Dobby

[lucky_kari]

No: HPFGUIDX 36748

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "grey_wolf_c" <greywolf1 at j...> wrote:
>Doing this, we have to step back to pre-Tolkien times, or to 
> some of the independent stories of some modern authors (for 
example, 
> Salvatore's Corona world). Anyway, before Tolkien transformed elves 
> into the celestial creatures of Middle Earth, elves were just 
another 
> type of Goblin, albeit generally more peaceful and undamaging to 
humans 
> than the run-of-the-mill, everyday goblin.

Actually, Tolkien was going back to an earlier model, before elves 
became exclusively small. He couldn't stand small elves for various 
reasons. 

> On these mythologies, elves 
> were 30-60 cm (1-2 ft), although normally (at least in my country) 
> closer to 50 cm. Some of them had butterfly wings in their backs 
> (although very few were functional). 

Small elves have always been around, but aren't butterfly wings a 
very late addition in England? It sounds more like a Renaissance 
fancy than ordinary folklore. 

>Since I'm fan of these tales, I 
> normally picture elves in HPverse 50cm in height, but (as I've 
already 
> said), there's very little canon (and none of it "hard") to back-up 
> this number.

No, I think you're right, and I think it was very courageous of 
Rowling to buck Tolkien's trend (however excellent) for her own. 

Eileen