Nordic folklore professor explains darker Scandinavian origins of Elf on the Shelf

December 20, 2024

While Elf on a Shelf is a relatively new tradition here in the United States (it gained popularity after the publication of abookin 2005), the cute elf is a descendant of a much more mischievous and, at times, homicidal brand of elves stretching all the way back to folk tales from 15th century Scandinavia.

That, and the Scandinavian origins of other Christmas traditions, was the subject of a recent talk by Timothy Tangherlini, a professor of Scandinavian folklore at UC Berkeley.

Instead of a college lecture hall, the talk was held at a downtown San Francisco brewery, called Bartlett Hall, as part of the Profs and Pints lecture series, which hosts college professors to talk about their field of study in bars, cafés, company offices, and other off-campus venues across the country.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12019160/before-elf-on-a-shelf-there-were-homicidal-house-elves-professor-at-bar-explains

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