Here is another Norse mythological creature I have hard time translating into English. The old Norse word is vættr, and in Swedish the word is vätte (singular) or vättar (plural). One possible translation might be “gnome”, but it still isn’t quite right from how gnomes are described, even though they have similarities. So, I’ll just call it Vätte/Vättar.
Vättar were small creatures, only as large as toads or rats. They lived in groups under ground, and are therefore often referred to as “the small ones under ground”. They could live in the forrest, but often lived close to humans, such as under their houses or barns. Mostly, they kept to themselves, but could contact the people on the farm if they needed something or had a complaint.
One common story is about how a Vätte shows himself to the farmer and asks him to move his barn, since it is right above their den and the manure leaks through their roof. If the farmer agrees to this, Vättar will magically help him build the new barn, and he will have luck with his animals. If he refuses however, bad things will happen.
You also had to be careful where you poured hot water. If Vättar lived below, they could get scalded. So when you poured hot water on the ground, you had better call out “watch out down there”, so they had time to move. It was the same if you peed on the ground – Vättar did not appreciate being peed on!
If you angered a Vätte, they could take revenge. It could be something as drastic as burning the farm to the ground, or something smaller, such as biting your nose when you were sleeping.
But if you did them a favor or helped them, they could reward you. Vättar often gave people gifts of leaves or sticks, and told them to take care of it carefully. If you did, you’d find that the seemingly worthless gift would transform into gold.
Sources:
Egerkrans, Johan. Nordiska väsen. (2023)
Schön, Ebbe. Älvor, vättar och andra väsen. (1996)
Wall, Tora. Folktrons väsen. (2021)