Elves began as supernatural beings in Germanic, Old English, and Old Norse mythology and texts. They were powerful and sometimes mean. But as time passed, the Elves were able to see a new light in their culture. J.R.R. Tolkien captured the life of these evolved elves. They lived peacefully in Middle Earth, but they didn't stop evolving. Their slender and androgynous figures transformed into gender differentiating features, e.i. boobs, as the elves inhabited Dungeons and Dragons. But their transformation wasn't complete. World of Warcraft changed more features than just the chest in elven evolution. Ears and eyebrows became more extended from the head and the ears less leaf shaped. They grew taller and had wider shoulders and chests. They were no longer the Tolkien slender elves. They had evolved. Despite their evolution, many people continue to reference the elves of Tolkien's time. These Middle Earth elves refuse to be forgotten.
But it isn't over yet. While these tall, gorgeous figures are on everyone's mind, their small, magical distant cousins can't be forgotten. The working elves of Santa that everyone loves at Christmas time still continue to be part of the world though not talked about as much. Despite their unpopularity compared to their tall cousins, Santa's elves are still valued. "ElfYourself" still is popular as people make themselves appear as a working elf for their amusement. But even with these types of fan sites and activities, these elves are completely overshadowed by their beautiful cousins. But who wouldn't like the tall elves with magic not limited to making toys?
Cherise, I loved reading this evolution, by the way. Especially the 'elf yourself.' I've totally done that. This comment doesn't even count for anything anymore, so you can tell I sincerely enjoyed your rundown of elvish "history" :) This is a fun topic.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting how even fictional characters change according to our culture? Or even age? If I were to ask a seven-year old what he thinks elves look like, he might describe Santa's slave- er, sorry, 'workers'. But if you ask someone older, perhaps an English major or someone who likes reading higher fiction, you'd get a description of these taller (perhaps sex-designed) creatures.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's people who play WoW. :D
I think you're right. The evolution of elves is crazy. The magical elves have always been around, but they were so different at the beginning. Books and video games changed elves in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteAnd it isn't just World of Warcraft. There are other video games that have the "sexy" elves. And Dungeons and Dragons didn't help the video games images either.
Just wondering, but what would be your favorite description of elves? Sexy? Workers? Lotr style?