Fjøsnissen or the barngnomehas many names, but he is the little santahelper you can find on farms and in the norwegian forests, mines and highland.  In the last 100 years he have gained from beeing just a fairy tale to an important icon of the norwegian christmas.  I peagan times and up till our time, the barngnome didn't have anything to do with chrismaspresents or santas work.  He commanded gifts him self, and if the farmpeople forgot him, he turned sour and could destroy next years harvest or kill the best cow. Norway is located far to the north in Europe's north-west corner.  Some of its territory lies north of the Arctic Circle. The climate varies from region to region, with mild winters and cool summers along the coast and cold, snowy winters and warm summers in inland areas. The magnificent landscape of mountains and fjords forms the perfect backdrop for nisser (gnomes) and trolls. Norwegians associate Christmas with candlelight, sitting around the fire, freshly baked breads and cakes, the smell of spruce and pine, presents and the Norwegian version of Santa Claus, Julenissen, who is a mixture of the Nordic nisse and the St. Nicholas of central Europe. Christmas is the time of the year when the sun turns and the days start to get longer. Since ancient times, it has been a tradition in Norway to celebrate this event with parties and feasts. The little nisse has always taken part in these feasts, and he got porridge and beer as an offer so he would take care of the farm and it's animals -and people. To day the little nisse have become a santahelper in the countryside and on the farms. You can write to the farmnisse on this adress: Julenissen/Father Christmas Savalen 2400 Tynset Norway

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