Alfheim

Alfheim, or Álfheimr in Old Norse, is a realm in Norse mythology whose name means “land of the elves” (álfr = elf, heimr = home). It is listed as one of the Nine Worlds and is commonly described as being in the heavens, distinct from Midgard and the other realms.

According to primary sources such as Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Álfheimr is the homeland of the ljóssálfar, the light elves. The surviving material provides limited narrative detail about the realm’s geography or governance, and the elven inhabitants are described as more radiant and fair than humans. The exact placement of Alfheim in the cosmology varies between texts, and the sources do not consistently name a ruler of the elves.

Scholarly consensus treats Alfheim as part of the mythological geography rather than a historical location. The concept has influenced later fantasy literature and media, where Alfheim is frequently portrayed as a luminous, otherworldly home for elves.

In modern popular culture, Alfheim appears in various fantasy works and video games. Notably, the 2018 video game God of War features a brightly illuminated Alfheim as a realm inhabited by Light Elves and integral to the game’s world-building. The name continues to be used in contemporary fiction to evoke elven realms.