Responding
to this question from Mia:
“I know you deal specifically with the Irish fae but
do you ever have dealings with the Alfar? Is there a connection between them?
What observations do you have concerning the Alfar?”
So,
I’m going to break this down one question at a time, which I think will be
easier.
Firstly,
do I have dealings with the álfar? Yes, I do and have since the mid-2000s. When
I first started exploring heathenry I was quickly drawn to the Norse álfar, or elves,
who reminded me strongly of the Irish sidhe, although they aren’t identical. In
some folklore its believed that there are three distinct groups of álfar: the Dökkálfar,
the Ljósálfar, and the Svartálfar. The Dökkálfar or ‘dusky elves’ are
associated with the mound-dead and mountains, while the Ljósálfar or ‘light
elves’ are associated with the Vanic god Freyr and the realm of Ljósálfheim,
and the Svartalfar, or ‘dark elves’ [sometimes conflated with dwarves], are
renowned craftsmen.
I
initially aimed to connect to the Ljósálfar but have found that instead my main
association is with the Dökkálfar. I found this out in the usual way of these
things, by asking of I should honour Freyr out of respect to them and having
them laugh and correct me, by explaining that “The álfar in their high halls may
honour Freyr as lord but here we look to Hulda.”. This would make them,
technically, Huldufólk a term which was used synonymously with álfar in Iceland
or perhaps used as a euphemism. These would be considered Dökkálfar, I think,
or something closer to the mound elves than anything else.
Secondly,
is there a connection between them? Honestly if you want to deep dive on this I
suggest the book ‘Elves, Wights, and Trolls’ by Kveldulf Gundarsson
which gets into the minutia of the differences and similarities between the
Irish sidhe and Norse álfar. For myself I find them to be similar but not
exactly the same, with the Irish aos sidhe being more strict and less forgiving
than their Nordic counterparts. There has been some efforts to trace the direct
connections between the folklore of Ireland and Iceland, carried by the Irish
women who were forced to help settle Iceland (after being kidnapped in raids
and brought there) and I think that there are some clear connections there. It
may seem strange to suggest that there was Irish influence, either via belief
or actual spirit beings, in Iceland but people tend to forget – or ignore –
that the Norse weren’t indigenous to Iceland but rather colonized it, bringing
their beliefs and spirits with them. In that context it’s not so strange to
think that the Irish brought there did the same thing, creating a blending of the
cultures and their spirits.
Finally,
what are my observations concerning the álfar? I can of course only relay my own
personal experiences here and I make no claim they are universal or shared with
anyone. I would also emphasize that my opinions and perceptions of these beings
are inevitably influenced by my own connection or lack thereof to them, just as
they would be to various groups of humans I might write about. In other words this
is how I understand them based on my interactions with them and how they are or
aren’t connected to me and the aos sidhe I belong to. While I know there are
others who describe different things here, I have found that Otherworldly
beings have their own politics, alliances, and enmities between each other
which can and do effect how a person might engage with them. For example when I
was in Iceland at one place and stumbled across a group of álfar celebrating I
was welcomed to join and found several of my Irish sidhe there as well, but
later when I was at the renowned home of Grýla and her sons, I had such an
intense feeling of being unwelcome I didn’t dare enter the area, although the
people I was with had no issues doing so. Part of why I discourage people from
committing deeply to any particular Other beings is that you take on their
alliances and their enemies when you do so.
I
find the álfar – the Ljósálfar and Dökkálfar at least – to be generally
cheerful and pleasant, although no less dangerous when motivated to it than any
other spirit being. The Ljósálfar are proud and seem to particularly like
beautiful things, while the Dökkálfar are more rugged and pragmatic. The Light
Elves lived in a place that was very bright, almost overwhelmingly so, and
light in an airy, ephemeral way; the people there were friendly enough but also
cutting, as if verbal sparring were a sport. The Mound Folk’s place felt like a
medieval feasting hall, welcoming and warm, and the beings there (mostly men)
were friendly in a ‘might challenge you to a good natured contest’ kind of way.
Both test outsiders before accepting them, and both repay gifts for gifts and
curses for curses.
I
have in the past joked that rather than Asatru [faith in the Aesir] I would
more aptly label myself Alfatru [faith in the elves] and I think that still
holds true. I conduct an álfablót, or offering ritual to the elves, twice a
year and consider at least one group my allies. My experiences with these
beings in Iceland was a mixed bag, as I would expect, with some openly welcoming
and others standoffish.
