You know....

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen

They are based on those used in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" arguably the basis of reindeer's popularity as Christmas symbols, where Donner and Blitzen were originally called Dunder and Blixem


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
Whild visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchier, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clater,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow.
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should apper,
But a miniature sleight, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old drive, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid then eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now,Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!
"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleight full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof.
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
AS I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and shoot;
A bundle or Toys he had flung oh his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the snoke it enchircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but when stright to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleight, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."



Little information regarding the reindeer is disclosed in the poem, which has only allowed others to contribute to the backgrounds and folklore regarding them in other works. In part because of copyright issues, there is very little continuity between the various authors or reindeer-related works, resulting in widely varying depiction from author to author. Some authors have even created extra reindeer, the only case so far in which another's addition to the traditional group achieved general acceptance was of Robert L. May's creation "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" which indeed eventually became an iconic and traditional member of the sleigh team.

I wish there was more to tell you about the traditional group of reindeer, but there isn't much to find on them. Sorry!