1 : Alfheim
Alfheim in Norse mythology is the Realm of the Alfar, in English, the Elves of light, one of the worlds of Yggdrasil. It was sometimes called "Ljossalfheim": "the home of the bright elves". This was a region of forest and meadow, sea and islands; a pleasant and sunny place where dwelt the Elven peoples.
In several Scots and English ballads about the fairies and their lore, the word appears in the form Elphame or Elfhame. The fairy queen is often called the "Queen of Elphame" in ballads such as that of Thomas the Rhymer.
In that Jotunheim lies in the East, Muspellheim is clearly South, and Niflheim is just as obviously North, so one might infer that Alfheim is in the West, beyond the seas. This may, at least, have been the interpretation of J. R. R. Tolkien who located the destination of the Elves, Valinor, in the West. He portrays the Nordic Elven type in his famous fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, as not drastically different from Humans: somewhat taller, much more nobly proportioned and fair to look upon and longer lived.
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