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This article is about the mythical creature tomte. For the band, see
Tomte . There is also a computer game named The Tomte.
A tomte or nisse is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore
originating from Norse paganism. Tomte or Nisse were believed to take care
of a farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in
particular at night, when the housefolk were asleep. Tomte is the common
Swedish name, derived from his place of residence and area of influence:
the house lot or tomt. The Finnish name is "tonttu". Nisse is the common
name in Norwegian, Danish and the Scanian dialect in southernmost Sweden;
it is a nickname for Nils, and its usage in folklore comes from expressions
such as Nisse god dräng ("Nisse good lad," cf. Robin Goodfellow).
Appearance The tomte/nisse was often imagined as a small, elderly man
(size varies fro
