In Germanic mythology, a Dwarf (Old English dweorg, Old Norse dvergr, Old High German zwerc and gitwerc) is a being that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting. Dwarfs are also sometimes described as short and ugly, although some scholars have questioned whether this is a later development stemming from comical portrayals of the beings.
The etymology of the word dwarf is contested, and scholars have proposed varying theories about the origins of the being, including that dwarfs may have originated as nature spirits or beings associated with death, or as a mixture of concepts. Competing etymologies include a basis in the Indo-European root *dheur- (meaning "damage"), the Indo-European root *dhreugh (whence modern German Traum/English dream and trug "deception"), and comparisons have been made with Sanskrit dhvaras (a type of demonic being).
After the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, tales of dwarfs continued to be told in the folklore of areas of Europe where Germanic languages were (and are) spoken. Today dwarfs appear commonly in modern popular culture.
Sightings
In December 22, 1954, in Venezuela, Gustavo Gonzales and Jose Ponce encountered four hairy dwarf-like creatures on a hunting trip in the Amazon.
The dwarves were seen stepping out of a hovering craft, and attempted to forcibly abduct two young men who were out hunting. One of the hunters hit an attacking dwarf with the butt of his rifle, only to have it splinter into pieces, as if it had struck a solid rock.
