Chapter

Nisse

The master of the farm in Nordmaling where we have been staying offered us buttermilk and flatbread. He said the cherry trees by the well rarely bear fruit, yet they cannot cut them down, as the farmstead nisse regards their berries as his property. The other day a farmhand pissed on the barn where the nisse has made its home. The following night, a calf was born whose legs, tail, and head had all been switched by the vengeful nisse. I asked the master to show me the animal. He obliged, and dug up a stillborn calf with a deformed body.

— Carl Linnaeus, May 22nd, 1732

Some farms have a farmstead nisse. The nisse wants what is best for the farm and usually ignores the people living there. He helps with the farmwork, and often has a favorite horse whose mane he braids in a way that is very difficult to undo. Nissar appear as little old men with long beards, shabby gray clothes, and red hats. They are grumpy, vindictive, and proud. Lazy farmhands and maids are scolded with a hard smack in the face. Nissar expect offerings from the household, such as a bowl of porridge. There have been cases where a nisse has mistaken the kindness of a farmer's wife for something more and tried to take the farmer's place, both in bed and on the farm. Nissar can turn into animals, often a toad or a cat. They are extremely strong, much more so than their appearance would suggest.

Ritual

The easiest way to get rid of a nisse is to make him accept a new piece of clothing. After putting it on, he disappears to another farm. Another way, should the first one fail, is to stop giving him food and gifts or to offend him by soiling his porridge. This can be a precarious affair as the nisse will seek revenge, for example by killing a cow or burning down the stables, before leaving for another farm. Trying to chase away a nisse who is determined to stay can be very difficult. Sometimes they can be made to leave by stealing their hat or threatening to harm their favorite animal.