Alf (elf) In Norse mythology, a dwarf mentioned in the Voluspa, a poem in the Poetic Edda that tells of the creation and destruction of the world. The name Alf is used also for a number of other dwarfs and other characters. From it comes, through Old English, the word elf.
Source:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow-Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante