Nis Puk
appears in earlier times to have been called puge, with medieval attestations,[21] and the Danish form nis pug is also known as variant to nisse in some local folklore[22] (var.
The name Puk is attested in the Old Danish form puge,[37] descended from Old Norse puki púke,[35][38] meaning kobold (cf.
[43] The Puken or Pücken on the Frisian island of Föhr are said to be small but broad, stout, and incredibly strong.
[10] 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.
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.
[14] 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.
Similarly, on the island of Rügen, an evil Puk will hatch from a black hen's egg laid at midnight when bred by man.
[2] Niskepuk likes to dwell in a wooden pillar's hole if a board is fastened next to it where a bowl with porridge containing plenty of butter can be placed every day.
Then, one night, it left this place, built a fence around a farmer's farmstead and moved to a chamber on the same farm where the windows were always shuttered.
[12] The North Frisian Niskepuk grooms the horses and cows, cleans the fodder cribs, sweeps the barn, and places straw for threshing, all before morning breaks.
Thus the cattle will prosper, the cows will give plenty of milk, and the sheep will regularly drop three or four lambs.
It also fetches water and makes brooms for the maidservants, and when they rake the ash from the hearth in the morning, they will find a speciesthaler.
[14] In Pomerania, the Pûkse dwell in houses, particularly in mills, where they milk the cows, groom the horses, and work in the kitchen.
[27] In Schleswig-Holstein, the Husniskens, Hausnischen, Husknechtkens or Hauspuken are known to feed well the cattle and horses on the farm where they dwell so that the animals prosper and grow fat.
[18] In fact, the Puk is able to carry a full barn's worth of hay on its broad back, stealing it from the neighbors at night.
a pig dirt!” in Low German) but it will leave behind a terrible stench and the linen has to be washed very long to be free from it.
[46] In Dunsum in North Frisia, the Puken are known to grind coffee or cradle the children, both done invisibly, but they might sing: “Wenn du mir nicht willst stricken das Wams, So will ich auch nicht mehr mahlen und wiegen.” (“If you don’t want to knit me a waistcoat, then I don’t want to grind or cradle anymore.”), thus hinting at a desired reward.
[30] The Niß is also said to have served Faust in his endeavor to create the world's first nautical maps by steering him through the sea in a box of glass.
[5] As reward for its services, the Niß Puk requests a bowl filled with sweet porridge, butter or milk placed at its spot.
[53] In the evening, the Nisken expect the open hearth to be cleaned and a small cauldron with clear water being placed there for their convenience.
[2] Nis Puk also likes to appear with a horrid look, endeavoring to scare the household staff which, if successful, makes it laugh out joyously.
[20] Similarly, the Niß likes to sit in the loft's hatch in the sunshine, swinging its legs and propping up its head with its hands.
[51] When mistreated, the Puken or Pücken of the island of Föhr might invisibly steal the butter out of the porridge eaten by the inhabitants of the house.
When they are angry, the Hausnischen make a terrible racket at night thus keeping people from sleeping, breaking household goods, and throwing stones.
[44] In Husum in North Frisia, sometimes whole crowds and families of Puke dwell in houses, throwing everything around at night, making a racket in the loft, running up and down the stairs and through all rooms or cellars, and stealing both flour and beer.
[29] A different outcome is given when moving houses is thought of as the last possible solution to escape the awful Puke of Husum.
There they will stay and kill off the fish, exclaiming in the evening with fine voices: “Wir sind ausgezogen!
The lamenting Puk, when asked who did this, will answer Sülstdan, i.e. self-done, and thus will be left to die in the hot gruel by its prospective rescuers.
Seeing that they had stolen from each other, the Pugs became enraged and beat each other all night long until dawn, leaving behind huge heaps of hay at daybreak.
[6] Similar to dwarves, the Puke or Puks might also hold a bridal procession right through a farmer's rooms and kitchen leading to the Hauspuk's usual dwelling.
