For a lighthearted history of elves, brownies, goblins and such like, and how they became part of our Christmas folklore, visit: “The Evolution of Elves,” by Rebecca Sicree.
“Over the past centuries, three major events changed the perceptions of elves. First, the arrival of Christianity dethroned them as gods. Then the Reformation shrank them. And finally, the American Revolution sent them to the North Pole.”
Gladsome Lights 
Thank you for providing the link to this interesting article. Thanks to my son and his family who now live in Norway, I have made the acquaintance of gnomes called nisse. These are creatures who live in barns or homes, protecting the countryside and the people who live there. They usually sport a long white beard and wear a long conical cap.
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That’s interesting! And I love your graphic, too!
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What a fun illustration. I do love vintage holiday cards, and their sometimes quirky takes on our celebrations.
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The Reformation shrank a lot of things. 😉 (I’m not sure I get the third part.)
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Fascinating. Thanks for posting!
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