Edward Tyson
(London, 1699), a book full of suggestive notices. This author has
undoubtedly reached the "bed-rock" of the question; but, owing to his
era and mental environment, he has not realised that his argument is
useless without a consideration of the various stratifications above the
"bed-rock." Belonging to the same century is the chapter "Of Pigmies" in
Sir Thomas Browne's "Vulgar Errors," wherein he makes several very
interesting statements, although he argues from the opposite side.
Scattered throughout the writings of Sir Walter Scott, both poetry and
prose, there are also many references bearing upon this question, from
the realistic point of view. In addition to these, there is his
well-known treatise "On the Fairies of Popular Superstition," prefaced
to "The Tale of Tamlane," wherein he states that "the most distinct
account of the duergar [_i.e._ dwergs, or dwarfs], or elves, and their
attributes, is to be found in a preface of Torfaeus to the history of
Hrolf Kraka [Copenhagen, 1715], who cites a dissertation by Einar
Gudmund, a learned native of Iceland. 'I am firmly of opinion,' says the
Icelander, 'that these beings are creatures of God, consisting, like
human beings, of a body and rational soul; that they are of different
sexes, and capable of producing children, and subject to all human
affections, as sleeping and waking, laughing and crying, poverty and
wealth; and that they possess cattle and other effects, and are
obnoxious to death, like other mortals.
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