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Mike Mearls details "The Origin of Elves in Dungeons & Dragons" in a short video published on D&D Beyond's Facebook account.

Since which edition is the information he shares considered canon, especially for the D&D multiverse?

Please, point out official sources – books, articles, videos etc. – that he implicitly references.

V2Blast
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1 Answers1

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This creation myth dates back to AD&D 1st edition book Deities & Demigods, which first defined Corellon Larethian:

The god is also mighty in battle, and said to have personally banished such demons as Lolth from the sunlit Upperworld. Elven lore states that the race of elves sprang from the drops of blood Corellon shed in this epic battle.

In the AD&D 2nd edition Monster Mythology (1992), it is Gruumsh who spilled Corellon's blood:

The birth of the elves, people of song and dance and quiet and still places, is believed by them to have originated in the terrible battle Corellon fought with Gruumsh One-Eye, First Power of the orcs. The elves were born from Corellon's blood, and they do not forget this.

V2Blast
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Quadratic Wizard
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    It might be worth pointing out that "canon" in this case does not refer to all settings and campaign worlds in the Dungeons & Dragons line. – keithcurtis Jan 08 '18 at 19:29
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    2e's Complete Book of Elves, also from 1992, also has the Correllon-Gruumsh origin story ending with "thus were the Elves born from the blood of Corellon Larethian, mixed with the soil of the world, blessed with the tears of the moon, and given their nearness to divinity." I don't know which came first so I offer this as supplemental support. – nitsua60 Jan 08 '18 at 19:29
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    @nitsua60 Is a mention of the Complete Book of Elves complete without McComb's apology for it? I think not. – Hey I Can Chan Jan 08 '18 at 19:33
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    Actually, it's noteworthy that in the Complete Book of Elves the elves didn't spring from the blood of Corellon — Corellon and other elven gods created the elves, but they weren't alive; only after the battle with Gruumsh did they gather the tears and blood of Corellon and infuse the elves with them, bringing them to life. (CBoE, p. 9) So as of 2nd edition, the elves were created deliberately by Corellon, not accidentally by having them spontaneously generated from his spilled blood. Mearls' story sorta fits since 1e, but not continuously since 1e. – SevenSidedDie Jan 08 '18 at 19:46
  • @SevenSidedDie good point--I didn't want to reproduce the whole myth, but the blood of Corellon provides the "divine spark" as it were, after the Seldarine create the vessels. – nitsua60 Jan 08 '18 at 19:54
  • @HeyICanChan that... is an interesting bit of history I wasn't previously aware of. Thank you! – nitsua60 Jan 08 '18 at 22:42
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    Of course, it can be much more satisfying to have several “canons” each considered heresy by the others. – Dale M Jan 08 '18 at 23:04
  • I don't envy or begrudge anyone trying to maintain some semblance of canon and continuity across 45+ years of publication, especially across competing mythologies and milieus. – keithcurtis Feb 12 '18 at 18:54