Tradisjonen tro feirer smånissene jul sammen med sine underjordiske venner - også I år.
”We
have received an invitation for a Yuleparty”, grandpa nisse told one day early
in December.
Everybody
looked at him, eager to find out where they would go this year. “We are going
down to an old rorbu (It is an old little house on a tiny island, far out in
the sea, where the fishermen used to dwell when they were fishing in
wintertime) on Sandflesa outside of Træna. We are invited there by the Draug
himself”.
“Sandflesa”,
one of the little nisses told, “is a magic Island, Asbjornsen and Moe, those story
collectors told stories about it”. He was just going to tell the tale about
“Tuftefolket på Sandflesa” when the little trollgirl interrupted him.
“Draugen!” she said. “He is evil!”
“No
no no, he isn’t evil, but he is a dangerous creature, doing a job for Death
himself”, the old nisse said.
They
all just looked at him, astonished, party with Deaths assistant. Wasn’t it
enough that he took them out sailing a couple of years ago, they all remembered
that trip. They were seasick for weeks after coming back to shore.
“Stop
worrying, the Draug is just one of the last wild ones. The really, wild one.
You don’t want to get on bad terms with him, that is so. He take care of those
who die in the sea, but he also take care of the memories. Nothing is lost in
the sea.” He looked dreamingly up in the sky. “No one can throw a party as the
Draug, he has invited the Noekk to play his fiddle, and the blue clad (the blue
clad from the Netherworld are famous for their beauty), so there will be
dancing - and the food. You never tasted
anything like it, the Draug’s food is splendid, because he knows where to get
the best catch, he knows how to make all kind of seafood. Someone told that his
chef used to work at Åshild in Bardal once upon a time, maybe it is just a
rumor, but his kitchen is the best … and he has a cellar with wine and beer and
rum, from all shipwrecks under the sea. Most humans would dream to visit his
cellar…”
All
the talk about food and beverage, made them all hungry and thirsty, because Nisses
love to eat. Their favorite dish is porridge of course, but since their skills
in the kitchen are so and so, they prefer to have someone make it for them. It
was settled, the little nisses sent for all of their friends. They brought with
them pots with porridge, so they didn’t show up emptyhanded. And they ate, and
they drank and when the Noekk played his fiddle, they danced and they had a
wonderful time. What happened the next morning? I guess they ate leftovers,
they haven’t returned home yet, so I guess their party will last until next
year sometime…