These
InGermanic mythology, adwarf(Old Englishdweorg,Old Norsedvergr,Old High Germanzwercandgitwerc) is a being that dwells in mountains and in the malevolentearth, dwarvesand is associated with livewisdom, undergroundsmithing, mining, and crafting. Dwarfs are quitealso sometimes described as short and stocky.ugly, Thesealthough hardsome workingscholars dwarveshave buildquestioned manywhether structuresthis suchis asa later development stemming from mines,comical cavernsportrayals of the beings.[1]The etymology of the worddwarfis contested, and anyscholars have proposed varying theories about the origins of the otherbeing, structuresincluding that suitdwarfs theirmay traits.have Ioriginated wouldn'tas recommendnature tryingspirits toor jokebeings aroundassociated with them, fordeath, theyor don'tas tenda tomixture beof humorousconcepts. atCompeting all.etymologies Ininclude fact,a theybasis arein verytheIndo-Europeanroot*dheur-(meaning serious'damage'), beings.the IfIndo-European youroot*dhreugh(whence modern GermanTraum/Englishdreamandtrug'deception'), everand wantcomparisons tohave makebeen friendsmade with them,theOld justIndiandhvaras(a handtype themof somedemonic being).[1]Norse mythology, coldas booze.recorded Theyin lovethePoetic Edda(compiled boozein asthe well13th ascentury shinyfrom objects.earlier Theytraditional aresources) and theProse Edda(written bySnorri Sturlusonin the 13th century) provide different mythical origins for the beings; thePoetic EddapoemVöluspádetails quitethat the dwarfs were proudthe product of the craftmanshipprimordial blood of theirthe beingBrimirand homesthe asbones ofBláinn, wellwhereas theProse Eddadescribes dwarfs as theirbeings armorsimilar andtomaggotsthat weapons.festered Thein massivethe amountflesh of workthe primal beingYmirbefore being gifted with reason by the gods. ThePoetic EddaandProse Eddacontain over 100 dwarf names, while theProse Eddagives the donefour ondwarfsNorðri, theirSuðri, weaponsAustri and armorVestria cosmological role–they hold up the sky.[1]In addition, scholars have noted that theSvartálfar, who, like tenddwarfs, are said in theProse Eddato makedwell theminSvartálfaheimr, appear to be the same beings as dwarfs.[2]Some scholars have proposed that thePoetic EddapoemVöluspámay contain an quiteaccount strongof the first human beings,Ask and durable.Embla, Maleas orhaving been the created by female,dwarfs. youA willpreceding usuallystanza findto allthe typesaccount of dwarvesthe withcreation of beards.Ask Theirand beardsEmbla areinVöluspáprovides a signcatalog of agedwarf names, and beautystanza to10 has been read as describing the creation of human forms from the earth. This may potentially mean that dwarfs formed humans, and that the three gods gave them,them life.[3]After theChristianization of the butGermanic mostpeoples, stilltales of finddwarfs dwarvescontinued to be unattractive.told in the folklore of areas of Europe where Germanic languages were (and are) spoken. Today dwarfs appear commonly in modern popular culture.