There have been several elvish incarnations over the centuries that have resulted in the modern day Christmas elf. Indeed, the original roots come from Northern Germanic peoples, particularly those in Scandinavia. These collective cultures shared common tales that came together to compose what we know as Norse mythology, from about 790-1100 CE, as Ancient History cites. Original elves were referred to asálfar, or huldufólk ("hidden folk"), and were not associated with any deities or formal theology. Rather, various visions of them came from differing folklore, and included magical creatures such as faeries, nature spirits, and the like. In fact, belief in elves persists to this day; as of 2007, 37 percent of Icelanders said it was "possible" that álfar still existed.
Norse elves, though, were not the benign, chirpy little workshop denizens with cute winter hats that we see in 1964's stop-motion classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Sometimes the Norse elves were indifferent toward human affairs, and other times were separated into "light" and "dark" types. Yet, they were more mischievous than not, and, just like Harry Potter's Dobby, they were believed to be tiny little guys who occupied people's homes. If folks behaved, didn't gossip or lie — made the "nice list," so to speak — then the elves protected livestock and hearth, and even left small presents, as Halloween Artist Bazaar outlines. Hmm.... Sounds similar to a familiar, big-bellied red-and-white-frocked Christmas present-giver, no?
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