Today I am over at Katherine Roberts' blog Reclusive Muse, where I am talking about the Nis. If I have a muse of my own, I'm sure it's a Nis.
"Like the English brownies, he is a house or hearth spirit who will clean and tidy for you in return for food. The Norwegian Nis's favourite food is a bowl of 'groute', barley porridge, with (this is very important) a large lump of butter."
Please do join us there!
ooh I just met your Nis...just as well we cats can tread quietly.... :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, sneak up on him carefully...!
ReplyDeleteI have that for breakfast most mornings- though oat porridge. Perhaps I am a Nis!?
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Jo, it all depends. Are you loyal but touchy,fond of practical jokes but easily startled, rather vain, and extremely interested in food?
ReplyDeleteAnd do you wear a little red hat?
I do wear a red hat but only when I am eating porridge and tying cans to the cat's tail.
ReplyDeleteI realize that it should be nifling as well. Is that right?
Um. Nithing, I think (the Nis's secret name) - was actually a bit of an insult in Norse times. It just means nothing, and was my tipping-of-the-cap to the story Nix Nought Nothing. Or 'Ainsel' (meaning 'my own self') in which a canny little lad tells a weird changeling creature that his name is 'ainsel' - and when the changeling is hurt in a game, it yells out for its mother (MUCH bigger, naturally): 'I'm hurt, I'm hurt!'
ReplyDelete"WHO hurt you?"
"Ainsel hurt me!' and the lad escapes harm...
Just one of those creepy Scots tales!
The Nis had a lot of fun over at Reclusive Muse with my unicorn... good luck for the rest of the blog tour!
ReplyDeleteThankyou, Katherine - I think he'll be back with scrumped apples for your unicorn before long!
ReplyDelete