So the real Dark Elves were the Dwarves we met along the way?

Fun fact. In danish there is a leftover from the word elf: Alf. Which in general means some small magical being, usually with the intent of mischief or bringing gifts. The modern elf is translated as elver, which is a wholly different being (the typical fantasy kind). Alf while not interchangeable with "nisse", serves a similar role, though a "nisse" seems to be bound to specific locations like human settlements. The general catch-all term for these beings in danish is "vætte"

3:30, to this point about ugliness being associated with evilness, this is actually a VERY strong theme throughout Norse mythology and folklore. Beauty, wealth, goodness, class, strength, height, etc. are all often associated with each other. If a character is evil in Germanic folklore, they will be ugly, stupid, and short. Characters that are good are tall, handsome and wealthy. We still see a trace of this in English: the word "Villain" literally comes from a word meaning "someone who works on a villa", aka a peasant, and we use the word "noble" to mean good or morally just actions when in reality is just means born into the nobility. The reason we say the these actions are "noble" is this association between goodness and status.

I feel like the Jotnar fill a similar role in Norse mythology as the Titans fill in Greek mythology. They are simultaneously the same sort of "thing" as the gods and some of them marry into the ranks of the gods or are made to be honorary gods and all that, but they also have a sort of primordial, chaotic aspect as opposed to the gods who are more of a representation of order and humanity. Like the titans in Greek mythology some of them are downright monstrous and some are more or less indistinguishable from the gods and the gods descend ultimately from these beings. So personally I wonder if we wouldn't be better off just translating "jotun" as "titan".

The word 'troll' is also used in modern Swedish to refer to magic. A "trollkarl" (wizard) practices "trolldom" (enchantment), and can either "trolla bort" (banish) or "trolla fram" (conjure).

It's really fun to see how much we take for granted on the modern takes on ancient folklore, like things weren't strickly defined as we see today, elves were just some dudes, the frost giants were neither frost nor giant, and the note about how we tend to see the villains as having physical attributes that set them apart, like in size or having deformities is a really good note to add to this, bc we do have this idea of "othering" the villains on mythical and fantasy settings, that some physical qualities on the heroes and villains will set them apart into well defined roles, and that's just really interesting to analyze

i think things like this occur because we want mythology to be super rich and feel like a whole different distinct world with its own strict rules and differentiating parts that work harmoniously together, when it was really just the religion of past peoples; stories to try to explain the natural world around them. they were thinking in terms of creating a cohesive fictional universe, it’s just a cacophony of oral traditions sewn together over many generations

Great video! Can you like, explain the nine realms next? they can get really confusing since svartalfheim and nidavellir can be interchangeable, as well as a a bit of niflheim and helheim.

One thing I have always disliked is when people call Jötnar "frost giants". It's just weird. Why not call a bunny a dog while you're at it? As much as I love Neil Gaiman, this was one of my major pet peeves with his Norse Mythology book.

fun fact: in scandinavian languages troll is used as a prefix to words to generally describe something magical (this is danish btw) troldom (magic) troldkunst (witchcraft) troldkone (hag/witch) troldman (wizard)

Thanks for clarifying. I know mythologies evolve over the centuries, but I feel Norse mythology has been so thoroughly appropriated and twisted by western media that it's good to get these reality checks.

Ymir is the weirdly most humblest and dare I say, cutest grampa

Its always so interesting seeing videos about norse mythology and reading the comments as a danish person who grew up with norse mythology. Norse mythology in media produced outside of the nordic countries is most of the time so way off its hilarious. Marvel especially comes to mind xD

I had literally never heard Jotunn being described as "frost giants" until like a month ago and was super confused at why English speaking people would describe them as such. That's like describing someone living in a cold place as a frost person. Also as for their size here in Norway we generally think of them as pretty big but we also occasionally think of the gods as pretty big, like I feel like I've seen Tor described as mountain sized more than once

The whole idea of the term "troll" being broad actually makes sense considering how wildly different trolls as monsters have been depicted. Some look like goblins; others look like ogres. Some are short and have wild hair and big, disgusting looking feet; others are tall, lanky, and have a nose shaped like a pickle. Some use magic; others are more warlike. Some eat people; others just like to pull nasty pranks. Some are slow minded brutes; others are smart enough to spin complex riddles. Some are friendly; many are not. Trolls are just so broadly defined that what they are depends on the setting.

This actually helps my D&D homebrew a lot, thanks!

Can you make a video like that with Greek mythology

Fat thanos, Legolas, emo elf, ice king from adventure time? Nice

Frost giants weren't the only Jotnar in Norse mythology. There were mountain giants, fire giants, and trolls were sometimes considered jotnar

This would be a good reason for a time machine, just go back in time with a recorder and ask people to tell you about Odin and stuff, sneakily.

Let's see.......light and Dark elves, jotuns,giants, and dwarves, nice

I am actually suprised GoW actually paid attention to the Jotun size thing. I just thought that was an artistic thing. While they weren't making things mythologically accurate, this was neat

4:49 elves were described as being more attractive than the average person or more beautiful than the sun to look at. It's safe to say they would have luminous, flowing, gorgeous hair. They could inflict diseases to those who wronged them and heal those who offered sacrifices to them. Humans could interbreed with elves and produce half-elven children, who look like humans but possess magical powers. There is one elf we know of named volundr, who shares traits with dwarves in metallurgy.

Jake's got himself a sponsor, they grow up so fast

2 hours left Bois when this thing releases I can guarantee hopefully that this will be the best video ever

I applaud you for pointing so many misconceptions about Norse mythology in pop culture that's always peeved me as a Scandinavian with a childhood obsession on the subject, but there are two things I have to clarify, because they still slightly peeved me. Troll isn't a broad term for ugly monster or evil (though that does sorta include it), troll, or trold as it's spelled in danish, is more akin to "magical", as there exists Troll-women and troll-men, which are basically nordic versions of Witches and Wizards. This has been pointed out in a few comments though. You also see this Troll = magic connection in scandinavian languages with "trolddom" often equating to sorcery, like saying "What sorcery/Trolddom is this!?" while "Trylleri" is more like magic tricks. The other thing... Brokk and Eitri don't actually have a third brother named Awl who is an awl, that's just them being coy, smug, and condescending towards Loki as they pull it out to enact their punishment on him for weaseling out of their deal. It's similar to a mobster going "lemme introduce you to my pal crowbar, boy he sure seems to like your kneecaps, how about they hug and really get to know eachother?"

I like the idea that dark elves and light elves are both just the same thing with different ideals

Here I was thinking I would see a video on some wacky races but in Norse mythology

Premiers in 9 hours???? I want it nooooow 😭

0:37 that slimes eyes look kinda . . . suspicious

Thank you now I can separate my dwarves for my Isekai novel

Hey Jake! Love your videos I always watch them every day, super informative and funny you’re doing an amazing job

I learn something new every vid. Keep up the good work !

Something I find telling of the nordic 'troll' is how wizard translated to modern swedish is 'trollkarl' literally troll-guy. And wizardry/trickery is 'trolleri' litterally troll-ery.

This was really great! Your videos are always so informative & entertaining, which I say as someone who studied mythology academically. When I read the title, I was so afraid you were going to be one of those people who says "actually Norse dwarves were huge!"

I think the modern conception of elves is very strongly influenced by the British merger of elves and faeries and the British folklore about them, perhaps somewhat similar, but not too similar, to the Nordic folklore about the Hulderfolk (the hidden folk) and perhaps the Vittra.

As a Norwegian it’s kinda our fault with the misconception of trolls in Norse mythology as the modern troll creature comes from Norway as well but in the case of the modern troll it wasn’t a part of a religion or Norse mythology but rather superstition and stories from the mountains.

You should do a Yule Lads episode during the Holiday Season some time

Trolls could also elemental forces of nature, similar to in Shinto, which were generally amoral.

In dutch Feeen (fairies) and Elfen (Elves) are aside from modern interpretations seen as the same thing, Just a blanket name for many magical humanoid species that we see as the ''other folk'' These can be anything from dwarves to magical light beings.

Excellent video! Its so good to see someone represent the 'eh maybe?' Nature of all this. Something that may be of interest you in the future, perhaps as a video subject or just personal research. Have a look at Etruscan mythology, language, and script/writing. It would be fascinating to see what you made of it

Hell yeah, another upload from one of my favorite channels. 😎👍

Yay! Thank you for more Norse stuff! ❤

You should do a video comparing the Jotunn to the other "big evil gods" in other mythologies- like the Titans and Fir Bolg.

Friend: Why do you call them Jötnar instead of frost giants? Me: IT'S THE LAW!!

Having seen the wonderful animated series "Hilda", this explains a lot of things, thanks

Keep up the awesome content! 👍👍👍

0:46 dang it

Somehow it makes me comfortable seeing how vague these descripions are.

Hi Jake, I know you probably won't do this, but still I would like to see a video on Slavic folk lore, as I come from a Slavic country myself. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.

Yes slay Jake knowing what kurzgesagt is… probably my second favourite channel (yours being my favourite, sounds dumb since they’re both education ones but it makes my brain happy)

the way you draw ymir is so adorable for some reason

Great video! I like that the giants do not have to be giant, just like the giants in Greek mythology, where they are sometimes depicted as being the same size as the gods they are fighting, but with snakes for legs. You focus in this video on the literary sources, are there also no visual depictions of the jotunns having monstrous traits? I don't know anything about Norse mythology in the visual arts actually, is there something of an equivalent of the Greek pottery and sculpture?

I thought troll just referred to any being with magical powers. Not necessarily a bad characters. At least that is what the term has morfed into in modern Scandinavian languages.

ik it's kinda off topic but a video on apollo and his awful love-life would be cool! great video btw!

Nice vid can you do a metamorphosis greek myth next time?

I neeeeeed it now

I think you can infer a lot of the meaning behind the words when looking at the language and Norse myths who came after but before books and modern stories

The elf-dwarf taxonomy is how any fae or fairy-folk are categorized they are either separate beings with similar abilities or the same creature with different names. In one lore fairies/elves can look beautiful or ugly depending on the season and time of the year making them look more like the other creatures associated to humanoid fairy creatures like goblins. The size and shape can also be one of their defining factor even though they are all the same creature just tall or short. Trolls are creatures that can shapeshift which can be as ugly or as beautiful; be as small as a pebble or as great as a mountain.

Are you going to do another video of Egyptian mythology

someone had fun naming two important binary file formats elf and dwarf.

I can't wait for your next video on Norse Mythology. It could be the one where Thor gets defeated by an old lady, or the one where Loki pays a ransom with cursed gold, or the one where Odin wins a riddle contest, or the one where Frey falls in love with a giant, or the one where Skadi becomes the Goddess of Winter. There's also the one where Loki gives birth to the first trolls.

Soon at 200k Congrats!

Thanks for the video

Ymir looks so nice when Jake draw him

One cool idea I came across years ago is that the elves under Freyr are kind of like a combination of ghosts and angels. They’re like divine souls who started living long before the worlds became fully formed, and since they were lesser than the I’d like beings of the vanir, jotunn and aesir they were kind of pushed around u til Freyr was given their spirit world to rule. Something that’s a lil more substantiated is that the Jotunn are in some ways echoes of the first gods of the people groups that would eventually become Germanic tribes and Norse people. They can be so weird in appearance and varied because they’re remnants of nature worship, the weirder ones being so half remembered that the poetic reason for things like hundreds of heads is forgotten. Kind of cool, the vanir are fertility deities and the aspects of nature worship that got carried over and the jotunn are the uncontrollable part of nature, to be battled by the gods of civilization aka the aesir

Ymir seems to be a chill man

As i was born from icelandic heratige, the things i was most scared of was huldufólk, which could be looked at from the point of being darkelves, all togeather, they are creepy as s***

can we just talk about how cool it is to call something a frost devouerer?

Thanks Jake!!!

Its so much fun watching this video after playing god of war ragnarok

0:29 Took me a second to realize this was talking about four creatures instead of a single giant-troll-elf-dwarf.

On the topic of accuracy in modern literature, and the things you say in this video, would you consider Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series mythologically accurate in its statements about Norse mythology?

Can you do this video again but with Greek myth,Also don't forget to mention that Satyrs have Woodland or Nature Magic.

Could you do a video bout cool Greek artifacts

Hey Jake can you cover Slavic Mythology please!

This is just theorizing as I do not know the origin but in swedish folklore we have these creatures called "Tomtar", one tomte many tomtar. They are described as short man-like being that hide in houses or gardens (funnily enough the word for garden is tomt) and help out with the busy work and cause some michief here and there, unless they are offended in some way. If they are they will be very violent. Now, back to the theory bit, maybe these creatures are some kind of evolution of the dwarves. That probably isn't true, but hey, food for thought.

Another odd thing, while in older Norse texts the realm of the dwarves is referred to as "Niðavellir". While later they call it "Svartalfheim" or "Land of the Dark Elves". While "Álfheimr" is still "Land of the Elves". While the Elves have genuinely no description. But none of this explains why the dwarves would hate the Light Elves so much. Although it was said when Ymir was killed by Odin, maggots came from his body, these maggots became the dwarves. The majority of these maggots became craftsmen, while some "went to the mould" and no more was said of them. So, it's possible that the Dark Elves are a kind of dwarf that is in some way different. And these who went to the mould grew to despise the light so much they became enemies with the Light Elves. While.. on the other hand.. Light Elves may be a 4th clan of gods. If this is true, then dwarves would be competing directly with this 4th clan, by proxy possibly making them the 5th clan. So it may be possibly all of these groups are different kinds of gods in Norse myth. Sidenote: We conflate these modern fantasy ideas with those of the Norse too much. They didn't have these conceptions with the exception of maybe the dwarves, and even then it's very different.

Are you going to do videos about Thor and Hrungnir, iddun’s kidnapping, fafnir story.

Can't almost everyone transform to animals in Norse mythology, if they wear some sort of animal skin? I don't know if "skin" is the right word for it though, but it's called "dyre ham" in Danish. It would be nice, if you would mention something about it, because it has confused me in your other videos. Thanks :D

History is the worlds longest repeating game of Telephone, you can either get annoyed at how much the original wording has changed, or take great amusement or even inspiration from how things shifted into something more interesting. After all when you compare reality to fantasy, Reality (while often strange) will always disappoint in comparison to the infinite possibility of imagination and blending that in with our history and beliefs is part of what makes our continued existence so awe inspiring, how we can make so much from so little.

It will be cool if you will do slavic mythology

You are one of my favourite KZfaqrs

Was there a Dimension 20 sticker on that ransom’s computer??

Norse is my second favorite mythology due to the world imagine setting an MMO RPG in the 9 Worlds (like the game Yggdrasil from Overlord)

it would be awesome if you could talk about ajax

I like Norwegian Trolls. They are large humanoid creatures, and their first major visual depictions were meant to be a primal version of a Norwegian man

You know, for as many times as Jake reminds us that we have actually very little tangible records on the mythology of the Norse people, he'd realize that we have no evidence they DIDN'T have wild drunken DnD parties. I think all that viking raiding and pillaging was just a couple of LARP sessions that got out of hand. Who hasn't burned an entire village to the ground after some pretty intense 4th edition?

HOW DARE YOU GUSSE WHAT IM DOING! I'm making my own campaign, and it's norce mythology. You're the only thing getting me through it. This is for dnd but I'm trying to get more of a general idea.

The association with evil and ugliness is definitely problematic altho beneficial to bitches like me. I'm something I would call average-attractive-boring, something no one would notice walking by but would also never consider ugly. Ppl look past me and often even chastise me if I bring up my less socially acceptable tendencies, not bc what I do is bad (I actually self-identify as evil) but bc they could just never see me as doing such things and tell me "no you r not a bad person", even if said person was present as I committed something evil. It's bizarre what ppl will let us get away with only bc we don't "look evil". And then they turn around and refuse to employ a person with facial disfigurement bc "uhhh they look uhh unsettling" which is just, may I say, evil. I dread and honestly do not want to know what truly pretty ppl can get away with solely due to their looks. Just think of the ppl who stan cereal killers.

🔆 Brilliant!

What... Im... Impossible I just now noticed that I was NOT subscribed ? I thought I am. And here I am, thinking why do you have only 200 k subs, when you deserve more

you need to do explenation about yokai please

when will heracles 12 norms part 3 come out

Oh this is gonna be fun

I watched this on the toilet, very cool 😮

He should do a video about the actual mythology on the fire giant

God of war and Ragnarok does a really good job of taking norse mythos and making it a strange as it was but also makeing it kinda make sense. Kratoses wife is a giant but human sized but there are other giants who are big af. And how dwarves are the little smiths but also just concepts. Like the wind.

4:19 it also describes a being that uses magic

I desire more!