A Nisse
A nisse, also known as a house spirit, is a small creature that usually lives in homes of people. They appear in the Graphic Novels, the animated series, and the Hilda Tie-In Series.
In the Graphic Novels, they are first seen in "Hilda and the Black Hound". in the animated series, a Nisse first appears at the end of "Chapter 9: The Ghost", and more about the creature is revealed in "Chapter 12: The Nisse". In the tie-in series, they make their first appearance in "Hilda and the Nowhere Space".
All Nisse are called Tontu. The main Nisse that interact with Hilda are Tontu (alpha) and Tontu (Beta).
Information
History
According to the information about the Giants of Old in the novel "Hilda and the Midnight Giant", both Nisse and Trolls are descendants of the giant Björg.
Appearance
Nisse vary a lot in appearance and size, from a few inches to over six feet.[1] In "Chapter 13: The Black Hound", Hilda interacts with Nisse that are the same size as her, but also meets one Nisse who barely reaches up to her foot.
Common traits they all share: the males typically have lots of hair that covers their entire face, in most cases to the point only their noses are visible. Most Nisse have been shown to have tails, and large, round noses (except one).
Almost all Nisse shown are male, the only confirmed female being the mother of Tontu (Beta), who is only seen on a portrait, and in a flashback. Tontu (Beta)'s exact gender is up to debate.
They prefer to wear loose fitting attire in earthly colours.[1]
Species' Members
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| Other Nisse: |   |
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| Other Nisse: |   |
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| Other Nisse (tie-in series): |   |
Behavior
Nisse live in people's houses, inside the so-called Nowhere Space; a pocket dimension made up of the spaces behind bookcases, the tops of cupboards that you can't quite reach, and other such unused space.
Nisse are solitary creatures, and incredibly territorial. They naturally distrust other Nisse, making snide comments or offering a negative opinion about them if asked[1], and will violently attack any other Nisse that dares to enter their house. The reason why is unknown, but presumably because there are more of them than there are homes to inhabit. This distrust towards other Nisse doesn't change if a Nisse is evicted. Homeless Nisse, despite having no territory to defend, still try to avoid each other's company.
Despite this however, it is apparently possible for Nisse to fall in love and have a family, as proven by Tontu's backstory. They will also work together if absolutely necessary.
Nisse gather anything they find lying around the house, and which the home owner presumably no longer wants, in their nests.
Relation with humans
In older times, People used to bring offerings to the Nisse in their home in return for services, like the Nisse helping to maintain the house. In modern times, most humans are aware of Nisse, and generally don't have a very high opinion of them. The Nisse themselves are partly to blame for this bad reputation due to them badmouthing each other because of their mistrust of other Nisse.[1]
They usually tolerate them in their homes as long as they keep a low profile. Because of their ability to reside in Nowhere Space, it's generally believed by humans that Nisse can make themselves invisible.
Nisse can be forcibly evicted by the owners of the homes they live in, since they are forced to obey if the home owner orders them to leave. Once banished, it can be difficult for a Nisse to find a new home, especially if all other houses already have a Nisse.[1]
References
