Why do People in Norway put out a bowl of porridge out for Nisse the barn elf?

Answer 1

It is not actually rice pudding, it is a Norwegian dessert called Rice Cream (or, some sources say that it is merely a rice porridge.)

The dinner of Christmas takes flight with the traditional rice dessert (with a lucky almond hidden for someone to discover)-- a bowl is also brought as a gift to the Barn-Elf, so that he will continue to watch over the animals, and refrain from mischievous ways.

Answer 2

it is not rice pudding, but rice prodige.

And the nisse is more a mix between an elf and a gnome.

It is done to keep the nisse happy. When it is happy it helps out on the farm, makes the animals happy etc.

if the nisse is not happy, it will make a havoc. the animals will be difficult, the horse will have knots in its mane (kalled nisseknute) and mice will eat the food.

Answer 3

If they don't then the elf is expected to spend the coming year playing tricks on them - so it is sort of "protection money to the elf who is running a low-level protection racket... :-) According to the folklore of rural Norway, there is a barn elf ("Fjøsnisse") living in the forests and on farms. This barn elf can play tricks on people if he is not well looked after. Some people in Norway today still put out a bowl of rice porridge sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon to keep their barn elf happy.

Answer 4

they used to do it, so the Nisse would behave (they could be evil) , and they gave luck to the next harvest, so it was a good idea to be on good terms with them.

Answer 5

so the lil guy can eat