Gardvord
Gardvord (farm guardian) is the older, original Norwegian farm guardian spirit, predating the nisse in Norwegian folk tradition. The gardvord was believed to be the first person buried on a farm or the founding ancestor whose spirit remained to protect the farmstead. Unlike the bearded nisse, the gardvord was often described as a small, naked child or a tiny old man who lived in a tree on the farm, usually an ash or elm. Offerings were made at this tree. The gardvord tradition was strongest in western and northern Norway, distinct from the nisse tradition of Østlandet. The name comes from gard