Orcs, Elves, and the One Cliché to Rule Them All

[lebarjack]

Reverend Zombie said:

The Norse had Elves, too (and I recall reading that the Norse idea of Elf inspired Tolkien.)

According to Wikipedia "Vanir" may have referred to Norse Elves as well as a race of Gods.

Thank you, wikipedia

However, in the Alvíssmál ("The Sayings of All-Wise"), the elves are considered distinct from both the Vanir and the Æsir, as revealed by a series of comparative names in which Æsir, Vanir, and elves are given their own versions for various words in a reflection of their individual racial preferences.

You can read the whole story here