Aelf

**Aelves** include a wide variety of fae, seemingly including the ellyllon and the fie ellyllon, who are referred to as elves, as well as luchorpan. A number of aelves reside in Esgrettio, Lavenna, Arkhel, and Cleat. There are also ljosalfar elves.

## Physical Description

Aelves are notable for having 'very long pointed' ears, which is a rarity in *Fae Tales*. In human-form, at least, the Gancanagh has these ears.

The aelves in Cleat were 'Unseelie winter aelves, with white skin and fingernails that glittered like they’d been made of mica.' These 'aelves were tall and had long, pointed ears'.

## Abilities

Elves can create elfshot. When a fae is touched by an elfshot-coated arrow,'the tip of the arrow would break away immediately, falling even as the person who was shot fell – paralysed. [There was no] cure for the paralysis except to find the exact same arrow tip in a mess of dirt and battlefield and touch it to the place where the person was shot.' It can only be used with a bow, and is only used by elves.

## Characteristics (culture, habits)

Aelves are seemingly rare. Eran Iliakambar implied that aelves are uncommon in the desert.

The aelves in Lavenna were the second largest group in Lavenna, and lived alongside a smaller group of Seelie dryads, while daoine sidhe dominated the town.

Penrod said the aelves in Cleat were 'a closed-in lot.'

## Trivia

* Aelves are seemingly similar to but not the same as Sidhe (and Daoine Sidhe).
* Zahak seemingly knew at least one ljosalfar elf.

## Folklore/Mythology

'An elf (plural: *elves*) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore (especially North Germanic mythology and folklore). In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves generally seem to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them. . . . The word *elf* is found throughout the Germanic languages and seems originally to have meant 'white being'. Reconstructing the early concept of an elf depends largely on texts, written by Christians, in Old and Middle English, medieval German, and Old Norse. These associate elves variously with the gods of Norse mythology, with causing illness, with magic, and with beauty and seduction.

After the medieval period, the word *elf* tended to become less common throughout the Germanic languages, losing out to alternative native terms like *Zwerg* ("dwarf") in German and *huldra* ("hidden being") in Scandinavian languages, and to loan-words like *fairy* (borrowed from French into most of the Germanic languages). Still, beliefs in elves persisted in the early modern period, particularly in Scotland and Scandinavia, where elves were thought of as magically powerful people living, usually invisibly, alongside everyday human communities. They continued to be associated with causing illnesses and with sexual threats. For example, a number of early modern ballads in the British Isles and Scandinavia, originating in the medieval period, describe elves attempting to seduce or abduct human characters.'

*'Huldufólk* or hidden people are elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. They are supernatural beings that live in nature. They look and behave similarly to humans, but live in a parallel world. They can make themselves visible at will.

In Faroese folk tales, hidden people are said to be "large in build, their clothes are all grey, and their hair black. Their dwellings are in mounds, and they are also called Elves."

Some Icelandic folk tales caution against throwing stones, as it may hit the hidden people.
The term *huldufólk* was taken as a synonym of *álfar* (elves) in 19th century Icelandic folklore. *Jón Árnason* found that the terms are synonymous, except *álfar* is a pejorative term.'

## Image Gallery

Fanart of the Gancanagh by king0fcrows https://king0fcrows-archive.tumblr.com/post/176437884685/i-apparently-cant-color-likeat-all-lol-i-wasFanart of Prince Vane by tetsujou https://tetsujou.tumblr.com/post/125099986949/i-drew-this-before-the-latest-chapter-and-now-imFanart of Autumn's End by bowantarrow https://bowantarrow.tumblr.com/post/693583868336455680/i-wanted-to-draw-autumns-end-from-not-poignantFanart of Augus Each Uisge wearing a ljosalfar coat by morbidlizard https://morbidlizard.tumblr.com/post/135381950967/youre-wearing-my-clothing-gwyn-said-again
## References

1. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 18 June 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4283271. Chapter 4: Suspicions.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 December 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6404462. Chapter 23: Confrontation.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 30 March 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036105/chapters/32604021. Chapter 18: Sparks of Revelation.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 8 October 2021. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/65621236. Chapter 4: Esgrettio.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 5 August 2021. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/82025380. Chapter 12: Come Back To Me.
6. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 5 August 2021. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/82025380. Chapter 12: Come Back To Me.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 25 November 2021. https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/88041001. Chapter 20: A Magical World.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 not\_poignant. "Tumblr Prompts - Fae Tales." *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 29 November 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5309705/chapters/12258860. Chapter 4: Grapholagnia.
9. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 10 October 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5386955. Chapter 13: Advice.
10. ↑ "Elf". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf. Accessed 12 June 2021.
11. ↑ "*Huldufolk*". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulduf%C3%B3lk. Accessed 12 June 2021.