks and getting nutrition thereby, excreting it just as fast as they eat it except when they need to build up pressure to break through a layer of solid rock. They are short, round, and hairy, have large tombstone teeth, unhingible jaws, sensitive beard hair, suction-cup-like pores, luminous and hardening spit, and are incredibly foul smelling. They are sensitive, intelligent, and have tendencies for being criminals. The most famous one is Mulch Diggums. Dwarves are, in some legends, said to have a third eyeball located just below the ribcage, in place of a navel. This was reportedly because they were omnipotent, and could see into one's soul. Dwarves are also known for loving gold and gems, tunnelling, and the dark. They are very sensitive to the sun and can burn in mere minutes. They absolutely hate fire.
[edit] Female dwarves
A long standing source of interest (and humour) comes from the allusion of Tolkien to female dwarves having actual beards or simply disguising themselves as such. In addition to being rare creatures they are perhaps not often featured in many fantasy milieu for this reason. A more cynical suspicion is that female dwarves (unlike, say, female humans or elves) lack sex appeal and consequently are of little interest to fantasy fans. In Peter Jackson's The Two Towers film, Gimli and Éowyn have a conversation about them on their way to Helm's Deep. Gimli said: "it's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they're so alike us in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for dwarf men." Tolkien comments further, paraphrased by Gimli in the movie, that "this has given rise to the foolish opinion among Men that there are no dwarf-women, and that dwarves 'grow out of stone' " (Gimli: "pop out of holes in the ground!... which is of course ridiculous"). In The Chronicles of Narnia, in fact, C. S. Lewis, who was a friend of Tolkien, described his Dwarfs [sic] as doing just this, and it is entirely possible that Tolkien was ribbing Lewis in making this point. Interestingly, though, Lewis' all-male Dwarfs are capable of mixing with humans to make half-Dwarfs, such as Doctor Cornelius, the tutor of Prince Caspian.
In the MMORPG RuneScape, female dwarves are as present in the game as the females of other races.
In Dungeons & Dragons, the status of beards on dwarven women varies by setting: In Greyhawk, dwarven women grow beards but generally shave; in Forgotten Realms they grow sideburns but not beards or mustaches; and in Eberron they do not grow beards at all.
In the Discworld novels, Terry Pratchett says that this is a major problem for dwarves, and states that the point of dwarvish relationships is to 'tactfully find out which sex the other one is '
In the RPG Castle Falkenstein, all dwarves are male. They marry with women from other Faerie races, such as Naiads or Selkies; their daughters are all members of their mother's race, and their sons are all dwarves. Given that the Naiads and Selkies are all female, this would appear to suggest that this is simply a marked example of sexual dimorphism.
In a notable departure from convention, dwarven females in the Korea-produced Lineage II MMORPG are very comely, young-looking women (almost girls, actually), a shocking contrast to the grizzled, old look of male dwarves.
[edit] See also
- Backoo
- A Book of Dwarfs by Ruth Manning-Sanders
- Dark elf
- Dwarfs (Discworld)
- Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
- Dwarf (Middle-earth)
- Dwarf (Warcraft)
- Dwarf (Warhammer)
- Dwemer
- Gnome
- Nain Rouge, Detroit's harbinger of doom
- Norse dwarves
- Pointy hat
- Sprite (creature)
- Svartálfar
- J. R. R. Tolkien
- Troll
[edit] Modern fantasy with major roles for Dwarves
- The Artemis Fowl series
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Discworld series
- The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings (rather less so than the others listed here, but highly influential nonetheless)
- Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini. (Especially Eldest)
[edit] Bibliography
- Carleton W. Carroll, trans. "Erec and Enide," in Chrétien de Troyes. Arthurian Romances. William W. Kibler, trans. London: Penguin Books, 1991.
- Vandebrake, Mark, Children of the Mist: Dwarfs in German Mythology, Fairy Tales, and Folk Legends 135 pages. A work that interprets dwarf depictions throughout German history as shadow symbols.
[edit] References
- ^ Carpenter, Humphrey (ed.), 1981, The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, p. 23
- ^ Katharine Briggs, "Dwarfs", An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Boogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures (Pantheon Books, 1976), p. 115. ISBN 0-394-73467-X
