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Scandinavian folklore

A Gnome By Any Other Name

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My paternal grandmother was born in a rural area of Sweden in 1891, and when I was a boy she told me stories of the Tomten, small beings that took the appearance of old, bearded men. The Tomten were no more than 3 feet tall and wore pointed hats, which we've of course come to associate with gnomes and similar creatures. Grandma insisted they were real. Did she really see these little guys, or was she drinking too much glogg? Read on and find out!