Who are the elves? Do they exist. How elves appeared - the magical story of fairy creatures

Not many people know how and where. Where to find an elf in Skyrim, because they are quite inconspicuous and fast, so to make it easier for you to find them, we will help you find out all the information you need! Elves originate from the same ancestors with people. This is about elnofey... Their physiological differences from humans are very small. The first thing that catches your eye when you look at them is their pointed ears. But this is not their main difference from other races. This race real centenarians, they live up to three hundred years.

Wood elves in fact live in Valenwood (West), but for some reason, most of them move to the vastness of Skyrim. They are relatives of the Dark and High Elves who live in harmony with nature, their difference is that they are very fast. Their abilities are great for such professions as: Thief, Assassin, Archer, Pathfinder, because they are quite dexterous and know how to merge with nature.

How and where to find an elf in Skyrim

Very often, when a player goes through the storyline of Skyrim, he may have a logical question, but where can I find these elves? Depending on which of the races you are dealing with, you can look for the right elf for a long time.

  1. High Elves live on the island Summerset... This beautiful island is located near Tamriel. Towards the southwest.
  2. The Wood Elves have this city Valendwood, which is also located on one of the islands in the southwest.
  3. Dark elves live in Morrowind, which is also in Tamriel, its northeastern part.
  4. If you want to find one of the High Elves, then you need the Falmer who live in dwemer ruins.
  5. These creatures can also be easily found in the camp area. Quiet Moons... This is the northwest direction from Whiterun.

Where to Find Blood Elves

Usually, the need to find an Elf appears when you need to complete one of the tasks in the game, in which you need get blood from a representative of each race. In order for you to be able to complete this task, you will need to find a Dark Elf in the area where the Grays live in Windhelm, or in Solitude, if you urgently need a High Elf, you can find him there. And if you need, for example, a Wood Elf, then go boldly to the village of Riverwood, which is located near the sawmill.

In fact, the question of Where to find an elf in Skyrim is quite versatile, because they often change their habitat, and try not to attract much attention to themselves. But we hope this quick guide helped you a lot!

The hallmarks of elves

How to determine if an individual is an elf or a human? You can rely on the genetic memory of your ancestors, but think about it, reader: don't you take it as a figment of your imagination? Yes, it is undoubtedly a shame to realize, but nobody bothers you to check yourself! And "genetic memory" has repeatedly let down numerous fans of Professor Tolkien, who imagine themselves to be elves. However, imagination - it is imagination, no more.

The two races are quite close in structure and at one time were very friendly. So, for example, Korablev writes in a commentary on the Charo-Leifi saga: “Traditionally, it is customary to pay attention to the leitmotif about human assistance to elves during childbirth. Although the elves themselves very often help mortals in such situations. "

In the 13th century, the English priest Liamon wrote the poem "Brutus", which says: “… The time has come when it was foretold that Arthur (the British king) was born. As soon as he was born, the elves accepted him, they spoke to the child (bigoben) with “mighty spells (galdere), they gave him the strength of the greatest warrior. Secondly, they destined him to be a noble king. The third he received from them - the gift of long life ".

This is also confirmed by Tolkien in The Laws and Customs of the Eldar: “At the beginning of life, there was little difference between the children of the Two Nations, and a person who saw the elven children playing could easily believe that they were the children of People, some beautiful and happy people. For in their early days, the children of the elves still admired the world around them, and the fire of their souls did not burn them, and the burden of memory was still light for them. ".

Nevertheless, despite the great outward similarities, there are many differences between the two races. This is what I want to talk about today, reader.

1. The first and main feature: an elf, unlike a man, lives a very long timetherefore it is not surprising that it is "programmed" for a slower, more unhurried development. Since he has almost no aging gene (or rather, when he realizes his elven essence, the gene begins to act many times more passive than the human one), the elf must look much younger their human peers. Here is what Tolkien writes about this in The Laws and Customs of the Eldar: “Eldar matured physically more slowly than humans, but intellectually - much faster. They began to speak even before they were one year old, and at the same age they learned to walk and dance, for their bodies soon began to obey their will ... By the end of the third year of life, mortal children began to overtake the elves, hurrying to grow up, while for the elves it lasted first spring of childhood. The children of people could grow up completely, while the Eldar of the same age remained in body like the children of mortals ... Not earlier than the fiftieth year of life did the Eldar reach that height and took the form in which they lived all their further life and it could take up to a hundred years before they became adults. ".

It has already been said above that an elf who has realized himself as an elf at a certain stage of his life seems to freeze at a given age. In fact, this impression is external: over time it still changes, but ten times Slower than a person. “Elves actually grow older, albeit very slowly: the limit of their life is the life of Arda, which, although outside the bounds of humans, is still not infinite. And Arda is getting old too "... Even elves, who have not yet realized themselves as such, look younger than their agebecause this is their genetic nature. And as a result, an elf, who is 50-60 years old, looks at 20-30 human years, and who looks 40-50 human years old, can be of any age - either 100 or 200 years ... Look at yourself in the mirror - how old are you in fact, and how much do strangers give at first glance?

An elf almost always looks younger than his age, and never older. The elf's first test is the test of time!

2. Elves - Sids, Shi, Tuatha de Danan, Wonderful people - and this is confirmed by numerous studies - have a different blood formuladifferent from human. Unfortunately, this book contains few scientific calculations of this kind, and therefore I will say only one thing about elven blood: there are more white corpuscles (leukocytes) in the blood of an elf than in a person (not to be confused or mistaken for leukemia!) And, nevertheless , the hemoglobin level of an elf is always high. In addition, the regeneration of the skin of elves proceeds at a very fast pace: all scars, cuts and abrasions heal twice as fast as in humans. The same can be attributed to bone tissue: bone fractures in an elf heal faster. Perhaps it was not for nothing that the elves called people "engvars" - "sickly"? But hospital rest is not recommended for elves! Let's recall Robert Kirk and his "Treatise": the universal law for an elf is movement, and only movement!

Check your blood formula, test yourself for hemoglobin. Elves often have enviable health and great stamina.

3. The elf's immune system is also different.For example, the elves are remarkably resistant to venereal diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea) and the AIDS virus. There are cases when an elf had sexual intercourse with several people suffering from the same venereal disease, while not contracting it. The viruses of such diseases appear to be weak in the elven organism. However, this statement requires final verification.

4. Another feature of the elf - different skin structure. We have already spoken about its good regeneration. The skin of an elf is usually smooth, non-porous, with very few sweat glands underneath. Therefore, “an elf rarely and does not sweat much, but he is not recommended to stay in the open sun for a long time. (Isn't that why elves prefer twilight to all other times of the day?)

Now - about hairiness. The hair on the head of elves is usually very attractive and constitutes one of the main adornments. But male elves have almost no facial hair: the mustache and beard are very rare and runny. On the body, however, hair is found, but in much smaller quantities than in humans.

Few facial hair, no mustache and beard? So you're close to the elves!

This is just what is relevant to genetic makeup and overall health. Now let's consider the external signs of belonging to the elven race. As I said, there are not so many of them, the races are similar, and yet ...

5. What distinguishes a picture, cartoon elf from a human? Right - pointy ears! True, they are presented there in a somewhat exaggerated way: they stick out overhead like donkeys, sometimes they are completely overgrown with hair. Well, what about life? Pointed ears are indeed a common sign of elven origin. But at the same time, they do not rise above your head like locators! Elf ears primarily differ from human ears in a special shape - they are, as it were, flattened on the sides and with a prominent tip, most often sharp, in contrast to the round, human. An interesting feature: when realizing that he is an elf, during long-term communication with nature or others like himself, the elf's ears slightly change their shape to a more "pointed" one. You can object to me, reader, by citing as an example people quite old with sharp ears: how is it, if they are elves, why have they aged, and if people, why with elven ears?


Alas, the reader is most likely really elves (either half-elves or goblins - this or that type of blood carriers of the ancient races), as already mentioned above, but elves never woke up. However, it is never too late for the elven essence to wake up.

Try observing the shape of your ears. Elves have them almost always pointed.

6. The appearance of the elves is not so easy to "calculate". What can we say, when the Firstborn elves took some people for their fellow tribesmen - elves. But…

Firstly, I want to immediately object to all those who "calculate" elves by the color of their eyes or hair, guided, for example, by the books of Professor Tolkien. Say, claims that all Noldor have gray eyes and black hair, and one who has a similar trait is indeed an elf. This, excuse me, is nonsense, because, as there are many human species, there are also elven ones, and I personally observed a very different "color" of elves: from bright blondes to burning brunettes (contrary, by the way, separate statements that an elf does not exist black-eyed, does not happen with straight hair, etc., etc.) And in order to better understand the Professor in this matter, let us turn again to his "Laws and customs of the Eldar." So, "lamatyave (enjoying the sound and form of words) was considered a personality trait more important than others, such as height, hair color and facial features." Or, for example: “According to the Eldar, the only completely unchanging feature of any person is belonging to a particular gender. For they regard this trait as belonging not only to the body (roa), but also to the spirit (inno) in equal measure; thus, the personality as a whole. Personality or individuality they often called the essay, which means "name", but also erde, or "integrity", "uniqueness". Therefore, those who returned from Mandos after the death of their first body were always reborn with the same name and the same sex as before. " By the way, it is useful to take note of the numerous fans of Tolkien's work, who imagine themselves as creatures of the opposite sex (as a rule, women who call themselves male names and claiming that they have a "male quenta". Honestly, for a true admirer of the Professor's work, such behavior looks ridiculous and pathetic!)

But - to the point. As a rule, an elf and an elf have long hair, which is rarely styled into a hairstyle: elves love their nature very much and change it little. The hair of elves is often wavy (although, I repeat - quite a few straight ones!), The eyes are bright, often almond-shaped, the faces are most often oval and oblong. There are very few chubby elves. Elves' facial features are often sharp and catchy.They differ in a rather subtle constitution: even with high growth, men are most often thin and rarely build up large muscle mass, although they have a distinctive feature - broad shoulders with a narrow waist (Apollo addition), and women do not have strongly convex body parts: huge busts and massive hips elves are absent. (A small pebble in the garden of fans of fantasy paintings by Boris Vallejo). Due to this, there is even an opinion that elven men and women differ little from each other. There are practically no fat elves among the elves (although sometimes there are plump personalities among half-elves, but this is due to the predominance of the human essence.) At the same time, many consider the elf's constitution to be ideal: their forms are close to classical human ones, but more delicate and fragile. Another distinctive feature of the elves' appearance is pale complexion: they rarely have a blush.

Look at yourself in the mirror - how similar are you to an elf?

7. A common unifying feature of all elves - ability to beautify yourself and your own kind. At the same time, as already mentioned, they change their nature little (for example, I have never heard of an elf who deliberately underwent plastic surgery in order to bring himself to perfection). But everything that comes from the creative principle - sewing, embroidery, spinning, blacksmithing and jewelry, as well as music and poetry are fully inherent in them. Elves make good artists, designers, fashion designers.

An elf man always plans, invents, models something in the sense of improving his appearance or his home. Elven women are very often fond of jewelry and clothing made of shiny fabrics.

Now - about the clothes. Favorite colors of elves - blue and green (less often - black, but this quality manifests itself on troubled days: black for an elf is the color of protection). The form of clothing, as a rule, is tight-fitting: men like turtlenecks, skinny jeans and high boots; women, on the other hand, prefer tight dresses and skirts (which, with the slenderness of elves, looks quite good!)

Observe your clothes, remember your favorite colors: an elf is simply drawn to dress himself up in these shades.

However, all this concerns only the appearance of elves, but it is the inner content that distinguishes an elf from a human. Most often, it is diametrically opposed to human.

Therefore, let us turn to this side of the personality.

8. The main feature of the elven essence, in contrast to the human - self-sufficiency. An elf almost always knows what he wants, is confident in himself, he is rarely thrown to extremes. His favorite position is the golden mean. Perhaps that is why the most preferred time of day for them is twilight: an average between day and night. As a rule, they love the night, but with stars, twilight, but not completely extinguished daylight. Among the elves, "owls" rather than "larks" predominate. The personality of the elf is harmonious and balanced, elves are not characterized by reckless acts like suicidal tendencies due to disappointment in life. This self-sufficiency and inner calmness of insecure rushing people are often mistaken for arrogance, a sense of superiority over others, and sometimes for arrogance and conceit.

That is why the elves have become accustomed to cunning and a certain mimicry: with some they are alone, with others, others, and what they are in general, no one knows. Thanks to such mimicry, the elf has many friends, but if you look at it, all these friends are good acquaintances who do not know him to the end, and the elf rarely reveals his soul, and, as a rule, only to his own kind. Self-sufficiency and the position of the "golden mean" are the main traits of an elf.

9. The relationship between humans and elves has always evolved ambiguous. Still: so similar and ... so different! Elves - Firstborn, according to Tolkien, only three human species were recognized, with which it was worth communicating, while the rest of the human individuals preferred to be ignored.

The current elf, almost always from childhood, does not tolerate people well (apparently, instinctively feels - they will not understand!) And chooses one of two positions in relation to them - passive friendliness or complete non-interference in their affairs. But people relate to elves in two ways: some immediately fall under the charm of an elf and cannot resist him, others, for some unknown reason, begin to hate the elf stranger out of nowhere.

Why? Here you can make an assumption. An elf always emanates a stream of energy alien to people. Some are disposed to her and absorb it, or rather, they are nourished by it (the elf is always full of energy vampires), while others are absolutely averse to it. Only one feeling is thirsty for elves from people, and never seek it - human indifference. But people are simply physically incapable of remaining indifferent to the elves!

Check yourself for relationships with people: you - to people, and people - to you.

10. By the way, and elven psychology different from human. Therefore, the elf's reactions to many events in real life are unpredictable for humans. From a human point of view, an elf may be offended by a completely ordinary phrase and at the same time not respond to an obvious insult addressed to you. The people whom the elf met, if they intend to communicate with him, must adapt to his temperament, otherwise he will simply withdraw into himself and will not react to others. Again, if an elf considers his interlocutor unworthy of himself (for example, a person of different principles that are unacceptable to him), communication as such will not work: the elf will show offensive condescension with all his appearance, bringing down all his arrogance on the interlocutor.

Only another elf can fully understand the elf. And since the latter are few, the elves quite often observe the second variant of behavior - seeming arrogance and the lot of a lone wolf.

Remember your own reaction to the surrounding events: people consider the reaction of the elf inadequate. As a rule, among people there is an opinion about an elf: "How strange!"

11. About elven sexuality two diametrically opposite opinions are expressed. The first is that elves are androgynous and asexual: they say that reason rules over feelings, so they are unable to love. The second is that elves are very loving. Sometimes so that they break your heart and, without noticing, go on to themselves. The most dangerous seducers, they say, are the elves. Which of the two opinions am I inclined to? More likely to the second than to the first, but with a big reservation.

Let's figure it out in order. Elves are not androgynous or asexual, on the contrary, their sexual characteristics are pronounced. If I am not mistaken, this conclusion was made (for example, by K. Asmolov in his research), rather proceeding from the small difference between an elven man and a woman, in comparison with human representatives of both sexes. It seems like elven youths are as long-haired and thin as girls, and therefore there is no smell of sexuality ... In fact, elves are considered one of the most perfect creations of nature. "And by their appearance they are similar to ideal tall people, but certainly not to literary winged dwarfs." (L. Korablev, translation of Icelandic sagas). Their ability to bewitch is full of legends and traditions, in which they often act as seducers and temptresses. How many mortals, starting with Thomas Lermont, were taken to their realm by elves and fairies, you don't even need to talk - a well-known fact. Well, the elf men did not lag behind: remember at least the story of Midhir from Tuatha de Danan, who stole his wife from her husband ...

It is not out of place to cite lines from the poem by J. Gower "Confessio Amantis", which Professor Tolkien mentions in his work "On Magical Stories". The poet describes a young rake, attractive as an elf:

And at the same time we read from the same Tolkien in “Laws and Customs”: “The Eldar married once in their lives, for love or at least free will on both sides. Even when, in the later days, when, as history says, many of the Eldar of Middle-earth became corrupted, and their hearts were eclipsed by the shadow that lies on Arda, there were not many tales they could tell about the deeds of lust among them ... The Eldar make no heedless mistakes in choosing a pair ... They are not easily misled, and their spirit rules the body, and therefore the desires of the body alone rarely direct them, and by nature they are temperate and firm. "

So are they seductive or abstinent? Let me make a guess. Apparently, sex, like everything else, is perceived by elves more freely than by humans. Such is the elven nature: often an elf in love matters simply floats with the flow, and the hearts around him seem to break unexpectedly for him ... In the end, he has plenty of time left to find his mate and decide on love and marriage ... Therefore, the human fear that “time is running out and I haven’t found anyone yet” is completely absent from the elves! Meanwhile, if there is no permanent partner, the elf can lead a very free lifestyle. Although the Eldar try to avoid perversions of any kind. Yes, by nature they are very loyal, but only to their partner, and only if there is a deep feeling. If an elf finds his mate, he completely immerses himself in his love and, as it were, “dies” for everyone else. And one more thing: the feeling of an elf, like the elf himself, is much more durable than a human!

Many poems have been written about the love of humans and elves. But, as it seems to me, this love and similar unions were sung by poets precisely because such cases are rare. It is difficult for a man to "tame" an elf: an elf is a wild and unpredictable creature. A man, I repeat, cannot resist the spell of an elf or an elf, but a rare elf is carried away by mortals for a long time! A distinctive feature of all elves is carelessness, an easy perception of life, and, consequently, the ability to quickly get rid of old attachments. (Moreover, if the partner (sha) does not seem to him to meet the requirements for a further union. And it is not easy for a person to meet such requirements: he, poor fellow, often does not even understand what they want from him.) There are cases of deep and devoted love of people and elves, if a person does not refuse to understand and accept the alien nature of an elf. In such a situation, an elf can become so true to his love that his feeling outlives that of his partner - a human.

Therefore, nevertheless, an elf (elf) can find true happiness only with his own kind. An elf will always understand a fellow, will not constrain his freedom and will not let his ...

If you are by nature a very loyal person, at the same time, easily "appeased" in love relationships - you are closer to the elves.

12. A very important question in defining an elf is the attitude to procreation and children. Perhaps the strangest feature of an elf (and a big difference from humans) is their children will not be born out of wedlock!Even if one of the parents is human and the other is an elf, it doesn't matter, and half-elves will not be born in free civil unions. The very same conclusion was made by me after observing many elven and half-elven couples: those of them who adhered to the principle of "free relationships", with all their desire did not produce offspring, although from a purely medical point of view, both were quite healthy. It is impossible to explain such a thing: such a trifle as a stamp in a passport or a ceremony performed plays a role in such an important moment as birth. One might assume that since the spirit of the elves rules the body, they themselves give themselves a mental order: "No children!", And this order is carried out. Whenever there were some persistent desire to conceive a child outside of marriage, and - a complete failure ...

Let us turn again to my favorite "Laws and Customs of the Eldar": "Them [elves] children were few, but very dear to them. Their families, their homes were tied by love and a deep sense of spiritual and physical kinship, and the children needed little education or training. Rarely were there more than four children in any house, and their number grew more and more slowly over the years. But even in ancient days, while the Eldar were still a little bit, Feanor was glorified as the father of seven sons, and history knows no one who surpassed him ...

As for the conception and bearing of children: a year passes from conception to the birth of an elf child [actually a little less than nine months of human chronology. All elf children are born a little prematurely - from ed.] Elves celebrate the day of conception from year to year. For the most part, these are the days of spring ...

The Eldar also say that it takes more vitality, spiritual and physical, to conceive and even more to bear children than for mortal children. That is why it happens that the Eldar give birth to a few children, and that this happens in their youth or at the beginning of life, except that a strange and difficult lot falls to them. But at whatever age they marry, their children are born a short time after the wedding. The short one is the Eldar. On account of mortals, quite a lot of time passes between the wedding and the birth of the first child, and even more - before the birth of another ... [not less than one and a half human years from the date of the wedding - from ed.] Eldar conceive children only in the days of happiness and peace, as far as possible ".

On my own I want to add only that elves have one more feature: a boy or a girl is born, as a rule, in accordance with the wishes of the parents. There has never been a single elven (or half-elven) family where children were born "of the wrong sex." And one more thing: if both parents did not want children for a long time after the wedding, it is not easy to conceive them ...

Remember, reader, when and how your child was born. Elves are born only in marriage.

13. Another detail that distinguishes an elf from a human is magic. The penchant for magic is indeed inherent in the elven nature. But, if a person, in order to become a great magician, needs to study long and hard, then the magic of elves is different. The civilization of elves, apparently, was magical from the beginning, therefore, many paranormal abilities were inherent in elves from childhood. An elf, as a rule, does not become a great wizard, on the other hand, he does not have to learn the talents that have already been given to him. Though, even for developing small magical abilities, elves are often pathologically lazy.

What are the inherent abilities that an elf most often has? As a rule, the gift of empathy (feeling someone else's emotional background), and some - and telepathy; foresight; the ability to appear inconspicuous (under certain circumstances, you can walk two steps from the elf and not notice him - while he does not even need to hide - most likely, this is where the legend about the elves' ability to walk through walls arose); love spells - they have already been mentioned above; the ability to fence off the outside world (something like an invisible wall appears between him and the interlocutor, after which the interlocutor cannot look into his eyes); some have the ability to control the actions of people (with the help of thoughts). In the general context, I did not mention such elven talents as clairvoyance, the ability to endow another with luck, the ability to increase the harvest, find treasures ... In fairness, I must say that not every elf has the latest talents, or not everyone is developed. As for the former, they are found in one set or another among many elves. Whether this is magic or the still poorly understood abilities of the body, I find it difficult to say.

Leonid Korablev writes about elves in his "Little Treatise":

« They (elves) are able to penetrate the mind into the future and read the minds of mortals. Alfar skilia, that is, the elves feel, understand, foresee. The gift of insight was given to the elves as well as the Norns. ".

“Of course, only white sorcery could come from (or lead to) the elves. And although there are cases when elves (or their half-elf descendants) sometimes used harmful magic for their purposes, never black art was associated with the Hidden People. Only a few mortals, having gained access to secret elven knowledge, managed to turn some of them into evil. ".

Speaking of magic, one cannot fail to mention elven music and versification. Almost all elves have good hearing and voice, can play on musical instruments... Elves beautiful minstrels, but the main thing is still another: many people believed that it was with the help of spell songs that elves manifest their magic. With their singing, the wood elves mesmerized random passers-by, magical music made people forget their home and friends and prefer the Magic Land to them ... In the translations of the Icelandic sagas L. Korablev writes: “In conclusion, speaking of Charo-Leifi” (Torleif Thordarson), it is necessary to mention the loudest event in his life - in 1611, together with another “power poet” Joun Gvüdmundsson the Scientist, Torleiv, through the magic rhymes they composed, banished the most terrible in history "Undead » (draugur), who with his violent attacks intimidated the whole Stud area in Snayfjol ".

14. And one more thing. Elves, as you know, are very sensitive people. Most often, they feel the approach of bad weather, as well as, for example, psychological discomfort from an impending conflict. Perhaps this upcoming conflict is still generally invisible to people, and the weather will deteriorate only by tomorrow evening - the elf's forebodings, as a rule, do not deceive, this has been verified by many years and repeated practice. And, although they do not like to lecture people (for example, the saying is known: "Do not ask an elf or the wind for advice"), if some kind of warning comes from the elf, it is worth listening to him. Often it is the elves who see prophetic dreams, it is the elves who hear the voices warning them about this or that event, or they simply know from somewhere what will happen (in the slang expression, “download information from the astral plane”). Not all elves have such abilities, but very many of them.

Best of all, the elves feel each other, like the immortal Duncan Macleod - their kinsmen. Not necessarily when approaching, as is the case with Macleod. But it is enough to see your brother in the face - and you understand that in front of you "this is the very being."

When communicating with their own kind, elves transfer energy to each other, while replenishing their own. It is extremely harmful for an elf to constantly be in the human world - you need to communicate with your own kind at least once a month. If you are interested in elves, look for your own kind.

Only other elves can tell you that you are an elf.

So, in this chapter, an attempt was made to formulate the main features of the differences between the two races - humans and elves. I will make a reservation right away that this list is far from complete and it lacks such important data as the different composition of the blood (according to rumors, even in percentage terms), genetic studies, and reactions to possible stimuli. But this book is not a medical reference book, and I, the reader, reserve the right to someday fill these gaps in the publication of a completely different profile and with the help and support of professionals in this field.

This list is not complete from the point of view of research on the types of elven personality. However, this is precisely what leaves room for further research (there would be a desire to explore!)

A small addition to you, reader. After all of the above, don't go to extremes - don't idealize elves. According to many fantasy books, legends, and movies, elves, for example, are impossibly beautiful. This is not always the case. Yes, an elf is a perfect creation of mother nature, but not enough to hit everyone around (although there are some).



To a person, elven beauty may sometimes even seem unattractive: too refined thin girls, thin young men without pumped up muscles, often with sharp facial features - not everyone likes this. This is what cannot be taken away from the Elven people, this is the foldability: they are thin, but not bony, and very proportionate. And about their intelligence, a little criticism: yes, elves are smart, but sometimes they are so lazy that they bury their talents in the ground. All of the above applies to the elves of this world, in parallel worlds where history has taken a different path of development, perhaps a more ideal version of the elf race is found. And, as already mentioned, there are almost no pure elves on earth now, the races are very mixed among themselves.

But in principle, finding elves in a crowd and distinguishing them from humans is not so difficult. Seek and you will find!

S. Pavlova. Road to the Unicorn.

Elves are strongly associated with fairy tale folklore for us. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Iceland believe that they really exist. Since many allegedly came across them personally or found traces of their vital activity ... However, evidence that elves are real, and not fictional creatures at all, are found all over the world.

In 1996, the authorities ordered the leveling of the hilly rise at Kopavogur in order to build a cemetery there. Meanwhile, this place has long been considered the abode of elves. But when the bulldozers were driven there, all equipment suddenly began to fail periodically.

I had to call special people who knew how to talk with fabulous creatures. They managed to come to an agreement with the local invisible inhabitants, and they left these places, and the technique started working again ...

Vigdis Christine Steinthorsdottir told in an interview with the newspaper IcelandReviewhow the elves obstructed the mining operations that were being carried out near her home. Many Icelanders claim to sense the presence of invisible creatures.

There is even an elf school in Reykjavik. Its director, Magnus Skarphedinsson, has been collecting evidence of meetings with representatives of this people for over 30 years. So, one of his respondents, Ellie Erlngsdottir, who, by the way, heads the planning committee of the city council of the city of Hafnarfjordur, claimed that the elves took kitchen scissors from her house, but after a few days they returned them ...

American researcher of paranormal phenomena Stephen Wagner is also studying the "life of elves". In his book, A Touch of Miracle: Stories of Ordinary People and Unusual Phenomena, he cites such a case. In 1986, Wagner and a group of friends went hiking in the National Mangrove Sanctuary. When they came out of the forest into an open area dotted with rocky formations, one of Stephen's friends, named Paul, said that there were little people sitting on the rocks. He counted about twenty or thirty. They talked to each other.

This made such an impression on the company that the participants of the campaign rushed to run ... When after a while they decided to return to this place, the little men and the trail disappeared.

Another story told by Wagner in the book took place in 2003 in Greenburg. One of the local residents was walking in the dusk through the forest when she suddenly saw a strange flicker around her. Turning to the side, the woman came face to face with a tiny creature peeping at her from behind a tree. The creature had lavender skin, pointed ears, a long nose, and equally long fingers. It was dressed in a red robe and a pointed cap. The woman cried out in surprise, and the creature immediately disappeared ...

You can, of course, write off all these stories on imagination, hallucinations, etc. But then how to explain a number of very real facts?

In 1837, an American scientific journal published a report on a mysterious find in Cauchocton, Ohio. Many graves were discovered there, in which lay coffins with the remains of undersized creatures - the length of their bodies ranged from 90 to 150 centimeters. It seems that in these parts there was a whole settlement of these little men. Also, similar burials were found in Tennessee and St. Louis (Missouri).

The Cherokee Indians have legends about the Yunvi-tsundi people, which means "little people" in translation. And the indigenous inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands claim that they were once inhabited by the menehuns - a race of dwarfs who were engaged in city building, agriculture and fishing. In turn, in the myths of the Shoshone Indians living in Wyoming, there is a mention of the tiny people of Nin "am-bea, which the local population feared, as its representatives had an unpleasant habit of shooting at people with a bow ... In 1932, in the San Pedro mountains , not far from the Shoshone settlement, researchers stumbled upon the mummy of a 65-year-old man a little over 30 centimeters tall.Unfortunately, the remains passed from hand to hand several times and finally disappeared without a trace ...

In 2004, in Indonesia, on the island of Flores, they found the remains of humanoid creatures no more than 90 centimeters tall. They were given the scientific name Homo floresiensis, although colloquially they were called "hobbits".

But what does all these finds have to do with elves? The most direct. Most likely, once on earth, in parallel with people, there were other races that differed in physical parameters from an ordinary person, the researchers say. They were called gnomes or elves, and sometimes various mystical properties were attributed to them. Over time, the elves went into the realm of myths, but the memory of them was preserved. And perhaps the descendants of ancient tribes live somewhere in the subterranean depths or places hidden from human sight ...

Daria Tatarkova

The premiere took place yesterday the last part of the epic adaptation of "The Hobbit" - "The Battle of the Five Armies." Over the past fifteen years, Peter Jackson, along with excellent actors, has created a completely separate image of Middle-earth. No matter how Tolkien's fans imagine the imaginary world of his works and the heroes inhabiting it, it cannot be denied that without the films of the New Zealand director he would be much poorer. The main characters of the new trilogy are the gnomes and the hobbit, but the audience does not cease to be lured by more elegant characters: for example, Jackson inserted Legolas into the arrangement of the book, where the hero, in fact, does not exist. We decided to remember all the elves from the films of Peter Jackson and figure out who is the coolest and who is not.

Galadriel

elf, mistress of Lorien


Galadriel is one of the most important characters in the history of Middle-earth. The daughter of kings, she was one of those who led the rebellion of the elves and led them away from Valinor. Tolkien described her as "the greatest elf" and the most powerful and beautiful of those who remained in Middle-earth at the time of the events of The Lord of the Rings. With the gradual understanding of the true nature of her past, all her actions became a kind of atonement for sins. The help she rendered to the Brotherhood is a fine illustration of this. Despite the fact that her pride would never allow the heroine to possess the ring of omnipotence, she shows her real strength of character by recognizing this and refusing it. Galadriel can read the thoughts of other creatures and look into their souls. She lived an incredibly long life, becoming a witness and a feasible participant in Tolkien's imaginary world - at the time of her last mention, the elf was seven thousand years old.

Arwen

half-elf, daughter of Elrond, queen of Gondor


The evening star Arwen Undomiel was out of sight in the books. Tolkien honored it with a fleeting description and somehow identified it as Aragorn's motivation on the quest to save Middle-earth. In the film - and I want to believe that it was not without screenwriters Francis Walsh and Philip Boyens - Arwen becomes no less courageous than her husband, the future king. Replacing the elf Glorfindel, she herself saves Frodo from the Nazgуловl, bringing him to his father in Rivendell. Arwen is present in all films, but not as a motivating prize, but as a catalyst for Aragorn's fate. Without her self-sacrifice and decision to stay, the processes would not have started, which then led the forces of good and Aragorn to victory. The elf's final decision to be with her husband is partly saturated with bitterness: she is forever forced to say goodbye to her family and her people, who have completely left Middle-earth. In the book, after her husband died and the children grew up, she went to the forests of Lorien and decided not to live anymore, thus ending up in the halls of the dead in Valinor.

Legolas

elf, son of Thranduil, prince of Mirkwood


Legolas has become a kind of rock star in Middle-earth thanks to the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Jackson, along with Bloom, came up with new levels of looseness for him, which were out of the question in the book. For example, he is on a shield, like on a surf, slides down the stairs and at the same time fires a burst of arrows - there is no need to explain anything. Despite the fact that the original spirit of the book character in the films has been preserved in full, inherent youth (by elven standards) arrogance and Jacksonian humor provided this incarnation of Prince of Mirkwood with an army of loyal fans almost instantly. At the same time, Legolas inherited from his father a dislike of gnomes and a family temper.

His presence in the new part looks, of course, somehow completely awkward. Bloom looks, rather, like a more pumped-up uncle of that boy who was in the 2000s, and computer rejuvenation turns him into a wax figure. One gets the feeling that he is out of place there, like an escaped exhibit of Madame Tussauds, unexpectedly caught on the set. Nevertheless, we are proud of Legolas for the fact that he was able to outgrow his father's influence and, despite age-old hostility, best friend he has a gnome, whom Tolkien writes he even took with him to Valinor.

Elrond

half-elf, lord of Rivendell


Elrond was not exactly an elf, if you look at it strictly. Both of his parents, Earendil and Elving, were descended from alliances between elves and humans, so Elrond was given the choice between the fate of elf and human. Unlike his twin brother Elros, who settled on the second option and eventually founded the kingdom of the people of Numenor, Elrond decided to become an elf. In Jackson's films, the role of Elrond went to Hugo Weaving, and if at first the audience pointed a finger at him and shouted "this is Agent Smith", by the end of the 2000s, any association with "The Matrix" evaporated.

As in the books, Elrond appears as one of the wisest elves in Middle-earth, who really cares about the fate of the rest of the inhabitants of his world. He lived several thousand years, having managed to take part in the war against Sauron long before the events of The Lord of the Rings. In addition, Elrond possessed the gift of foresight and elven telepathy, which, in the film, even huge distances were not a hindrance. To top it all off, Elrond was entrusted with the most powerful of the elven rings, Villa - so, frankly, there is practically no one to compete with him.

Tauriel

mirkwood elf


This elf was invented specifically for the films, and if you think that the history of the relationship between Arwen and Aragorn was difficult, then what can we say about Tauriel, who fell in love with a dwarf. Tolkien did not allow himself such liberties: for him the alliance of elves and people was something incredibly tragic, and there were only three such in the history of Middle-earth. In the screen "The Hobbit", the difference, even an external one, let's be frank, between elves and gnomes (at least this one) is not so cardinal, and Tauriel Keely's chosen one could easily pass for an elf, provided there are ears and no stubble. To top it all off, Tauriel rebelled against her king and, contrary to orders, went to help the dwarves fend off the orcs. As a captain of the guard, she knows how to fight no worse than any man and, moreover, she guarded the lands of Mirkwood, feeling, unlike the others, that dark forces were gathering, no matter what Thranduil said.

Haldir

elf, captain of the guardians of Lorien


One of the chiefs of Lórien's guards, Haldir was in the book the Fellowship's guide to Lórien when they reached the domain of Galadriel. Jackson, on the other hand, decided to give the elf a much more significant role, thereby turning him from a casual acquaintance into a tragic figure of an important moment in the relationship between humans and elves. In The Two Towers, Haldir is shown as the captain of the squad that the elves sent to help defend Helm's Deep. The unexpected decision not to leave people in trouble, even though they are most likely going to their deaths, helped to strengthen the belief that peoples will still manage to rally forces in the fight against common evil. The relationship between Haldir and Aragorn is shown rather as friendly, with a hint that the two may have known each other before. Haldir is killed in battle by an orc sword.

Celeborn

elf, lord of Lorien


Celeborn is definitely a positive character, and at the same time the most boring of all. Little is known about him, and he became famous for being the husband of Galadriel. Despite the status of one of the wisest elves in Middle-earth, Celeborn always remains somewhere on the sidelines and is not directly related to what is happening - accordingly, he appears very little in the films. In the books, unlike the last film of the first trilogy, he was the last elf to leave Middle-earth, with whom the last living memories of them left.

Thranduil

elf, king of Mirkwood


The Wood Elven King Thranduil is an incredibly proud character whose arrogance has played a cruel joke on him more than once. Unlike the others, he appears in The Hobbit, which makes him one of the first Tolkien elves to see the light of day, then, however, without a name. In the film version, the forest king is given quite a lot of attention, simply because it would be impossible not to resist and not use such a character. For his grandiose appearance, Thranduil, performed by Lee Pace, chose a huge deer with branchy antlers - such an appearance in a split second tells us quite a lot about the character who loves to show off.

Thranduil himself brought his relationship with the dwarves to an alarming tension because of his complexes about wealth and gems, which he was always in short supply. In the film, the king's aggressiveness and greed put him on a par with villains rather than allies. For all his sins, Thranduil will nevertheless side with people and dwarves in the Battle of the Five Armies against the orcs. In the future, his son Legolas drew attention to himself, whom he will send to Rivendell during the events of The Lord of the Rings.

Figweet / Lindir

elf Rivendell


Figwit is the most stupid, but perhaps the funniest character in the entire list of elves in film adaptations. Judge for yourself: his name is actually an abbreviation of the phrase "Frodo is grea ... who is THAT?!?" So the hero of the third plan of the trilogy of Jackson's ring was called, of course, not by the director himself, but by the three Wellington documentary filmmakers who later shot the film of the same name about the Figweet phenomenon. A stupid name is better than no one - so you can somehow identify it, after all, the "elf from the retinue" does not mean anything at all. One could forget about him, like any other nameless elf, if not for the actor who played him. Bret McKenzie is half of Flight of the Conchords, the comedy duo Brett and Jamein who directed their HBO series about their conquest of New York. Despite the fact that at first glance, Mackenzie is not recognizable, vigilant fans still managed to make out him.

In the first film, Figweet sat on the council, but after a lot of hype around the character, Jackson decided to give him a whole line in the third film. He only says one line: “Lady Arwen, we cannot delay! My lady!" (seriously, just that), which did not stop him from earning his fan base and becoming a regular hero of fanfiction of all kinds. In The Hobbit, Mackenzie played another elf from Rivendell - Lindir, the right hand of Elrond himself.

Numerous tales speak of amazing elves, who are distinguished by their fragile constitution, short stature, and long pointed ears. The main difference between elves is their magical abilities. Did elves really exist? Who are they?

The annals of an ancient monastery say that in the 15th century in the highlands of Scotland, people found a man who was dying of wounds. The man spoke in an unknown language. He was weak and thin. After the doctors were able to cure him, the man was surprised by his dexterity in archery and fencing. The stranger made no mistakes! He was soon able to learn the language. It was then that he said that he belongs to the people of the Elves, who live very far away. It is important to note that the guy had pointed ears, just like real Elves. However, people who lived in the Middle Ages believed that this was a sign of belonging to those who serve the devil.

You can also study the family chronicle of Norway, which tells the story of how in the 16th century, a young girl became the wife of a tall and handsome guy who was a representative of the elves. The young man showed amazing abilities in archery. The guy was persecuted out of envy. The man was able to become the father of two beautiful daughters who also had pointed ears.

It is important to note that elves have been described almost identically by representatives of various peoples over the centuries. If all the records were compiled correctly, then thanks to them you can find out what the elves really were.

Elves were most commonly encountered by humans from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Based on the information studied, two versions were put forward. According to the first hypothesis, elves are human beings with extra genes. Thanks to special genes, they manage to develop paranormal abilities. According to the second hypothesis, elves are creatures that can come from a parallel world to ours.

Approximately from VII-VI millennium BC. human memory retained, along with the giants, elves - white and black.

In the Scandinavian "Elder Edda" it is noted that the gods first created dwarfs - gnomes, and then elves: They converged on the fate, sat down on the benches, the advice was held by all the higher gods: someone should make dwarfs from the blood of Brimir from the bone of Blain; was Motsognir made and named the first among the people of the Zwergs.

But the genealogy of Lovar's ancestors - the descendants of Dvalin, whose family appeared from the stone of the earth, came from the quagmire to the sandy ground ...

Later, the "Younger Edda" added details about the land of the elves - Alfheim: "There are creatures called light alves. And the dark ones live in the earth, they have a different look and a completely different nature. Light alves are more beautiful than the sun in appearance, and dark ones are blacker than resin. “The first belong to the day, the second to the night; the first - by air, the second - by the underworld.

Unlike black elves, whites could change their height and appearance at will, become visible or invisible - one had only to remove or put on a cap with a silver bell.

In fairy tales, elves are most often depicted as frivolous creatures who adore music, singing, dancing, noisy feasts and festivities, willingly joining any procession or round dance. They seem to never do harm to people, and they respond to insults only with harmless tricks. They do not like only loud noise: bell ringing, thunder, piercing whistle.

Oxford University professor John Tolkien, author of the famous trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", strongly objected to such a simplified interpretation of the elven people. In his work "On Magical Stories" the scientist wrote: "... The babies fluttering in flowers are a consequence of our" rationalization ": we explained the enchantment of the Elven Land by simple tricks, and invisibility - by the tiny size of fragile creatures that can hide in a primrose flower or behind a stalk of grass ... ... Elves, faeris are a relatively new word. It first appeared in 1450 in a poem by the poet Gower:

His curls were combed. On them lay a Hoop with precious stones Or a green leaf

Which just fell off a branch:

And everything about him seemed fresh.

And he was looking out for flesh.

Like a hawk looks at a bird. That I would like to grab.

He held himself like that

Like he was from Fairy.

... The description of the handsome youth gives a better idea of \u200b\u200bthe inhabitants of the Elven Land ... and for the peoples of the Faeri do not always take (to our chagrin) their true guise; they are so proud and beautiful to us as we ourselves would very much like to be ... Elves are no less real than we are, and we, in turn, are no more real than elves. But our paths rarely cross, our destinies have long been divided. "

In accordance with his own understanding of the nature of elves, Tolkien described their birth in the epic "The Silmarillion":

“… At that very hour, the Children of the Earth, the Firstborn, awoke… they woke up from their sleep: and while they - still in silence - lived with Kuivienen, their eyes saw the stars, and the starlight became the dearest of all… They lived for a long time in their first house under the stars and in wonder they wandered the Earth: and they began to speak and give names to everything they saw. They called themselves Quendi - "those who speak", for they had not yet met other creatures with the gift of speech or singing. And it happened that Orome, hunting, drove to the east and, looking at the elves, was filled with amazement, as if they were strange, wondrous and unforeseen creatures ... Initially, the Elder Children were stronger and taller than they are now: but not more beautiful ... "

Elves are not only known for Scandinavian epics and the works of Tolkien. The Celts called them Sids, the Poles and Vends called them Ludoks and Ludshes (little people). The Russians distinguished the "white-eyed chud" - skilful underground farriers and volunteer assistants: the Boy-with-a-finger, the Little-man-with-fingernail. The Romans in Nero's time believed that the elves (they were called incubons), in exchange for their lost cap, readily discover the location of the treasures. The Scots and Irish guessed the presence of these creatures from a column of dust on the road and bowed to him respectfully, greeting the invisible crowd of elves marching to their new home. In later times, the Bavarian spirit of Eckerken galloped along country roads in the form of an oak root, overturned carts and stopped carriages at a gallop. It's easy to recognize the pranks of the elves in the tricks of this spirit.

So are elves just a figment of folk fantasy?

Perhaps, Tolkien answered this doubt best of all: “Everything that has been said is true even when we call faeris a product of our fantasy; in this case, we have before us another way of comprehending the Truth of the World. Indeed, the Truth of the World, about which the English scientist, mythologist and creator of a new direction in the literature of "fairytale fiction" writes, in the variety of forms of reason on Earth. We must learn to understand dissenting, dissenting and dissenting brothers in this life. This is, perhaps, the main lesson of our life.

Despite the fact that many of Tolkien's works are perceived exclusively as fairy tales, it was he who, in his books of the "The Lord of the Rings" cycle, was able to convey to our civilization the greatness of these creatures. Today, no one can say with certainty whether elves lived among people or were guests from other worlds. However, it should be remembered that all the mythical creatures described in the legends of a particular nationality were often found in other countries, even if we are talking about the opposite part of the planet Earth.

Many people complain that the film adaptation of the books leaves much to be desired, since at this moment the writers omit many details and facts provided by the author. However, the history of the elven people as brave, intelligent and sophisticated creatures is best demonstrated in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Legolas, who fought bravely for his people. The king of the elves, who at the right time decided not to stand aside and fight evil. A fragile dark-haired princess who was ready to sacrifice herself for the love of Aragorn. All these characters are imbued with valor, honor, loyalty, because this is how Tolkien saw this amazing people.