In Scandinavian folklore, the nisse, also called julenisse in Norway, jultomte in Sweden, julemand in Denmark and joulupukki in Finland is a little lutin who protects houses, farms and children at night when everybody is asleep and brings luck and protects the home from bad luck in exchange with at least one bowl of porridge a year. From the 1840's, he is associated with Christmas, bringing from now on presents rather than the traditional julbock who will gradually become his steed, and his design will see itself be little by little influenced into looking more and more like Santa Claus arborring nowadays a red hat and a long white beard. He goes through the door, puts a present near the sleeping children if they left him a risengrød dish on the doorstep during the Saturday before an Advent Sunday and if children have not been nice he wrecks the house and they have to clean up themselves

Nisses © Scandinavian folklore
Drawing © me