Study › Runes & Norse › The Dwarves
The dwarves of Norse mythology are the master smiths of the worlds, living underground in Svartalfheim. Almost every treasure the gods own came from their forges, Thor's hammer among them.
Who are the dwarves?
The dwarves are the master craftsmen of the cosmos, dwelling underground in Svartalfheim (Nidavellir) among stone and forge. According to the myths they first arose like maggots in the flesh of the slain giant Ymir and were given wit and shape by the gods. Four of them — Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri — hold up the four corners of the sky.
The dwarves' treasures
No smiths anywhere can match them. From their forges came almost every treasure the gods possess: Thor's hammer Mjollnir, Odin's spear Gungnir and ring Draupnir, Freyr's ship and golden boar, Sif's golden hair, and the silken fetter Gleipnir that holds the wolf Fenrir. Skilled, proud and sometimes grasping, the dwarves also brewed the Mead of Poetry from the blood of the wise Kvasir.
Their world is Svartalfheim; they made Mjolnir, Gungnir and Gleipnir.
Questions
Where do the dwarves live?
In Svartalfheim, also called Nidavellir, underground.
Which dwarves hold up the sky?
Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri, at the four corners.