Fictional Fey

The use of elves in popular fantasy fiction has shaped our perception of these otherworldly beings.  From Tolkien's Middle Earth, to Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, and our favorite Christmas stories, what we think of when someone mentions elves is likely formed as much from these sources as from the folklore of our ancestors. These popular but fictitious founts of pop culture were often informed by that same folklore, though, so they do sometimes contain a kernel of truth.  Tolkien in particular was known for his interest in Germanic mythology, and the elves in his stories were based heavily off of that tradition.