Alfheim

A lesser mentioned realm in epic sagas, Alfheim - known as Álfheimr or Ljósálfheimr in Old Norse - is home to the light elves. These beings are said to be “more beautiful than the sun” and their home is likewise thought to be verdant and shining. A wilder place than the fenced realms such as Asgard, the elves can be both helpful and harmful. They possess a deep knowledge of magic and use it as they see fit. They generally aren’t seen as evil creatures, however, and are known to have a love for art and music. Like the muses of Greco-Roman myth, they can provide bursts of divine inspiration.

While not of the Aesir nor of the Vanir, elves are in fact seen as minor nature and fertility deities. They play no large roles in key Norse myths, such as that of Ragnarok, and seem to have a much bigger part in folklore and legend. Despite this, they have a very clear link to the Aesir through Freyr. All of Alfheim was gifted to the god as a teething gift when he was young, and he now presides over the realm as a kind of king.