Centuries ago, Scandinavian people believed that elves were house gnomes who guarded their homes against evil. If you were good, the elves were good to you, but if you were bad, the mischievous elves would play tricks on you. Some of the tricks they enjoyed playing were: giving you nightmares by sitting on your head while you were dreaming, tangling your hair as you slept, making your milk turn sour, and stealing your sausages.

Folks believed that if they left a bowl of porridge on the doorstep at night, the elves would be happy and not subject them to their ornery antics. 

By the mid-1800's, Elves - already a tradition associated with storytelling and magic, assumed a new significance and their true intention began to be held as nothing else but to help Father Christmas. And so the Christmas Elves were born.

 

Even after all these years, the gnomes continue to be a popular, cheerful addition to any home in Scandinavia, during the holidays and beyond.