Untitled - Centrostudirpinia.it

ELVES, DWARFS. 463
schretel s rotez keppel becomes in H. Sachs 1, 280 b a mantel
scharlach rot des zwergleins/ Beside invisibility, this cloak
imparts superior strength, and likewise control over the dwarf
nation and their hoard. In other instances the cap alone is
meant: a Norwegian folk-tale in Faye p. 30 calls it uddehat
(pointed hat ?), and a home-sprite at Hildesheim bears the name
of Hodeken from the felt hat he wore. Probably the OHG. helot-
helm (latibulum), Gl. Hrab. 969% the OS. helith-helm, Hel. 164,
29, AS. heolfflielm, Cod. Exon. 362, 31, hcelffhelm, Crodm. 29, 2,
ON. hialmr huliz (an Eddie word for cloud), Saam. 50 a T
, and the
AS. grimhelm, Csedm. 188, 27. 198, 20. Beow. 666, all have a
similar meaning, though the simple helm and grime (p. 238)
for helm
already contain the notion of a covering and a mask ;
is from helan (celare) as huot, hood, or hat, from huotan (tegere).
No doubt other superior beings, beside elves and dwarfs, wore
the invisible-making garment ; I need only mention Odin s hat
with turned-up brim (p. 146), Mercury s petasvs, Wish s hat,
which our fairy-tales still call wishing-hat? and Pluto s or Orcus s
helmet (1809 Kvverj, II. 5, 845. Hesiod, Scut. 227). The dwarfs
may have stood in some peculiar, though now obscured, relation
to OiSinn, as the hat-wearing pataeci, cabiri and Dioscuri did to
Jupiter (see Suppl.).
From such ability to conceal their form, and from their teazing
character in general, there will arise all manner of deception and
disappointment (conf. Suppl, to p. 331), to which man is exposed
in dealing with elves and dwarfs. We read : der alp triuget
(cheats), Fundgr. 327, 18 ; den triuget, weiz Got, nicht der alp,
not even the elf can trick him, Diut. 2, 34; Silvester 5199 ; die
mag triegen wol der alp, Suchenwirt xxxi. 12; ein getroc daz
mich in dem slafe triuget, Ben. 429 ; dich triegen die elbin (1. elbe,
rhyme selbe), Altd. bl. 1, 261 ; elbe triegent, Amgb. 2 b
;
diu elber
b
triegent, Herbert 5 ; in beduhte daz in trilge ein alp, Ir. elfenm.
Ivii. ; alfs ghedroch, Elegast 51, 775. Eeinh. 5367, conf. Horae
Belg. 6, 218-9; alfsche droch, Reinaert (prose lxxii. a
). In our
1 Fornm. sog. 2, 141 says of Eyvindr the sorcerer : gior^i J?eim hulidshialm,
made for them a mist, darkness, hulinhialmr, Fornald. sog. 3, 219 ; kuflshottr 1,
9. 2, 20. See Eafn s Index sub v. dulgerfi.
2 A weighty addition to the arguments for the identity of Wuotan and Mercury ;
conf. p. 419 on the wishing-rod.