![]() ![]() The Norsk Allkunnebok encyclopedia was of the view that nisse was introduced from Denmark relatively late, and that native names found in Norway such as tomte, tomtegubbe, tufte, tuftekall, gardvord, etc., date much older. ![]() 1600 or earlier, and Emil Birkeli (1938) believed the introduction to be as early as 13 to 14c. Reidar Thoralf Christiansen remarked that the "belief in the nisse is confined to the south and east" of Norway, and theorized the nisse was introduced to Norway (from Denmark) in the 17th century, but there is already mention of "Nisse pugen" in a Norwegian legal tract c. In Scania, Halland and Blekinge the Nisse also known as goanisse (Godnisse, Goenisse≈the good Nisse). It might also be conceded that tomte is more a Swedish term than Norwegian. Thus ostensibly tomte prevails in eastern Norway (and adjoining Sweden), although there are caveats attached to such over-generalizations by linguist Oddrun Grønvik. Another synonym is tunkall ("yard fellow" ) also found in the north and west. Aasen noted the variant form tuftekall to be prevalent in the Nordland and Trondheim areas of Norway, and the tale "Tuftefolket på Sandflesa" published by Asbjørnsen is localized in Træna in Nordland. Dialects įorms such as tufte have been seen as dialect. In the English editions of the Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales the Danish word nisse has been translated as 'goblin', for example, in the tale " The Goblin at the Grocer's". Brynildsen's dictionary (1927) glossed nisse as ' goblin' or ' hobgoblin'. Braekstad (1881) chose to substitute nisse with " brownie". While the term nisse in the native Norwegian is retained in Pat Shaw Iversen's English translation (1960), appended with the parenthetical remark that it is a household spirit, H. The Norwegian tufte is also equated to nisse or tomte. Its current use in Norway into the 19th century is evidenced in Asbjørnsen's collection. The word nisse is a pan-Scandinavian term. Asbjørnsen (1896) Norske Folke- og Huldre-Eventyr How they are able to break into people's homes with their giant hats covering their eyes remains a mystery to me.―Illustration by Hans Gude. ![]() Unlike the elves of other cultures, which reside at the North Pole, legend has it that gnomes pop out of their forests niches come Christmas Day, and walk through the front doors of homes to hand-deliver presents. While their origins play into many different narratives throughout history, they've become tied with Christmas, where they serve as present bearers. They were tasked with various chores around the home, and might act out when the humans didn't cater to their little gnome needs. The folklore traces back to the late 18th and 19th centuries, when gnomes were believed to be household spirits responsible for the care and prosperity of a farm or family. In northern European countries, they often go by the name Nisse, and are typically depicted as short men or women donning red caps. Well, as it turns out, gnomes actually came to us from Scandinavia, as so many home trends do. I had to do some research because despite all the spiked eggnog I down every holiday season, I couldn't recall ever hearing about a Christmas story or movie that involved gnomes. When there are such darling Santa and reindeer figurines available, why are people opting to bring these bulbous-nosed, stout little men into the home? According to Google Trends, there has been a significantly high search volume for 'Christmas gnomes' during the last couple months of 2019, and frankly I am not too thrilled about it. Practically overnight, the pineapple became an unlikely December staple, and then this year, we've seen Christmas trees of all different colors pop up as well as some other. Over the years, some rather outlandish styles have emerged in holiday decor. ![]()
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