Tag: yule

13 Yule Lads and Each of Their Stories

The Yule Lads, or the Jólasveinarnir in Icelandic, are legendary figures that are said to reside in the mountains and make an appearance in the town 13 nights before Yule. They are all named after things that describe how they like to cause trouble. They put presents in the shoes that kids have left on the windows, but if the kid has been bad, they put a spoiled potato in there instead.

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Iceland passed a law outlawing the transmission of terrifying tales about the Yule Lads to youngsters in 1746.

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Therefore, these characters have evolved into more sympathetic characters throughout the years and become the children of the witch Grýla and his husband Leppalúði, two other mischief figures.

Family of the Yule Lads

The Yule Lads were originally monsters who ate disobedient children and naughty animals that left presents at night. In recent times, they have taken on greater charitable responsibilities. The 13 Yule Lads are shown as living inside a cave together as a family:

Grýla is a giant who eats mischievous children cooked in a cauldron.
Leppalúði is her husband who is sluggish and spends most of his time in the cave.
Yule Cat or Jólakötturinn is a gigantic and evil cat that lurks in homes during Yule and eats anyone who hasn’t gotten clothes as a gift before Yule.
The Yule Lads are the offspring of Grýla and Leppalúði. They are a group of trolls causing mischief to the population during Yule. In the thirteen nights leading up to Yule, they make their way to town one by one each day to either deliver gifts or punishment for the children.

Originating in the 17th century, the specifics of these Yule tales changed with the times and places they were told. Their tales are now meant to inspire good conduct. Translations of the poem by Hallberg Hallmundsson served as a source for the English names of Yule Lads.

List of Yule Lads

The Yule Lads come into town on December 12 and depart in the same order (beginning on December 25); hence, each boy stays for thirteen days. This happens on each of the thirteen nights leading up to Yule Day. The thirteen Yule Lads are listed below according to the sequence in which they come and go.

Yule Lads	Meaning	What He Does	Arrives	Leaves
Stekkjarstaur	Sheep-Cote Clod	Causes trouble for sheep but faces hindrance due to his wooden legs.	12 December	25 December
Giljagaur	Gully Gawk	Lurks in gullies, patiently awaiting a chance to slip into the cowshed and steal milk.	13 December	26 December
Stúfur	Stubby	Unusually small in stature. Steals pans to consume the remnants of crust left on them.	14 December	27 December
Þvörusleikir	Spoon-Licker	Snatches and licks wooden spoons. Extremely thin as a consequence of malnutrition.	15 December	28 December
Pottaskefill	Pot-Scraper	Steals remnants from cooking pots.	16 December	29 December
Askasleikir	Bowl-Licker	Lurks beneath beds, anticipating the moment someone sets down their askur (a bowl with a lid), which he proceeds to steal.	17 December	30 December
Hurðaskellir	Door-Slammer	Enjoys shutting doors during the night to wake people up.	18 December	31 December
Skyrgámur	Skyr-Gobbler	Enjoys skyr (similar to yogurt) a lot.	19 December	1 January
Bjúgnakrækir	Sausage-Swiper	Conceals itself in the rafters and grabs smoked sausages.	20 December	2 January
Gluggagægir	Window-Peeper	An intruder who peeks through windows, searching for items to steal.	21 December	3 January
Gáttaþefur	Doorway-Sniffer	Possesses a large nose and a keen sense of smell just to locate leaf bread (laufabrauð).	22 December	4 January
Ketkrókur	Meat-Hook	Utilizes a hook to pilfer meat.	23 December	5 January
Kertasníkir	Candle-Stealer	Chases after children to take their candles, which were once made of tallow and thus edible.	24 December	6 January

Origin of Yule Lads

The 17th-century Poem of Grýla was the initial reference to the Yule Lads. Grýla, previously a troll in tales, had no prior association with Yule.

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She serves as the fearsome mother of the Yule Lads, posing a threat to children. Initially, various types of Yule Lads existed, with descriptions ranging from harmless pranksters to child-devouring monsters, depending on the region. Similar to the boogeyman, they aimed to encourage good behavior.

However, in 1746, King Christian VI of Denmark (1699–1746) opposed the use of these tales as a form of punishment. This apparently small decision in the last year of his life changed the course of the history of a national folklore story. In the late 18th century, a poem featuring thirteen Yule Lads emerged. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Icelandic folklorist Jón Árnason began collecting tales in the 19th century, introducing the Yule Lads in his 1862 anthology. Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum included the Yule Lads poem in his widely-known 1932 collection, “Jólin Koma” (Yule is Coming) which has cemented the identities, names, and the thirteen canonical Yule Lads.

November 23, 2023

Yule Goat: A Nordic Christmas Goat for Bountiful Harvest
Yule Goat, also known as Julebukk and Christmas goat, is an umbrella term for a variety of traditional winter solstice practices that focus on goats in Norway, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe. In Swedish, it is referred to as julbock and julgumse in the Dalecarlian dialect.
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In Danish, it is called julebuk, juleged, and nytårsbuk. In Estonian, it is called joulosak, while in Latvian, it is called joulopuk. Although the Yule goat’s precise origin is unclear, the many traditions surrounding it as a representation of Yule, a Yule spirit, a leader of carnival processions, a giver of presents, and other similar roles have their origins in both pre-Christian and Christian traditions. Religion, festivals, and subsequent agricultural practices are all part of the Yule goat, as are beliefs from the Germanic and Norse cultures.
Origins of the Yule Goat
Was the Yule Goat a Sacrificial Goat?
The term Yule goat or “julebukk” might have originated from the pre-Christian practice of slaughtering a billy goat in honor of “jól,” which means “Midwinter Day,” in order to guarantee a prosperous year. This practice was favored either to celebrate fertility, wish for a happy year, or signal the end of the harvest season.
Thor’s Goats: Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
Thor’s goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. ©Malevus
Another origin theory of the Yule goat lies in mythology. Some have seen the Yule goat as a symbol of the Norse deity Thor. Two goats, Tanngrisnir (gap-tooth”) and Tanngnjóstr (“teeth grinder”) dragged Thor’s chariot. Even if he ate the goats, they would revive the next day, provided he collected all the bones from their skins. The terrifying sound produced by his chariot as he raced across the sky is called Thor’s thunder (torden). When the giants heard Thor, they would duck for cover.
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Perhaps as figures of abundance and holy protection, these two goats may have made it into Christian Christmas decorations. At one point, the Yule goat was the bringer of gifts in Nordic regions before Santa Claus became a more popular Christmas figure.
Goats may have stood for virility in Norse mythology, but in ancient Greek mythology, for instance, goat-like satyrs were symbols of intense desire. Goats were associated with negative and animalistic ideas, which were particularly prevalent in medieval Christian beliefs about sexual restraint. Other representations of the goats throughout this period included the devil, witches, and people damned to hell. Krampus is a half-goat Christmas figure, and he is the polar opposite of Saint Nicholas or Santa.
The Yule Goat and the Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt. ©Malevus
Folklore has it that “julebukk” (Yule goat) may also mean “Julebukking,” or someone who gets into the spirit of the season by dressing up as a billy goat and begging for food and drink. This person’s attire is often a furry hide. The myth of “Oskoreia,” or Wild Hunt, describes a variety of specters that wandered around during the midwinter night, often accompanied by a horned figure like a goat. It is an old belief recognized from the Middle Ages and here we find a potential link between the Yule goat and the Wild Hunt.
The leader of the Wild Hunt is often a figure associated with Odin in Germanic legends. In this theory, the origin of the Yule goat may lie in this group of demonic or ghostly huntsmen. Because in the later centuries, the celebrations of the Yule often saw a person with a billy goat mask and animal hide leading a group of people in old clothing, which symbolized the dead.
They celebrated Yule by dancing and making a racket. At this period, the Yule goat was more of a nuisance than a kind spirit, and he often wanted more than just a handful of sweets.
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His appearances at parties were unannounced, and while everyone knew he was really only a friend in a horny guise, the fearsome beast still frightened kids and even adults.
Different Norwegian towns, cities, and generations have their own unique customs when it comes to celebrating Yule or Christmas with goats. Traditionally, both adults and youths would go out “julebukking” during the Christmas season in search of sweets as a reward, but nowadays, the practice is largely associated with kids. The main part of the excitement in julebukking was trying to identify the person behind the Yule goat disguise. Whenever adults went somewhere, they would historically be given a dram or a small quantity of spirits (liquor).
Features of the Yule Goat
Bringer of Gifts
One of the many Victorian-era uses for the Yule goat was as a gift-bringer, where he later became the helper of Santa Claus and the puller of his sleigh.
Yule Inspector
Older stories also associate Yule goat with a malevolent spirit or wight (Danish: “julevaette”) that, like Christmas elves and Lussi, kept tabs on everyone’s holiday preparations, had the power to punish those who disobeyed, and frightened youngsters, just like the Icelandic Yule Cat.
Yule Ornament
The Yule goat later became a Yule ornament made of straw with curled horns and red ribbons. There is now a giant straw Gävle Goat built each year for Yule. Interestingly, the Yule goat has also been used to describe certain kinds of bread, pastries, and even social activities.
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These traditions have carried on into Christmas.
A Straw Figure
The goat was an important aspect of pre-Christian Nordic culture, and its influence lives on in the form of a straw figure that is part of the Yule décor today. The significance of the goat is also shown by traditions like hiding a straw goat in a neighbor’s home and then trying to return it in the same way.
The Yule Goat Language
A characteristic derived from old and common masquerade customs is that the Yule goat, like Santa Claus, speaks “gnome language,” “Yule goat language,” or “troll language,” which is a distorted, high-pitched voice. This is also mentioned in the Norwegian writer Alf Prøysen’s well-known Christmas song “Romjulsdrøm” from 1968, which is about being “four years old during the Christmas season” and encountering a “Yule goat at a grandmother’s home.”
Christmas Figures Similar to the Yule Goat
Initially, the timing of the Yule celebration was not fixed, with each village celebrating when the work of harvest and threshing was complete and the livestock had been brought in from pasture. It was only during the first half of the 19th century that the festival began to be celebrated on November 1. Since it coincided with All Saints’ Day, it partly took on a celebration for the deceased.
Krampus
There are many parallels to the Yule goat tradition, especially in the Alpine regions, where a similar pre-Christian figure has survived in a disguised form with goat horns and animal skins named Krampus. He is known by many names according to the countries and regions, such as Klaubauf, Bartl or Bartel, Niglobartl, Wubartl, Pelzebock or Pelznickel, Gumphinckel, Parkelj, Čert, Badalisc, and so on.
Grýla
In Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Shetland, the Christmas goat tradition is linked to Grýla, a troll woman in folklore. People go Yule goat-ing (Julebukking) dressed as supernatural beings. Horns and animal hides are also recurring features of Grýla.
Santa’s Horned Helpers
There are also many figures who accompany the “goat.” St. Nicholas himself brings Krampus to deal with “naughty” youngsters in large regions. A little kid dressed in white with lit candles is worshipped in the Protestant North instead of Krampus, known as the Christ Child (Christkindl).
Zwarte Piet (“Black Peter”), who originally wears horns and is tasked with frightening misbehaving youngsters, is always accompanying St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas/Santa Claus) in the Netherlands. Over the past 150 years, he has become less menacing by assuming the appearance of an African, often in a childlike manner, dressed in exotic servant attire.
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What is the Julebukking?
Julebukking is the Norwegian trick-or-treating at Yule in Nordic countries, which is when children dress up to go caroling door-to-door and these kids are called “Yule goats.” Julebukking is a game for kids, also practiced on the 13th day of Christmas (Epiphany), in exchange for treats like cookies, juice, and soda.
Nowadays, “julebukk” (Yule goat) mainly signifies “Julebukking,” a term for a small group of people who went door-to-door dressed for Yule. Once upon a time, there was a group or procession whose members wore shaggy fur and a goat or horn mask for this occasion. Nowadays, it is more common for costumed adolescents to visit farms, where they sing, dance, joke, accept beverages, and receive Yule food.
Despite a gradual decline in popularity since the 1980s, the practice is still alive in Norway and a few other Baltic republics. Kids nowadays can dress as elves, but in newer adaptations, they don’t use masks to hide who they are.
It is speculated that the practice of Julebukking originated in medieval dramatizations of Oskoreia or Wild Hunt, a kind of winter solstice myth, or as a holdover from Catholic processions featuring devil images or southern European mask traditions.
November 18, 2023
Yule Cat: An Icelandic Cat That Makes People Work Harder
In Icelandic mythology, there is an unwanted creature called Yule Cat, also known as Jólakötturinn, that lives in the highlands of Iceland and is a black cat monster the size of a bull. The story of this terrifying mountain cat was first documented in the nineteenth century. In Icelandic tradition, the male Yule Cat is said to share a cave with the witch Grýla, a giantess-cannibal who abducts youngsters who are rebellious and naughty; Leppalúði, her husband, who is a total slob who never gets out of bed; and their kids, the thirteen Yule Lads, who are equivalents of “Santa Clauses” in the homeland.
The Story of the Yule Cat
Those who haven’t gotten at least one woolen item for the winter festival Yule are attacked and devoured by the traveling Yule Cat that visits cities and villages at Christmas. For instance, in order to save the children from the chore of the cat, who did not receive new clothes for Yule, the tale goes that they were given candles along with a few clothes, socks, or shoes. In that sense, the story also instructs people to help the less fortunate by giving them gifts.
In some tellings of the story, the Yule Cat doesn’t devour the kids but their Yule food; in other tellings, its target also includes the grownups. In another variant, the Yule Cat makes its way down from the mountaintops during the holiday season and roams the snowy countryside, but he is only limited to capturing those who are short on Yule goodies. It is claimed that those who fail to replace their old clothes in Iceland have “gone to the Yule Cat” (Icelandic: hann fór í jólaköttinn), which means that they have brought themselves misfortune.
Even though the Yule Cat has been around for a long time, the first recorded references to this Christmas cat didn’t appear until the nineteenth century. Farmers in Iceland would use the Yule Cat as a threat to get their staff to complete processing the wool they had received in the fall before Yule (around Dec 21–Jan 2).
©Malevus
Those who helped out the effort were rewarded with new clothing, while those who did not receive nothing and, thus, became prey to the dreadful Yule Cat. In the third alteration, the cat is seen eating the food from the Yule dinner of individuals who do not have new clothes.
The poetry of the Icelandic author Jóhannes úr Kötlum (1899–1972) and other traditions contributed to the widespread belief that the Yule Cat devours humans. The second volume of Icelandic folklorist Jón Árnason’s Icelandic Folk Tales and Adventures states the following about this mythical cat:
However, people could not enjoy the joy of Yule completely carefree because, in addition to the Yule Lads, it was believed that there was an unexpected person on the move called a Yule cat. He didn’t really hurt anyone who got some new clothes to wear on the Eve of Yule, but the others who didn’t get any new clothes were said to have “gone to the Yule Cat,” so he took them or at least their Yule gifts and it was considered fortunate if the cat was pleased with what he took.
Árnason’s famous Yule Cat poem reads:
You all know the Yule Cat
And that Cat was huge indeed.
People didn’t know where he came from
Or where he went.
He opened his glaring eyes wide,
The two of them glowing bright.
It took a really brave man
To look straight into them.
Origin of the Yule Cat
Because of Iceland’s relative isolation from the rest of the world ever since its founding, most of Icelandic folklore is original and depicts the harsh realities of life. The Yule Cat may have trollish roots, as Scandinavian folklore mentions witches summoning a ‘troll cat’ for magical purposes. Shamanic traditions also involve taking on a feline form. A recorded story from Norway tells of a Finn transforming into a large black cat to steal a silver spoon as a token.
The precise beginnings of the legendary image of the Yule Cat are linked to shepherding in Iceland, where sheep breeding was an important part of every family. “Vaðmál” (Wadmal), the coarse wool made from sheep’s fleece, was a business run by families.
Processing the wool was a family affair that included everyone from small children to elderly relatives after the sheep shearing during the months of fall. Working in tandem with the Icelandic market season, this task usually comes to a close right before Yule (Jól), which is around December 20–22.
Houses with the ability to spin wool were in great demand, yet there were years when it was difficult or impossible to work wool because of things like poverty, conflict, starvation, or death. Icelandic families still got together in the hopes that the Christmas Cat would not prey on any of their loved ones.
Domestic winter wear, particularly for older children, was fashioned from handloom material, and it was customary to knit little things, such as gloves and socks for everyone from the family. Those who worked hard leading up to Yule got new things, while others who were careless and hadn’t made anything by the time the markets opened were left behind. People used to scare their kids with the Yule Cat to get them to work harder.
Is the Yule Cat Actually the Yule Goat?
Yule Goat. ©Malevus
One theory suggests that at the origin of the Yule Cat lies the Yule Goat, which is a Scandinavian and Northern European symbol with a Pagan origin. The Norse deity Thor was associated with the Yule Goat because he traveled through the sky in a chariot pulled by two goats.
It is possible that the Yule Goat first traveled to Iceland from Norway around the 18th century, but the character transformed into a cat during the introduction since goats are so rare in Iceland. A similar phenomenon is found across the Eastern Baltic, where it takes the form of a cow.
According to Swedish folklore, the Yule Goat is a spirit that appears just before Christmas to check if everything is in order with the Yule festivities. This tradition is similar to the behavior of the Yule Cat.
On the other hand, Grýla’s origin may be traced back to the Middle Ages, specifically around 13th-century Norse mythology. Her tradition, which is similar to the Italian Befana figure, became intertwined with the Yule Lads by the 17th century. The lineage of these young lads is said to originate from East Iceland and extends back to ancient times.
However, the Icelandic government later outlawed the practice of passing on terrifying tales of the Yule Lads to youngsters in 1746. These days, they’re just playful, harmless creatures. The Yule Cat has come to be associated with the giantess Grýla and her Yule Lads (Jólasveinar) since the 19th century. This cat is also said to belong to an ancient tradition, but written evidence has only been found in modern times.
Why a Cat and Not a Dog?
Iceland has always been a cat country, where cats have been more common than dogs. Hence, the country even banned dogs in 1924 after the increased cases of fatal tapeworms passed onto humans from dogs.
The goddess of love and magic, Freya, was said to have ridden a chariot drawn by two enormous flying cats that looked like the Norwegian forest cat in Icelandic mythology. The giant and woolly appearance of the Yule Cat might be explained by this, since Icelandic mythology places a high value on cats.
-> See also: The Black Cat Myth
Figures Similar to the Yule Cat
Although not exactly identical, there are other Christmas figures from other nations with similar purposes of creation:
- Krampus: A half-goat, half-demon creature, Krampus is also a disciplinary character during the Christmas season. He appears in the mythology of Central Europe. He is the polar opposite of Saint Nicholas. The fear of Krampus serves as a deterrent to misbehavior among youngsters, much like the Yule Cat.
- Frau Perchta: In German and Austrian tradition, there is a witch named Frau Perchta who, during the course of the Christmas season, bestows a notoriously horrific punishment on the wicked: having their inside organs torn out and replaced with trash.
- Hans Trapp: Hans Trapp warns misbehaving children to be good or face abduction to the dark forest using his scarecrow disguise.
- Belsnickel: Belsnickel taps windows, jingles bells loudly, and accuses children of misdeeds.
- Père Fouettard: Père Fouettard, French for ‘Father Whipper,’ dispenses lumps of coal and beatings to naughty children.
In Popular Culture
LED Yule Cat in capital Reykjavík. ProcrastinatingHistorian, cc by sa 4.0, enhanced.
The Yule Cat is still a prominent Yule figure in today’s Icelandic folklore, where certain monuments and dedications are made to the cat every holiday in the country. There are many pieces of art that focus on it, and the animal has become a more common sight in Icelandic holiday décor in recent years.
In the above image, you can see a large cat figure dedicated to the animal in the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, with the title “Christmas Cat.” The City of Reykjavík spent 4.4 million ISK ($31,400) on this large LED cat.
The worldwide famous Icelandic singer Björk released a song named “Jólakötturinn” in 1987 and the lyrics are inspired by Kötlum’s poem.
November 18, 2023