Thursday, August 14, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

The farmstead gnome – A protective being in Nordic folklore

Published 27 December 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Christmas card by the Swedish artist Jenny Nyström and an engraving by Andreas Flinch after a drawing by the Danish artist Johan Thomas Lundbye.
8 minute read

–The farmstead gnome has played a prominent role in Swedish folklore as one of the most important protective spirits. His influence was so significant that people not only offered him food but also prepared a straw bed for him. A satisfied gnome would bring prosperity, known as “tomtebolycka”, to the household, while a displeased one could bring misfortune.

In Nordic folklore, the farmstead gnome is among the most well-known beings, enjoying a particularly close connection with Swedes. Tales of various supernatural entities were common, but gnomes were especially prevalent and widely believed in. The Institute for Language and Folklore (ISOF) houses over a thousand archival stories about these gnomes.

“My mother had seen a gnome. She was so sure of it. She was walking along a road when she saw a tiny man with a red cap running ahead of her. When they reached a fork in the road, he ran down the other path” recounted Adolf Johansson, born in 1883 (recorded by Ragnar Nilsson, IFGH 4786, p. 4, Institute for Language and Folklore, Gothenburg).

The word “tomte” originates from the term tomt (homestead) and was previously used in the form tomt-gubbe, later evolving into tomtegubbe, according to the cultural organization Kulturminnet. The being is also known by other names, such as gårdstomte, hustomte, tomtevätte, tomtrået, tomtenisse, or tomtebisse.

Christmas cards by artist Jenny Nyström.

The Spirit of the Farmstead

The term bisse means leader, sage, or “top hen” (a Swedish expression for “head honcho”). In many ways, the farmstead gnome fulfilled such a role. He watched over the farm and assisted with daily chores, such as sifting flour, sweeping, haymaking, carrying straw, and tending to the animals. He was often described as the very spirit of the farm. Some stories claimed that he was the first man to cultivate the land, unable to rest in death and thus continuing to guard “his” farm.

The farmstead gnome is closely related to the vätte, a subterranean being believed to dwell beneath human houses in folklore.

Finding a horse with a braided mane in the morning was a sign that the gnome had visited the stable. Gnomes were said to love horses and braiding their manes. The horse, considered the gnome’s favorite animal, was never to be neglected, as mistreatment could have severe consequences.

A Temperamental Being

The gnome brought security to everyday life, and his satisfaction was key to the farm’s success. However, he was easily angered and intolerant of negligence. A dirty barn could earn someone a slap or a kick. It was crucial to avoid working at night on the farm, as that was the gnome’s time for labor. Disturbing him could result in a noisy reprisal the following night.

“They didn’t like it when people made noise after dark. If you did, the same noise would return later, without anything being done. I heard it myself more than once. I also saw them once”, said Ingeborg Nilsson West, born in 1836 (recorded by Olle Lindskog, IFGH 964, pp. 11–12, Institute for Language and Folklore, Gothenburg).

The gnome was considered conservative and resistant to modern agricultural machinery or significant changes. Introducing too many modern elements could prompt him to abandon the farm, an ominous sign. If angered, the gnome might kill a cow or otherwise sabotage farm work, according to ISOF records. A farm’s prosperity or hardship was often attributed to the state of its gnome.

Rewards and Rituals

Rewarding the gnome was crucial. People commonly prepared a straw bed for him in the barn and offered him tobacco, which he reportedly enjoyed. At Christmas, it was traditional to leave out a bowl of porridge, leading to the term tomtegröt. The porridge had to include butter, as one story illustrates:

“They had to give the gnome milk and porridge on Christmas Eve. There had to be butter in the porridge. At one place here, they had a gnome. They gave him porridge on Christmas Eve, but there was no butter on top. The butter was underneath, but the gnome didn’t see it. He became so furious that he went to the barn and killed their best cow”, recounted Viola Gustafsson in 1927 (IFGH 937, pp. 40–41, Institute for Language and Folklore, Gothenburg).

The gnome was often credited with magical powers, such as saving farms from famine by increasing grain yields or warning of dangers like fire or livestock illness. A satisfied and content gnome symbolized security and prosperity, embodying the concept of tomtebolycka.

A well-known legend tells of the gnome pulling a straw of hay. He huffs and puffs with effort, which prompts the farmer to mock him for struggling with such a small load. The gnome becomes angry and retorts that if he exerts as much effort back at the farmer as the farmer has mocked him, the farmer will have nothing left to boast about. In reality, the gnome had been carrying far more than the farmer realized, and after the incident, the farmer ends up impoverished.

Gnomes. Olaus Magnus’ History of the Nordic Peoples. Book 3 – Chapter 22 – On the Service of Spirits. – Published in 1555.

Common in the smithy

The farmstead gnome was not confined solely to farms. There are also tales of forest gnomes, who, for example, would wake charcoal burners if their kilns began to burn during the night. A story from Axel Lind, born in 1884 and recorded by Olle Lindskog in 1927, describes how blacksmiths were particularly superstitious and believed strongly in gnomes.

“My uncle used to say that if a blacksmith tried to take coal from a bin that wasn’t his own, the gnome would immediately appear and give him a resounding slap”, reads one account in IFGH 961, pp. 5–9, Institute for Language and Folklore, Gothenburg.

The origins of belief in the farmstead gnome are unclear, but according to the Nordic Museum (Nordiska museet), it can be traced back to at least the 7th or 8th century. In written records, the gnome is mentioned by Saint Birgitta, who in the 14th century criticized the custom of offering porridge to the gnome, considering it ungodly. The Swedish priest Olaus Magnus also references gnomes in his book History of the Nordic Peoples, where he includes illustrations of them.

Invisible to most

The farmstead gnome is a being that typically remains invisible but is sometimes said to reveal itself to certain individuals. Those who were synsk or clairvoyant might catch a glimpse of the gnome, but it was crucial to show him respect. Generally, people knew a gnome was present on the farm not by seeing him, but by noticing the traces of his work.

The gnome is often described as a small, elderly man, ranging in size from a few decimeters to roughly the size of a child.

“In Restebacken, my father saw a gnome. He was as small as a three-year-old child but as quick as a cat”, recounted Maja Kajsa Johansson, born in 1868 (recorded by Ragnar Nilsson, IFGH 3018, p. 6, Institute for Language and Folklore, Gothenburg).

The gnome is sometimes described as a being with one eye but more often as a figure with two green eyes that glow in the dark. He frequently has white or gray hair and a beard, typically dressed in gray clothes and a gray or red cap. Occasionally, people would gift him new clothes as a kind gesture, but they had to be modest. If the clothes were too extravagant, he might deem himself “too fine” to work.

The gnome was believed to be incredibly strong and was said to be able to lift an entire horse. He could also be mischievous, hiding objects or playing pranks. Even today, the expression “the household gnome has been up to something” is used jokingly when something goes missing. There are also tales of the gnome amusing himself by throwing items down chimneys.

Unlike other beings that often lived in families, the gnome is usually described as solitary. However, there are stories that mention female gnomes (tomtegummor) and gnome children. The gnome often resided in the farm’s stable or barn but could also inhabit the mill, smithy, distillery, mine, ship, or even inside the house.

Gnomes and Christmas

In Sweden and the Nordic countries, there are two distinct types of gnomes: the farmstead gnome (gårdstomte) and the Christmas gnome (jultomte). The traditional red-clad Christmas gnome traces its origins to legends about the generous Saint Nicholas, who later became known as Santa Claus. According to Kulturminnet, Santa Claus gained popularity in Sweden during the 1860s. While Santa Claus is widely recognized around the world, in Sweden, his image has been influenced by the farmstead gnome. As a result, the Swedish Christmas gnome is often considered a blend of the farmstead gnome and Santa Claus.

Illustration inspired by the poem “The Gnome.” Illustration: Jenny Nyström/New Illustrated Magazine

Two individuals were particularly instrumental in shaping the Swedish image of the Christmas gnome: the author Viktor Rydberg and the artist Jenny Nyström. In 1871, Rydberg published the Christmas tale Lille Viggs äventyr på julafton (Little Vigg’s Adventure on Christmas Eve), a story that doesn’t directly feature the Christmas gnome but instead includes a gift-giving goblin (vätte). Nyström illustrated the tale, and the goblin became a prototype for the Swedish Christmas gnome. Rydberg is said to have given Nyström detailed instructions on how this goblin should be portrayed. Together, they helped connect the traditional household gnome to Christmas. Nyström continued to refine the image of the gnome in Sweden, painting thousands of Christmas postcards and illustrating Rydberg’s famous poem Tomten (The Gnome), which begins:

The midwinter night’s cold is harsh,
the stars sparkle and glimmer.
All are asleep in the lonely farmstead,
deep in the midnight hour.
The moon walks its silent path,
the snow glows white on pine and fir,
the snow glows white on the rooftops.
Only the gnome is awake

It is unclear who first coined the term jultomte (Christmas gnome), but Jenny Nyström continued to draw significant inspiration from the farmstead gnome of folklore. In this way, the modern Swedish Christmas gnome has become firmly rooted in holiday traditions, according to the Nordic Museum.

One notable distinction of the Swedish Christmas gnome is that he is rarely associated with reindeer. In Swedish tradition, the gnome instead travels with horses, goats, or pigs. He is most often depicted as solitary, walking through the snow with a sack on his back.

The Farmstead Gnome Today

Despite an increasingly secularized society and a decline in belief in supernatural beings, folklore still holds a place in our collective consciousness. Many old myths and beliefs have adapted and endured over time, often taking on new forms, rooted in a deep human need to understand the world through the mystical and inexplicable. In an age where science explains the physical world, the supernatural continues to fascinate, providing space for stories and traditions.

Interest in folklore is not merely a relic of the past. It thrives in contemporary popular culture, where farmstead gnomes and other mythical beings are brought to life in books, films, and TV series. Even modern media, such as podcasts, frequently share new accounts of supernatural phenomena. It is also intriguing to observe how traditions from other cultures, like American “Nisse doors”, are gaining popularity in Sweden. This demonstrates the universal and timeless appeal of mythical figures. Although these nisse differ from the Swedish farmstead gnome, they share a common love for mischief and humor – qualities that ensure such characters remain captivating.

The question of why folklore persists, even in a rational and technological world, is complex. Perhaps it is a way to hold onto something ancient, a link to the past when the world felt more mysterious and uncertain. Or it may reflect an intrinsic human attraction to the unexplained, a need to believe in something beyond what we can see and measure. Whatever the reason, figures like gnomes, farmstead spirits, and other mythical beings will likely remain a part of our shared cultural identity, reminding us that there may be more to the world than we understand.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Time To Rock delivers

This year's edition of the rock festival Time To Rock took place in Knislinge, a small town in Skåne, southern Sweden. During four July days, The Nordic Times' cultural reporter Mikael Rasmussen was on site to experience a festival filled with emotional artistry that blends well with a strong familial community spirit – and of course: Loads of music!

Published 8 August 2025
Oomph-3
Myrath-1
Myrath-2
Battle-beast-1
Battle-beast-2
Battle-Beast-3
Battle-Beast-4
visitors-1
Majestica-1
Majestica-2
Majestica-3
Mikkey-Dee-and-Friends-2
Mikkey-Dee-and-Friends-1
visitors-4
Smash-into-pieces-4
Smash-into-pieces-3
Smash-into-pieces-2
Smash-into-pieces-1
visitors-3
visitors-2
Majestica-4
Oomph-1
Oomph-2
Oomph-4
visitors-5
visitors-6
Cobra-spell-1
Cobra-spell-2
Cobra-spell-3
Balls-to-the-wall-1
Orvar-Säfström
Heavy-Pettin
VIP
balls-to-the-wall-2
Dare
previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
Oomph-3
Myrath-1
Myrath-2
Battle-beast-1
Battle-beast-2
Battle-Beast-3
Battle-Beast-4
visitors-1
Majestica-1
Majestica-2
Majestica-3
Mikkey-Dee-and-Friends-2
Mikkey-Dee-and-Friends-1
visitors-4
Smash-into-pieces-4
Smash-into-pieces-3
Smash-into-pieces-2
Smash-into-pieces-1
visitors-3
visitors-2
Majestica-4
Oomph-1
Oomph-2
Oomph-4
visitors-5
visitors-6
Cobra-spell-1
Cobra-spell-2
Cobra-spell-3
Balls-to-the-wall-1
Orvar-Säfström
Heavy-Pettin
VIP
balls-to-the-wall-2
Dare
previous arrow
next arrow
 
5 minute read

The four days were filled with community, appreciation and a tremendous amount of music. It’s friendly, cozy and the visitors who choose to attend Time To Rock do so with care. The festival is like a big family that welcomes and integrates. It strikes most visitors what a thoughtful spirit prevails within the constructed community called Time To Rock.

The musical acts are numerous and varied where many tastes are truly satisfied. It’s especially charming to observe when children also come along and show appreciation as well as provide humor in that way that only children can when, for example, their favorite band performs. Smash Into Pieces attracted children and adults alike where the entire festival area swayed as both seated and standing audience members sang along, applauded and smiled in agreement at how well everything fits like a glove.


Advertising partnership with Brokamåla


The promised land of camping life

The festival is also reaching its limit in terms of accommodation for those who choose to camp. There were 300 more overnight guests than last year and now the Time To Rock management needs to look for land alternatives. This means the festival can accommodate approximately 1,100 camping guests. But the land issue becomes a tough nut to crack, expresses Martin, the camping general maestro, who guided Mikael Rasmussen around the camping area in his fine golf cart. There’s a lot of recycling during these days where a collaboration with a dealer in Kristianstad, Sweden enables them to even return cans from Germany, for example, precisely because there’s such a quantity and the metal is valuable, just as valuable as the metal music that’s played and performed from the stages.

For example, the German veteran band Dirkschneider performed with Udo Dirkschneider and his characteristic workshop height that thereby lifted the entire atmosphere to the audience’s delight. Their repertoire on this occasion was to play all the songs from the legendary album Balls To The Wall which celebrated its 40th anniversary. There was also an opportunity for the audience to rock out to Dirkschneider’s encore conducting the song Princess Of The Dawn.

Three stages with 47 bands where most of the playing schedule held up health-wise except for Black Ingvars who we missed with their interpretations of children’s songs, schlager and dance band swing in incredibly heavy hard rock arrangements. At short notice, the band Alien replaced Black Ingvars’ absence instead. It’s enjoyment for all the senses with all the bands that perform. There are wonderful bands like Quireboys who offered beautiful southern rock with elements of very competent rock harmonica. The band Oomph thundered like Rammstein and the singer offered theatrical looks and expressions. More senses were also satisfied when Cobra Spell performed in latex, leather and managed to conceal the most intimate parts in kinky leather and latex as well as their instruments.

Crescendo on the fourth day

Clearly the best was the last day of the festival’s four fully packed days of beer, food, camping and musical equilibrium. Always equally fantastic to see and hear Mikkey Dee from legendary King Diamond then Motörhead and now frequently touring with Scorpions, where he traveled from Hannover to Knislinge, Sweden to perform songs from the time with Motörhead.

It’s a shame about the bands that have to perform bad songs to empty audiences while well-composed melodies are a pride to perform such as Ace Of Spades, said Mikkey with a twinkle in his eye.

What song should we play now then, Mikkey asked the audience. Ace of Base, came the joking response from the audience.

The program continued and was followed thereafter by, for example, Jean Beauvoir, the children’s favorite Smash Into Pieces with delicious catchy songs, cool computer graphics and fire show. Then Majestica with fantastic guitar equilibrium by Tommy Johansson like Yngwie Malmsteen and with a singing voice that in its highest registers conjures images of Judas Priest’s Rob Halford himself. Yes, these are truly powerful experiences and the program delivers and then tops it off with Myrath who alternates oriental dance and musical elements in their metal-based melodic compositions.

The charismatic theater and drama-dressed singer Noora Louhimo in Battle Beast gives her band and the festival’s visitors new dimensions and it would be desirable if the musicians also knew to match the artistic drama queen Noora. New as master of ceremonies this year was Orvar Säfström.

Welcome to your comfortable comfort zone! Orvar encouraged the audience in a hymn to the legendary departed Lemmy from Motörhead. The audience was urged to look up to the sky because that’s where he is, stated Säfström, and nowhere else!

Another encounter that touches my soul and heart is with one of the festival’s most frequent visitors. The person is named Jens Björk and we can all see him usually sitting in his wheelchair on the designated wheelchair ramps with a good view of the stages and artists. At regular intervals, Jens wants to film with his smartphone or stand up and groove to the rhythmically heavy hard rock and metal songs that reach him perhaps deeper than the rest of us. Jens suffered a stroke and subsequent aphasia about 10 years ago and has since undergone various therapeutic treatments.

Jens constantly works on practicing language, movements and social contexts. It feels extra nice when trust is built up and our mutual patience means we understand each other and music is like wisdom at such a frequency that it can only be perceived. Therefore music can be healing and curative, and despite the high sound volume streaming from the speakers at Time To Rock, the ears are not damaged but instead the tones reach deep into the audience’s bodies. And Jens texts me a couple of days after Time To Rock packed up and writes like this:

“Good evening! Jens here with the wheelchair. Now I’ve woken up after a wonderful festival in Knislinge and the last band Sonata Arctica – really lovely end to the festival”.

This certainly puts a finger on how important these fantastic festivals are!

Bows & curtseys

So thanks to the entire Time To Rock management with festival general Andreas Martinsson at the helm, press manager and everyone’s Andreas Hygge Hügard to all those who built up the festival environment, host and security personnel, emergency services such as police and ambulance who also like the church had a welcoming event element where those who wanted to familiarize themselves with its so important functions. These good people were Time To Rock 2025 and visitors already express a longing for Knislinge’s oasis. May all good energies flow!

And we also put in a request for next year — the fantastic goth rock band Fields Of The Nephilim. Thanks in advance!

 

Mikael Rasmussen alias Artist Razz

The Hobbit first edition discovered in UK home fetches €50000

Published 7 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The first edition released in 1937 was printed in only 1,500 copies.
2 minute read

A rare first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” has been sold for £43,000 (approximately €50,000). The book was discovered by chance in a house in Bristol, England.

“The Hobbit”, which was later followed by “The Lord of the Rings”, tells the story of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins who embarks on an adventure with a group of dwarves to reclaim treasure from the dragon Smaug. The book has become immensely popular, selling over one hundred million copies and has also been adapted into films during the 2010s. The first edition of the book, released in 1937, was originally printed in only 1,500 copies. Today, only about a hundred copies of the first edition are believed to remain in the world.

During a routine house clearance conducted by auction house Auctioneum, the book was discovered by chance in a house in Bristol, England. Caitlin Riley, the auction house’s specialist in rare books, randomly pulled out a green book from the bookshelf.

It was clearly an early Hobbit at first glance, so I just pulled it out and began to flick through it, never expecting it to be a true first edition, she told The Guardian.

“Very special book”

The copy is bound in light green cloth and features black and white illustrations by Tolkien. Riley soon realized it was a first edition. It was also in incredibly fine condition, which is uncommon since most of these books are usually worn, especially since it’s a children’s book.

The book was auctioned with a starting price of £10,000, equivalent to approximately €11,500. Bidders from around the world drove the price up to more than four times what the auction house had expected. Finally, the book sold for £43,000, approximately €50,000.

It’s a wonderful result for a very special book.

A poem about the children in Gaza while the world watches

The genocide in Gaza

The children cry from hunger and dream of peace – but the world remains silent. Swedish artist and poet Malin Sellergren depicts the unbearable reality of children in this poem.

Published 5 August 2025
2 minute read

Daily terror, daily pain,
children cry in Gaza’s rain.
Six thousand trucks with food denied,
they starve while waiting on the side.

The bombs fall hard, the homes are gone,
on the cold ground they sleep until dawn.
At night they scream from endless fear,
by day they cry with hunger near.

When will this torment find its end?
When will the broken hearts still find mend?
No bread to eat, no life to live,
a mother’s boy had love to give.

He thought, I made it, almost there!
but bullets struck and stilled his air.
So many tried for food that day,
the soldiers came and shot their way.

And in the streets, so many fall,
just children, innocent through all.
For they were born in Palestine,
their lives erased, erased in line.

The world’s afraid, its leaders weak,
they whisper low, but dare not speak.
Sanctions stall, while time runs thin,
should we boycott oranges… or tangerines?

Yet weapons flow from west to east,
while crumbs are dropped, a guilty feast.
Millions starve, their hope is small,
the world looks on, and does not call.

No one dares to say “Enough!”
Israel’s hand is far too tough.
And those who speak are smeared with hate,
their voices drowned, their words too late.

Meanwhile children pay the price,
their lives are bartered, sacrificed.
Leaders claim this land their own,
they crush the seeds the kids have sown.

But still, among the ash and flame,
the children whisper freedom’s name.
Though caught in Gaza on the street
some of their hearts still beat.

 

Malin Sellergren, PoeticArtstories

Artists flee Spotify after Ek’s defense investment

The future of AI

Published 30 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s investment in the German defense company Helsing is now prompting several international artists to leave the music streaming service in protest. The Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is the latest name to remove their music from the platform.

Daniel Ek, who is also chairman of the board at Helsing, led an investment of €600 million earlier this year in the German company that specializes in AI-driven autonomous combat solutions. The technology is used for drones and underwater surveillance systems, among other applications.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard announced the decision on Instagram with the words “Fuck Spotify”, explaining that their latest demo recordings will only be available on Bandcamp.

“Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in Al military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform”, the band wrote.

The California-based band Xiu Xiu and San Francisco group Deerhoof have made the same choice. Deerhoof expressed their position clearly: “We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech”.

The protest reflects the music industry’s long-standing ambivalence toward Spotify’s dominant position and impact on artists.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.