ljósalfar

Old Norse

Etymology

ljós (“light”) +‎ alfar (“elves”)

Proper noun

ljósalfar m pl

1. (Norse mythology) The "light elves", the elves who dwell in the heavens.
   • c. 1220, Sturluson, Snorri. Gylfaginning (The Fooling Of Gylfe):

     Margir staðir eru þar gǫfugligir. Sá er einn staðr þar, er kallaðr er Álfheimr. Þar byggvir fólk þat, er Ljósálfar heita, en Dǫkkálfar búa niðri í jǫrðu, ok eru þeir ólíkir þeim sýnum ok miklu ólíkari reyndum. Ljósálfar eru fegri en sól sýnum, en Dǫkkálfar eru svartari en bik."

     Rasmus Björn Anderson's translation:

     "There are many magnificient dwellings. One is there called Alfheim. There dwell the folk that are called light-elves; but the dark-elves dwell down in the earth, and they are unlike the light-elves in appearance, but much more so in deeds. The light-elves are fairer than the sun to look upon, but the dark-elves are blacker than pitch."

See also

• alfar (“elves”)
• dǫkkalfar (“dark elves”)

References

• Wikisource:Prose Edda/Gylfaginning (The Fooling Of Gylfe) by Sturluson, Snorri, 13th century Edda, in English. Accessed Apr. 16, 2007
• Gylfaginning in Old Norse[1] Accessed Apr. 16, 2007.
• Bulfinch, Thomas (1834). Bulfinch's Mythology. New York: Harper & Row, 1970, p. 348. →ISBN.
• Marshall Jones Company (1930). Mythology of All Races Series, Volume 2 Eddic, Great Britain: Marshall Jones Company, 1930, pp. 220-221.