Re: Q: household genii
JP (mg37457@gaia.swipnet.se)
Sat, 19 Oct 1996 06:08:47 GMT
jeisner@unagi.cis.upenn.edu (Jason Eisner) wrote:
>Hi all -
>Can anyone point me to a folkloric tradition involving household
>spirits or genii? I'm most interested in minor spirits that don't
>merely protect the household, but actively invest themselves in
>domestic objects, such as brooms, or hover about and help with
>domestic tasks, such as washing, sweeping, or milling.
>Many thanks! I'm looking for just the right epigraph for a poem, and
>would be grateful for any leads. -best, jason
In the preindustrial scandinavia there was the gnom (tomte in swedish)
who did the things that you ask for. He was involved in the maintenans
of the farms, and gennerally seaking a helping hand. I suggest that
you contact any ethnological institution at some scandinavian
university.
JP.
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