posted on 24th December 2010 under Culture, Habits, Tradition
A Nisse is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore, called Tomte in Sweden and Tonttu in Finland – originally believed to take care of a farmer’s home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the house folk were asleep: type Fjøsnisse (Fjøs = barn). Nisse is a nickname for Nils, and its usage in folklore comes from expressions such as “Nisse good dräng” (= Nisse good lad, cf. Robin Goodfellow) – all names connecting the being to the origins of the farm (the building ground). Those names are remembrances of the being’s origins in an ancestral cult.
One was required to please the Nisse and a particular gift was a bowl of porridge on Christmas night. If he wasn’t given his payment, he would leave the farm or house, or engage in mischief such as tying the cows’ tails together in the barn, turning objects upside-down, and breaking things (behaving like a Troll). The Fjøsnisse liked his porridge with a pat of butter on the top. In an often retold story, a farmer put the butter underneath the porridge. When the Nisse found that the butter was missing, he was filled with rage and killed the cow resting in the barn.
The Nisse was often imagined as a small, elderly man (size varies from a few inches to about half the height of an adult man), often with a full beard; dressed in the everyday clothing of a farmer. However, there are also folktales where he is believed to be a shape-shifter able to take a shape far larger than an adult man, and other tales where the Nisse is believed to have a single, cyclopean eye.
He had temperament; Despite his smallness, the Nisse possessed an immense strength. Even though he was protective and caring he was easy to offend, and his retributions ranged from a stout box on the ears to the killing of livestock or ruining of the farm’s fortune. He was a traditionalist who did not like changes in the way things were done at the farm. Another easy way to offend him was rudeness: farm workers swearing, urinating in the barns, or not treating the creatures well would be soundly thrashed. If anyone spilled something on the floor in the house it was wise to shout a warning to the Nisse below.
The Fjompe Nisse:
I’ve never seen him, but he has been an important part of my memories from Christmas ever since I was a child – especially in preparing, like decorating the tree and house in general. The Fjompenisse was definatly a shape-shifter type, as he could come in (always at night) through the chimney or even the key hole. He definatly had temperament: One year I remember we had forgotten to take out the key from the hole and he had to use the chimney. You could then see his footprints of ash all around the house. The Fjompenisse was clearly a traditionalist too and did not want to be destirbed in his work. So the day before Christmas Eve, my sister and I had to go to sleep early, so that he had the run of the house all by himself. You see in Norway, the tree is normally (or was in the good, old times), not to be seen decorated and lit until the morning of Christmas Eve day. When sis and I woke up, we had to wake our parents and ask if Fjompenissen was finished before we went out in the living room.
Today I understand that these traditions are explained by the fact that mom and dad were very tired after a hectic pre Christmas time and needed the time alone to decorate the tree and the house. I don’t blame them “using” the Fjumpenisse as an excuse – to me it just made him more alive and involved. Going down the memory lane; I still have this mixed feeling of respect, anticipation and anxiousness about Christmas just because of the Fjompenisse. I was never afraid – even if he was a bit scary – I mean, mom and dad were always there to “protect” us ; -)
Julenisse:
In the 1840s the farm’s Nisse became the bearer of Christmas presents in Denmark, and was then called Julenisse (Yule Nisse). This mythical character then turned into the white-bearded, red-capped friendly figure associated with Christmas ever since. Shortly afterwards, and obviously influenced by the emerging Father Christmas traditions as well as the new Danish tradition, a variant of the Nisse, called the Julenisse in Norway and Jultomte in Sweden, started bringing the Christmas presents in instead of the traditional Julbock (Yule Goat).
Gradually, commercialism has made him look more and more like the American Santa Claus, but the Norwegian Julenisse, the Swedish Jultomte, the Danish Julemand and the Finnish Joulupukki (in Finland he is still called the Yule Goat, although his animal features have disappeared) still have features and traditions that are rooted in the local culture – and as you can tell: in my mind : -).
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posted on 21st December 2010 under Culture, Habits, History, Tradition, Winter
The return of the sun this Winter Solstice day is a calendar milestone with an important impact on top of the northern hemisphere. The day has been celebrated for over ten thousand years throughout the world. Interpretations of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most have held recognition of rebirth, involving holidays involving light or candles, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations.
The end of the darkest period of the year is of course one important reason to celebrate in the Nordic countries. In Oslo (at 60°North) the capital of Norway, the sun rises at 09:19AM and sets at 3:12PM – to give you an idea, I took a picture from our neighbourhood around 3PM today with my Nokia mobile phone:
The Sun about to set in the horizon.
The celebrations are also direct connected to Yule, sometimes pronounced “you all” or “jol”, in Old Norse meaning “Feast” or “Wheel”. In the old Almanacs, the symbol of a wheel was used to mark Yuletide. The idea behind this is that the year turns like a wheel, The Great Wheel of the Zodiac, The Wheel of Life, of which the spokes are the old ritual occasions.
Winter Solstice & Lucia Celebration:
Now you maybe ask; what’s the connection? Well, I did a research for this post and found some you might like to know too – and of course I gladly share:
In Scandinavia, the solstice was celebrated with the Lucia Day, but when the Julian calendar was abandoned in favor of the Gregorian, one kept Lucia Celebration date for the 13th of December and came out of synchronization with the winter solstice. Observe also that on this day one should not work with something in a round shape or bake a cake! And also that the Yule ale should be completed by 22 December so you would not have “solstices” in it.
I know that in most of the rest of the world you say Christmas about the coming Holiday, but remember Yule has many pagan elements and more pagan history in its foundation and pagan rites than Christianity and has been celebrated since the beginning of time in the Northern Hemisphere. Many of the cultures located in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Yule, all with a common theme, the birth of a God by the Goddess. Most of these Gods are associated with the Sun or with death and re-birth. Maybe not so strange when you know the fact that the days from now on will be longer – not to mention warmer! – Even if there is beauty in the view of the nature at this time. Like in this photo, also taken in the neighbourhood at Winter Solstice, also around 3PM, but in 2006:
We are still eagerly looking forward to the shift to longer days and the coming of spring, especially now at the darkest point in the travel around the sun. I hope that wherever you are and whatever you celebrate you remember also the celebration of the earth and the coming of spring – and may all your Christmases be bright if not white!
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posted on 17th December 2010 under Habits, Nature, Winter
Are you dreaming of a White Christmas, you’ve come to the right place – virtually as well as literary. In Norway, we’ve had some real good winter weather for almost a month now followed by some snow – just like it was in the good old days : -)
Leaving the house late morning the other day, I was met by this scenery – and with my Nokia N8 Mobile at hand, I can share with you:
Not a lot of snow, but a clear blue sunny day with fresh crisp air!
This took me down memory lane from the days of my childhood when even the adults were frolicking and building snowmen. I don’t know about you, but I often reminisce about how winters used to be much snowier when we were kids – those were the days. Snow is beautiful, and everyone loves it – at least at Yuletide:
I guess nothing in weather is romanticized more than a white Christmas. If we were to credit one person with making us dream of a white Christmas in 20th- and 21st- century; it would surely fall to a certain white-bearded, weight-challenged superstar of the Nordic Arctic north. Besides: A lot of songs sing wistfully of sleigh rides in new fallen snow, and delightfully frightful weather and the movies are filled with large fluffy snowflakes that turn stark villages into magical white kingdoms but somehow never interrupt the joyous green- and red-clad travellers.
My reasons for wanting snow for the holidays is even more related to our family going to great lengths to keep traditions of winters past, doing the same things in the same way year after year, stemming from childhood traditions related to cold and snow. So that’s why I had to use my mobile phone, trying to capture the atmosphere (the three pics above) and share some of why I am dreaming of a White Christmas – or Yuletide in my memories (a pic from winter 2000 on a lake):
Combine that with a child’s natural love of snow and ice — with skating, snowmen, skiing, sled rides and hot chocolate — and it’s no surprise that children want snow at Christmas. I guess I’ve never really grown up, and I intend to stay that way!
How about you: Dreaming of a white Christmas too? Or maybe winter memories to share with us in comment?
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posted on 11th December 2010 under Culture, Fall, History, Travel Abroad
In all the land of Portugal, the whole expanse of Europe, Sintra stands out as one of the loveliest, rarest places that Nature’s prodigious hand has created (quota: the poet Afonso Lopes Vieira). Once the royal town of the country, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture. Sintra has a population of about 30,000 inhabitants and is a major tourist attraction, with many day-trippers visiting from nearby Lisbon. Thanks to our magnificent hosts and friends from The Oslo Blog Gathering: Luis and Helena, we had this adventurous whole day trip and I’ll start with the final destination:
Like the English poet Robert Southey describes Sintra; “The most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe”:
A noble town surrounded by many estates and pleasant woods – an unusual geography, nestled in a stretch of hills surrounded on all sides by plain, estuary or ocean it has a subsequent climate, perhaps more typical of Northern Europe, so in that sense my wife and I felt it a bit like home:
Even more; I do understand that this verdant paradise where ornate palaces lie hidden behind tall trees and walled gardens, abounds with history and attracted romantics and fixed settlers – particularly from the Roman Period.
There are three National Palaces in Sintra:
Palácio da Vila. alias “Chão da Oliva” or the Paço da Vila de Sintra:
This is a small part from the backside and entrance to the town’s square of this Palace which after the Reconquest from the Romans, passed into the possession of the Crown and was considerably enlarged, not only in the reign of Dom Dinis – who in 1281 laid down that the conservation of the Palace should be entrusted to the enfranchised Moors of Colares -but especially in the reigns of Dom João I (1385-1433) and Dom Manuel (1495-1521).
The second; Palácio da Pena (sorry no pics), is an extravagant yet relatively modern building, erected in the 19th century in accordance with the whims and romantic fantasies of Ferdinand de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the German husband of the then Queen Maria II. The third is Palácio de Queluz; Begun in 1747 by the Infante Dom Pedro (later to become Dom Pedro III) on the basis of a former country mansion of the Marquises of Castelo Rodrigo, Queluz Palace (classified as a National Monument) at that time began to be adapted for use as a summer seat of the Royal Family.
Also high in the hills, the remains of the Moorish Castle date from the 8th century and marvellous views are attained by walking along the top of its walls:
Constructed by the Moors in the 8th or 9th Century A.D., this castle is situated on two peaks of the Serra de Sintra, and from its walls there are magnificent views.
Surrounded by walls and several towers, it underwent various repairs, particularly in the Romantic period (about 1860), when King Consort Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha restored it, afforested the surrounding areas and gave the ancient ruins new dignity.
Cabo da Roca:
“Where the land ends and the sea begin” (quota: 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões); this westernmost point on the continent of Europe was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon. Coordinates: 38” 47′ North and 9” 30′ West – 140 m above sea level:
Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming succulent species – a member of the Stone Plant family Aizoaceae – was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca:
A whole day trip:
Like I said in the beginning, these are only a few of the highlights from our adventurous trip outside of Lisbon. It’s impossible to cover it all in one post – but mind you; it’s well kept in our mind along with the experience of sharing a whole day; another experience of a life time, with our hosts and precious friends, Helena and Luis. Let me just end with a couple more photo examples:
One of their favourite beach with Cabo da Roca far behind.
Local Sintra pastries at the café to the right – late afternoon before we left
Lucky we, having local friends who would show us some of these traditional, historical and cultural pearls, a bit out of Lisbon too. I hope you’ve got a clue and enjoyed my résumé!
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posted on 4th December 2010 under Culture, Food, Travel Abroad
Fado music is the heart of the Portuguese soul and maybe the world’s oldest urban folk music. Some say it started at sea as the sad, melodic songs coaxed from the rolling waves by homesick sailors and fishermen or maybe by the poor on the streets of Lisbon. Whatever its origins the themes have remained constant: destiny, betrayal in love, death and despair. Now it is a fixture in the everyday life of Lisbon’s working class and played for pleasure but also to relieve the pain of life.
There are fado houses and so called “revistas”, a popular genre of “vaudeville” in Lisbon and since we had our local friends, Helena and Luis as hosts and guides when visiting the city, we had our Fado evening at one of the best; Café Luso in Bairro Alto:
The traditional accompaniment for the singers is a Portuguese guitar = guitarra, a 12-stringed instrument (left in the pic below), and a bass guitar (right), or viola. Sometimes a second acoustic guitar (middle) is added like when we had this fantastic music adventure this evening:
The essential element of Fado music is saudade, a Portuguese word that translates roughly as longing, or nostalgia for unrealized dreams that speaks of an undefined yearning that can’t be satisfied. Like other forms of folk music such as American blues, Argentine tango or Greek rebetika, it’s hard to explain – it must be felt and experienced – and the performers must have the soul to transmit that feeling. That’s why my wife DianeCA and I are so thankful for having local friends to take us a place like this – I hope my explanation and these pics give you an idea:
Fado can be performed by men or women, although many aficionados prefer the raw emotion of the female Fadista. Dressed in black with a shawl draped over her shoulders, a Fadista stands in front of the musicians and communicates through gesture and facial expressions (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
Café Luso gives gourmet adventures too:
Even if this special traditional music adventure was the main objective, Café Luso had excellent food and wine. I believe my regular readers would feel something was missing if I didn’t share the meal – so here we go:
Main course: “Wild Magret” (magret of duck in a sauce of orannge and wild berries on a celery bed with wasabi and sauté leeks)
Dessert: Puff-Pastry of “Sericaia” with Plum Jelly of Elvas – DOP – and Syrup of Lime and Lemon
This evening was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Romantic, inspiring, and delicious to all the senses, we are especially grateful for sharing it with good friends who know the music and the culture. Discussing the singers and how they were different from each other, and what each ones special style was added to the experience and helped us to learn a lot. We were so inspired we even bought a CD from one of the singers so we can relive the memories. Hope you are enjoying our trip to Lisbon. If you have experienced Fado or something similar I hope you will share with us in a comment!
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