Table of Contents

Introduction
A Medieval Scandinavian Context
The Earliest Anglo-Saxon Evidence
Female Elves and Beautiful Elves
Ælfe, Illness and Healing (1): the `Elf-shot' Conspiracy
Ælfe, Illness and Healing (2): ælfsiden
Anglo-Saxon Myth and Gender
Believing in Early Medieval History
Appendix 1: The Linguistic History of elf
Appendix 2: Two Non-elves
Works Cited
Index

Reviews

A work of great value.
*COSMOS*

Clearly written, richly documented, and carefully argued. It should find a welcome reception among folklorists with historical and philological interests.
*JOURNAL OF FOLKLORE RESEARCH*

A confident, well-substantiated and textured piece that will be an asset to several areas of medieval scholarship.
*EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE*

Makes a definite contribution to the field of Anglo-Saxon, early medieval and cultural studies. Hall admirably brings to the surface the relevant linguistic and textual evidence that allows him to reconstruct beliefs about 'elves' in the British Isles in the early Middle Ages in a way that is satisfying both in the realm of traditional philological study and in the light of more recent cultural histories.
*ANGLIA*

A book that should be read by all medievalists. An important achievement. . . . Most significantly, the book's methodology deserves both admiration and wide emulation.
*THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW*

Helps illuminate Anglo-Saxon social attitudes towards the supernatural, health and gender, and shows how texts can be as important in the shaping of social realities as they are in recording them.
*HISTORICAL JOURNAL*

Fine excavation of the meaning of Anglo-Saxon elfdom. 9/10.
*FORTEAN TIMES*

Highly recommended.
*THE CAULDRON*

A work of great value.
*COSMOS*

Succeeds in being both a solidly scholarly work, with meticulous discussion of philological matters, and also an open-minded (although strictly evidence-based) attempt to look at the bigger picture.
*FOLKLORE*

Should become standard reading in all fields touching on Anglo-Saxon interests for a number of its merits. . . . It is an admirably careful, measured study with a strong focus on primary evidence, lexical items and good philology.
*MIRATOR*

Sets an admirable standard for other researchers through its integration of Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, and Celtic lore in a productive European mix. A delightful [book] that will stimulate thought across the disciplines regarding the importance, to the Anglo-Saxons, of a class of creatures whose fascination for us today stands in direct proportion to their enigmatic nature. At many turns, this well-researched study exemplifies the value of joining lexically based research to larger cultural inquiries.
*SPECULUM*