Elves are very popular mythical creatures. Unlike trolls and ogres, they are generally described as friendly and helpful creatures. All children, for example, know the Christmas elves, who help Santa Claus by making toys. Actually, there are many types of them, and here are some interesting facts.
1) Elves originally come from Norse mythology, just like trolls. They were thought to be divine or semi-divine beings with magical powers. They were separated into good or light elves and dark or bad elves. They also exist in more modern mythologies, such as Germanic, Icelandic, and Scandinavian.
2) In more recent folklore, they have been associated with fairies and have a prepubertal appearance with no facial hair in males, and they live under rocks, hills, and wells. They are small in stature and are apparently young forever. They like to play games, they can be mischievous at times, but they are essentially not malevolent.
3) In the US, Christmas elves are associated with Santa and act as his helpers or sometimes as hired labor. They live at the North Pole, wear red and green suits, and make toys. They have long, pointed noses, hats, and ears. Almost all movies and animated shows about Santa and Christmas include them too.
4) Fantasy Elves appeared in works like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. They have also been popularized by the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. They are very smart and attractive, but not physically strong.
5) Christmas elves are not known as elves, unlike elves or elves, and they are still extremely popular today, as evidenced by the numerous appearances in advertisements such as Keebler cookies and movies.