The Nis PukHelge Noe-Ygaard: Sydslesvigske Sagn, København 1958 (sometimes also Niß PukKarl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 425. ()) is a legendary creature, a kind of Kobold, from Danish-,Stine Meyer: Mens vi venter. p 48 Low German-Leander Petzold: Kleines Lexikon der Dämonen und Elementargeister. Munich 1990, p. 144. and North Frisian-speakingKarl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 428. areas of Northern Germany and Southern Denmark,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 433. among them Schleswig, today divided into the German Southern Schleswig and Danish Northern Schleswig. It is also known in Denmark itself as , as a variant of nisse.
An earlier saying says Nissen does not want to go over the Eideren, i.e. not to Holstein to the South of Schleswig.Sønderjydske aarbøger 1982, Aabenraa 1982 Depending on the place, it can either appear as a domestic spirit or take on the role of a being generally called Drak or Kobold in Danish and German mythology, an infernal spirit making its owner wealthy by bringing them stolen goods.
The term combines the terms Nisse and Puck. The Nis Puk or Niß Puk can also be referred to as just Niß, Nis or Puk. The figure of the Nisse is widespread in Denmark, Norway, Scania, Halland and Blekinge (here as Goanisse or Godnisse≈the good Nisse),Axel Olrik and Hans Ellekilde: Nordens gudeverden, p. 294 the figure of the Puk can further be found in the (formerly) German-speaking regions of PomeraniaSiegfried Neumann: Sagen aus Pommern. Reinbek 1994, p. 209 f. and Neumark,Jungbauer: Kleid. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-knistern. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1477. belonging partially or completely to Poland today.
Name variations Variations of its name are Nißpuk,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 444. Niß-Puck, Nis Puck,Peuckert: Iltis. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-knistern. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 672 f. Nis Puk,Hermann Lübbing: Friesische Sagen von Texel bis Sylt. Leer 1977, p. 236. Nispuk,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 429. Niß Pug, Nisse Pok,Ole Lund Kirkegaard: Mig og bedstefar – og så Nisse Pok Neß Puk,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 430. Nißkuk or Neßkuk, Nisebok,Eckstein: Brot. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1633. Nisebuk, Niskepuk or Nische Puk.Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 432.
Also there are Niß, Niss,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 427. Nis,Hermann Lübbing: Friesische Sagen von Texel bis Sylt. Leer 1977, p. 237. Neß or Nisch. The Danish Nisse () appears in earlier times to have been called puge, with medieval attestations, and the Danish form is also known as variant to nisse in some local folklorenis pug or nis-pug, in , "B Nisser", No. 226 (pp. 100-101); No. 3 (p. 42); No. 145 (p. 78) (var. ).
Further there are Puk,Leander Petzold: Deutsche Volkssagen. Wiesbaden 2007, p. 249. Puck, Pug, PûksAdalbert Kuhn, Wilhelm Schwartz: Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg, Pommern, der Mark, Sachsen, Thüringen, Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfalen. Berlin 2017, p. 42. or HauspukKarl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 434. (“house Puk”).
Plural forms are Niskepuks, Nisken, Husniskens, Hausnischen (both “little house Nißs”), Husknechtkens (“little house servants”), Puke,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 442. Puken,Hermann Lübbing: Friesische Sagen von Texel bis Sylt. Leer 1977, p. 238. Puge,Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 433 f. Pûkse,Adalbert Kuhn, Wilhelm Schwartz: Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg, Pommern, der Mark, Sachsen, Thüringen, Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfalen. Berlin 2017, p. 41. PückenJurjen van der Kooi: Friesische Sagen. Munich 1994, p. 209 f. or Hauspuken (“house Puks”). and in Danish Nis PukkerHelge Noe-Ygaard: Sydslesvigske Sagn, København 1958, p. 83
One Pug is known to have had the proper name Bartel.
Etymology The form is described as a " juxtaposition" of two words meaning the same thing.
The name Niß said to be derived from the proper name Nikolaus, i.e., Nicholas (see also Nisse for other etymology of this stem). The name Puk is attested in the Old Danish form , descended from Old Norse ,Johannes Kok: Det Danske Folkesprog i Sønderjylland, København 1863, p. 353 meaning kobold (cf. Indo-European beu- → swelling) or from Low German pogge, meaning “toad”. Similarly, in Northern Schleswig (part of Denmark), Pug or Pog means “toad” or “frog”.,Erick Struckmann, Knud Jessen: De danske heder - deres natur og fortidsminder, folkeliv og kultur , 1. bd, 1943, p. 339 also in the Danish language of Anglia, where it can mean Danish Skrubtudse (→Common toad)Johannes Kok: Det Danske Folkesprog i Sønderjylland, København 1863, p. 354 Another possibility is Danish pusling, meaning “fat, swollen”, thus giving rise to the meaning “something swollen, hunchbacked”.Weiser-Aall: Kobold. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 33. Puk is also said to mean “small, not grown up”.
The variant form has encouraged the derivation of puk from ("buck goat or ram"), but this has been dismissed as folk etymology, though a commentator was tempted to comment it could echo a hint that the puk could shapeshift into a billy goat or ram. (Cf. also , as synonyms for nisse.)
It is possible that German Puk and English Puck have the same origin in continental Europe.
Appearance and abilities According to belief in Schleswig, Niß Puk is as tall as a child, either a one-year-old, one-and-a-half-year old but never taller than a three-year-old. It has a big head and long arms. Its eyes are said to be small, bright, and smart. It wears red stockings, a long ticking jacket, either grey or green, and a pointed red cap on its head. It also likes soft slippers with which it can be heard shuffling rapidly at night.Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 426. Niß Puck is able to cover huge distances in the shortest time with the help of its slippers.Jungbauer: Schuh. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 7 Pflügen-Signatur. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1307.
The Puken or Pücken on the Frisian island of Föhr are said to be small but broad, stout, and incredibly strong. They have big eyes with which they look around sharply. The Puken are dressed in red trousers, a grey waistcoat, and a red pointed cap as well as big, soft slippers. The Puk is said to have very large eyes on the island of Sylt, too.
The Nispuk is a little boy with a red cap and the Niskepuk is only three inches tall whereas the Neß Puk is a little man as tall as a span is long, wearing a pointed red cap. The cap of the Niß, when worn, makes its wearer invisible.Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 440.
On the island of Rügen and in the Neumark, the Puck is dressed in red. The Pûks from Pomerania is a little manikin wearing a big hat brimmed upwards and a red coat with seven shiny buttons on each side. Otherwise, it is also described wearing a red jacket and a red cap.Adalbert Kuhn, Wilhelm Schwartz: Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg, Pommern, der Mark, Sachsen, Thüringen, Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfalen. Berlin 2017, p. 42 f.
On the island of Rügen, the Puk can have diverse appearances. At home it appears as a little boy with red jacket and red cap. Outside it takes the shape of a cat or a fiery dragon (i.e. Drak) but preferably as a cat, for cats can get in and out everywhere, even fitting through the smallest of openings.
The Niß Pug is very strong. It is further said that one Pûks can work as much as seven men.Adalbert Kuhn, Wilhelm Schwartz: Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg, Pommern, der Mark, Sachsen, Thüringen, Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfalen. Berlin 2017, p. 79.
In Pomerania, the Puk might be inseparable from its owner. If its owner is riding out, it is sitting on the horse next to the saddled horse, riding the horse in such a manner that it ends up completely gaunt. It works together with its owner and in the case it is given no work it will torment its owner by beating him, pulling his hair or ears and riding on his back until he ends up completely pale. During mealtime, too, the Puk is with its owner, sitting behind him on the chair and eating from the same bowl. It will eat faster than even the fastest human eater and soil its owner's food if it is sated, thus forcing him to stop eating.
How to get one When a Nis Puk wishes to dwell somewhere, it then gathers a heap of chippings and fills the milk barrels with milk, soiling them with cattle dirt. This is a test. When the people of the house take care to leave the heap of chippings as is and drink the milk despite its barrel being dirtied, then the Nis Puk will stay.
If a possible dwelling place for the Niskepuks, as they are known in North Frisia, is prepared, they are invited with the words “Nu quad jem, glad Niskepuks” (“Now come, dear Niskepuks” in North Frisian language). The Niskepuks will come to the house, dance through it for inspection and one of them will stay.
A Niß mistreated by the previous house owners can be won over by new owners through placing a bowl with sweet porridge with butter on the hayloft every evening for eight days (and every day afterwards) and giving it soft slippers on the ninth day. Afterwards, one can move in.Karl Müllenhoff: Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg. Berlin 2017, p. 441.
The Nispuk can be bought but it demands for its owner's soul after his death. It can be sold twice. Its first and second owners thus will not go to hell but its third owner will have to, for he cannot get rid of it.
In Pomerania, a Puk can be won from a small egg laid by seven-year-old cock by carrying it in one's armpit until it hatches. It must be observed that in this span of time one mustn’t talk nor laugh. Similarly, on the island of Rügen, an evil Puk will hatch from a black hen's egg laid at midnight when bred by man.Eckstein: Ei. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 2 C.M.B.-Frautragen. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 604.
Dwelling Nispuk dwells in the loft, entering and exiting through a room forbidden for all where there is a window without glass.
The Puken or Pücken of the island of Föhr preferably dwell in the cellar and the loft, especially in small space between roof and straw, or in a small room with a doorknob shaped like a Puk-head.
The Nisken dwell in dark hidden corners of the house or barn, often also in the wood pile. They vanish if somebody comes near.