feillommer

Feillommer is a term found in Norwegian-language folklore and contemporary fantasy describing a tiny spirit believed to lurk in clothes pockets or seams, responsible for misplacing small objects such as keys, coins, or buttons. In traditional accounts, feillommer are elusive and shy, typically harmless, and are sometimes appeased by leaving a small offering—like a spare button or a bit of fabric—near a doorway. The etymology combines feil (fault, error) and lomme (pocket), and the name suggests their association with faulty pockets.

Origins and regional variants: Attested in several Norwegian districts; accounts vary. Some describe feillommer as coin-loving sprites who exchange objects for trinkets; others portray them as witnesses to household misfortune who can be placated.

Modern usage: In contemporary fantasy literature and role-playing games, feillommer are adapted as pocket-dwelling creatures with mischievous but benign temperament. In folklore studies, the term is used to illustrate how communities explain everyday anomalies (missing items). The concept has parallels with other pocket-dwelling creatures in European folklore, such as kobolds or brownies, though feillommer are typically described as smaller and more local to clothing spaces.

See also: Norse folklore, kobold, brownie, household spirit, misplacement myths.