Elfshot

Elfshot or elf-shot is a medical condition described in <a href="/facts/Anglo-Saxon/qWLes0LP">Anglo-Saxon</a> medical texts (notably <a href="/facts/Wi%25C3%25B0_f%25C3%25A6rstice/oRaRIVtk">Wið færstice</a>) believed to be caused by <a href="/facts/Elves/7GB9V6qp">elves</a> shooting invisible elf-arrows at a person or animal (most often cattle), causing sudden shooting pains localized to a particular area of the body. Modern diagnoses might include <a href="/facts/Rheumatism/VjLF3D3n">rheumatism</a>, <a href="/facts/Arthritis/IQ1wyf21">arthritis</a>, <a href="/facts/Side_stitch/1SFJD2gh">muscle stitches</a> or <a href="/facts/Cramps/h42IKvK6">cramps</a>. 
The term "elf-shot" is variously understood and used across different contexts. It has been interpreted as referring not only to disease caused by elves using projectiles but also to witchcraft involving projectiles without elves or fairies. Additionally, it can denote prehistoric <a href="/facts/Arrowhead/M3BUXh59">arrowheads</a> believed to be used by fairies or witches to cause harm or serve as protective amulets. Consequently, scholarship on elf-shot has been marked by significant confusion, with different sources applying divergent definitions and missing connections between them.

Elfshot open-in-new

Elfshot