Editing Dwarf (section)

=Mythological Origins=
The basic name "Dwarf" stems from the Germanic and/or Nordic mythologies of ancient Europe, where they were envisioned as a race of short, magical beings who came into being after the death of Ymir (the giant whose corpse formed the world after the gods slew him); once the father of all [[giant]]s had his body turned into the earth, the maggots boring through his flesh were transformed into diminutive, pallid humanoids - the first dwarves. That said, the dwarven archetype is, frankly, kind of wide-spread; most cultures have some kind of diminutive [[fey]]-type entity, and what's worse is that their nature as "short magical people" means the dwarven "lineage" is a confusing tangle that interconnects with [[elves]], [[gnome]]s and even [[goblin]]s - many dwarves have been described as hideously ugly, or turning into stone when exposed to sunlight, like certain breeds of [[troll]].

The most famous dwarf is the aforementioned Germanic/Nordic dwarf. Resembling a short, long-bearded old man, these dwarves are fierce-tempered and quite strong, despite their stature, as well as being renowned for their ability to craft magical items, and their love of precious stones and metals, which they mine incessantly. These traits were popularized by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], who used them as the basis for his dwarves in [[The Lord of the Rings]]. What he left out of his dwarves is the fact that, in the mythology, dwarves are often hideously ugly, sometimes turn into stone when exposed to sunlight, and are often skilled sorcerers as well as crafters of magic items. Dwarves forged Odin's spear and Thor's hammer, as well as many other magical treasures of the Nordic gods, including the fetter that binds the Fenris Wolf and hair of living gold for Thor's wife after Loki sheared her bald. European tales of dwarves often depict them as superhumanly strong and with an affinity for illusion and shapeshifting.

[[Leprechaun]]s are dwarf-like in appearance, but are mischievous tricksters who use their sorcerous talents to prank humans, especially when they are sought out for their legendary hidden treasures, which are usually depicted as soup cauldrons full of gold coins. Unlike the smithing and mining Nordic Dwarf, leprechauns are more associated with cobbling and tailoring, making them an Irish relative of the [[Brownie]]. They have a cousin called the Clurichaun, which is a booze-fiend who likes to make a nuisance of itself by hiding in wine and beer cellars to guzzle the liquor.

Domovoi and Dvorovoi are Russian [[fey]] who visibly resemble dwarves. Domovoi are house spirits, kind of like [[Brownie]]s; so long as they feel a house's owner is hardworking and respectful, they will guard the house from mundane and magical harm, especially focused on protecting the children or battling evil fey. Dvorovoi are a more fearsome relative of the Domovoi who inhabit farmsteads; unlike Domovoi, they stay outside, looking after the animals and protecting against threats from outside... but also playing pranks and killing animals they take a dislike to.

Ancient Egypt also had dwarves, as well as a patron god of dwarves: Bes.  Egyptian dwarves were more like Japanese [[Tanuki]] than anything else; they were lucky, jovial, and had tremendous bedroom prowess supported by enormous genitals. This was fortunate for the Egyptians that were born with dwarfism as it afforded them a kind of revered and protected status in society.

Asia's legendaria, like the Norse, have dwarfish humanoids with their own crossover with other fey and even demonic beings. China has the god Kuei Xing who is described as ugly but brilliant dwarf, being a patron god of learning, scholars and examination. India too has a semi-deity called Apasmara which is described as dwarfish and represents ignorance that needs to be quashed but not killed in order to uphold the balance between knowledge and ignorance. The Ainu people of Hokkaido have the "Korpokkur" who were described as having lived there before the Ainu - being small, agile and proficient in fishing, they also lived in pits with thatched roofs and traded with the Ainu on occasions.

Lastly, the mythological image of dwarves as reclusive diminutive people may have some historical basis as we know of at least one diminutive archaic human species - Homo Floresiensis which lived 50.000 years ago in Indonesia, right as anatomically modern humans began to predominate the world. It is not difficult to theorise that this and potential other similar offshoots of humanity may have been the inspirational seed for the Dwarf we all know and love today.