My personal headcanon is that the 'grey folk' WERE elves. Think about it:
Grey folk: - came across the sea from a distant land to the West - spoke the Ancient Language - regularly and easily used magic - nearly destroyed by a terrible mistake, which is why they disappeared
Elves: - came across the sea from a distant land to the West - speak the Ancient Language - regularly and easily use magic - nearly destroyed by a terrible mistake, which is why they left their homeland
Unless we are given direct evidence (not just Paolini saying "no" in an interview) that they are separate cultures, I will assume via Occam's Razor that they were just different exploration/colonisation parties from the original home of the elves. Separated by generations and probably with slightly different cultures because of time and cultural shifts, but still ultimately elves originating from Alalëa.
no subject
My personal headcanon is that the 'grey folk' WERE elves. Think about it:
Grey folk:
- came across the sea from a distant land to the West
- spoke the Ancient Language
- regularly and easily used magic
- nearly destroyed by a terrible mistake, which is why they disappeared
Elves:
- came across the sea from a distant land to the West
- speak the Ancient Language
- regularly and easily use magic
- nearly destroyed by a terrible mistake, which is why they left their homeland
Unless we are given direct evidence (not just Paolini saying "no" in an interview) that they are separate cultures, I will assume via Occam's Razor that they were just different exploration/colonisation parties from the original home of the elves. Separated by generations and probably with slightly different cultures because of time and cultural shifts, but still ultimately elves originating from Alalëa.