Think of all the mythical creatures that have populated human imagination and legend! Unicorns, chupacabras, Loc Ness Monsters, hydras, elves, gods and goddesses- how did we come up with such a wide array of fantastic stories? Various cultural anthropologists and historians can give us solid guesses, but we really can’t know for certain how our storytelling species crafted all of these ideas. We also can’t tell how some of these stories live on while others have died out at the hands of science and skepticism.
Most legendary, fanciful critters haven’t fared as well as our ambiguous, all-powerful big-man-in-the-sky. Elves disappeared from any kind of sincere account many, many years ago. We now find them relegated to the realm of animated movies and cookie packages. Yet I believe more in elves than I do in God.
Actually, I know elves exist. Soon you will be able to make that claim too. You’ll just have to stretch your understanding of the impish, fun-loving humanoids a little. First, strike that concept of “humanoid”- elves don’t just look like humans, they are humans. Elves are humans with William’s syndrome [1].
William’s syndrome results from the deletion of genetic material in a region of chromosome 7. The condition results in a wide array of cognitive deficits. People with William’s have no depth perception, and have trouble with spatial imagination. The condition results in mental retardation; most people with William’s have IQ’s in the 60’s. Along with William’s many effects on the brain, the genetic deletion results in cardiovascular problems. The syndrome has many autism-like symptoms.
But if ever you meet a person with William’s syndrome, you’ll hardly believe the condition’s close relationship with autism. Unlike the quiet, unemotional, nonsocial appearance of an autistic child, a William’s child often runs to greet a stranger [2]. People with William’s love to engage people in conversation, adore socializing, and have amazingly upbeat moods. Their strong language and conversation skills mask their other mental drawbacks. The striking opposite to an autistic child, who has trouble relating with people and processing empathy, a William’s child appears highly sensitive to a person’s mood and approaches social contact, rather than shrinking away.
How does a loveable, socially outgoing person with a mental disability become a fantasy creature in ancient lore? To understand what makes William’s people “elves”, note a few of their other typical characteristics. The syndrome carries with it a strong association with musical ability [3] and interest- many people with William’s have perfect pitch or spot-on rhythm. Their surprisingly honed speaking abilities make many of them dynamic storytellers with remarkable imaginations.
Also, the facial features characteristic of William’s syndrome match the mythical accounts of elves and fairies: small-framed, short people with low nasal bridges, upturned noses, wide mouths and deep-gazing eyes that strive to make a social connection with every face it sees. Many experts who have studied or worked with people with William’s syndrome believe that they provided the inspiration for the various cultural stories of tiny, friendly, gifted people- elves and fairies and others.
Take for instance Biopsychologist Dr. John Pinel’s description of William’s syndrome in the textbook Basics of Biopsychology:
You may have unknowingly encountered stories of William’s people. Many cultures feature tales involving magical little people: pixies, elves, leprechauns, etc. Remarkably, descriptions and drawings of these creatures portray them as virtually identical to William’s people, who are often described as elfin in appearance…Even the typical behavioral characteristics of elves- engaging storytellers, talented musicians, loving, trusting, and sensitive to the feelings of others- match those of William’s people.
It does not seem far-fetched to me that legends of elves arose from real-life William’s people. We know of a real-life condition and genuine people that match up with the fantasy stories of dwarves- we sometimes even refer to the condition as dwarfism. Couldn’t another imaginary type of little person also exist in real life the way that “dwarves” exist in real life?
The more we look back, the more we can see that fictional beings tend to arise from actual living inspirations. Vlad the Impaler sparked the Dracula story. Mermaids may have come from superstitious sailors spotting dolphins. God- who knows. But amazingly, fascinatingly, we can say that elves did and do exist.
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