<P> O! I hear the tiny horns Of enchanted leprechauns And the padded feet of many gnomes a-coming! </P> <P> As a philologist, Tolkien's interest in languages led him to invent several languages of his own as a pastime . In considering the nature of who might speak these languages, and what stories they might tell, Tolkien again turned to the concept of elves . </P> <P> In his The Book of Lost Tales, Tolkien develops a theme that the diminutive fairy - like race of Elves had once been a great and mighty people, and that as Men took over the world, these Elves had "diminished" themselves . This theme was influenced especially by the god - like and human - sized Ljósálfar of Norse mythology, and medieval works such as Sir Orfeo, the Welsh Mabinogion, Arthurian romances and the legends of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Some of the stories Tolkien wrote as elven history have been seen to be directly influenced by Celtic mythology . For example, "Flight of The Noldoli" is based on the Tuatha Dé Danann and Lebor Gabála Érenn, and their migratory nature comes from early Irish / Celtic history . John Garth also sees that with the underground enslavement of the Noldoli to Melkor, Tolkien was essentially rewriting Irish myth regarding the Tuatha Dé Danann into a Christian eschatology . </P> <P> The name Inwe (in the first draft Ing), given by Tolkien to the eldest of the elves and his clan, is similar to the name found in Norse mythology as that of the god Ingwi - Freyr (and Ingui - Frea in Anglo - Saxon paganism), a god who is gifted the elf world Álfheimr . Terry Gunnell also claims that the relationship between beautiful ships and the Elves is reminiscent of the god Njörðr and the god Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir . He also retains the usage of the French derived term "fairy" for the same creatures . </P>

Lord of the rings home of the elves