Elf Stereotypes

[SaltyDog]

Elves, are a staple for fantasy, or some books of the genre, and I'm afraid I have them in my own story. But they differ from the normal appearance of an Elf, and how they act as well. What I mean is that I tweaked some of the "norm" for them.

I have found it to be with Elves that the only difference from humans is that they are a little taller, probably are stronger in magic if humans can even use it, and have pointed ears. They also are scholars and philosophers, lovers of nature and arts, but if needed are also capable and deadly fighters, using bows especially with great skill.

One thing, that has always been at the back of my mind while dreaming up the start of my story, is the color of my Elves skin. I wanted them to be a little more different from a human, especially with appearance. So I decided to have their skin a light green in color, and in some cases a dark green.

They are not the reserved, stuck up jerks, they act much like humans in this regard, and are actually close allies of that race. Not many are focused on learning, or pursuing peace. They are still however excellent fighters, but don't as a race have awesome skill in archery, though a few can become masters of that weapon, as any other beings of the races on the continent can.

Another thing for me was age, I certainly didn't want them to be immortal, (No race wields magic for their own purposes, if a magic user is found he/she is sent to the one order of magic in my world to be taught there and to become peacekeepers, so magic can not be used to keep them alive as a whole for the entire race.) I also didn't want them to live five hundred years, so I settled for about 140, to 200 as a normal. But something that made me think was the humans age, I don't want them to live at most 9 and then die, while everyone else keeps on kicking. So I created the age chart for humans, 125 to 190. As a yet I have not figured out an explanation for this longevity.

Anyway, what are your Elves like? Are you tired of the old stereotypes or are still okay with them? Have you created new stereotypes?

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I don't have any elves. I invented lots of races of my own; not sure how many exactly will go into the book, but all of mine are my own creations.

Possibly the closest thing to elves in my stories are my forest-dwelling race. They can communicate telepathically with trees and instead of eating derive nourishment from photosynthesis.

 

[Reaver]

I really don't worry about using elves in stories because just about every variation of elves has been done already. The great R.A. Salvatore's dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden was a groundbreaking take on elves. Elfquest's Wolfriders created by Wendy and Richard Pini are another great example. In fact, they had several very unique elf races in Elfquest, including the winged Glider Elves.

My advice is whatever fantasy elements you want to include in your writing, don't worry about tropes or stereotypes. It's all been done before.

 

[Peat]

Good grief, is it time again for this thread already?

I like elves. I like reading about them. I have made frequent reference to my belief that people's conception of elven stereotypes do not fit the fantasy genre as I see it. As such, what some consider old and tired I think relatively untouched in a serious sense, and what people consider changes I consider old and tired. Point in case - elves that die of old age.

So far I do not have elves in my stories. I find there is too much variety in humanity as a rule. However, recently, I have started brainstorming work on a heavily non-human centric story, in no small part in response to various threads about Elven stereotypes. If I go through with it, my elves would be very close to Tolkien's in a lot of ways. Touched by divinity, not touched by old age or disease, tall and beautiful, and so on. I'm still working out the fine detail of this idea though.

 

[Ireth]

I take my elves straight from mythology -- Norse ljosalfar and svartalfar, and Irish Sidhe. Sometimes in the same book. XD

 

[skip.knox]

I have elves, but so far they have not been center stage in my stories. I know where they come from--Atlantis. When the continent sank (broke apart; only some parts sank), the elves abandoned it over time and migrated east, landing on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. Some migrated further inland, but mostly they are found within a hundred miles or so of the Atlantic coast.

I know they are not a single people. There were divisions back in Atlantis, but when the continent broke up, the differences were exacerbated and in Europa they have perpetuated. They are not city builders--a legacy of their bitter experience with Atlantis--but I'm not sure I want them to be tribal either. I'm about two novels away from bringing them onto center stage, so I'm just letting ideas bubble.

I do keep returning to the post-Atlantean heritage. Atlantis was a grand experiment for the elves. It succeeded so brilliantly, the catastrophe was really a culture-wide trauma. Among the effects is that elves rejected their gods. It might be going too far to say they are atheist, but they are deliberately un-religious. A possible corollary is that they are individually spiritual. Room there for quests and walkabouts.

As for appearance and such, that can wait. I'm more concerned with crafting a people shaped by their history.

 

[Malik]

Anyway, what are your Elves like? Are you tired of the old stereotypes or are still okay with them? Have you created new stereotypes?

I don't want to have to retype all this, so excuse the external links. My elf worldbuilding is pretty much encapsulated in these two posts on my blog:

Wherefore Elves | Joseph Malik

Fair Folk, Greek Literature, and the Plight of the Modern Cunning Linguist | Joseph Malik

 

[SaltyDog]

I don't want to have to retype all this, so excuse the external links. My elf worldbuilding is pretty much encapsulated in these two posts on my blog:

Wherefore Elves | Joseph Malik

Fair Folk, Greek Literature, and the Plight of the Modern Cunning Linguist | Joseph Malik

No problem

 

[SaltyDog]

Your Articles were fantastic Malik, I thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

What I wonder is, if you're so determined to have your elves diverge from the typical view of elves, why have them be elves? Why not make up your own race?

 

[SaltyDog]

What I wonder is, if you're so determined to have your elves diverge from the typical view of elves, why have them be elves? Why not make up your own race?

That's a great idea, and one I have thought about for a while. Why do I have Elves then... I honestly don't know. When I first started on the outline, I included a few of the regulars, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. Well I went with all, but created 8 more races. I like the idea of Elves, just not your typical stereotype.

Thinking about it, I could call them pixies, or sprites, I don't think they have been used much in fantasy.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I don't want to have to retype all this, so excuse the external links. My elf worldbuilding is pretty much encapsulated in these two posts on my blog:

Wherefore Elves | Joseph Malik

Fair Folk, Greek Literature, and the Plight of the Modern Cunning Linguist | Joseph Malik

Your elves sound interesting, though.

And your insights on language--also fascinating. I first encountered the idea that language defines the ideas of a culture in George Orwell's 1984, and I found it pretty fascinating at the time.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

That's a great idea, and one I have thought about for a while. Why do I have Elves then... I honestly don't know. When I first started on the outline, I included a few of the regulars, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. Well I went with all, but created 8 more races. I like the idea of Elves, just not your typical stereotype.

Thinking about it, I could call them pixies, or sprites, I don't think they have been used much in fantasy.

You can call them anything. Personally I like to make up everything myself, just so I'm not limited by presupposed ideas of what a particular race is or is supposed to be like.

 

[SaltyDog]

I agree with you on that, but with say sprites, they are to me at least, not developed in fantasy, so it's basically a new door to work on.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I agree with you on that, but with say sprites, they are to me at least, not developed in fantasy, so it's basically a new door to work on.

Quite true.

I think Inuit mythology had a race of half-dog men (like fauns or satyrs but with the legs of dogs rather than goats). Inuit mythology has all sorts of interesting stuff...why does no one write about it?

 

[SaltyDog]

Quite true.

I think Inuit mythology had a race of half-dog men (like fauns or satyrs but with the legs of dogs rather than goats). Inuit mythology has all sorts of interesting stuff...why does no one write about it?

Probably because none even thinks to go there as a source, lol. What about Native American mythology, or Australian aboriginal Mythology?

 

[Peat]

Apologies if this is overstepping the mark and please take this in the nicest way, but can we not have a thread on Elves full of "Why not Elves? Why not something else?". There are plenty of threads dealing with something else and there can be plenty more. Not only would it be nice to discuss Elves here rather than something else, but something else would get better replies in a thread for it.

As for Why Elves if planning to diverge? Its a common creative impulse to take something known and change a bit while still leaving something recognisably the original thing, just our own version of it. That's just a common creative impulse. Its why there's a lot of different types of elves out there already. Hell, there's a lot of different types of elves in mythology.

And one small divergence can have huge ramifications.

edit: Or we can just quote Malik for another reason on why elves when planning to diverge:

"I use elves for the same reason that I use horses. I don’t want to have to create a grak’aagh that serves the same purpose. There’s no point and I don’t have that kind of time."

 

[Ragnar]

I haven't really written about elves, or dealt with them much. But, I've spent years playing D&D when I was younger as well as read all sorts of books with them.

What I think is that with their longevity, and their aloofness, unless they live near humans, everything about them would be really foreign to humans. So their customs and personalities would be alien to human characters. That would make for some interesting dynamics within a story I'm thinking.

That's how I'd approach them. The same with any non-human or Demi human race.

 

[SaltyDog]

Apologies if this is overstepping the mark and please take this in the nicest way, but can we not have a thread on Elves full of "Why not Elves? Why not something else?". There are plenty of threads dealing with something else and there can be plenty more. Not only would it be nice to discuss Elves here rather than something else, but something else would get better replies in a thread for it.

As for Why Elves if planning to diverge? Its a common creative impulse to take something known and change a bit while still leaving something recognisably the original thing, just our own version of it. That's just a common creative impulse. Its why there's a lot of different types of elves out there already. Hell, there's a lot of different types of elves in mythology.

And one small divergence can have huge ramifications.

edit: Or we can just quote Malik for another reason on why elves when planning to diverge:

"I use elves for the same reason that I use horses. I don’t want to have to create a grak’aagh that serves the same purpose. There’s no point and I don’t have that kind of time."

I understand, what this thread was supposed to be was what have you done (If you have done anything at all) with elves that make them different the norm.

Sorry if you find it repetitive and an over used thread.

 

[Peat]

I understand, what this thread was supposed to be was what have you done (If you have done anything at all) with elves that make them different the norm.

Sorry if you find it repetitive and an over used thread.

My point was I'd like the thread to stay about people using elves in a way that differs from the norm.


One idea I did idly come up today was a race/culture of Elves based on the Vedic god Rudra. Merciless hunters born of the storm sky, striking disrespectful mortals down with their plague carrying arrows and healing those brought to them if it suits them. Its not a million miles away from some of the standard stories about elves (huzzah for common Indo-European heritage) but I think it adds a nice twist to the idea of elves as capricious raiders, and you can always add more elements of the Vedic myths or post-Vedic Hinduism for flavour.