Showing posts with label Santa's elves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa's elves. Show all posts

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Winter Folklore: Lutins..

 





Lutin....

❄️๐Ÿง‍♂️๐Ÿง‍♀️❄️


These small gnome like creatures can be found in  Scandinavia, Germany, England and a few other Locations including  America and Canada.

In Chicago there is a small demon, leprechaun or gnome like being called The Nain seeing him I'd said to be a bad omen followed be something bad happening to the the city.   ( Fire, sickness economic hardship ect ) He is most often described as childlike in hight with red or black fur boots and  "blazing red eyes and rotten teeth 



...........

 The word Lutin is usually translated to English as: brownieelffairygnomegoblinimpjetin ..... pretty much any small figure depending on the region he is spotted in.

 He  can take several different forms  dogs cats other small animals or even a horse with a saddle ready to ride,  in this shape he's called Le Cheval Bayard. Or he could just stay completely invisible.


In  Quebec Canada he's considered a type of  spirit that can take  the form of either pets (usually a dogs or rabbit) or other animals from the region. It's believed that an animal with all white fur could be a Lutin especially a  white cat, though any  animal that lives in or near a home could  be a Lutin in disguise.  





The are essentially House spirits, similar to a Nisse or a Kikimora , they can be either   good or bad, the good ones use their  powers in a verity of ways ranging from  controlling the weather, to shaving the beard of the master of the house before he wakes up  Sundays.


Bad of simply offended ones  may harass the home owner with  minor troubles, like dulling  a  scythe blade or filling someone's shoes with pebbles. 

Good or bad they all seem to absolutely hate salt and will go out of their way to avoid crossing it when spilled on the ground.

 They also occasionally seem to enjoy tangling human or horses' hair into elf-locks.








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It Lapland mythology, they are helpers to Pรชre Noรชl (Santa๐ŸŽ…) Basically elves.


One of the older Lutin references can be found in the French fairy tale "Le Prince Lutin", written in 1697 by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoyshe    gives a description of their powers........

 "air, water and terrestrial lutin": "You are invisible when you like it; you cross in one moment the vast space of the universe; you rise without having wings; you go through the ground without dying; you penetrate the abysses of the sea without drowning; you enter everywhere, though the windows and the doors are closed; and, when you decide to, you can let yourself be seen in your natural form.

 In this story a red hat with two feathers makes them  invisible to everyone.




Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Christmas Elves....

 



๐ŸŽ„ Christmas Elves ⛄


We all know of Santa and his workshop of elves, but we're did this story come from what are the  origins of the jolly fat man's helpers?


 The modern elf folklore come  from Norse/Scandinavian mythology, the Nisse or house gnome and the  รกlfar, also called  huldufรณlk or  hildafolk 'hidden folk'.

Sweden's gift giver before Santa was the Tomten and the Yule Goat though by 1891, the Good old St Nick had merged with Tomten, who was originally an elf or gnome like farm guardian  (like the Nisse).  following the work of Jenny Nystrรถm, this new combination of  old and new Christmas figures became  the Jultomten.




In Nordic countries, Nisse are the closest thing you could consider as Christmas Elves even though  nisse are not actually  elves and they will usually  only wear red instead of the green and red outfits that elves are known for in most western  countries.




 Several  Norse legend were likely combined with other Scandinavian and Celtic legends and myths about these small magic beings.

All kinds of stories about elves, fairies  nature spirits and even gnomes can be found from  multiple regions through Europe there are also similar supernatural beings that could be connected to elves, such as kobolds or duende  from Germany Mexico and South America or the Scottish house spirits called brownies. In Medieval Europe, elves were seen as tricksters and were often linked to demons especially after the christianization of Europe most things of a supernatural or otherworldly nature where considered evil.


The modern  Christmas elf + working in Santa's workshop) appeared in literature as early as 1850 when Louisa May Alcott (Little Women ) completed, but never published a book called Christmas Elves. 


Though a earlier reference to Christmas elf's can be found  In the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (   'Twas the Night Before Christmas), by  Clement Clarke Moore, Santa Claus himself is described in line 45: "He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf".





The image of the elves in the workshop was also popularized by Godey's Lady's Book, with a front cover illustration for its 1873 Christmas issue showing Santa surrounded by toys and elves with the caption "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time".




 During this time, Godey's was a very influential figure to the birth of some of our Christmas traditions, having shown the first widely circulated picture of a modern Christmas tree on the front cover of its 1850 Christmas issue. Additional recognition was also given in Austin Thompson's 1876 work "The House of Santa Claus, a Christmas Fairy Show (Christmas play) for Sunday Schools"

A few other versions of elf's or helpers are

Ded Moroz (father Frost / Grandfather Frost )  and his grand daughter Snegurochka (Frost Maiden) from Russia ⛄๐ŸŽ


Knecht Ruprecht from Germany.๐Ÿป๐ŸŽ…

The  Hoesecker in  Luxembourg.๐ŸฆŒ

Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) In the Netherlands and Belgium who accompany Saint Nicholas on his global gift giving.๐ŸŽ„

And lastly the modern Christmas tradition involving that ever watchful snitch The Elf on the Shelf  .๐Ÿง‍♂️๐Ÿ‘€


Hopefully none of you are on the naughty list, this year ๐Ÿ™‚

Have a great Christmas and happy New Year.

๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽ๐ŸŽ…⛄๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŽ„


๐Ÿฆ‡M๐Ÿฆ‡

Last Post for the year, thanks for stopping by and have an awesome 2025๐ŸŽ†๐ŸŽ‡