Turistička organizacija Veliko Gradište

Scandinavian countries have vast mythology connected with dwarfs that are very important. Analyzing the sources from The Middle Ages, it is obvious that Germanic mythology is connected to dwarfs very much, and that in “The Niblung Saga” dwarfs are very important as a driving force. The intention was to connect dwarfs with the underground world in order to place them into a certain order of things and give them some human characteristics as to understand them. In that way dwarfs became some evil creatures who want to act maliciously towards people.It is interesting that their existence is always connected with mines and the underground. They are usually miners or craftsmen, but sometimes farmers or fishermen. In “The Niblung Saga” the dwarfs are the main blacksmiths and producers of magic jewelers, which is the main topic of this epic. Similar descriptions can be found in Scandinavian myths, in which dwarfs are hard working miners and skillful craftsmen who make jewellery of great magic power. In our country, stories about dwarfs have existed for centuries, the fact which is documented by above mentioned books about dwarfs, elves, and giants. At the map of Europe, with the places of dwarfs’ habitat, you’ll find the region from the Morava River to the Timok River as one of the regions where dwarfs live. The main explanation for this is the fact that more than two thousand years ago there were iron mines- the main ore of that time.
Stories about small creatures, which live underground, hidden from big people, go around this region, too. When those so called “big people” started to exploit mines and underground treasures, dwarfs retreated to some safer holes and probably found some other jobs.
Now they live by the Pek River doing agriculture and by the Danube where they go fishing for survival. It is interesting that because of their fear of “big people” they decided not to be seen at all, and to hide their existence. The question arises: Is it just a fear or completely different way of life? Dwarfs’ way of life has no place in science, which is the main thing in the development of “big people” and which makes their life explainable, logic and predictable. There is no science in dwarfs’ way of thinking. That place is taken up by magic. Magic fulfills their lives, determines the way their society functions and their attitude to nature.
 hey try to be invisible to “big people”, but sometimes they interfere with their lives, depending on situation. People say dwarfs are malicious and that they do damage, which is not far from the truth, but it can be said for “the big”, too.
 lthough they don’t like “big people”, they often appear in dreams of those people who daydream a lot. Those are usually artists, creators and simple daydreamers who spend their time looking at the moon more than looking at puddles in front of them. They often come to dreams of that people and then make confusion and a storm, the result of which is something of artistic value- and sometimes that confusion remains forever in minds and hearts of daydreamers, so they never return to what we call “ordinary life”.
It is almost impossible to see dwarfs, except in winter when by water we can find footprints similar to bird’s legs, but so small that it is hard to find a bird with so small legs. And those feet- that is- dwarfs’ boots shaped like birds’ legs tell us about their wish: not to be seen by “big people”. So, when dwarfs come out of their deep underground holes, they want to hide their footprints by putting masks on the boots. When we see those footprints, we think they belong to a small bird.
They can also be seen in winter if you put the face on snow, somewhere by a river or a big meadow, you may see a tiny smoke (as a cigarette smoke) coming out of dwarfs’ chimneys.
You should not disturb, touch or even try to catch them because, due to magic, they are usually stronger than any “big” one.