“Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.”
I wouldn’t call Sir Terry Pratchett all that new, and his interpretation of elves and the fay in general comes from myths and legends that predate Tolkien as well as Tolkien himself.
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 2 months ago
At the same time, old folk tales portray these creatures as wild and powerful. Generally not malevolent (certainly not godly), but not something you should mess with.
But I agree it’s the new spooky supernatural go-to. Goblincore is the new zeitgeist and I’m here for it!
LordGimp@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Goblins ain’t got shit on Nuckelavee. Or redcap for that matter. Little bastards murder lone travelers and dye their eponymous hats in the blood of their victims.
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Sure, but for every story about a selkie that wants to drag you underwater and drown you, there are several more about gnomes that want to hide your shoes or fairy people that would trap you in a 100-year party.