Tradition: Icelandic Mythology, Norwegian Mythology, Swedish Mythology
Alternative Names: Álfar, Álfr, Alv, Ælfur, Ljósálfar, Dökkálfar, Svartálfar
Category: Elf
The Myth
The Alvas were lower nature spirits of Scandinavian mythology and were regarded as the original beings behind the later tradition of elves. Their name appears in several Scandinavian forms: Ælfur in Icelandic, Álfar in Old Norse, Álvar in Swedish, and Alv in Norwegian. They were supernatural beings connected with nature, fertility, and the unseen world. The tradition also distinguished different kinds of elves, including the luminous Ljósálfar and the dark Dökkálfar or Svartálfar.
In the Elder Edda, the elves are presented as a distinct supernatural group alongside the Æsir, although the traditions sometimes blur the boundary between elves and dwarves. The distinction between light and dark elves gives the Alvas a divided nature: the Ljósálfar are associated with light, while the Dökkálfar and Svartálfar belong to the darker side of the supernatural world. The elves therefore occupied an important place among the various non-human beings of the Norse cosmos.
The Alvas were also associated with fertility and received their own cult in Scandinavian tradition. In the Elder Edda, the smith Völundr is called the “prince of the elves,” showing that the elves could possess their own hierarchy and prominent supernatural figures. They were consequently not simply small magical creatures, but a broader class of nature spirits inhabiting the supernatural world alongside gods, dwarves, and other beings.
Sources
“Alv.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed October 5, 2026.
https://www.bestiary.us/alv