What Are Dwarves? - A Quest For the Origins and Nature of Dwarves

A close examination of dwarves in Germanic mythology and folklore reveals some surprising results. Sleep, dreams, spirits and elves loom large. Are you prepared to descend into the mists of their realm to discover the truth?
To support the channel and get extra content, discussion, requests, etc.
/ fortressoflugh
Paypal donations (Greatly appreciated)
paypal.me/Fort...

[@Jim-Mc]

Back when Dinklege said that, I was so frustrated that no nobody was pointing out that he is in fact, not a supernatural being.

[@helenamirian908]

It's a weird thing for him to take issue with. The story is very old. Dark skinned people have always existed. Her being called Snow White would imply very pale skin, sure, but ok.

[@nickhancock4337]

I don't particularly get why Dinklege is so mad about dwarves being associated with little people? I always thought of dwarf folklore to be pretty badass! Would he be happier if little people were stricken from all old and future culture and replaced with something else? I just don't get why everything these days is taken as some sort of insult.

[@thebaneking4787]

You can’t tell him that. Bc like all actors he’s delusional as hell.

[@lukecaldwell704]

@@thebaneking4787 very true

[@coricori7661]

@@helenamirian908 Not all Latinos are dark skinned, and “Snow White” can speak to purity. Not just skin tone.

[@marcusfridh8489]

dwarves are more related to gnomes, goblins and house-elves than little people. the dwarves in snowwhite are gemanic mountainspirits.

[@hmvollbanane1259]

The dwarves in snow white are humans... The "Siebengebirge" ("7 mountains) which i can see from my house in the region this story originates in is right next to the Ruhrpott, which is Europe's biggest mining area and has been since late antiquity. Miners started to work as little children as they could crawl through spaces adults couldn't, did hard physical labour, were malnourished and had little exposure to sunlight and hence stayed very short for all of their rather short lifespans. Heck even today the average population there is more than a head shorter than us surrounding them and their elderly who still worked all their lifes in the mines are literally real life dwarfs, short but strong like oxes. Not every german fairytale is based purely in mythology, on the contrary most have their core story based on real events & locations decorated with elements of our sagas. There are three types of traditional German stories: Sagen - mythological stories Märchen - stories for adults to talk about stuff they couldn't openly and/ or entertainment Fabeln - stories meant to teach something with animals taking the place of humans

[@desmonides]

“Little people” was an epithet for the gnomes, elves, hobgoblins and other faefolk

[@hmvollbanane1259]

@Hlord1109 short comparatively to the rest of the population, malnutrition, child labour, lack of sunlight, hard physical labour etc. have always had an effect on the physical appearance of people no matter the era. Sure the average person was shorter as many were leading hard lifes, however miners were still shorter even in comparison to medieval serfs

[@hmvollbanane1259]

@Hlord1109 dwarfs derive from Albs which are nature spirits linked to the Asen, however as I already stated this is a Märchen, not a Sage which means that it is a different type of story, a lot more modern and a reflection of the world containing sensitive or amusing topics which couldn't be addressed directly which adults told eachother for entertainment.

[@hmvollbanane1259]

@Hlord1109 e.g. compare the description, abilities and powers of the seven dwarfs of the Märchen to Alberich of the Nibelungen Sage and you can see that the dwarfs in the Märchen are quite different creatures to the ones from the Sagas and our pagan religion. Influenced of course and somewhat modeled after them yet still a reflection/ metaphor for in reality based circumstances

[@BoarLord]

Something that just dawned on me is the relationship of Kobolds to the mineral cobalt. I've heard somewhere that Kobolds were supposed to put people to sleep in the deep mines where weird gases would aggregate and knock miners out cold or asphyxiate them. Perhaps dwarves are remembered as little spirits under the earth that would put miners to sleep, the sun (or just bringing them back out to the fresh air) would dispel or kill them. And over time this evolved into a little creature that is small enough to dwell comfortably in the cramped tunnels of the mines, a Dwarf!

[@a-aron3775]

Wow awesome observation , makes sense they are so associated with death and drowsiness .

[@kaylawilson7985]

Also movies... Like lord of the rings and that newer marvel movie.... So many parallels...

[@killerjoker222]

I think they come from knockers. a myth creature that would tell miners if it was safe to mine and alert them of imminent cave ins and such. but I can't be sure cause you know origins are difficult to pinpoint. especially since myths and legends were changed as well as being passed on to other cultures who made their own interpretation of the myths

[@margritpiepes8242]

Tommyknockers that’s what they called them or still calm them in the UK j believe . They would make knocking sounds so the miners knew ,danger is looming

[@EmeraldsFire]

​@@margritpiepes8242 I wonder if was sound of old wooden beams buckling? Same reason old houses are thought to be haunted

[@waltonsmith7210]

I couldn't help but think of Aule's creation of the dwarves in the Silmarillion. Tolkien knew his mythology well, and so do you! Great video! Thanks so much for making it. When I was young I wanted them to be real so much.

[@Andrewbert109]

I think if I were a world famous mega star wanting to pose as a common person on KZbin to leave comments about Tolkien and mythological creatures, I would 100% choose the name "Walton Smith" if my name was actually "Will". Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret, "Walton" ;)

[@donaldmcdaniel3617]

I have no idea 🤷‍♀️ I have no idea 🤷‍♀️

[@peterolbrisch1653]

They are real, they just don't live in big groups as it's not a very common condition.

[@edgarurieta2717]

They have supposedly been seen before

[@justinG9493]

Me too!

[@alexramey2062]

I think a common thematic thread that seems to connect each trait of the dwarves (sleep, dreams, deep dark places, death, craftsmanship, creativity) is the subconscious, almost as though they are a manifestation of it. Very often the subconscious, despite being a part of our own minds, can *feel* like it acts by its own will, intruding itself upon our lives regardless of our interests. A horrible dream, a bout of creative inspiration, or delirium induced by a drunken stupur can often feel as though they exert control over us, weather it be for better or for worse.

[@y.b4251]

Which leads to the earlier psychologist like Carl Jung to analyses our mind through mythological symbolism and archetype.

[@jordanaz]

Indeed. This is a very helpful connection of mythology to Jungian/shamanic theory.

[@woodspirit98]

Yeah like grumpy, sleepy, happy, doc, dopey, bashful and Sneezy.

[@scottanderson2458]

@@woodspirit98 Dave, Dee, Beaky, Mick and Titch

[@spellcircle579]

@@woodspirit98 And Horney

[@sirelfinjedi]

Thank you so much. I've been researching elves, faerie, dwarfs, giants, and such and this was such a concise and well thought-out video. It was more than I was hoping for.

[@bonnitakhaliq9578]

David Goode You like researching the Giant's , so do I. Here are some for you to look at and i will show you a Lost World in a Forest in France kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2HZepyQiZepha8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pV7TZ6yErZKfhZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoKoaWNmmr-Nldk The Lost World kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJm6g5achbKfjNU

[@AckzaTV]

keylontics

[@king_halcyon]

@Black Lesbian Poet ew

[@HarryElmore-jl2pj]

Get the books : "Magic of Findhorn " and "Summer With The Leprechauns "

[@faarsight]

I think the best way to look at this is that in the Norse mythology Dwarves, Elves, Jotunar (giants), trolls, vanir and aesir are more like different tribes of the same type being (or spirit) than completely different types or "species" of beings.

[@dwaynelowery5808]

Agree! And the differences between them depend on our relationship and perceptions, more than what they are made of.

[@lokdog257]

Its tribal warfare

[@aidansumner8364]

Yes. They are cosmic entities. Elemental spirits that whose actions are reflected in the material world.

[@WK-47]

Different forces, maybe. In the literature we do have, the Vanir are secondary to the Æsir, which themselves are preceded by the primordial jötnar/giants - they simply aren't all on the same level. Interesting idea regardless.

[@radagast7200]

And since most of them can shape-shift... confusion is boundless.

[@scottpofahl8208]

It seems “light” elves like Freyr (yes he’s a god, but he’s the king of the elves) create life (seeds and fertility) and are associated with nature and “dark” elves AKA dwarves, while associated with death, also champion CREATIVE creation in the form of dreams, mead, and metal work. Beautiful duality.

[@dylangreen5590]

I just assumed that the light and dark elves was just a later Christian interpretation inorder to hint at the idea of angels and demons

[@maxpowers9129]

​@@dylangreen5590 I think dark elves existed before the Christian influence, but they were the same thing as the dwarfs. It's often believed they were black because they were dirty from crafting, and mining. Then Christians changed the interpretation as you suggested.

[@kgoblin5084]

@@maxpowers9129 the terms Svartalfar & dokkalfar (rough translation: black elf & dark elf) both appear in the Norse mythic texts... and in both cases describe beings similar to the modern idea of a fantasy dwarf. Both sets of legends were the seed of inspiration for both the afore said fantasy dwarves, but also dark elf fantasy races like the Drow, or Dark elves/Eldar from war hammer. The thing to remember though is everyone is working from FRAGMENTS when it comes to Norse myth... there is no good complete picture as many of the original texts were lost, & in a lot of cases people are working from a heavily edited version bowdlerized to Christian sensibilities. So in terms of our modern fantasy both Dwarves & Dark Elves were heavily fleshed out by imagination... from original descriptions in myth of maybe a few paragraphs at best. As for Christian re-interpretation: Generally they declared the whole gamut of pagan supernatural beings as demonic, with occasional exceptions. To be clear, even the 'nice' ones ala 'light elves' or Celtic brownies were pretty fickle creatures. The exceptions were generally transmogrified into saints or legendary founding dynasties (ala Ireland) As for angels... well I won't say there are no named angels who picked up some local folklore originally associated with some minor pagan demi-god... but all angel names are Semitic in origin.

[@denasewell]

Dinklage is a great actor but he became famous as a result of his role as a Dwarf. I think what he said was insane. My former partner was born with dwarfism and worked with me as a retired American Character Clown who toured with Ringling Bros from 87 to 93. Snow White and the 7 Dwarves is a classic grim tale and the fact that Snow White lived with and was beloved by the 7 Dwarves is a major component of the story

[@xPumaFangx]

It really shows how Dinklage is only speaking from his emotions on the topic. While he is not thinking about the whole of the matter.

[@nneisler]

Take a look at LOTR. They did it right.

[@JohannesSkolaude]

Thats Just Not true

[@garygood6804]

Yeahhhhh ;3

[@spliffington2394]

what do you mean he became famous as a result of his role as a dwarf??? He has dwarfism!!! GOT didn't portrait him as a little miner living in a cave! but as someone who was born with dwarfism! ...Your comment is by far the dumbest shit I've seen in a long time!

[@fringer6]

I'd imagine that Dwarves are capable of such power, due to their direct birth/sustenance of Ymir's corpse. I'd imagine such a meal would no doubt grant them similar boons to what can be found among Jotnar. Absolutely love your work, and it gives me a focal point when delving deeper into the lore (and an expanding collection of literature)

[@josepheridu3322]

People on psychodelic drugs often talk about seeing "Mechanic dwarves", and it is weird most of them use that description. Dwarves as little people, but also mechanical, like people in the past described them as craftmen and elemental, metal. It is very interesting.

[@roachdoggjr1940]

"Machine Elves" Don't use quotation marks when you're paraphrasing.

[@mrsamaritan6881]

It's "Machine Elves" that people keep saying that they see. You're confused.

[@JesseP.Watson]

I personally see "mechanic dwarves", never even heard of a machine elf.

[@roachdoggjr1940]

@@JesseP.Watson We must be doing different drugs, then.

[@JesseP.Watson]

@@Eet_Mia Indubitably. Incidentally, I saw a Engine Pixie the other day.

[@johnkeane1419]

Man, that was beautiful, like a waking dream. You have just the right voice for discussing mythic beings.

[@DieZerstorer]

You’ve done so much great work on the Celtic pantheon of gods and goddesses. I really hope that someday you begin work on the Norse gods as well. Would absolutely love a video by you on Odin, Tyr, or even Thor!

[@jivepsilocybe993]

Personally id like to see a video on Vidar or freyr

[@zodiacxXtheory]

Hahaha found you in the wild

[@aidansumner8364]

*Germanic gods

[@j2174]

Don't you mean Germanic gods? Celtic gods and mythology would be more Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Mannic, and Britannic.

[@ozlemaktas6446]

I’ve always believed that dwarves were to stone and rock the way dryads are to trees and vegetation. The fey or deities of such places.

[@belzebul]

Masterfully crafted video--almost hypnotic to watch. Thank you

[@elainedaprano9130]

You connected the threads of myths very well. I remember reading some of this in bits here and there, but you brought it all together for me, and brought it again to mind. I really like the artwork and photography you've chosen... and your expressive reading of the poetry. I like it all! 😊

[@biggumstevens1784]

I wonder if there is some connection between the dwarves and creative inspiration? They reference sleep a lot and they are also crafters, perhaps "dreaming up" an invention or something is related?

[@woodspirit98]

Nope. There isn't any.

[@newjerseyyouth4853]

@@woodspirit98 they had mimirs mead

[@elainedaprano9130]

Crafters would certainly be imaginative and creative. Your "dreaming up" is a good choice of words, and I think you "wondered" pretty well...

[@Thomas-oc2ln]

@@newjerseyyouth4853 i miss our fren

[@newjerseyyouth4853]

@@Thomas-oc2ln wut?

[@dr.brandileebunge]

Yeah Mr. Mythos is back!!! Hope all as well Kevin? Sending divine blessings of peace hope joy health happiness & vitality!!!!🤩🙏💜🎉🕉️

[@Whitby_Abbeys_Ghost]

I just hope that the seven little people that lost their roles because of Dinklage at least get voice casted back into the movie.

[@emsnewssupkis6453]

Leftists are good at destroying everything. They are Nazgul, not Dwarves.

[@Auset003]

How sad

[@EresirThe1st]

Love this video. The ancestor connection is elaborated on by Maria Kvilhaug's video on Elves. They have a close association with barrows. It's my own belief that elves are those ancestors who were great enough to ascend to a form of higher being.

[@jordanaz]

Did a pretty sick woodcarving of a dwarf for the first time while listening. Thanks for this brilliant talk

[@evilanno3394]

How the Dwrave King Albericht from the Nibelungenlied fits into this would also have been interesting, but I understand that you can't cover everything or the video would never get finished. Anyway great video.

[@Anglisc1682]

Alberich means elf-ruler. Like Ælfric in Old English. Maybe it's another name for Ing - Germanic god and lord of the dead of barrows and elves

[@woodspirit98]

Aelfric is anglo-saxon.

[@joelchildress3905]

@@woodspirit98 so old english?

[@Anglisc1682]

@@woodspirit98 Yes, I already said that. Anglo-Saxon and Old English are synonymous when referring to the language.

[@josiahtheblacksmith467]

​@@Anglisc1682Ing also has a rune called Inguz or Ingwaz, it represents a seed but also the god Ing.

[@emsnewssupkis6453]

Snorri sounds like a sleepy dwarf! ZZZZ 🧙‍♂

[@claytonshearer1582]

About the thorn and sleep. Hawthorne berries have properties that lower you bloodpressure. So much it can harm you

[@kilianhorn5566]

In norse myth there are the light elves (ljusalfar) and dark elves (Mörkalfar). In some texts The dark elves are also reffered to as ”dwergar” - dwarves

[@GarrettTruesdale]

Sleipnir Odin's 8 Legged Horse. it makes sense it is actually a ship. The 8 legs representing 8 oars of a ship.

[@twogungunnar9456]

Except most ships had more than 4 oars per side. A 4-oared ship is barely a “ship” at all. Sleipnir probably had twice as many legs as normal because he was magically fast. If 4 legs = fast, 8 legs = super fast.

[@danielbretall2236]

I had heard, that the eight legged, flying horse, Sleipner, is what eventually lead to the santa myth having the 8 flying reindeer. Of course, it could be apocryphal.

[@Dunge0n]

@@danielbretall2236 Santa's sleigh was definitely inspired by myths of the Wild Hunt. Never mind chariots pulled by flying steeds, like Thor's. Hell, Eostre is the Germanic goddess of Spring and Rebirth: her envoy being a Rabbit. Never mind eggs having nothing to do Christ or even Mary, but pretty Bohemian girls giving colored ones as a 'pagan'' tradition.

[@Dunge0n]

​@Pete Testube Nothing 'New Age' about it. Plato himself references this primordial religion, and goddesses representing Spring, like Freia, were common to Aryan / Indoeuropeans. The similarities between Vedic texts, Platonism, Northern European paganism, and what we can glean of proto indoeuropean religion are too many to be a coincidence. It wasn't random or schizophrenic, it was a complete religious system with a variety of regional expressions.

[@Dunge0n]

@Pete Testube I have linguistic studies. You have we wuzzing head cannon about Europeans somehow being the descendants of Semites. From Old English Ēostre, Ēastre (“a word referring to "the rising dawn" to indicate the season of Spring”) and ēastre (“Easter”), from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ (“Easter, springtime”). Doublet of Easter. From Proto-Indo-European *h2ews- (“dawn”) or *h2wes- (“to dawn”). If the ancestral formation is *h2ewsreh2, Lithuanian aušrà, dial. auštrà (“dawn”), is identical in formation, as is Ancient Greek αὔρᾱ (aúrā, “(esp. cool) breeze, fresh air of the morning”), if from Proto-Hellenic *aúhrā (< *h2éwsreh2). Sanskrit उस्रा (usrā́-, “dawn, morning”) (from *h2usreh2) only differs by the zero-grade in the root. Also compare Proto-Slavic *utro (“morning, dawn”) (with variants including *ustro, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *auš(t)ra- (“dawn, morning”)) and Albanian err (“darkness”) (if from *ausra (“twilight”)). For the epenthetic -t- in Proto-Germanic (also widespread in Balto-Slavic), compare *þimstr (“dark, dusky”).

[@MichaelRSchultheiss]

This is a magnificent video, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this incredible exploration of European folklore. I'll add that I am an independent author, and one of my current works in progress is the first book of an epic fantasy series based on Bronze Age Europe. I will be drawing on this, and no doubt other videos of yours, as inspiration. Thank you again!

[@dewaynemaddox1296]

Wow, so much info, very well done. I'm glad that algorithm brought this up on my KZbin, you've got a new subscriber 🤘

[@RobDog-23]

This was a very cool episode! I love the ancient facts that were brought up and the comparisons with the myths and legends. Very well done! Endeavor to persevere!

[@megsmysteries8968]

This is the kind of history lessons I love.

[@dustinwarender8955]

Oh my God thank God there's people like you on KZbin constantly pointing this stuff out. I appreciate it for real. Her name is f****** snow white because her skin is Snow White. There's nothing wrong with being white. But then making that character a Hispanic person

[@TheMimiSard]

A point on the association of dwarves with mining, have you ever seen a medieval mine? I visited one when I took a trip to East Germany. The mine had not terribly big tunnels, and would not be suited for tall men (some of the people on the tour I was on had to bend down in spots because the tunnel was too small for their height). So somewhere the association of short and mining and dwarves were all tied to each other, because by practicality, miners were better being short.

[@Jumpoable]

The yakshas of Hindu myth... they too hold the riches (gemstones) of our planet. I believe dwarf & yaksha were earth elementals. Interesting parallel that yakshas are also now seen as dwarf-like, small, pudgy cute (I suppose more harmless) creatures in Indian folklore & popular belief. But they were also as tall as man before in early Hindu imagination, & yakshas can be divinely handsome, & possessed great strength & vast shapeshifting powers & travelled through the earth. Gandharvas (literally "fragrance-eaters") were more like the elves -- air elementals -- they only consumed the smoke from incense, associated with music, & were graceful & elegant, but could be tricksters & powerful warriors as well.

[@emsnewssupkis6453]

In Wagner's Ring Cycle, the dwarfs create a device that hides them and changes them into something else. Siegfried uses this to rape Brünhilda, for example.

[@johnevergreen8019]

It’s long been theorized that the earlier Proto-Norse Homosapiens who migrated from central Germanic Europe to the Scandinavian Peninsula possibly encountered extremely isolated tribes of Neanderthals and likely mistook them for Trolls and Dwarves because of their ability to craft and their shorter stockier statures and larger fleshy noses ears and brows and somewhere down the line dwarves become synonymous with people who were born with dwarfism (obviously millennium before we would ever know what that condition is)

[@elainedaprano9130]

When I first subscribed to this channel last year, I noticed the comments were YEARS old. The channel seems different, improved, very artistic, professional... Before, I didn't find much activity and unsubscribed. What changed? This was a wonderful presentation. Thank you! I will REsubscribe!

[@bullzdawguk]

In ancient Egypt, primarily in the Old Kingdom, dwarves were revered for their skills as makers of fine jewellery. It was believed they were magical beings and the jewellery they crafted imbibed their magical powers. However, their revered role didn't last. Over time, they were viewed as something to mock, more so since many dwarves were hired as performers for an ancient Egyptian version of a travelling circus. What I find interesting is the common theme as being revered as jewellery makers, in both ancient Egypt and Norse myths. Considering they are two totally unrelated cultures, it makes me wonder if perhaps they are somehow connected. Tolkien drew his inspiration from the Norse myths. And, it's jewels all over again. Either the dwarf has become a bit of a stereotype throughout history, or maybe they are magical. Who knows?

[@bullzdawguk]

@@roringusanda2837 Thanks. Actually, I have seen it. His channel is quite good. He's rational, but isn't afraid to ask questions and knows the difference between solid evidence and conjecture. I got a good one for you, to return your kind gesture. A two part documentary you can find on KZbin. Part 1 is called, The Redheads. Part 2 is called, Under the Carpet. The two parts form a series called, Skeletons in the Cupboard. They're basically about new Zealand and the story they tell is truly remarkable. How this hasn't rewritten the history books baffles me. And, I don't say that flippantly. Truly exceptional documentaries that literally transformed my world view of the ancient world. They pose some wild questions, but provide tangible answers, often with conclusive proof. DNA does not lie. I highly recommend them.

[@roringusanda2837]

@@bullzdawguk thank you! I've watched the first one but I didn't even know about the under the carpet one! I'm gonna go look for it now 😊

[@bullzdawguk]

@@roringusanda2837 Part 1 link : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJfCmqF9hNqVe8k

[@bullzdawguk]

@@roringusanda2837 Part 2 link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWKYg4KLfZiad7M

[@bullzdawguk]

@@roringusanda2837 lol Just saw your post. Fantastic! Glad I pointed you in the direction of part 2. Enjoy!

[@sarahwolfmayr2116]

Thank you for the research, that is very interesting! I´d just like to add, that in German fairy tales, like the one that you quoted, there is a differentiaton. The shoemakers story mentions not elves but "Heinzelmännchen" which seem to be tiny helpfull spirits who are related to home and work.

[@Zichronot]

Dinklage made his money pretending / acting as one. Now he uses it to be a victim and complain. He is not a mythical person. He simple is small enough to pretend to be one. If he gives up all his money I'll reconsider. He's not going to give up his money or fame.

[@lametafisicaconariyana2185]

I always wanted to hear a summary of Icelandic mythology and germantic mythology. I'm very greatful

[@ezequielrajoy5024]

What an amazing job you did here, it's been a while since I've been so interested in a video essay like this one! I will be checking your other videos for sure

[@danielmurphree5846]

Wow, awesome in depth analysis and research. Thank you for such amazing content

[@thewarriorscode2311]

Great video as always 🙏 I remember my friend who went to do DMT as few years came back telling me that he believed that is was the dwarves that he was interacting with in his visions as he has since become a great wood and metal worker and seems to be a complete natural at it, mead the mead that is spoken off was something similar who knows but this video made me think alot about that idea 😊 thank you for your work 🙇‍♂️

[@RHampton]

Have you found Terrence McKenna's talk on the "elves" that inhabit "hyperspace" based on his DMT journeys?

[@00rudy195]

Why isnt more videos like this. We hear Elfs Dwarves Mystics and we pass it on like fantasy fiction not true, but what if the reality is stranger than the myths. Liked this video.

[@artanos444]

In ancient Iran and India (which also use indo european languages) there's an old term still being used to this day which describes a dedicated person. That term is "Darvesh", Islam adapted it and it still means a dedicated person (to God or to a practice) in the Middle East. Synonymously its used a little different from region to region but very similar meaning: a holy man, a dedicated man, a devoted man, a disciple of a particular Sufi practice, holy people/group. This term has nothing to do with short people. I find the similarity to the word "Dwarves" to be remarkable

[@spellcircle579]

So much work went into this video! Absolutely love it and could watch content like this all day. (History channel deal would be nice). Question though. I always thought that according to the Yggdrasil's nine realms that Alfheim was the land of Elves and Svartalfheim (but particularly Nidavellir) was the domain of Dwarves. This is why in my mind they were distinct from one another.

[@ronofthesea5953]

The real difference between Elves and dwarves is our perception thereof. This is exemplified by the names of old often having elven roots and never dwarven ones. The perception in the minds of men shouldn't be underestimated. It is what makes each aett of the Runes a sacred nine and if that is not scientific enough for some of you then look to the double slit experiment which has been proven profoundly affected by that same observer.

[@Ratnoseterry]

I, myself, think dwarves represent several things we might otherwise consider unrelated. But one of these things I believe to be yeast. I've read of a Scandinavian tradition of drying yeast on wreaths made of wood or stone, and dipped into water to activate it again. At one point dwarves are described as mold in the eddas. Mold plays a part throughout the texts that to my eye is otherwise not often even considered. Fafnir likewise encourages one to seek the gold in the Heather, and Heather likewise cultures a yeast used for brewing.

[@carolinezipp4383]

That is interesting that you say mold or yeast. Cancer is often spoken of like a mold. It needs sugar to grow, like yeast. You have given me much to think about in your words. Thank you for sharing

[@meduseld6610]

Interestingly, there's a folktale in Scotland about Irish invaders wanting to steal a magic brew from the Picts that was made out of heather. They wouldn't give it up, until the last Pict who knew, along with his sons, chucked himself off the cliffs into the sea

[@Ratnoseterry]

@@meduseld6610 fascinating! I've read the same story but with a Scottish king, so clearly it is an even older story than the Scottish King rendition. Thank you for your comment

[@Ratnoseterry]

@@meduseld6610 in the Scottish king story, its vikings invading, which is also interesting how it varies

[@hmvollbanane1259]

Well that's pretty easily answered: As it so happens I can see the 7 mountains of the story of "snow white" on a clear day from my home (7 Gebirge, they also have a lot of fascinating sagas surrounding them with the biggest one (Drachenkopf - dragon's head) supposedly housing a dragon) and on the other side of them is the Ruhrpott - the biggest mining region in all of Europe that has been used since late antiquity. Miners usually started to work as small children which could crawl through tunnels adults couldn't. Due to hard physical work, malnutrition and lack of sunlight the majority of miners stayed very short all their rather short lifes. So they weren't midgets by birthdefect but actually just very sturdy completely healthy men who stayed due to their hard life rather short, that worked all their lifes underground in the mines. The Germanic origin of the concept of dwarves (Zwerge) is of course correct, but the story of snow white has the before mentioned far less mythical origin and comes from a later period

[@maggiemae7539]

Sounds like generational slavery. From breeding to workers

[@hmvollbanane1259]

@@maggiemae7539 serfdom is called "Leibeigentum" (possession of a body) and a serf "Leibeigener" (owned body) in German so yeah your assumption is pretty accurate

[@gaufrid1956]

I am Australian but I live in Mindanao Philippines with my Higaonon wife. There is a strong belief here in the spirits that inhabit the natural world and the dwellings of people. We believe that we have what is called in Higaonon Binukid a "tumanud ku abu", literally "I watch over the ash". A spirit which guards the hearth and home. On two different occasions I have heard a voice, which sounded like "Oo, oo, oo", which translates to "Yes, yes, yes" in the local language. It has been an affirmation of the protection of the spirit because it came at a time just before I suffered a serious accident and later while I was troubled by ongoing pain. Both times the voice came during the night between 2 and 3 AM. Many other times, when it dark before the dawn, I hear sounds within the ceiling and the walls of our house. People here also believe in the "duwende", who are said to live in mounds in the ground. We have a rural property with such a mound. One of the local people there accidentally kicked the mound with his foot, and it swelled up and gave him pain. There is also a legend that says that the duwende were unhappy because their mounds were being struck by lightning, so they built a big bamboo ladder and climbed up to heaven to complain to the Storm God. He told them that he didn't know about their houses so they should put up umbrellas on them, and then he would not strike them with lightning. So, when storms come, the duwende raise "ang mga uhong" ("mushrooms") on their homes. I feel that there is no difference really between the duwende and the "diwata", the spirits such as we have in our house and that are throughout the natural world. Hence I agree with you that the spirits described here are basically like elves, and there is no distinction between them. They just are. My ancestors are Anglo-Irish and I have always believed that everything has spirit. Daghang salamat sa nimo! Thank you very much!

[@cartmanbraahnd6660]

But it's okay for Peter dinklage to play a dwarf twice...

[@northpointaxe6167]

Amazing amount of research put into this work... well done

[@renatapalubinskasesoterica9217]

This video is truly amazing and spiritually inspiring! Thanks!

[@fairyencyclopedia]

Awesome video. I love the level of detail that went into it.

[@ccsmooth55]

What I always found interesting is in the Elder Scrolls series, there is a faction of Dark Elves/Dunmer called the 'Dwemer", who were also referred to as "Dwarves". The Dwemer lived under grounds and under the mountains, creating and experimenting with technology, using the various jewels they dug up as power sources for their mechanations by imbuing them with magic. Even their leader was named Dumac Dwarfking. I never understood how an elf can also be a dwarf. But in some texts, there is no difference between an elf and a dwarf. This was very enlightening. Thank you!

[@chelskobo]

Ooooo maybe one day could you do a video on fairies or the fae?

[@giuseppersa2391]

Greetings Kevin..Always a true pleasure to receive a new episode from you..from Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦🌹😎

[@robertcoplin2830]

A captivating presentation. Thank you.

[@eraofmyways]

We live in Yggdrasil. Evidence of Giants, Dwarves, Spirits, and Elves, as well as the elemental lands are evidenced here on Midgard Earth. Elves are us - we are quiet possibly the descendants of the Eldar. The Elven aspects are quite literally in our faces: yoursELF, mysELF, oursELVES, themsELVES, theirsELVES... we've been stating it all this time, but never pondered it.

[@ericcloud1023]

The branching mythologies of the Indo-European people's have intrigued me to no end, for example in ancient Greece Poseidon was originally a god of horses and the "earth shaker" but morphed into the god of oceans presumably once the Indo-Europeans were cramped into the peninsulas of the Aegean Sea. It seems to come from both being God's of movement ie horses for Land and boats for the ocean

[@joezadro1156]

Cramped? Anatolia was home of Indo Europeans,today's turkey

[@j2174]

Why is it "progressive" to cast a Latina actress in a Germanic story? Also, many 'little people' actors spoke against Peter Dinklage and said he has lost them work and jobs. He is okay because he has Game of Thrones money, MCU money, etc etc. But he thinks he speaks for everyone that is like or similar to him, he doesn't.

[@Lugh444]

Edit: Should have kept watching the video as this is touched upon later in the video. The incantation for treating someone with sleep issues (5.00 minute mark roughly) is interesting, I wonder if it was referring to sleep paralysis. Most people of a culture seem to experience "entities" that reflect their culture's fears, some of the older European names for it reflect this, "Old hag syndrome"/"Hag ridden/"Witch ridden". In modern times people often attribute their experience to ghosts, demons or aliens.

[@wrenangles5455]

Thank you for making this, its exactly what I have been looking for.

[@almightytallestred]

There will always be a notion to associate little people with dwarves as long as the condition of an organism being exceptionally small is literally called *Dwarfism* ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarfism )

[@Drew_Thompson]

Elder Scrolls was closer than I thought

[@b_ks]

An amazing exposition of the long ago and far away lore. It reminds us that the tales didn't start with Tolkien.

[@ewigesgermanien4174]

The interesting thing is that in german language the word for dwarves is "Zwerge". And the swedish name of Sweden is "Sverige". It sounds very similar. The scandinavians used to have long beards, wear these red hats, and were masters of making jewelry. Just like the dwarves. So maybe this is the origin of this legend or myth.

[@cerberus50caldawg]

This channel is a nice find I just stumbled on. I was already going to subscribe just based on the channel name and the content of this video ... but it was an absolute pleasure to watch. It was so enthralling I am passing this video on to some friends as well. "Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand." -William Butler Yeats, The Stolen Child

[@free2trudge]

Farming immigrants moving west north-west and encountering hunter-gatherer groups. The most resourceful of which had developed highly sophisticated mining and smithing technologies. Different from the relatively tall farmers and herdsmen in dress, language origins and genetics. They may well appear as something very different. Love the videos!! Great content!

[@aprilwhitaker9806]

I have often been told that I resemble an elf. My nose is short and I have pointed ears.

[@Ratnoseterry]

I have a pointed ear 😀

[@meisteremm]

Considering that the Anglo-Saxon chant deals with malevolent forces encountered during sleep, it wouldn't surprise me if the root meaning of Dwarf in Indo-European simply relates to evil creatures encountered during episodes of sleep paralysis. One of the most commonly experienced things during sleep paralysis is a homonculus that sits on your chest and strangles or just threatens you.

[@waskerbasket9601]

Dwarves were a great band

[@derekmorse8171]

What an incredible episode. Really excellent. Thank you.

[@dylansearcy3966]

The term could also mean "daze" or dizziness

[@otherpatrickgill]

I'm seeing inteesting parallels between this and ancient Mesopotamian mythology. Dumuzi/Tamuz and Freyr have intersting similarities.

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

I've been trying to find a video like this for a while, cheers

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

Dwarves and elves are made of the same spiritual substance of Dreams forms. But elves are foreigners. They travel to rather than emerged from

[@onyxdefortuitous2783]

This Fucking ROCKS!!! The SUMPTUOUS IMAGES accompanying the narration was BEYOND. I was literally semi-scared as I listened to these tales, and that means the Fortress of L. has correctly conveyed this knowledge. One SHOULD be scared! But also enchanted. Just like our Ancestors would have been. I'm now a "Super-Fan" of this channel. And I thought only the King : Arith Harger had the goods until now! Well played, Sir!

[@shasamonaghan9528]

I studied cultural and heritage studies and I truly enjoyed this so much Xx thank you kindly for posting your work xXx ❤️

[@MagnaMater2]

Ah, probably I posted this already on this channel, but under the chapter Elves and Alps. The duergar of the first oldenglish counter-spell is in its purpose probably translateable with 'Drücker' or 'Würger' (putting weight and pressure upon you/your chest = opressor, throttler) probably is the same thing like an 'Aufhocker' in the folk-tales of the Alpine region. It is also known as Alp if it appears during the night (painted by Füssli under the name 'Der Nachtmahr') and is an evil spirit associated to the sensation of a narrowed chest. According to an old doctor I met and told about an odd experience of a 'demonic attack' I once had after working overnight after a week of already lack of sleep, told me that this 'supranatural experience' is not that supranatural at all but - at least with old-school country-doctors in the Alps - a culturally accepted typical foreboading of a heart-attack (don't worrry, it's been a decade ago and I stopped overnight working at once). People that told him the same - that they had been seized by a cildsized human-shaped demon that jumped at their necks from behind trying to throttle them and squeezing out the air of their lungs while them climbing uphill in the Alps - often had an heart attack some weeks later. That is why on steep roads in the alps there are so many crosses so people might stop for a prayer's time to regain breath to prevent such 'demonic' heart attacks. (Actually on many of these old crosses were painted pictures of those small demons attacking a praying person). The nature of this attack would also explain the mentioning of the spider in the spell, this being the feeling of the veines cramping in your chest and lung. To me it felt like a spidery hand reaching through my stomach into my chest trying to squeeze the heart. - That word Duergar simply describes the feeling perfectly, just by its sound, it's exactly what 'it does', and probably the only sound you might get out while under attack, to explain to others that you are throttled.

[@elm8692]

Babel Tower. Nice music!!

[@burebor9940]

You could say that all dwarves are elves, but not all elves are dwarves.

[@woodspirit98]

Very little difference.

[@king_halcyon]

Nope

[@otherpatrickgill]

I am looking at both dwarves and elves as spirits. In this case we can imagine "dwarves" to translate as "sleepers" (or whatever you said it did) and "elves" to translate as "fair folk" - the two terms are euphemistic descriptions for supernatural beings people revered and feared. It may have been that they never had an official name, that they had one but it wasn't used or that either of these terms was the official term and the other a description. To use another type of spirit to illustrate this, I will refer to angels. You might encounter them being described as "winged creatures" and "holy messengers" or as "seraphim". This might seem very confusing to someone unfamiliar with Abrahamic scriptures, which are which? In the case of "winged creatures" vs "holy messengers": flies are winged creatures but not holy messengers, prophets are holy messengers but not winged creatures and angels are winged creatures and holy messengers. In the case of "winged creatures" vs "seraphim", not all winged creatures are seraphim but all seraphim are winged creatures and the seraphim aren't portrayed as delivering messages, they just hang out with the boss singing "holy holy is the lord of hosts". We tend to take a scientific perspective on such things and try to categorize them into "species" and "genera" - we must understand that ancient people had a very different view of the world. While my 'descriptive euphamism' explanation may not work in all cases, the' scientific categorization' of mythical and spiritual beings works in no cases whatsoever.

[@cvb7651]

I believe the Bible and also in the "other" folk. I think there is an unspecified time between Gen 1:1 and 1:2 in which all kinds of other people might have inhabited the earth. Many large rock formations are the remains of giants and trees.

[@pauladee6937]

Wow!!! Thank you . Your indepth, accurate research of our Norse Ancestors historical facts..is greatly appreciated.

[@onefeather2]

As Always the research and history of a subject so loved, a professional job on doing this video.

[@dylansearcy3966]

The dwarves didn't put snow white in a sleep like state. She was already presumed dead after taking a bie out the poison apple

[@faarsight]

Indeed in Scandinavian mythology elves are also often small

[@anubusx]

Nobody tosses a dwarf.

[@coolcat6103]

Lol

[@kyleanuar9090]

So many encounters mentioned the mouth being wide from ear to ear like the garden gnome in beginning of this video.

[@stonesmcgee1666]

This brings a whole new level of awe to Yngwie Malsteen's "Icarus' dreams." I wonder if Ostrogoths got their name from Austri, and the Visigoths got their name from Vestri.

[@vincentsmith7612]

I think so. Austri/Ostro is east, Vestri/Visi is west in Germanic language. Also the nation of Austria's name, means the eastern kingdom.

[@NyarlathotepCrawlingChaos]

Very excellent video, I always enjoy your stuff. May I have the name of the music which is playing from 12:19 to 14:15?

[@ckallen1546]

I like this doc. My mother is Native Alaskan. Inupiat Eskimo. Northern Bering Sea and arctic circle. I remember her stories of “the otter people”. They were often malicious…but on rare occasions they weren’t. So couldn’t be trusted…but needed to be treated with respect…in case one was there to help.

[@leodwinak]

I live in alaska. I had an interesting conversation with an older native lady who grew up in the village. She was convinced these little people absolutely existed. They were absolutely dangerous devious and not to be trusted. They might save one person's life and at another time and more likely lure small children away from the village where they would never be seen again. She admitted no one knew if they were spirits or physical being just that they were not to be disrespected or dismissed. Magical and menace.

[@ckallen1546]

@@leodwinak exactly. And there are others. For instance. A caribou person. Who largely ignore the people. But caribou and otter people do NOT get along. So it’s not uncommon for a caribou person to intervene, against an otter person. Just because. Occasionally a caribou person DOES become attached or emotionally invested with an individual or village. And there is no help for the one who causes them harm/death. Caribou People are very black & white, right or wrong. And noble. Most of all…relentless in their vengeance. Once they have revenged themselves? The caribou person settles back down, to continue their normal activities. Eyeing the otter people. Largely ignoring humans…until someone comes along that they seem to find (reason unknown) interesting.

[@Not-Ap]

@@leodwinak This sounds identical to the British concept of a fairy (who really don't look that pretty). Just as likely to help you as they are to harm you as long you don't offend there delicate sensibilities. Some of them even look like miniature bigfoots but also appear as miniature people. Very real but at the same time spiritual.

[@Not-Ap]

@@ckallen1546 What is a caribou and otter person supposed to look like out of curiosity? Do they just appear as animals or do they have humanoid shapes?

[@ckallen1546]

@@Not-Ap they are shapeshifters. Can appear as either. In more southerly nations…I believe they are called skinwalkers. But I need to ask native friends (from mainland US) about that. It’s something that has never come up. If their skinwalkers are the same as our shapeshifters.

[@nickjohnson410]

Playing Dwarf Fortress while listening to this is awesome

[@justinglock20]

I wonder if early Europeans interactions with Neanderthals had anything to do with the origin of the idea of dwarves? Short, powerful people that often live in caves.

[@AndPennyThought]

The mead of poetry and the dwarves makes me think of absinthe and the green fairy.

[@aariley2]

Are gnomes another name for dwarves/elves or something else entirely?

[@Shaden0040]

Not tired but rather weary.

[@oliversmith9200]

The night, or, dark time of elves as ending with the advent of scientific method, the light, under which elves perish. One way of many of playing these threads.

[@maggiemae7539]

It is because they love the dark over the light.

[@AnnaBridgland]

Ohh, I'm looking forward to watching this one!!

[@coolcat6103]

Lmao me too, just happened to look down n saw your comment, made me laugh

[@peggyjaeger9280]

Great video with wonderful insights. Just subscribed.

[@Son-of-Tyr]

Yngvi is the partial name(or alternate) of Yngvi-Freyr. Yngvi-Freyr is Lord of the Alfar. In Norse mythology, Dwarves are understood to be the Dokkalfar, or Dark Elves. Meaning they are a different family of Elves. Much like the difference between the Aesir and Jotnar. If I were a dwarf of modern day, I'd be flattered to be associated with such powerful, mythological beings.