[Woodcarver] Nisse(Tomte) chat

[sally nye]

Hi Mike,
I don't know if this applies to the Nisse/Tomte but the same legendary  
figure can have different names due to the region in discussion.  In  
some cases, each region claims it is inherent to them first and  
foremost.  Others have adopted it as their own but you must not believe  
them ;)  This scenario applies to fan birds, chip carved patterns,  
treen ware and even Santa Claus.  To do research on these topics with  
the people who carry the traditions, it is a very passionate part of  
them.  They will tell you most emphatically and without hesitation that  
they are the ONLY ones that are correct.

Don't you love it?
Sally
http://www.geocities.com/fancarving/home.html

On Jun 4, 2004, at 9:28 PM, Mike Bloomquist wrote:

We carvers are of the Swedish or part Swedish persuation call them  
tomte.
Cool little folk aren't they ;-).

Keep on Carvin'
-Mike B.->


----- Original Message -----
From: "Loren Woodard" <woodcarver at midmo.com>
To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Nisse chat

> Mike:
>
> My apologies.  I mistook the carving for a small Santa.  Not knowing  
> what
a
> Nisse really was - I always thought it was a Scandinavian Santa :o) - I
> looked it up on the Internet. For those interested, I found this
explanation
> of a Nisse.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ---
--
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ---
--
> --------------------------------------------
> Nisse
> by Jason Clarke
>
>       In Scandinavian folklore, a "household spirit" responsible for  
> the
> care and prosperity of a farm. A nisse was usually described as a short
man
> (under four feet tall) wearing a red cap with a tassel.
>
>
>
>       While belief in guardian spirits is a very old tradition in
> Scandinavia, belief in nisser was prominent in the late eighteenth and
> nineteenth centuries in Denmark, southern Norway and southern Sweden.  
> Many
> farms claimed to have their own nisse. The nisse took an active  
> interest
in
> the farm by performing chores such as grooming horses, carrying bales  
> of
> hay, and other farm-related tasks. These chores were usually done much
more
> efficiently and effectively than by their human counterparts.
>
>       However, nisser were very temperamental, to say the least. If the
> household was not careful to keep its nisse satisfied (usually in the  
> form
> of a single bowl of porridge with butter in it left out on Christmas  
> eve)
> the spirit could turn against its masters. In one story, a girl is
> instructed by her family to give the nisse his porridge, but decides to
eat
> it herself. The nisse responds by forcing her to dance until she nearly
> dies. Sometimes the offering themselves could backfire: in another  
> tale, a
> grateful farmer gives his nisse a pair of nice white boots, and  
> afterward
> the nisse refuses to go out into the rain to stable the horses for  
> fear of
> getting his new boots dirty.
>
>       The folklore roots of the nisser extend to Germany, where they  
> grew
> out of the legends of St. Nicholas. Thus the nisser are related to the
> modern conception of Santa Claus.
>
>        
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ---
--
> --------------------------------------------------
>
>       I hope others find this as interesting as I did.
>
>
>
>       Loren
>
>
>
>
> My carvings can be seen at http://www.woodcarvers-gallery.com
> http://www.carvingmagazine.com  Carving Magazine's web site - Check out
the
> reader's forum.