Elf gift socks
Nowadays, they are part of many Christmas stories, are Santa's brave helpers and work at creating and wrapping Christmas gifts. Elves, as they are referred to here, could quietly prepare a package filled with gingerbread, Christmas tree socks and socks with baubles. However, have you ever wondered where these magical creatures originated from? It is believed that the festival of elves was celebrated in 11th-century Sweden. The celebration of Álfablót largely remains a mystery due to few surviving accounts. However, it is known that the Scandinavians distinguished between two basic races of elves, namely light elves and dark elves. The former were said to inhabit the heavenly realm, while the latter inhabited the underworld. It was believed that light elves were intermediaries between humans and the land of the gods. To win the favor of the creatures, small gifts were left for them, such as bowls filled with milk, cheese or baked goods. No one wanted to be conflicted with the elves. In some regions, no distinction was made between the races of elves, and there all the more effort was made to remain friendly with these creatures, because their humor was to determine, among other things, the fertility of crops or the happiness of the inhabitants. With the expansion of Christianity, the old beliefs were gradually forgotten. However, the Scandinavians did not want to part with the elves, so they explained their existence by combining elements of different beliefs. In this installment, the elves were a kind of fallen angels who remained neutral. Accordingly, they were sent to earth to live in wild lands and by their actions decide their future salvation or damnation.
Life of the elves
The Icelandic legend of the origin of the elves also links the world of distant beliefs with Christianity. In this tale, Adam and Eve lived to see an unusually large number of offspring. There were so many children that the parents did not manage to wash them all before God's visit. The dirty descendants were not presented to the Almighty. As a consequence of this, God decreed that from now on these children would be invisible to humans as well, and thus they became elves. Still another version of the elven myth states that the creatures are the reincarnation of the dead, who thus continue to live somewhere on earth. Elves are mostly depicted as guardians of nature. They can be associated, for example, with streams, rivers, valleys, but also mountains or basins. It is also not difficult to find stories in which elves lead lives very similar to humans. They start families, work and face daily hardships. It is now believed that Álfablót was celebrated in early November. During these days, people cleaned their homes and prepared gifts for the elves whose favor they wished to obtain.
