Gnomes are to be seen everywhere this winter, from napkins to teapots. But what is the origin of these cute little gonks? What’s the difference between gnomes and gonks? Some might think that they are just a cheery version of a Nordic Santa, but actually they have a long heritage in folklore and are not just the little Scandinavian hygge pixies we associate with Christmas.
A Nisse (Denmark and Norway), Tomte (Sweden) or Tonttu (Finland) is a mythical creature traditionally assosciated with farms and homesteads. If you treat them well (usually by feeding them, they are said to love porridge with a lump of butter on top), they will protect your livestock and keep the farm safe but woe betide you if you neglect them! Expect to have your shoes stolen or even worse, as they are notoriously short-tempered. It is said that you should always let them know if you have spilt something on the floor, just in case it drips down on to their head; many people (including us!) still leave out a bowl of rice pudding on Christmas Eve so the nisser don’t tie the tails of cows together or hide everyone’s shoes.
Bex’s rice pudding
According to National Geographic, 54% of Icelanders believe there are álfar (elves) or huldufólk (hidden folk) living in the country, and although I haven’t seen any in Iceland, they definitely live in my house and have a particular fondness for car keys and the TV remote. 
Bex searching for elves in Iceland
If you do have the good fortune to visit Reykjavík there are elf tours and an elf school you can visit too, and they are mentioned in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda; born in Iceland in the 12th century, his writings are one of the main sources of VIking Age mythology, and an inspiration for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (recognise the names Gandalf, Thorin, Fili and Kili anyone?).
Kravlenisser (literally “crawling-pixies) are more accurately described as “shelf-pixies.” The first drawings were originally designed by Danish cartoonist Frederik Bramming in the 1940s and they are usually purchased in printed out sheets, to be cut out with scissors at home. Each pixie has a little paper tab that can be tucked under a book or taped to a shelf, and they are usually indulging in some sort of miscreant behaviour! We’ve designed our own free printable for you to download and colour in with your family for a Hygge Family Christmas Craft Evening!
Free kravlenisser Danish elf printable download colour in hyggestyle
Now the word “gonk” is a little more modern; the artist Robert Benson created a range of stuffed toys for adults in the 1960s. With floppy fringes and egg-shaped furry bodies many of them were designed to look like Mersey-side hipsters and they soon gained popularity, thanks to the endorsement of celebrities such as Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. Gradually the term became applied to furry or felted stuffed toys, and thus the association between Scandinavian gnomes and gonks began!
“Julaften” Christmas Eve hygge craft and tea gift box
This lovely box has everything you need for a cosy night in before Christmas! Pour yourself a spicy, warming cup of tea in our gorgeous hand-made nisse mug, and make some traditional Danish paper stars to decorate your hygge home.
- Hand-made nisse/gnome mug by the wonderful Sage Ceramics
- Danish Spiced Orange herbal teabags, box of 15 biodegradable pyramids
- Pa…
