Although the Scandinavian dwarf is often associated with faeries and elves. Dwarves are not generally regarded as a faerie race. The Duegar tales from Scotland and northern England of evil dwarves who harry travelers and construct elaborate and deadly traps, are likely a blend of imported tales of dwarves and local legends of trickster faeries.

Dwarves live underground partly because they like to be close to the metals that they love, but mostly to avoid sunlight, which turns them to stone, or in some legends, into toads. The legendary powers of dwarven metalsmiths are magical in nature. Some of the most powerful artifacts of the gods were made by dwarves, such as the Ring of Odin, and the sword Excalibur. Dwarves are also rumored to have strong prophetic abilities.

It is said that the aged appearance of dwarves is because they are mature at age 4 and grow a beard by age 6. Standing slightly shorter than humans, they wear long clothes and keep their beard long as well. The purpose of this is to help hide any deformity which the dwarf might be self-conscious about. Many dwarves have misshapen feet.

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