Seriously, I was just wondering how come Tolkien's (and most high fantasy) elves are tall and lithe and good with bows and arrows, while Santa's are short and sqaut and good with hammer and nails. I mean, really.
I really have no idea, and it's very hard to find anything serious on elves on the web. The best I could find was this National Geographic Kids (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2003/12/elves.html) article, which really doesn't say all that much.
What people think of as elves with Santa Claus is really more like a pixie or a prankster, while the elves that Tolkien first created, and I'll credit him with being the first true fantasy author, are very more like a magical race - which is what he intended them to be.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-01-06 06:14 am (UTC)Well you said it!
Wrong on every possible level?
Okay. I'll go for that. *eg*
Seriously, I was just wondering how come Tolkien's (and most high fantasy) elves are tall and lithe and good with bows and arrows, while Santa's are short and sqaut and good with hammer and nails. I mean, really.
I really have no idea, and it's very hard to find anything serious on elves on the web. The best I could find was this National Geographic Kids (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2003/12/elves.html) article, which really doesn't say all that much.
What people think of as elves with Santa Claus is really more like a pixie or a prankster, while the elves that Tolkien first created, and I'll credit him with being the first true fantasy author, are very more like a magical race - which is what he intended them to be.