…It’s about Christmas. And maybe a little about the critical self preservation of their personal identity…it’s about the Tomtes…and they want to get the word out!
From what I’ve been told, Tomtes are more than just a legend going back far into Sweden’s past. My sources say that the Tomte was a resident of each farm, the farm’s “good spirit” who was responsible for ensuring peace and happiness in the barn and in the household throughout the year. He it was who made sure the gate was closed, who kicked down a little extra hay for the cows and sheep from the hayloft, poured a little extra milk for the cat, tossed the dog a bone, or made sure the children were still properly tucked in during the darkest hours of the night. Of course, he demanded a little extra attention around Christmas time – it was proper Tomte etiquette to place a bowl of rice porridge out for him on Christmas Eve as a thank you for his watchful care. As we have studied the Tomte artwork produced over the years we have seen Tomtes depicted in several different sizes and apparently he has become somewhat conflated with the American Santa Claus in the eyes of many Swedes, bringing gifts. So one evening I was attending a Christmas Party, and one of the highlights of the fest was the recitation from memory of the wonderful poem “The Tomte”, by an 80 year old woman. The lengthy poem, by Viktor Rydberg, is considered a Swedish classic. Afterwards as I sat with her, along with several other elderly Swedes, I casually asked, “So how big are Tomtes anyway?” In all seriousness, seriously, this woman replied, “Well, the one I saw was about this tall”, and held her hand about 10 -12 inches above the table. “He was by the side of the road and dressed all in grey!” The other old folks nodded their heads and agreed that proper Tomtes are always dressed in grey, although sometimes wore a red cap, but never any other colors. One older gentleman said, “That is correct – but…now, of course I have never seen one myself – I am not such a one as sees such things, but there are certainly many who have!” So there you have it – the Tomte is real and so, you had better put out that dish of rice porridge on Christmas Eve if you want him to watch over your household through the year…but then again…that’s just what I’ve been told!
And as for trolls, that is another story!
