CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

In this article we aim to explore the connection between two types of collective mythical beings, the álfar and the dvergar. We assess critically the reliability of different sources and analyse the way in which those beings are depicted in some medieval documents. Finally, we attempt to distinguish them by reconstructing (hypothetically) their respective place in religious practice and their connection with the broader morality of exchange that pervaded medieval Scandinavian society.