Elf-arrow

Lore & Background

Elf-arrows are Neolithic and Bronze Age flint arrowheads that were reinterpreted in later folklore as fairy darts or elf-shot. They were believed to have fallen from the sky and were used by elves to kill cattle and inflict elf-shot on humans—a condition of sudden, localized shooting pains. The same arrowheads could also serve as protective amulets, sometimes set in silver, to ward off witchcraft. In Scottish witch trials, accused witch Isobel Gowdie testified that elf-arrows were given to witches by the Devil, who instructed them to be fired by flicking with the thumb rather than shot with a bow.

Reader's Guide

Elf-arrows occupy a complex and often confused place in scholarship, as the term 'elf-shot' has been applied to disease caused by elves, witchcraft involving projectiles without elves, and the physical arrowheads themselves. This ambiguity has led to significant confusion across sources, with divergent definitions and missing connections between them. The artifacts themselves are real prehistoric tools, but their folkloric interpretation as supernatural weapons and remedies highlights how ancient objects were repurposed within belief systems. The persistence of elf-arrow belief into the 20th century in Scotland, particularly regarding harm to animals, demonstrates the long endurance of these folk traditions. The use of elf-arrows as both cause and cure—sometimes through charms or amulets—reflects a dualistic view common in folk medicine, where the same object could inflict or heal harm. This duality is also seen in preventive practices, such as using spear-shaped plants like feverfew or red nettles by the Law of Similarity, or having a priest sing masses over remedies for elf-shot horses.

Did You Know?

• Elf-arrows were sometimes set in silver and worn as amulets against witchcraft.
• Accused Scottish witch Isobel Gowdie claimed elf-arrows were given by the Devil and fired by flicking with the thumb.
• The same flint arrowheads could be seen as both the cause and the cure of elf-shot.
• Belief in elf-arrows persisted into the 20th century in Scotland, especially concerning harm to animals.