>>18458651
My understanding is that "dwarf" is a kind of gloss term, like the way you would use the word spirit, entity, or gremlin. It has no fixed content like it does in fantasy settings where it represents a hard taxonomic classification (usually of subterranean midgets who are into blacksmithing).
Dwarf etymologically is related to the word nightmare. In artifacts like the Ribe skull fragment, we see the charm-maker invoking divine protection against maladies caused by a female dwarf. Thus, I believe that in common parlance, dwarf refers to a malicious trickster spirit that spreads nightmares and diseases.
In germanic mythology, we are told that there are two dynasties of famous and powerful supernatural beings called dwarves who were made by the gods. I believe that these creatures are not related at all to the former category, and are more like angels.
Finally, I think dwarf can also be used to refer to Jotnar/ "demons"/ anti-gods. The character Alviss in the poem Alvissmal I believe is a Thurs, which is a type of Jotunn.

>>18458826
Out of curiousity, where does this put other beings like elves, norns, trolls, and giants in Germanic folklore

>>18458651

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(folklore)

>>18459332
>elves
elf is also a gloss term like dwarf. The word dwarf generally runs the spectrum between evil spirit to neutral spirit, with some exceptions towards "good," and elf runs the spectrum between neutral and good, with some exceptions towards evil.
In the poetry, we frequently see the phrase "Aesir ok Alfar" (Gods and elves) used to describe the gods and their entourage at gatherings, suggesting that elf may be another term to refer to gods/ powerful entities.
In the poem Volundarkvitha, a human prince from Finland named Weyland is referred to as an elf, probably because of his status as a minor smithing deity that he assumed later in time. We see another human in the Lays of Helgi who becomes a god after successively reincarnating several times. Perhaps these men who became gods were considered elves.
>norns
The dragon fafnir says that every "race" of beings has a corresponding set of norns, so it's more a job title than a group of beings.
>trolls, and giants
These fall under the same category of "giant" or Jotunn. Jotnar (plural for Jotunn) are primordial and chaotic beings that precede the gods and the world. Their whole race is made out of poison and thus generally veer towards being evil
>Vafthruthnir spake:
>31. "Down from Elivagar | did venom drop,
>And waxed till a giant it was;
>And thence arose | our giants' race,
>And thus so fierce are we found."
They don't take any set shape or form though, and sometimes appear like animals
>Thor spake:
>37. "In Hlesey the brides | of the Berserkers slew I;
>Most evil they were, | and all they betrayed."
>...
>39. "She-wolves they were like, | and women but little;
>My ship, which well | I had trimmed, did they shake;
>With clubs of iron they threatened, | and Thjalfi they drove off.
>What, Harbarth, didst thou the while?"
(1/2)

>>18458651

Nothing really coherent. It is a bunch of terms that have evolved for hundreds of years, with multiple local variances and manifestations.

>>18459376
and sometimes they appear as hideously mutated humans
>8. The youth found his grandam, | that greatly he loathed,
>And full nine hundred | heads she had;

>36. Not long had they fared, | ere backwards looked
>The son of Othin, | once more to see;
>From their caves in the east | beheld he coming
>With Hymir the throng | of the many-headed.
But some Jotnar (usually the women) can be beautiful and not evil.
>Freyr, the son of Njorth, had sat one day in Hlithskjolf, and looked over all the worlds. He looked into Jotunheim, and saw there a fair maiden, as she went from her father's house to her bower. Forthwith he felt a mighty love-sickness.
I call Jotnar "demons" to convey that they are a loose cluster of different beings who are in opposition with the righteous status quo of the gods, the way that Demons and fallen angels in christianity oppose God. A norse mythology and language professor on youtube named jackson crawford instead chooses to call them anti-gods.

>>18458651
Lil crafty guys. Don't trust them though. All small things are evil. Especially women.

>>18458651
Weren't they called black elves/ dark elves and weren't they something like the evil counterparts of normal elves like the kakodaimones are the evil counterparts of eudaimones in greek mythology?
I think they were something like evil spirits or demons for the people.

>>18459376
>The word dwarf generally runs the spectrum between evil spirit to neutral spirit, and elf runs the spectrum between neutral and good,
interesting. Sort of had that impression to begin with.

>>18458826
>Dwarf etymologically is related to the word nightmare
Im curious how that works out in english. In german, the word is alptraum. Alp/alb means elf, so its an elf-dream.
In norse dwarfs would be svartalfen, black elfs and inhabit one of the 9 worlds of norse mythology, svartalfheimr.
Portals to their realms would be associated with going underground; caves, tunnels, mines and such.
So kind of similar to elfs, but much more associated with the earth, minerals/metals, where their connection to metallurgy comes in. They made important and powerful items like Gungnir, Draupnir, Skidbaldnir and Mjölnir.

>>18459383
The Jotnar are similar to the Ashuras in hinduism and the Giants and Titans of greek mythology as enemies of the Gods. The Nephilim in jewish and christian mythology also have that giant association. For some reason mythologies like to make Giants evil.

>>18459742
In german there is also the word Nachtmahr but it's an old word not used anymore. A Nachtmahr is also called a Nachtalb (night elf) or an Alb.
Alberich a dwarf from germanic mythology also has the word Alb for elf in his name.
He appears in the Nibelungenlied.

>>18459751
hm, I thought the Nachtmahr was the entity that sits on your chest when in sleep paralysis and was distinct from Alben, but Im not entirely sure where I got that from.

>>18459744
>For some reason mythologies like to make Giants evil.
The Jotnar are not actually giants. Some of them (like Skrymir) are really big, but that's more a product of them having no definite taxa or characteristics, being linked together moreso by their origins and lineage than by appearance.
Jotunn is etymologically related to the word eat. It's due to a mistranslation that we call them giants.

>>18459742
>>18459785
oops, I was too busy um ackshually-ing to reply to this
>In norse dwarfs would be svartalfen, black elfs and inhabit one of the 9 worlds of norse mythology, svartalfheimr.
>Portals to their realms would be associated with going underground; caves, tunnels, mines and such.
Dark elves/ black elves I think are one and the same with the malicious "dwarf" spirits who spread diseases as described in the Ribe skull fragment based on this line from Gylfaginning
>but the Dark-Elves dwell down in the earth, and they are unlike in appearance, but by far more unlike in nature. The Light-Elves are fairer to look upon than the sun, but the Dark-Elves are blacker than pitch
the dokkalfar/ svartalfar are different from the creatures in the Dvergatal section of Voluspa, who are described in positive terms
>So for all time | shall the tale be known,
>The list of all | the forbears of Lofar.

>>18459751
I assumed that Alberich in Nibelungenlied has that name because he is able to use magic like an elf can but he uses it for a malicious purpose ie enslaving the other dwarves to mine gold for his boundless greed