Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 12

DID YOU
KNOW?
Some legends
assert that the
bite of a nisse
is so dangerous
that the recipient
is likely to die
before help
can arrive.
Some swear the nisse, as this
creature has come to be known,
is the spirit of the farm's first
inhabitant. Others envision
a cantankerous-although
helpful-sprite who demands
rewards in return for service.
" The nisse has evolved out
of a mixture of elements, some
introduced fairly recently and
some quite ancient conceptions,
as a being that has specialized
as a guardian of the farmstead
and its fortunes, " writes Reidar
Thorwald Christiansen in
" Folktales of Norway. "
These days, you're far more
likely to spot a cheery nisse
emblazoned on a Christmas
card than keeping watch over
the cows.
From farm protector to
bearer of Christmas cheer,
the nisse has evolved over the
centuries and has left a legacy
that lives on in Norway-and
beyond-to this day.
Huldre-folk to Gardvord
While it's impossible to know
the exact origins of the nisse,
there's evidence that it has been
around in some form as long
as Norwegians have lived in
Norway-and well before the
country had a name.
" The Norwegians believed
the world was populated by
so called huldre-folk, hidden
people, " says Kathleen Stokker,
author of " Keeping Christmas:
Yuletide Traditions in Norway
and the New Land. " " They
were beings that one didn't normally
see, but whose presence
was not doubted at all. "
Among the huldre-folk
emerged a being known as the
12 VIKING DECEMBER 2012
gardvord or protector of the
farm. Often thought to be the
living spirit of the farm's first
inhabitant, the gardvord was
treated with reverence and honor.
" There are a lot of folks who
draw a straight line between the
nisse and this earlier being that
was known as the gardvord, "
says Stokker. " To my mind, that
makes sense: the nisse has its
roots in this original, protective
spirit of the farm. "
To this day, the nisse plays
a more prominent role in the
folktales of Norway's eastern
and southern districts, while
those in the west and north are
more likely to tell tales of a giant,
more sinister figure called
the tunkall or godbonde who
guards and protects the home.
The National Nisse
For centuries, the nisse lived quietly
in the folklore passed down
sonsofnorway.com

http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - December 2012

Contents
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - Cover1
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - Cover2
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - Contents
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 4
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 5
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 6
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 7
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 8
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 9
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 10
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 11
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 12
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 13
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 14
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 15
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 16
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 17
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 18
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 19
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 20
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 21
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 22
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 23
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 24
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 25
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 26
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 27
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 28
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 29
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 30
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 31
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 32
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 33
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 34
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 35
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 36
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 37
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - 38
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - Cover3
Viking Magazine - December 2012 - Cover4
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