Dwarf

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Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and Dawn of Ragnarök. This article has been identified as being out of date. Please update the article to reflect recent releases and then remove this template once done.

A dwarf is a being of short stature from European folklore that often dwelled in mountains and underground. They are heavily associated with mining, smithing, and crafting. In Norse mythology, they were said to live in the realm of Svartálfaheimr.

Mythology

According to Norse folklore, the race of dwarves came from the the remains of the proto-being Ymir after he was killed by the Æsir brothers Odin, Vé, and Vili. However, this is the main commonality between sources, as Snorri Sturluson's 13th-century Poetic Edda text Völuspá says the dwarves were made from his blood and bones, while the Prose Edda states the dwarves were already festering inside him before the Æsir gifted them with reason.

Ivaldi's sons were said to be a group of dwarves who made several key pieces for the gods, including Freyr's magically unfolding ship Skíðblaðnir, Odin's magically multiplying ring Draupnir and returning spear Gungnir, and Sif's golden hair.

History

In the empty cosmic expanse of Ginnungagap, the proto-being Ymir was cruelly slain by Odin, Vili, and Vé. Even as Odin choked the life from Ymir, and later as the trio set about making the universe from Ymir's remains, the race of dwarves emerged from where they had been growing beneath Ymir's skin, prompting Odin to take pity on them and grant the race the gift of reason. Four dwarves in particular, Norðri, Suðri, Austri, and Vestri, were tasked with holding up Ymir's skull that made up the sky.

Some time later, Odin rescued the dwarf Ivaldi from being executed like his brothers in Múspellsheimr and brought him to Asgard, where he was bound to serve the Æsir. He worked to pay off his debt by crafting items of great power such as Gleipnir, the cord meant to hold the great wolf Fenrir until Ragnarök began; this final task earned him freedom and he returned to Svartálfaheimr.

Shortly before the Great Catastrophe, the region was invaded by a joint force of jötnar and Muspels led by Surtr in his search for an artifact of great power that the dwarves had fashioned and kept hidden. With his son Baldr captured and also in Svartálfaheimr, Odin was compelled to visit the realm and aid local resistance efforts to fight the invaders.

Behind the scenes

Unlike traditional imagery in the Assassin's Creed series of Isu towering over humans, the Isu from Svartálfaheimr took the form of dwarves. It is unclear whether or not their shorter stature is simply the way Eivor perceived them based on her own cultural expectations, a metaphor for status differences between the dwarves and their Æsir, Muspel, or jötnar counterparts, or is an example of actual Isu with restricted growth.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
  • Dawn of Ragnarök
• Discovery Tour: Viking Age (mentioned only)