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{{Expand French|topic=cult|Nain (créature fantastique)|date=October 2025}}
{{Short description|Supernatural being in Germanic folklore}}
[[Image:Two Völuspá Dwarves by Frølich.jpg|thumb|Two dwarfs as depicted in a 19th-century edition of the ''[[Poetic Edda]]'' poem ''[[Völuspá]]'' (1895) by [[Lorenz Frølich]]]]
A '''dwarf''' ({{plural abbr|'''dwarfs''' or '''dwarves'''}}) is a type of [[supernatural]] short [[human]]-shaped being in [[Germanic folklore]]. Accounts of dwarfs vary significantly throughout history. They are commonly, but not exclusively, presented as living in mountains or stones and being skilled craftsmen. In early literary sources, only males are explicitly referred to as dwarfs. However, they are described as having sisters and daughters, while male and female dwarfs feature in later saga literature and folklore. Dwarfs are sometimes described as short; however, scholars have noted that this is neither explicit nor relevant to their roles in the earliest sources.

Dwarfs continue to feature in modern popular culture, such as in the works of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] and [[Terry Pratchett]], where they are often, but not exclusively, presented as distinct from [[Elf|elves]].

==Etymology and meaning==
=== Etymology ===
The modern English noun ''dwarf'' descends from {{langx|ang|dweorg}}. It has a variety of [[Cognate|cognates]] in other [[Germanic languages]], including [[Old Norse]] ''dvergr'', [[Old Frisian]] ''dwerch'', [[Middle Dutch]] ''dwerch'', [[Middle Low German]] ''dwerch'', and [[Old High German]] ''twerg.{{sfn|Orel|2003|p=81}}''<ref name="OED-ghost2">{{cite OED|dwarf}}</ref>

The common [[Proto-Germanic]] form is generally reconstructed as {{lang|gem-x-proto|dwergaz}}.{{sfn|Orel|2003|p=81}}{{Sfn|Kroonen|2013|p=112}} A different etymology traces it to Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*dwezgaz}}, with the ''r'' sound being the product of [[Verner's Law]] {{clarify|date=October 2025}} {{citation needed|date=October 2025}}. Linguist [[Anatoly Liberman]] connects the Germanic word with Modern English ''dizzy'', suggesting a link between the etymology and their role in inflicting mental diseases on humans, similar to some other supernatural beings in Germanic folklore such as [[elves]].{{sfn|Liberman|2016|pp=312-314}}

Before the Proto-Germanic stage, the origin of the word ''dwarf'' is highly debated.{{Sfn|Kroonen|2013|p=112}} Scholars in [[historical linguistics]] and [[comparative mythology]] have suggested that dwarfs may have started out as nature spirits, beings linked to death, or a blend of different concepts. Some theories trace the word to the [[Proto-Indo-European]] root {{lang|ine-x-proto|*dheur-}} ('damage'), or to {{lang|ine-x-proto|*dhreugh}} (whence modern English 'dream' and German {{lang|de|Trug}} 'deception'). Scholars have also compared it to the [[Sanskrit]] ''{{transliteration|sa|dhvaras}}'', a type of 'demonic being'.{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=67-68}} Alternatively, linguist Guus Kroonen has suggested that it may derive from a verb *''dwerganan'' ('to squeeze, press'), which might be attested in [[Middle High German]] ''zwergen''.{{Sfn|Kroonen|2013|p=112}} 

=== English meaning ===
In Old English, the use of ''dweorg'' ('dwarf') to designate a mythological being is not conclusively attested, though it is assumed to have existed based on references to an illness attributed to a supernatural being. A related Old English plant name, ''dweorge-dwostle'' ([[Mentha pulegium|pennyroyal]]), might also suggest a belief in a dwarf-related malady or a connection with warding off the being responsible. Additionally, early place names such as ''Dueridene'' (now Dwarriden), ''Dwerihouse'' (now Dwerryhouse), and ''Dwerffehole'' further hint at the presence of a supernatural concept of dwarfs, often associated with subterranean spaces.<ref name="OED-ghost2" />

Modern English has two plurals for the word ''dwarf'': ''dwarfs'' and ''dwarves''. ''Dwarfs'' remains the most commonly employed plural. The minority plural ''dwarves'' was recorded as early as 1818. However, it was later popularized by the fiction of [[Philology|philologist]] and [[Tolkien's legendarium|legendarium]] author [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], originating as a [[hypercorrection|hypercorrective]] mistake. It was employed by Tolkien for some time before 1917.{{sfn|Gilliver|Marshall|Weiner|2009|pp=104-108}} Regarding his use of this plural, Tolkien wrote in 1937, "I am afraid it is just a piece of private bad grammar, rather shocking in a philologist; but I shall have to go with it."{{sfn|Gilliver|Marshall|Weiner|2009|pp=104-108}}

==Attestations==
===Eddic sources===
====Terminology====
Scholars have noted that the {{lang|non|[[Svartálfar]]}} ('black elves') appear to be the same beings as dwarfs, given that both are described in the ''[[Prose Edda]]'' as the residents of [[Svartálfaheimr]].{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=305}}{{sfn|Orchard|1997|p=35}} Another potential synonym is [[Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar|dökkálfar]] ('dark elves'); however, it is unclear whether {{lang|non|svartálfar}} and {{lang|non|dökkálfar}} were considered the same at the time of the writing of the Prose Edda.{{sfn|Lindow|2001|p=110}} The partial overlap of dwarfs in Eddic sources with elves is supported by the names of dwarfs recorded in the [[Dvergatal]] section of [[Völuspá]], which include Álfr ('Elf'), Gandálfr ('Wand-elf'), Vindálf ('Wind-elf'). Dvergatal further lists [[Yngvi]] – a [[Name of Freyr|name of the god Freyr]] who was given [[Álfheimr]], the home of the elves, to rule according to [[Grímnismál]].{{sfn|Barreiro|2014|p=35}}{{sfn|Orchard|2011|pp=6-7|loc = Völuspá: The prophecy of the seeress, Dvergatal ('The tally of dwarfs')}}

====Notable Eddic dwarfs====
{{main|List of dwarfs in Norse mythology}}
* [[Andvari]], a shapechanging dwarf featuring in the [[Völsung cycle]] who is extorted out of his treasure by Loki.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=16}}
* [[Fjalar and Galar]], two brothers who murder [[Kvasir]] and brew the [[mead of poetry]] from his blood.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=84}}
* [[Brokkr]] and [[Sindri (mythology)|Sindri]], brothers who craft [[Draupnir]], [[Gullinbursti]] and [[Mjölnir]] for the gods.{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=46,285}}
* [[Sons of Ívaldi]], brothers who craft [[Gungnir]], [[Skíðblaðnir]] and [[Sif]]'s hair for the gods.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=177}}
* [[Alvíss]], a dwarf who requested the hand in marriage of [[Thor]]'s daughter [[Þrúðr]]. Thor outwits him by keeping him talking until daybreak, whereupon he turns to stone{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=12}}
* [[Litr]], a dwarf kicked by Thor into [[Baldr]]'s funeral pyre for an unclear reason.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=189}}

===Germanic heroic legend and sagas===
[[File:Pfizer (1843)-ed-Nibelungen Not-p091-sigfird&alberich-gezwerge.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Sigurd|Siegfried]] wrestling [[Alberich]], by [[Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld]]]]

====Continuity with older beliefs====
After the [[Christianisation of the Germanic peoples]], dwarfs continued in the folklore of Germanic-speaking areas of Europe and the literary works produced there.{{sfn|Lindow|2001|p=101}} Opinions on the degree of continuity in beliefs on dwarfs before and after Christianisation differ significantly. Some scholars, such as [[Rudolf Simek]], propose that the folk beliefs remained essentially intact in the transitional period, making later sources exceedingly informative on [[pre-Christian Germanic religion]]. In contrast, others, such as Schäfke, argue that there is no resemblance between Eddic and skaldic dwarfs and those in later sources.{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=67-68}}{{sfn|Schäfke|2015|p=366}}

====Old Norse====
Dwarfs feature throughout both [[fornaldarsögur]] and [[riddarasögur]]. In [[Völsunga saga]], which details the events that unfold after [[Loki]] extorts treasure out of the dwarf [[Andvari]], to pay the [[wergild]] for his killing of [[Ótr]], a being whose brother [[Regin]] is also described in some sources as either resembling or being a dwarf.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=82-83}}{{sfn|Volsung Saga|loc=Chapter 14 - Regin's tale of his Brothers, and of the Gold called Andvari's Hoard}} In [[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]], the sword [[Tyrfing]] is forged, and subsequently cursed, by a dwarf named Dvalinn, and another named Dulin in the [[Hauksbók]] manuscript.{{sfn|Crawford|2021|pp=13,137-139}}

====Middle High German====
In German literature, many dwarfs can make themselves invisible, typically via a "Tarnkappe" ([[cloak of invisibility]]), which has been suggested to be an ancient attribute of dwarfs.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=80-86}} Depending on the story, they may be hostile or friendly to humans.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=94-98}}

The dwarf [[Alberich]] plays a vital role in the ''[[Nibelungenlied]]'', where he guards the Nibelung's treasure and has the strength of twelve men. He is defeated by [[Sigurd|Siegfried]] and afterwards serves the hero. In ''[[Ortnit]]'', Alberich seduces the Lombardy queen, spawning the hero Ortnit. The dwarf then aids Ortnit in his adventures after revealing to the hero that he is his father. In ''[[Das Lied vom Hürnen Seyfrid]]'', Siegfried is aided by the dwarf Eugel, who is the son of the dwarf king [[Nibelung]], originator of the Nibelung's treasure.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

The hero [[Dietrich von Bern]] is portrayed in adventures involving dwarfs. In [[Laurin (poem)|''Laurin'']], he fights against the dwarf [[King Laurin]] at the dwarf's magical rose garden. He later rescues a woman whom Laurin had kidnapped. A similar plot occurs in the fragmentary poem ''[[Goldemar]]''. In [[Virginal (poem)|''Virginal'']], Dietrich rescues the dwarf queen Virginal from a force of invading [[Paganism|heathens]]. The dwarfs Eggerich and Baldung play a role in aiding Dietrich in the poem ''[[Sigenot]]'': Baldung gives Dietrich a magical gem that prevents him from being bitten when thrown into a [[snake pit]], whereas Eggerich helps Dietrich and [[Hildebrand]] escape. In the [[Heldenbuch#The "Heldenbuch-Prosa"|Heldenbuch-Prosa]], a dwarf takes Dietrich out of this world after the death of all the other heroes, a role given to Laurin in some different versions of Dietrich's end.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

===Modern period===
Dwarfs feature in the modern folklore of Germanic-speaking regions of Europe, such as the [[Simonside Dwarfs]] in [[Northumberland]], who are sometimes believed to use lights to lure people off paths, akin to a [[will-o'-the-wisp]].{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=68}}{{sfn|The Simonside Dwarfs|p=543}}

Some dwarfs in modern folklore have been argued to belong to a broader group of smith-beings living within hollow mountains or in caves such as the [[Grinkenschmied]].{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=50}} These craftsmen can be referred to explicitly as dwarfs or terms that describe their roles such as {{langx|sv|bergsmed}} ('mountain smith'). Mounds in Denmark can also be referred to by names derived from their inhabitants, such as 'smedsberg' or 'smedshoie' ('smith's hill' or 'smith's mound').{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=52}} [[Anglia (peninsula)|Anglian]] folklore tells that one can hear a forge from within a mound and feel furnace fires under the earth, while in Switzerland, the heat can be attributed to the underground kitchens of dwarfs. In one example, the furnace's heat is believed to increase soil fertility.{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=53}}

==Attributes and themes==
===Diversity and vagueness===
Rather than existing a "true" single nature of a dwarf, they vary in their characteristics, not only across regions and time but also between one another in the same cultural context. Some are capable of changing their form entirely. The scholar [[Ármann Jakobsson]] notes that accounts of dwarfs in the [[Eddas]] and the section of [[Ynglinga saga]] regarding [[Sveigðir]] lack prominence in their narratives and cohesive identity. Based on this, he puts forward the idea that dwarfs in these sources are set apart from other beings by their difficulty to be defined and generalised, ultimately stemming from their intrinsic nature to be hidden and as the "Other" that stands in contrast with humans.{{sfn|Jakobsson|2005|pp=69-70}}

===Appearance===
====Form and colour====
[[File:HeyshamHogbackFaces_1.jpg|thumbnail|350px|right|Face of the [[Heysham hogback|Heysham hogback stone]] depicting four figures with upraised arms, which have been interpreted as the dwarfs [[Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri]] holding up the sky{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=82-88}}]]
Based on the etymology of dwarf, it has been proposed that the oldest conception of a dwarf was as exclusively a formless spirit, potentially as in the case of disease-causing dwarfs; however, this view is not seen in the oldest manuscript accounts.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|pp=143-144,147}} In the quotation of [[Völuspá]] in the Prose Edda, the dwarfs emerge as beings with human form ({{lang|non|mannlíkun}}), while in the [[Codex Regius]] manuscript the first two dwarfs created either dwarfs or people with human forms.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=70-72}} The prose of the [[Ynglinga saga]] describes a dwarf sitting, standing, and speaking, leading to the proposal that at the time of writing, dwarfs were believed to, at least sometimes, have a human-like form. It nonetheless appears to have been recognised as a dwarf; however, that may have been due to its behaviour instead of its physical appearance.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=63-64}} In [[skaldic]] and [[Eddic]] sources, it has been noted that their roles are what define them rather than their physical appearance, which has no significant relevance.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|p=64}}

Many dwarf names in Eddic sources relate to light and brightness, such as {{lang|non|Dellingr}} ('the gleaming one') and {{lang|non|Glóinn}} ('glowing'). Stories do not explain these names, but it has been theorised that they refer to the fires in the forges the dwarfs work, or to {{lang|is|haugaeldar}} ('grave mound fires') that are found in later Icelandic folklore. In contrast, Snorri describes [[dökkálfar]] (which are typically identified as dwarfs) as "blacker than pitch".{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=75-76}} [[Alvíss]] is described by [[Thor]] in [[Alvíssmál]] as being as unsuitable for wedding his daughter [[Þrúðr]] as he was "pale about the nostrils" and resembled a [[Jötunn|þurs]].{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=88-89}}

In [[Middle High German]] heroic poetry, most dwarfs have long beards, but some may appear childish.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=70-72}}

====Size====
In the early [[Old Norse]] sources, dwarfs are typically described vaguely, with no reference to them being particularly small; in the legendary sagas and later folklore, however, they are often described as short.{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=67-68}}

[[Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri]] are four dwarfs, potentially depicted as four anthropomorphic figures on the [[Hogback (sculpture)|hogback stone]] in Heysham in [[Lancashire]], that according to the [[Prose Edda]], each holds up a corner of the sky, that was fashioned from the skull of [[Ymir]]. It has been suggested that this would imply that dwarfs could be very tall; however, it has been noted that the sky could have been conceived of as being close to the earth at the horizon.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=65-66}} [[Regin]], a figure identified as either a dwarf or resembling a dwarf, is a similar size to the hero [[Sigurd]] on both the [[Ramsund carving]] and carvings from the [[Hylestad Stave Church]].{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=82-88}} Dwarf names in Eddic sources include {{lang|non|Fullangr}} ('tall enough') and {{lang|non|Hár}} ('high'); however, the terms are ambiguous and do not necessarily mean the dwarfs were conceived of as tall relative to a human.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|p=73}} Some names suggest a small size, such as Nori and Nabbi, which have been translated as "tiny" and "little nub", respectively; however, it has been argued that this was not necessarily the general rule.{{sfn|Liberman|2002|p=177}}

Not all late sagas involving dwarfs describe their size, but all that do describe them as short.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2014|p=184}} In some German stories, the dwarf takes on the attributes of a knight but is most clearly separated from normal humans by his small size, in some cases only reaching up to the knees.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=69-70,74}} Despite their small size, dwarfs in these contexts typically have superhuman strength, either by nature or through magical means.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=79-80}} [[Anatoly Liberman]] suggests that dwarfs may have been initially thought of as lesser supernatural beings, which became literal smallness after Christianisation.{{sfn|Liberman|2008|p=57}}

====Shape changing====
Diversity in appearance is not only seen between dwarfs throughout time and region but also with individual dwarfs, who can be capable of changing their shape and size, such as in [[Reginsmál]], in which the dwarf [[Andvari]] lived as a pike in the water due to curse from a [[Norns|Norn]], however, could also take on a human-like shape.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|pp=80-81,91}} In later [[German folklore]], the Zwergkönig ('Dwarf King') is a tiny being but is capable of becoming enormously tall at will.{{sfn|Motz|1982|p=74}}

===Gender and family groups===
[[File:RibeSkullFragment.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Ribe skull fragment]], dating to the 8th century CE, bearing a protective charm against either one or two dwarfs]]
In Eddic and skaldic sources, dwarfs are almost exclusively male; for example, in the [[Dvergatal]], every dwarf named is male. Some scholars have proposed that female dwarfs were not believed to exist; however, they are likely attested in charms dating to the early medieval period and are explicitly described in later saga material. Dwarfs are also widely referenced in these sources as having family relations with others, such as brothers and sons. Pairs or groups of brothers are seen relatively abundantly in Eddic contexts, as with the [[sons of Ívaldi]], and [[Fjalarr and Galarr]].{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|pp=148,153-154}}

The inscription on the 8th century [[Ribe skull fragment]] has been interpreted by some scholars as explicitly referring to a {{lang|non|dvergynja}} ('female-dwarf') that may have been believed to have been causing harm to the user of the fragment. This interpretation is paralleled in Wið Dweorh XCIIIb ([[Against a Dwarf]] XCIIIb), in which a harmful dwarf's sister is called to prevent him from causing an afflicted person's illness.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|p=146}}{{sfn|Nordström|2021|pp=21-22}}

In [[Fáfnismál]], the [[Germanic dragon|worm]] [[Fáfnir]] refers to some [[Norns]] as "Dvalinn's daughters" ({{langx|non|Dvalins dǿtr}}),{{sfn|Bellows|2004|loc=Fáfnismál, stanza 13}} while in the Prose Edda, they are described as "of the dwarfs' kin" ({{langx|non|dverga ættar}}).{{refn|group=note|It is unclear whether "Dvalinn's daughters" means that they are literally the daughters of the dwarf [[Dvalinn]], or that the term refers more generally to descendants of dwarfs.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|p=158}}}}{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|p=158}} As Norns are also female, this could mean that dwarfs were conceived of by the author of the poem as able to be female, it is not clear whether either their mother (or mothers) are dwarfs, or if they themselves are considered dwarfs just because they are descended from dwarfs.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|p=159}}

It has been noted that it may not be that female dwarfs did not exist in the folklore of this period, only that no explicit references to them survive in preserved narratives. It has been proposed this may be because narratives typically centre on the gods rather than dwarfs and that female dwarfs were not conceived of as of great relevance to the gods, given their primary interest in obtaining goods from dwarfs, which does not depend on their gender. Humans, being of lower power and status, cannot control dwarfs as easily and require alternative strategies to obtain treasures from them, potentially explaining why female dwarfs are more prominent in saga literature.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|p=159}}

Female dwarfs feature in the late [[Gibbons saga]], [[Bósa saga]] and [[Þjalar-Jóns saga]], where they are referred to by the term "{{lang|non|dyrgja}}". In these cases, female dwarfs are only mentioned alongside males and are not independently important to the plot. Beyond Svama, the named {{lang|non|dyrgja}} in Þjalar-Jóns saga, the only other explicitly named dwarf woman in saga literature is the daughter of Sindri in [[Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar]], Herríðr.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2014|pp=167-170}} In saga material, dwarf children are also seen. In Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar and [[Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana]], central characters help these children and are rewarded in return by the father with treasures. Conversely, in [[Sigurðar saga þǫgla]], the human Hálfdan is cursed after he throws a rock at a dwarf child, breaking its jaw, and is subsequently visited by the child's father in a dream who curses him. Hálfdan's brother later gives the child a gold ring to atone for the harm and is rewarded by the father, once more in a dream. Together, this suggests that dwarfs could be conceived of as loving and protective of their children by the saga authors. In Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar, this family love is extended to the human Hálfdan who develops a [[fostering]] relation with the dwarf Litr, likely with Hálfdan as the foster son.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2014|pp=167-183}}
 
In German heroic legend, male dwarfs are often portrayed as lusting after human women. In contrast, female dwarfs seek to possess the male hero in the legends.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|p=103}}

===Craftsmanship and treasure===
In [[Edda|Eddic sources]] dwarfs are attributed with creating magical treasures for the gods such as [[Mjölnir]], [[Sif]]'s hair, [[Draupnir]],  [[Gullinbursti]], [[Skíðblaðnir]], [[Gleipnir]] and [[Gungnir]], while in [[Sörla þáttr]] they craft [[Brísingamen]] for Freyja.{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=45,65,113,122,124,219,283,289}} They further created the [[Mead of Poetry]] from the blood of [[Kvasir]], which grants skill in poetry to those who drink from it. According to [[Skáldskaparmál]], due to the role of dwarfs in crafting the drink, poetry can be referred to by kennings such as "the Billow of the Dwarf-Crag", "Thought's Drink of the Rock-Folk", "the Drink of Dvalinn", "the Dwarves' ship" and the "Ale of the Dwarves".{{sfn|Simek|2008|pp=68,124}}{{sfn|Brodeur|1916|loc=Chapter 10}} [[John Lindow]] noted that stanza 10 of the ''Poetic Edda'' poem ''Völuspá'' can be read as describing the creation of human forms from the earth and follows a catalogue of dwarf names; he suggests that the poem may present [[Ask and Embla]] as having been created by dwarfs, with the three gods then giving them life.{{sfn|Lindow|2001|pp=62-63}}

In Eddic and some saga sources, rather than being exchanged, items of value move from dwarfs to others, often through extortion. This has been suggested to be a critical differentiator between dwarfs and elves in [[pre-Christian Germanic religion]], who maintain reciprocal and positive relationships with gods and humans; [[Kormaks saga]] describes how food was to be shared with elves to heal sickness and [[Austrfararvísur]] records an [[álfablót]] being held around the early 11th century in [[Sweden]]. Dwarfs, on the other hand, according to these sources, are asocial, and there are no records of them receiving [[blóts]] or other gifts in this period.{{sfn|Barreiro|2014|pp=39-40}}

Dwarfs maintain their roles as reluctant donors of their possessions in some later [[Old Norse]] legends such as [[Volsunga saga]] and [[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]], where they are forced to give up [[Andvaranaut]] and [[Tyrfing]] respectively. Some [[fornaldarsögur|legendary]] and [[riddarasögur|romance sagas]] diverge from this, with dwarfs acting friendlily and helpfully; however, this is attributed to their lateness and likely do not represent perceptions that predate Christianisation.{{sfn|Barreiro|2014|p=40}} Typically, in these later sagas, fighting dwarfs is considered dishonourable, in contrast to other beings such as [[Germanic dragon|dragons]]. Receiving help from a dwarf, however, such as being healed or given a treasure, was not seen as problematic; it has been proposed that the worldview of the saga writers was that a hero is not defined by achieving deeds alone but by being able to both give and accept help.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2014|pp=184-185}}

In German legends, they also possess other magical objects and often appear as master smiths.{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=80-86}}

===Association with mountains and stones===
[[File:Dwarfie Stane, Island of Hoy, Orkney.jpg|thumb|The Dwarfie Stane, on the island of [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], in [[Orkney]]]]
The [[Codex Regius]] version of Völuspá records that dwarfs were produced out of the earth, while in the Prose Edda, they form like [[maggots]] in the flesh of [[Ymir]], which became the earth.{{sfn|Mikučionis|2020|pp=147-148,151}} Beyond this, in early [[Old Norse]] sources, there is ambiguity between whether dwarfs live within stones or whether they are themselves stones. In [[Völuspá]] they are referred to as 'masters of the rocks' ({{langx|non|veggbergs vísir}}) and skaldic kennings for 'stone' include {{lang|non|'dvergrann'}} ('house of the dwarf') and {{lang|non|'Durnis niðja salr'}} ('the hall of [[Dúrnir|Durnir]]'s kinsman'). In [[Ynglingatal]] stanza 2 and the accompanying prose in the [[Ynglinga saga]], a dwarf lures [[King Sveigðir]] into an open stone which closes behind them, whereupon he is never seen again. Ynglingasaga also describes this dwarf as being afraid of the sun ({{langx|non|dagskjarr}}), akin to in [[Alvíssmál]], where the poem's [[Alvíss|eponymous dwarf]] is turned to stone by sunlight.{{sfn|Jakobsson|2005|pp=64-65}}{{sfn|Mikučionis|2017|p=63}}{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=48}}

In German legends, they typically live inside of hollow mountains; in some cases, they may live above the ground,{{sfn|Lütjens|1911|pp=91-92}} while in saga literature, such as Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar they commonly live in individual stones, which could also serve as workshops, such as in the forging of [[Brísingamen]] in [[Sörla þáttr]].{{sfn|Mikučionis|2014|pp=161-162}}{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=48}} The presentation of dwarfs living within stones continued into modern folklore surrounding specific landscape features such as the [[Dwarfie Stane]], a chambered tomb located on the island of [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]], and the {{lang|is|Dvergasteinn}} in [[Seyðisfjörður]].{{sfn|Muir|2014|p=37}}{{sfn|Egeler|2016|pp=9-16}}

It has been proposed by [[Lotte Motz]] that the inhabitation of mountains, stones, and mounds by dwarfs may be derived from their earlier association with the dead who were frequently buried in [[Burial mound|mounds]] and around [[megaliths]].{{sfn|Motz|1977|p=56}}

===Causing disease===
[[File:Lead middle Saxon lead plaque with runic inscription (FindID 751600) (cropped).jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Near Fakenham plaque|Lead plaque found near Fakenham]], in [[Norfolk]], believed to be a charm against a dwarf]]
The term '{{lang|ang|dweorg}}' can be used in [[Old English]] texts to describe an illness; it is commonly used in medical texts derived from Greek or Latin sources, where it is used to gloss symptoms such as fever.{{sfn|Hines|2019|p=37}} The "Dictionary of Old English" divides the definition of {{langx|ang|dweorg}} into either "a dwarf or pygmy" or "a fever"; however, it has been argued that the distinction between the two meanings may not have been prevalent among [[Germanic peoples]] in the [[Early Middle Ages]], due to the close association between the beings and sickness in medicinal charms.{{sfn|Hall|2009|pp=206-207}}

The 8th century [[Ribe skull fragment]], found in [[Jutland]], bears an inscription that calls for help from three beings, including [[Odin]], against either one or two harmful dwarfs.{{sfn|Hall|2009|p=206}}{{sfn|Nordström|2021|pp=1,22}} The item's function has been compared to the [[Sigtuna amulet I]] and [[Canterbury charm]] that seek to drive away a "lord of [[Jötunn|þursar]]" that is causing an infection, the latter explicitly with the help of Thor.{{sfn|Hall|2009|pp=201,204}} A similar inscription dating between the 8th and 11th century is found on a [[Near Fakenham plaque|lead plaque discovered near Fakenham]] in [[Norfolk]], which reads "dead is dwarf" ({{langx|ang|dead is dwerg}}), and has been interpreted as another example of a written charm aiming to rid the ill person of the disease, identified as a dwarf.{{sfn|Hines|2019|pp=36-37}} The [[Lacnunga]] contains the [[Anglo-Saxon metrical charms|Anglo-Saxon charm]] {{lang|ang|Wið Dweorh}} XCIIIb (''[[Against a Dwarf]] XCIIIb'') that refers to a sickness as a {{lang|ang|dweorg}} that is riding the afflicted person like a horse, similar to the harmful ''[[Mare (folklore)|mare]]'' in the later [[folklore of the Germanic-speaking peoples]].{{sfn|Hall|2009|p=207}} Despite the Christian elements in the {{lang|ang|Wið Dweorh}} charms, such as the saints called upon for help, their foundations likely lie in a shared North-Sea Germanic tradition that includes inscribed runic charms such as those found in Ribe and Norfolk.{{sfn|Nordström|2021|p=21}}

The conception of diseases as being caused by projectiles from supernatural beings is widespread in Germanic folklore through time, such as in the phenomenon of [[elfshot]], in [[Wið færstice]], where they are thrown by [[elves]], [[Ēse]] and witches, and in the Canterbury charm in which an infection is caused by the 'wound-spear' ({{langx|non|sár-þvara}}) used by the "lord of þursar".{{sfn|elf-shot}}{{sfn|Hall|2009|p=214}} In the case of dwarfs, this association has continued in places into the modern period, such as in the [[Norweigian language|Norwegian]] words {{lang|no|dvergskot}} or {{lang|no|dvergskott}} which refer to an 'animal disease' and translate literally as '{{not a typo|dwarfshot}}'.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=68}}{{sfn|dvergskott}}

==Toponymy==
Placenames derived from dwarf or cognate:

[[England]]
* Dwarriden (Dwarf dale) – Valley in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]{{sfn|Dwarriden}}

==Influence on popular culture==
{{multiple image
 | direction = horizontal
 | align = right
 | total_width = 300
 | header = 
 | image1 = Snow white 1937 trailer screenshot (2).jpg
 | alt1 = 
 | image2 = Dwarf by BrokenMachine86.jpg
 | alt2 = 
 | footer = Left: The [[Seven Dwarfs#Disney Dwarfs|Seven Disney Dwarfs]] in the trailer for [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'']]. Right: an archetypal [[fantasy]] dwarf, based on the [[Dwarves in Middle-earth|Dwarves]] from [[Tolkien's legendarium]].
}}

Dwarfs feature in modern tellings of folklore such as [[Walt Disney]]'s film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937) based on the "[[Snow White]]" [[folktale]] retold by the [[Brothers Grimm]].{{sfn|Grimm|Grimm|2014}}{{sfn|Snow White (Disney)}}

Most dwarfs in modern fantasy fiction closely follow those of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|dwarves]] (Tolkien's spelling) were distinguished from [[Elf (Middle-earth)|elves]]: most modern fantasy has continued this distinction.{{sfn|Wilkin|2006|p=62}} Dwarfs are also present in other fantasy literature such as [[C. S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia|Narnia]]'' stories, [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' and the ''[[Artemis Fowl]]'' novels by [[Eoin Colfer]].{{sfn|Johnson|Houtman|1986|pp=83-84}}{{sfn|Pratchett|Simpson|2009|pp=62-76}}{{sfn|Pettersson|2009||pp=20-21}}

The emergence of fantasy [[video games]] has led to differing depictions and interpretations of dwarfs. In the universe of ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'', "dwarves" (or Dwemer) are presented as a race of subterranean elves whose culture was centred around science and engineering, which differs from Tolkien's conceptualisation in that they are not particularly short, and are extinct. Other games like ''[[Dragon Age]]'' and [[Dwarves (Warcraft)|''Warcraft'']] present an image of dwarfs as stout, bearded mountain dwellers, separate from Elves.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

==See also==
* [[Little people (mythology)]]
* [[Gnome]]
* [[Krasnoludek]]
* [[Smithing gods]]
* [[Yaksha]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
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* {{cite journal |last1=Mikučionis |first1=Ugnius |title=Dwarfs' Family Relations and Female Dwarfs in Some Medieval Nordic Sources |journal=Scandia: Journal of Medieval Norse Studies |date=2020 |volume=3|pages=139–169 |url=https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/handle/11250/2764224}}
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* {{cite book |last1=Pratchett |first1=Terry| author-link = Terry Pratchet | last2=Simpson| first2=Jacqueline |title=The folklore of Discworld : legends, myths and customs from the Discworld with helpful hints from planet Earth |date=2009 |publisher=Corgi |location=London |isbn=978-1407034249}}
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* {{cite journal |last1=Wilkin |first1=Peter |title=Norse Influences on Tolkien's Elves and Dwarves |journal=Sydney Studies in Religion |date=2006 |pages=61–80 |url=https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/SSR/article/view/242 |language=en |issn=1444-5158}}
* {{cite journal |ref={{SfnRef|The Simonside Dwarfs}}|title=The Simonside Dwarfs |journal=The Simonside Dwarfs |date=1891 |volume=5 |issue=58 |pages=543–545 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3723893 |access-date=3 December 2022|id={{ProQuest|3723893}} }}
* {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|Dwarriden}}| title=Dwarriden |url=https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/West+Riding+of+Yorkshire/Ecclesfield/532881e4b47fc40c81001b81-Dwarriden |website=Survey of English placenames |access-date=2 September 2022}}
* {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|dvergskott}}| title=dvergskott |url=https://snl.no/dvergskott |access-date=13 October 2022}}
* {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|elf-shot}}| title=elf-shot |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/elf-shot |access-date=17 October 2022}}
* {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|Snow White (Disney)}}| last1=Cottrell |first1=William |last2=Hand |first2=David |last3=Jackson |first3=Wilfred |title=Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 |website=IMDb |publisher=Walt Disney Animation Studios |access-date=11 December 2022 |date=4 February 1938}}

{{Scandinavian folklore}}
{{German folklore}}
{{Anglo-SaxonPaganism}}
{{Norse mythology}}
{{Fantasy fiction}}
{{Fairies}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dwarves (folklore)| ]]
[[Category:Mining spirits]]
[[Category:Ymir]]
[[Category:Fairy tale stock characters]]