LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Tomte
built 237 days ago
The Tomte is the Swedish equivalent of Santa Claus or his elves, leaving presents for people on Christmas Eve. When Findus complains that the Tomte never visits him, the always sympathetic and accommodating Pettson decides to build a mechanical Tomte to surprise his feline friend. This is the third in the charming series of Pettson and Findus films, each one a gem. (84 min; Germany/ Sweden/ Denmark; All ages)
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Tomte formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1991 and, following a few minor lineup changes, were eventually comprised of Thees Uhlmann, Dennis Becker, Oliver Koch, Timo Bodenstein, and Max Schroder. Wielding a moody [I]ndie sound heavily influenced by Hamburger Schule bands like Tocotronic and Brit-pop acts like Pulp, Tomte released their first EP, Blinkmuffel, in 1996. The band's debut full-length, Du Weisst, Was Ich Meine, followed two years later, and another full-length, Eine Sonnige Nacht, hit stores in 2000. In conjunction with fellow Hamburgers Kettcar, the band created its own label, Grand Hotel van Cleef, soon after that, and their first album on Grand Hotel, 2003's Hinter All Diesen Fenstern, launched the group into the mainstream. The album charted in the German Top 50 that year and yielded two singles, "Schreit den Namen Meiner Mutter" and "Die Schonheit der Chance." The group released another album in 2006, Buchstaben Uber der Stadt (Letters Above the City).
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Tomte formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1991 and, following a few minor lineup changes, were eventually comprised of Thees Uhlmann, Dennis Becker, Oliver Koch, Timo Bodenstein, and Max Schroder. Wielding a moody indie sound heavily influenced by Hamburger Schule bands like Tocotronic and Britpop acts like Pulp, Tomte released their first EP, Blinkmuffel, in 1996.
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The Tomte or Nisse is found in Scandinavian folklore that children young and old have shared for generations. Once found on each farmstead, today Tomten live in each house, apartment as well. Leave your Tomte or Nisse a Christmas treat and you'll have good luck in 2008! Whether clustered on a table or spread along a mantle, these wooden characters will bring a touch of Nordic whimsy to the occasion. To create the pyramid buy 1-9", 2-7" and 1-5".
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One origin of the Nisse/Tomte is the Old Norse Jólasveinn or Yuleboy. The Jólasveinar or Yuleboys were sons of the troll woman Grýla and her husband Leppalúd (the horrible), trolls already known from the 12th century. They had a reputation for stealing and eating naughty boys. These had many different names acc. to old Norse tradition and reflecting what they had done wrong when alive, e.g.: Thvörusleikir (Pot Scraper Licker), Pottasleikir (Pot Licker), Askasleikir (Bowl Licker), Hurdaskellir (Door Slammer), Skyrgámur (Junket Gobbler), Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Snatcher ), Gluggagægir (Window Peeper) or Gáttathefur (Doorway Sniffer). Once a year they returned to scare other children, so they didn't behave badly.
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As Sweden legends tell, Tomte was believed to live under the floors of the house or barn. He would look after the family and their animals. After many years, Tomte became known as the Swedish Santa Claus. He was believed to come with presents.
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Tomte