The Light Elves
Ljósálfar in Old Norse
The radiant elven folk whom Snorri places in Álfheim and describes as fairer than the sun, in deliberate contrast with the dark-elves beneath the earth.
Quick answer
The Light Elves are a people in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda. They dwell in Álfheim, are described as fairer than the sun, and differ sharply in appearance and deeds from the dark-elves who live under the earth.
Quick facts
| Tradition | Old Norse mythology |
|---|---|
| Book | Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda |
| Source realm | Álfheim; later also Vidblain |
| Creature type | Elven folk |
| Appearance | Fairer than the sun [1] |
| Contrasted with | Dark-elves beneath the earth |
| Named home | Álfheim (“Elf-home”) |
| Other dwelling | The third heaven, Vidblain, in Snorri’s account |
What the source book says
When Ganglere asks about the remarkable places of heaven, Har names Álfheim as the dwelling of the folk called light-elves. The description is built around contrast: dark-elves live under the earth, and the two groups differ in appearance and still more in their deeds. The light-elves are “fairer than the sun” in Anderson’s translation.[1]
In the same passage Snorri describes layered heavens. Above Andlang is a third heaven named Vidblain, where the hall Gimle is believed to stand; the light-elves alone dwell there at the time of the narration. The text therefore places them in a structured cosmos, not simply in an unnamed forest.[1]
Description and abilities
Snorri’s wording is brief. The Light Elves are defined as a folk, and their beauty or brightness surpasses the sun. Their moral or behavioural distinction from dark-elves is emphasized even more strongly than the visible one, though this passage does not list particular deeds or powers.[1]
- Belong to a named people rather than appearing as a lone being
- Dwell in Álfheim
- Are described through extraordinary radiance
- Differ from the underground dark-elves in both appearance and deeds
- Occupy a place in Snorri’s layered heavens
Source realm: Álfheim and Vidblain
Álfheim is one of the “magnificent dwellings” named in Gylfaginning. Later in the same answer, Vidblain is placed above the heaven called Andlang and connected with Gimle. The Light Elves’ two placements link them with height, brightness, and the ordered architecture of Snorri’s cosmos.
Role in the mythology
Difference through contrast
The Light Elves receive meaning through opposition. Their radiance is set against the darkness below the earth, while their deeds are said to differ even more than their looks.
A people with a place
Álfheim makes the elves part of cosmic geography. Snorri’s short account gives them a collective home even when it withholds individual stories.
A narrow source record
The passage is valuable precisely because it is limited. Many familiar fantasy-elf traits come from later literature and visual culture, not from this description.
Books and references
- 1The Younger Edda; Also Called Snorre’s Edda, or The Prose Edda
Snorri Sturluson; translated by Rasmus B. Anderson. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1901. See The Fooling of Gylfe, section 17.
Project Gutenberg edition ↗