Are there any old Christmas stories that explain this or am I the only one who thinks that the elves could be creepy aliens?
2006-09-25 21:40:55 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
It just seems like they don't have a background story and I am a bit suspicious of them.
2006-09-25 21:42:10 · update #1
The Santa Claus story is of MIXED background--combining Germanic mythology and folktales with Christian stories about one or more church leaders (the source of the name Saint Nicholas).
The elves appear to come from a Germanic folktale that was brought into the mix. Here is the story, according to Wikipedia:
"Another early folk tale, originating among the Germanic tribes, tells of a holy man (sometimes Saint Nicholas), and a demon (sometimes the Devil, Krampus, or a troll). The story states that the land was terrorized by a monster who at night would slither down the chimneys and slaughter children (disembowelling them or stuffing them up the flue, or keeping them in a sack to eat later). The holy man sought out the demon, and tricked it with blessed or magical shackles (in some versions the same shackles that imprisoned Christ prior to the crucifixion, in other versions the shackles were those used to hold St. Peter or Paul of Tarsus); the demon was trapped and forced to obey the saint's orders. The saint ordered him to go to each house and make amends, by delivering gifts to the children. Depending on the version, the saint either made the demon fulfil this task every year, or the demon was so disgusted by the act of good will that it chose to be sent back to Hell.
"Yet other versions have the demon reform under the saint's orders, and go on to recruit other elves and imps into helping him, thus becoming Santa Claus."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_Santa_Claus#Germanic_folklore
2006-09-26 00:17:38 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 94⤊ 26⤋
thay propoly come from santa's house
2013-11-30 06:01:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The elves are the little people who lived near the North Pole before Santa came. Until he arrived they were mischievous and played pranks on the nearest humans. Once they got to know his jolly goodness and generosity, they just had see humans as friends and started to help him to spread toys and joy to the children of the world. They haven't given up all their naughty ways but they only play tricks in the Norse countries where the people understand and accept the pranks.
Not exactly an old story. I took real info from the links and pieced it together with what we know of Santa.
2006-09-25 22:09:24 · answer #3 · answered by Kuji 7 · 80⤊ 21⤋
They come from anywhere you think they are from.
2006-09-25 22:08:11 · answer #4 · answered by newyorkgal71 7 · 16⤊ 85⤋
Well the truth is easy. Someone who was tired of saying the same story over and over again put his/her imagination to work and add more characters to the story. Don't you think is good to think that someone is helping Santa with all his work. Is good to imagine how those little elves have their own factory process. What you think?
2006-09-25 21:58:29 · answer #5 · answered by speedy girl 3 · 21⤊ 80⤋
shangrala
2006-09-25 21:44:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 98⤋
they arent real!!! no such thing.
2006-09-25 21:42:52 · answer #7 · answered by Southie9 5 · 10⤊ 107⤋