I went on a binge for a time looking for just that, frustrated at the lack of detail on the Alfs in general, in the edda and elsewhere. So Alf means "ray", they're associated with light and the sun, there's an Alf for the dawn and one for the dusk, and they're classified as a type of people, as are the Aesir and Vanir. Freyer is the ruler of Alfheim, and Freya likes them a lot. The only one to show up named in the Eddas is Volund the Smith. The Catalog of Dwarves suggests that Alf and Dwarf are commonly mistaken for one another, being that there are a bunch of elven names (like Gandalf = Wind Elf) in there.
I found one site once with some scholoary essays attempting to trace the various legends back to probable historic events, piece together the larger epic that is largely lost now save for fragments. The work suggested that at one point there was a war between the elves and Aesir, further that many of the Vanir were Elves, and the interesting conclusion that Alfheim was actually Finland. Can't find the link now, naturally. But the Finnish connection is interesting, especially if you are familiar with the Kaleva.
Anyway, one site of possible use. If you dig up anything usable, do let on. I've been interested in this subject quite a bit myself. |
