The Tomte

One of the more fun characters in traditional Swedish folklore is the tomte. This creature (sometimes translated as gnome) is said to inhabit the farms of rural Sweden. it stands no more than three feet tall with a beard and red pointed hat much like Santa's hat. The tomte is often depicted as a mischievous creature but usually in an innocent way as more of a prankster than evil. In fact the tomte's role is to protect and care for the farm. In this task the tomte cleans cares for the animals and brings prosperity to the household. Thus a well ordered home is considered a sign of the presence of a tomte.(Ingebretsen's, 2015)

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While tomte usually don't interact directly with their humans or require much in return for their services, the tomte does like a bowl of rice porridge. Traditionally a bowl is set out in  the barn or on the front step on Christmas eve for the tomte to eat. Various stories hold that a slighted tomte (one without his porridge) will exact revenge on the household and the farmer will become poverty stricken. At other times a poor farmer who has no way of keeping up his farm finds that everything is tended to with care by the tomte. (Linberg-Nyblom, 2009)

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The Christmas tomte or Jultomte is a slightly different creature but of the same ilk being simply larger. Like his smaller kin the Jultomte enjoys porridge, however the German tradition of St Nicholas has a large influence on the character as a whole. Ironically this Swedish equivalent to santa does not come on reindeer in a country where reindeer actually exist. Instead the Jultomte, often helped by other tomte, brings gifts on a sled pulled by a goat. This is probably a nod to norse mythology in which the god Thor rides across the sky in a chariot pulled by goats. A more modern derivation is linking the goat with lucifer as St Nicholas has conquered the devil. Regardless, the goat has become a common symbol for christmas time in Sweden and Norway (Ingebretsen's, 2015)