Underground master smiths created from the primordial giant's body.
Dwarves were created, according to Völuspá, from the body of the primordial giant Ymir and shaped by the Æsir. They dwell in mountains and beneath the earth's surface, avoiding sunlight which turns them to stone, and are in the myths unsurpassed craftsmen.
They forged many of mythology's most important objects: Gungnir Óðinn's spear, Mjölnir Þórr's hammer, Draupnir, and Gleipnir. Their skill places them at the centre of the divine economy of power and gifts.
Attestations
- Völuspá 9-16
- Lists the dwarves by name and their creation from Ymir's body.