Christmas elf
Encyclopedia
A Christmas elf is a diminutive creature (elf
) that lives with Santa Claus
in the North Pole
and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are often depicted as green or red clad with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats. Santa's elves are often to make the toys in Santa's workshop
and take care of his reindeer, among other tasks. Elves in general originate from European folklore
and were introduced into the Santa Claus tale during the 19th century, in the United States
, including in some cases where Santa Claus himself is an elf. An Elf's main job is to make presents. Therefore, Christmas elves became a part of American Christmas tradition that was exported, along with Santa Claus to other parts of the world. However, Christmas elfs in American folklore originated in Northern Europe, from where settlers brought the Christmas traditions
that developed into the American Christmas that was later exported around the world, along with other aspects of American popular culture. The depiction of the elves themselves were derived from the elves of English folktales of the early modern period. Santa's assistants can be different depending on the country with a wide variety in western and northern Europe alone.
completed, but never published a book entitled Christmas Elves. The elves can also be seen in engravings from 1873 in Godey's Lady's Book
, showing them surrounding Santa whilst at work. Additional recognition was given in Edward Eggleston
's 1876 work "The House of Santa Claus, a Christmas Fairy Show for Sunday Schools".
The image of the elves in the workshop was popularised by Godey's Lady's Book, with a front cover illustration for its 1873 Christmas Issue showing Santa surrounded by toys and elves with the caption, "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time." During this time Godey's was immensely influential to the birth of Christmas traditions, having shown the first widely circulated picture of a modern Christmas tree on the front cover of its 1850 Christmas issue. Christmas elves who forget to wrap the gifts are customarily slain by a very unenthusiastic and disappointed Santa. Furthermore, their families are disgraced by the North Pole establishment, receiving no paid compensation, benefits, or even gifts.
's 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas
(more commonly known today as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas), Santa Claus himself is described in line 45 as, "He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf." Prior to the influence of St. Nicholas in Sweden
, the job of giving out gifts was done by the Yule Goat
. By 1870, the saint had become so well known that he could no longer be ignored. He became merged with the Tomten, which was previously an elfish/dwarfish farm guardian. Following the work of artist Jenny Nyström
, this hybrid figure became known as the Jultomten.
, the elves are a type of craft guild
making traditional toys by hand and looking after Santa's reindeer
. The elves' workshop is also featured regularly in films, such as in Elf
(2003), starring Will Ferrell
. The 1932 Disney short film, Santa's Workshop
, features Santa Claus and his elves preparing for Christmas. A team of elves features prominently in the Rankin-Bass 1964 special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
, including a "misfit" elf named Hermey who does not desire to make toys and instead wants to pursue a career in dentistry
.
Disney returned to the theme of Christmas elves for their 2009 short film, Prep & Landing, which tells the tale of an elite group of elves that make houses ready for Santa's deliveries. It was the first holiday television special
made by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
they are the Yule Lads
who between December 12 and 24, a different Lad visit homes each day to leave presents and play tricks on children. In the Netherlands, the companion is called Zwarte Piet
(Black Peter), in Germany
they are the Knecht Ruprecht
and in Luxembourg
they are known as Hoesecker. In the eastern regions of France
, Père Fouettard accompanies Santa Claus, distributing coal to the naughty children.
In Nordic countries an elf will usually wear only red instead of the green and red outfits they are known for in English speaking countries.
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
) that lives with Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
in the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are often depicted as green or red clad with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats. Santa's elves are often to make the toys in Santa's workshop
Santa's Workshop
Santa's workshop may refer to:*Santa's workshop, the mythological workshop at the North Pole*Santa's Workshop , Wilmington, New York, USA*Santa's Workshop , an 1932 animated short by Disney...
and take care of his reindeer, among other tasks. Elves in general originate from European folklore
European folklore
European folklore or Western folklore refers to the folklore of the western world, especially when discussed comparatively.There is, of course, no single European culture, but nevertheless the common history of Christendom during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period has resulted in a number...
and were introduced into the Santa Claus tale during the 19th century, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including in some cases where Santa Claus himself is an elf. An Elf's main job is to make presents. Therefore, Christmas elves became a part of American Christmas tradition that was exported, along with Santa Claus to other parts of the world. However, Christmas elfs in American folklore originated in Northern Europe, from where settlers brought the Christmas traditions
Christmas worldwide
The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways around the world, varying by country and region. Elements common to many areas of the world include the lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and/or the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the...
that developed into the American Christmas that was later exported around the world, along with other aspects of American popular culture. The depiction of the elves themselves were derived from the elves of English folktales of the early modern period. Santa's assistants can be different depending on the country with a wide variety in western and northern Europe alone.
Origin
The modern Christmas elf appeared as early as 1856 when Louisa May AlcottLouisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women was set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868...
completed, but never published a book entitled Christmas Elves. The elves can also be seen in engravings from 1873 in Godey's Lady's Book
Godey's Lady's Book
Godey's Lady's Book, alternatively known as Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book, was a United States magazine which was published in Philadelphia. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil War. Its circulation rose from 70,000 in the 1840s to 150,000 in 1860...
, showing them surrounding Santa whilst at work. Additional recognition was given in Edward Eggleston
Edward Eggleston
Edward Eggleston was an American historian and novelist.-Biography:Eggleston was born in Vevay, Indiana, to Joseph Cary Eggleston and Mary Jane Craig. As a child, he was too ill to regularly attend school, so his education was primarily provided by his father. He became an ordained Methodist...
's 1876 work "The House of Santa Claus, a Christmas Fairy Show for Sunday Schools".
The image of the elves in the workshop was popularised by Godey's Lady's Book, with a front cover illustration for its 1873 Christmas Issue showing Santa surrounded by toys and elves with the caption, "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time." During this time Godey's was immensely influential to the birth of Christmas traditions, having shown the first widely circulated picture of a modern Christmas tree on the front cover of its 1850 Christmas issue. Christmas elves who forget to wrap the gifts are customarily slain by a very unenthusiastic and disappointed Santa. Furthermore, their families are disgraced by the North Pole establishment, receiving no paid compensation, benefits, or even gifts.
St. Nicholas as an elf
In Clement Clarke MooreClement Clarke Moore
Clement Clarke Moore was an American professor of Oriental and Greek literature at Columbia College, now Columbia University. He donated land from his family estate for the foundation of the General Theological Seminary, where he was a professor of Biblical learning and compiled a two-volume...
's 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas
A Visit from St. Nicholas
"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry...
(more commonly known today as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas), Santa Claus himself is described in line 45 as, "He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf." Prior to the influence of St. Nicholas in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the job of giving out gifts was done by the Yule Goat
Yule Goat
The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Originally denoting the goat that was slaughtered during the Germanic pagan festival of Yule, "Yule Goat" now typically refers to a goat-figure made of straw...
. By 1870, the saint had become so well known that he could no longer be ignored. He became merged with the Tomten, which was previously an elfish/dwarfish farm guardian. Following the work of artist Jenny Nyström
Jenny Nyström
Jenny Eugenia Nyström was a painter and illustrator who is mainly known as the person who created the Swedish image of the jultomte on numerous Christmas cards and magazine covers, thus linking the Swedish version of Santa Claus to the gnomes of Scandinavian folklore.- Background :Her father was...
, this hybrid figure became known as the Jultomten.
Contemporary pop culture
In the USA, Canada, and Britain, the modern children's folklore of Santa Claus typically includes diminutive elves at Christmas; green-clad elves with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats as Santa's assistants or hired workers. They make the toys in a workshop located in the North Pole. In recent years, other toys—usually high-tech toys like computers, video games, DVDs and DVD players, and even mobile phones—have also been depicted as being ready for delivery, but not necessarily made, in the workshop as well. In this portrayal, elves slightly resemble nimble and delicate versions of the dwarves of Norse myth.In films and television
Christmas elves have had their role expanded in modern films and television. For instance in Santa Claus: The MovieSanta Claus: The Movie
Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 British/American Christmas film starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It is the last major fantasy film produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind...
, the elves are a type of craft guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
making traditional toys by hand and looking after Santa's reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
. The elves' workshop is also featured regularly in films, such as in Elf
Elf (film)
Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is...
(2003), starring Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
. The 1932 Disney short film, Santa's Workshop
Santa's Workshop (film)
Santa's Workshop is a Disney short film directed by Wilfred Jackson, first released on December 10, 1932 in the Silly Symphonies series.The film features Santa Claus and his elves preparing for Christmas....
, features Santa Claus and his elves preparing for Christmas. A team of elves features prominently in the Rankin-Bass 1964 special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
, including a "misfit" elf named Hermey who does not desire to make toys and instead wants to pursue a career in dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
.
Disney returned to the theme of Christmas elves for their 2009 short film, Prep & Landing, which tells the tale of an elite group of elves that make houses ready for Santa's deliveries. It was the first holiday television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
made by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Around the world
In different countries, Santa's helpers go by different names. In IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
they are the Yule Lads
Yule Lads
The Yule Lads, or Yulemen, are figures from Icelandic folklore who in modern times have become the Icelandic version of Santa Claus. Their number has varied throughout the ages, but currentlythere are considered to be thirteen.- Origins :...
who between December 12 and 24, a different Lad visit homes each day to leave presents and play tricks on children. In the Netherlands, the companion is called Zwarte Piet
Zwarte Piet
In the folklore and legends of the Netherlands and Belgium, Zwarte Piet is a companion of Saint Nicholas whose yearly feast in the Netherlands is usually celebrated on the evening of 5 December In the folklore and legends of the Netherlands and Belgium, Zwarte Piet (meaning Black Pete) is a...
(Black Peter), in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
they are the Knecht Ruprecht
Knecht Ruprecht
In the folklore of Germany, Knecht Ruprecht, which translates as Farmhand Rupert or Servant Rupert, is a companion of Saint Nicholas. He first appears in written sources in the 17th century, as a figure in a Nuremberg Christmas procession....
and in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
they are known as Hoesecker. In the eastern regions of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Père Fouettard accompanies Santa Claus, distributing coal to the naughty children.
In Nordic countries an elf will usually wear only red instead of the green and red outfits they are known for in English speaking countries.