#alfs

[so-emo-i-fell-apart]

BIG NEWS

[ivy-kissobryos]

The key point in dealing with beings of the Otherworlds, especially those closest to us - the land-wights, sea-wights, and alfs of different kinds - is always good manners. The god/esses have the wisdom, and the knowledge of the hearts of those who trust in them, which allows them to forgive clumsy words, deeds of ignorance, reservations born from fear or lack of understanding, and even some offenses [...] However, the lesser wights of the Otherworlds are much more like humans, and rather old-fashioned humans, in that they are greatly offended by breaches of courtesy whether those stem from deliberate rudeness or simple ignorance.

Elves, Wights and Trolls by Kveldulf Gundarsson

[reymundoavargas]

MAY 15TH, 2020

[jkmooneclipsesun]

When people do something stupid:

And you are like:

[nordarknessdimsthesky]

Excerpts from the major arcana of al-Fazari Station characters

line by me // color by @spacecoffeeandcartoons

[dutchpagan]

Painting by Johann August Malmström (1866)

Reading interesting things about elves lately.

There's this fantastic article on the Uppsala site by Wayland Skallagrimson  and there's also Ármann Jakobsson essay 'Beware of the elf' which appeared in Folklore magazine a couple of years ago, among others.

This speaks to me, because elves are beings of the land, which should be a big deal to anyone who follows a nature religion. We are of the land, and therefore in a way closely connected with its spirits, whether you like it and agree with it or not. By the way, I don not think that elves look like Tinkerbell or Legolas. My belief goes more towards animism, and the human need to give what we experience a human form.

There's also the categorization of elves, which is what Jakobsson touches on and it's a subject that has bothered me quite a bit. The way we modern pagans categorize elves seems to me as if we're trying to categorize flowers in a botanical garden. But can these elves be so neatly divided into subsets or subspecies? Elves come in all shapes and sizes, but when do they stop being elves and become something else like gods or ghosts? And what's the difference between a dwarf and a fairy? When you look at ancient sources, they're not always as clear as we'd like them to be. One reason this is an issue to me is because a couple of times I met or experienced a being that left me wondering what the heck they are. Gods? Elves? Demons? Is it even important?

These are the things that are on my mind when I'm studying this subject...any thoughts on elves, what they could be and if/how you commune with them are welcome :)

[ivy-kissobryos]

Herbs for working with the alfs should not be cut with an iron knife or dug with any iron tool. If you are forced to rely on dried herbs cut by someone else, this will be almost impossible to achieve. In such a case, lay a rock crystal over the herbs and say thrice, "Etin-stone draw iron out / Jarngrimr, Jarnsaxa, Jarnskjoldr!" while seeing the crystal suck the dark glitter of iron dust from the herbs. Then, mince them fine with a knife that is not iron (silver is best).

Elves, Wights and Trolls by Kveldulf Gundarsson

[ivy-kissobryos]

[...] if offered a gift by them, especially in payment for services done, it is far safer to take them than to refuse it. Food and drink are quite common; there is also a recurring theme of an alf-gift which seems worthless (dead leaves, wood-shavings, and such) turning into gold- quite the opposite of the Celtic belief in "fairy gold" which looks valuable, but is actually something worthless.

Elves, Wights and Trolls by Kveldulf Gundarsson