Tomten (poem)
| Tomten | |
|---|---|
| by Viktor Rydberg | |
Title illustration by Jenny Nyström 1881 | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Publication date | 1881 |
"Tomten", also known as "Midvinternattens köld är hård", is a poem written by Viktor Rydberg, and originally published in Ny Illustrerad Tidning in 1881. While outwardly being an idyllic Christmas poem, the poem asks about the meaning of life.
A short film, Tomten, was recorded in 1941 by Gösta Roosling, where Hilda Borgström reads the entire poem.
Lotta Engberg's 2009 Christmas album Jul hos mig closes with a final, hidden, bonus track with Sven Wollter reading the poem.
The poem has also been recorded as an audio book, with Torgny Lindgren reading it.