{"id":2016,"date":"2014-12-25T23:50:38","date_gmt":"2014-12-25T23:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=2016"},"modified":"2014-12-26T00:24:43","modified_gmt":"2014-12-26T00:24:43","slug":"sprites-of-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/sprites-of-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Sprites of Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

A Scandinavian nisse. (Thanks to Anders Palovaara at Flickr<\/a>.)<\/p><\/div>\n

If you go to Skandinavia <\/i><\/b>in desember<\/b>, you\u2019ll most certainly encounter little men (and women) with pointy r\u00f8de luer<\/b> (red caps) everywhere: <\/i>In butikker<\/b> (shops), in private homes, p\u00e5 tv<\/b> [paw teh-veh] (in television). No, you\u2019re not<\/i> mad! Say hello to the nisser<\/b>\u2026<\/p>\n

The typical nisse<\/b> looks like an old man with a langt, hvitt skjegg<\/b> [langt vitt shegg] (long, white beard) \u2013 except that he\u2019s really small, like a child or even a rabbit. He\u2019s wearing traditional clothes such as an ullgenser<\/b> (woolen jersey). He\u2019s often got tykke, r\u00f8de kinn<\/b> (fat round cheeks) and a jovial look. I think you wouldn\u2019t mind having a grandfather like that! \ud83d\ude42 On top of his head the famous nisselue<\/b> looms large. It isn\u2019t just a red version of a wizard\u2019s hat \u2013 there typically is a white or red dusk <\/b>(tuft) at the end.<\/p>\n

Originally, a nisse<\/b> was a kind of mythical being that helped farmers on their g\u00e5rd<\/b> [gore] (farm). If the farmer didn\u2019t treat him well, he could avenge himself by making sure that the goat gave birth to a kid with two heads \u2013 that kind of thing. In the Norwegian countryside people still talk about nisser<\/b>; on the day before julekvelden<\/b> (Christmas Eve, December 24th), traditional farmers will go out in the l\u00e5ve<\/b> (barn) and place a sk\u00e5l gr\u00f8t<\/b> [skawl grert] (bowl of porridge) there so the local nisse<\/b> won\u2019t get hungry & angry\u2026<\/p>\n

In the towns and cities nisser<\/b> are mostly associated with jul<\/b> (Christmas) and moro<\/b> (fun). Sometimes they\u2019re mixed up with Julenissen<\/b> (Santa Claus\/Father Christmas). He was introduced to Scandinavia from the US, though, and hasn\u2019t got very much in common with the Scandinavian nisser<\/b> \u2013 except that they all wear red caps. Nisser<\/b> aren\u2019t just old men; there are also nissekoner<\/b> (nisse <\/b>wives) and nissebarn <\/b>(nisse<\/b> children).<\/p>\n

Nisser <\/b>make dark nights bristle with liv<\/b> (life), and I can\u2019t imagine Christmas without them. One of the most beloved julesanger<\/b> (Christmas songs\/carols) for children starts like this:<\/p>\n

P\u00e5 l\u00e5ven sitter nissen med sin julegr\u00f8t,<\/b><\/p>\n

in the barn the nisse<\/b> is sitting with his Christmas porridge,<\/em><\/p>\n

s\u00e5 god og s\u00f8t, s\u00e5 god og s\u00f8t.<\/b><\/p>\n

so good and sweet, so good and sweet.<\/em><\/p>\n

Han nikker, og han smiler, og han er s\u00e5 glad,<\/b><\/p>\n

he\u2019s nodding, he\u2019s smiling, and he\u2019s so happy,<\/em><\/p>\n

for julegr\u00f8ten vil han gjerne ha.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2019cause the Christmas porridge he really wants.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

God jul! <\/b>[gohd yule]<\/p>\n

Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

If you go to Skandinavia in desember, you\u2019ll most certainly encounter little men (and women) with pointy r\u00f8de luer (red caps) everywhere: In butikker (shops), in private homes, p\u00e5 tv [paw teh-veh] (in television). No, you\u2019re not mad! Say hello to the nisser\u2026 The typical nisse looks like an old man with a langt, hvitt…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":2017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[913],"tags":[43,362398,27644,2153,362395,3245,293301,362399,362396],"class_list":["post-2016","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-traditions","tag-christmas","tag-countryside","tag-farms","tag-fun","tag-grot","tag-jul","tag-nisse","tag-pa-laven-sitter-nissen","tag-porridge"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t