Elf-arrow
"Elf arrows" set in silver
In English folklore, elf-arrows and pixie arrows[1] were names given to discovered arrowheads of flint, used in hunting and war by the Pre-Indo-Europeans of the British Isles and of Europe generally.[citation needed] The name derives from the folklore belief that the arrows fell from the sky, and were used by the elves to kill cattle and inflict elfshot on human beings.[2]
Elf-arrows were sometimes worn as amulets, occasionally set in silver, as a charm against witchcraft.[3]
See also[]
References[]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Elf-arrows". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.
- ^ Carrington, C. E. & Jackson, J. Hampden. "A History of England" CUP Archive, 1919. p. 3
- ^ Merriam -Webster Dictionary: Elf Arrow
- ^ Electric Scotland. "Scottish Charms and Amulets" Elf-Arrows
Categories:
- Archaeological artefact types
- English folklore
- Witchcraft in England
- Elves
- European archaeology stubs
- United Kingdom archaeology stubs