A nisse or tomte is a small humanoid mythical creature in Scandinavian folklore—today mainly related to Christmas. The nisse was believed to take care of a farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the household was asleep.
The Danish artist Peter Nielsen (born 1946) lives on the small island Aero, south of FYN, and is familiar with different kinds of nisser in his local environment.