Dwarfs feature more prominently in the Norse tales than either group of Elves. They were not inimical to the gods, although some met an unfortunate fate at their hands. When the Dwarf Lit attended Baldur's funeral, he got in Thor's way, so the angry god kicked him into the funeral pyre. Lit does not seem to have done much to deserve this fate. Some, like Fjalar and Galar, were both greedy and [evil]. Their murder of Kvasir to obtain his wisdom is perhaps understandable: it was a terrible act born out of rampant greed. However, they then killed the giant Gilling for no good reason, and also his wife, because the sounds of her grief bothered them. Fjalar and Galar were an exception, however. Most Dwarfs seem to have had their own agenda and were not malicious towards those who did not interfere with it. The Dwarfs lived underground in a realm stated as being called either Svartálfheim or Nidavellir. It is tempting to believe that the Light Elves lived in Alfheim, the Dark Elves in Svartálfheim and the Dwarfs in Nidavellir, but this is probably too simplistic. Distinctions between the groups are not sufficiently clear-cut to make such a neat and tidy definition. However, it is repeatedly stated that the Dwarfs were master craftsmen who made great magical treasures and lived underground in mines and caverns. It is in their capacity as makers that they are most commonly encountered by the gods.
Norse Myths: Viking Legends of Heroes and Gods
