E is for Elves

Most-Wanted Monsters is thrilled to be one of more than 1500 blogs taking part in the 2012 A -Z Blogging Challenge - 26 opportunities to help you survive a paranormal apocalypse. Don't let our epic monster limericks fool you - the lore we share about the beasties featured in each daily post could literally save your life. Know them before they GET you!

ELVES

Bulbous noses and dirty brown skin

Not what you expect from elvin kin?

Don't be fooled by a smile

Or winsome, elven feminine wile

So say the tales of the Brothers Grimm

Maybe you had visions of sugarplums dancing in your head when you clicked onto this link. We don't blame you, elves are often associated with Santa's cute little helpers.
But deep in the underground caves, there lives a darker elven species, known for their aggression, deceit and stealth – and believe us,these beasties look nothing like Snap,Crackle and Pop.

As our limerick suggests, dark elves are ugly, with long-bulbous noses, and dirty-brown skin. Said to have come into existence as maggots produced by the decayingflesh of the Norse giant Ymir, they were then endowed by the gods with a human form and great skill as an artificer.

They work with metals and wood, and boast Thor’s hammer as their greatest achievement. Ironic, since the hammer can produce natural weather changes - and excessive heat or rain have proven to be an elven weakness.

As with most monsters, pop culture has created both good and evil depictions – the good often used to brand product such as Keebler cookies (believed to be baked by happy elves in a hollow tree), or Dobby the house elf of J.K. Rowling’s, Harry Potter series. The dark species are popular in video games and fiction where elves can be wise, beautiful, and deadly, particularly in the work ofJ.R.R. Tolkien whose elven characters inspired an entire language still used by Lord of the Rings fans today.

SURVIVAL TIP: Elven weakness depends upon legend, but may include excessive heat, rain, nettles or some blossoms of plants and trees.

Do you speak Elven? Maybe you're more frightened of a different "E" beastie. Please do share in the comments...You could win an e-copy of SPIRITED, an anthology of 13 haunting stories.

And then, why not head over to some of the other blogs on the A-Z Blogging Challenge.