Elemental Beings from Myths and Legends

The four elements, as recognized by such intellectual greats as Plato and Aristotle, are earth, air, fire, and water. Ancient belief was that these four elements made up everything in the universe. Not only are these elements the building blocks of everything, they also have special protectors. This article covers the top four elemental beings from classic myth and legend.

Earth Elemental - The Gnome

Long before the popularity of ceramic garden gnomes - which are actually dwarves - gnomes were believed to be one with the earth. Small and dark, and often cloaked and hooded, they are said to be made in the earth and to disappear into the earth when threatened. These small humaoids are often said to be able to morph into massive giants whenever they want to. Gnomes were popular in the media with the children's cartoon "David the Gnome" about a garden-gnome-variety chap in a red hat who helped the woodland creatures. Giants are also closely associated with earth, as are golems and dwaves.

Fire Elemental - Salamanders

Modern video games and movies may depict fire elementals as more of a moving flame with arms and legs, but the classic mythology tells a different tale. Salamanders, small, brightly-colored amphibians that look like lizards, are closely associated with fire. Even in Harry Potter, salamandars are seen playing in the fires. Of course, there have also been legends and myths about fire that seemed to have a mind of its own. Flames and explosions have been said to follow people or attack those who had done evil.

Air Elemental - Sylphs

First named by Paracelcus in the fifteenth century, sylphs are amorphous spirits of the air. They are often associated with beautiful female shapes as well. Air elemental beings are also depicted as tornado-shaped clouds or clouds with wind issuing from them. Other mythological or legendary creatures associated with air include asian-style dragons and wisps.

Water Elemental - Undines or Neiriads

These water elemental beings are the ancient precursors to the more popular water-themed fantasy creatures, mermaids. More spiritual than physical, these elemental creatures are usually found in sea spray and the mist coming off waterfalls. Of course, mermaids are popular water creatures as well.

Finding elemental beings in myth and legend is easy. Since many of these tales borrow from the scientific knowledge of the time in which they were written, the four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - are often depicted in them.