The Tomte
On old Swedish farms, a small bearded tomte was said to guard the animals at night, as long as he got his bowl of porridge at Christmas.
What was reported
In Scandinavian folklore, the tomte (in Norway and Denmark, the nisse) is a small, old, bearded man in grey clothes and a red cap who lives on a farm, often in the barn. He looks after the animals and the household at night, and brings good luck.
But he is easily offended. Families left him a bowl of porridge with butter on Christmas Eve, and stories warned that a tomte who was insulted or forgotten might play tricks or leave, taking the farm's luck with him.
Explanations offered
The tomte is a folklore figure, possibly rooted in old beliefs about the spirit of the person who first cleared a farm. Today he has merged with Father Christmas in Sweden, where the Christmas tomte brings presents.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Farms of Småland, Sweden
- Witnesses
- Swedish farm tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.