Who was santas original raindeer?

While some northern European traditions associated St. Nicolas with a sleigh and reindeer for transportation, the idea of Santa and his eight original reindeer appear to have come primarily from Clement Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas." Written in 1823, it gives the names of Santa's team as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. "Donder" would later become "Donner."

Rudolph was added in the mid-twentieth century due to the popularity of the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."