Dwarves
Dwarves appeared frequently in Norse and Germanic myths and legends. The dwarves were said to inhabit Nidavellir, one of the Nine Worlds created by the gods, though they also seemed to live in Midgard as well, the world of men. According to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the dwarves were created from the maggots that fed from the flesh of the primeval giant Ymir. These maggots were transformed into dwarves. The first dwarf was named Modsognir, while the other was named Durin.
There was another group of dwarves known as the black elves or Svartálfar, who lived in the world of Svartalfheim. Snorri couldn't distinguish these so-called black elves from the normal dwarves, except that these Svartálfar lived underground.
The dwarves were frequently seen as great smiths, and they could make magical items for gods or heroes. However, the dwarves also had bad reputations in the dark age and medieval writings, because they were usually seen as greedy thieves.
By Jimmy Joe
