Elves

Elves
I am a big believer in there being a basis in fact for many things spoken of in mythology. And Elves are an area that I think can explain a lot. Early Norse and Germanic lore devided Elves into three groups.
The Light Elves are man sized creatures, not unpleasant to look at, with magical or God like powers. They are very much like the Nymphs of the Greek and Roman myths. They were almost God like in their long lives and powers.
Then there are the Dark Elves, a more unfriendly folk that aren’t as large or as fair of skin. The Brownies of Scotland or the Leprechaun of Ireland might be Dark Elves. The Dwarves common to many cultures are much like the Dark Elf. Unfriendly may be too strong a word, but these are the ones blamed for mischief against people. It was said that of a Light Elf was like sunshine a Dark Elf was like pitch.
Lastly is the Black Elf. An even more black hearted and mean spirited creature of small size, these may well be the Goblin, the Gremlin, or even a Demon.
Almost every culture ever studied has references to something like these entities. Fair skinned, by comparison, God like folk. Smaller folk of similar appearance who shy away from people, and small dark spirited beings that seem to thrive on causing trouble for man.
Here in Indiana we have the Indian legend of the Pukwugi, a small people who look like human children. They live in the woodlands along rivers, often in cave like holes in the hills and banks above the flood line. ( Think primitive Hobbit) In the summer they build shelters of bent sticks and branches covered with leaves and grass.
Even today we find beings that seem to match these. As stories of the Little people live on.
Today however the beings aren’t seen as Elves, but as Aliens. The tall fair beings are called the Aryans, the small mean ones are the Blues. And just as in old they are sometimes seen together. And they are still said to bedevil humans.