Alfheim

Álfheimr

Álfheimr

Home of the elves in Nordic mythology


In Norse cosmology, Álfheimr (Old Norse: [ˈɑːlvˌhɛimz̠], "Land of the Elves" or "Elfland"; anglicized as Alfheim), also called "Ljósálfheimr" (Ljósálf[a]heimr [ˈljoːsˌɑːlv(ɑ)ˌhɛimz̠], "home of the Light Elves"), is home of the Light Elves.

Dancing Elves, by August Malmström, 1866

Attestations

Álfheim as an abode of the Elves is mentioned only twice in Old Norse texts.

Grímnismál

The Eddic poem Grímnismál describes twelve divine dwellings beginning the stanza 5 with:

More information Old Norse text, Bellows translation ...

A tooth-gift is a gift given to an infant on the cutting of the first tooth.[3]

Gylfaginning

In the 12th century Eddic prose Gylfaginning, Snorri Sturluson relates it in the stanza 17 as the first of a series of abodes in heaven:

More information Old Norse text, Brodeur translation ...

Later in the section, in speaking of a hall in the Highest Heaven called Gimlé that shall survive when heaven and earth have died, explains:

More information Old Norse text, Brodeur translation ...

See also


Citations

  1. Bellows 2004, Grimnismol stanza 5.
  2. Bellows 2004, Grimnismol stanza 5 notes.
  3. Sturluson 2018, Gylfaginning, chapter 17.

Bibliography

Primary

  • Bellows, Henry Adam (2004). The poetic Edda : the mythological poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486437101.
  • Sturluson, Snorri (2018). The Prose Edda. Translated by Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist. Franklin Classics Trade Press. ISBN 9780344335013.
  • "Grímnismál (Old Norse)". heimskringla.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  • "Gylfaginning (Old Norse)". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  • Media related to Álfheimr at Wikimedia Commons



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