Christmas Folklore - The Chaotic Yule Lads

A Few of the Yule Lads.

Time ticks by, the days slowly pass, drawing us closer to Christmas. Every country has its own traditions and stories associated with the winter season, and Iceland is certainly no exception

Iceland is a Nordic Island nation located between the Arctic Oceans and the North Atlantic. It is geologically active, with many volcanoes, as well as having a subarctic coast with glaciers. It has therefore been described as ‘The land of fire and ice.’ There are many Icelandic festive myths, but today we will discuss the unusual legend of the Yule Lads.

Also known as Yuletide-lads or Yulemen, they are a group of thirteen, rascally, pranksters that harass the population over the Christmas period. They arrive one by one over the course of the Yule period, creating trouble, and scaring the poor Icelandic folk. Children leave their shoes on window sills, hoping that these supernatural beings will leave small gifts inside them. However, if you are a naughty child, you are more likely to receive a rotten potato as punishment.

The Yule Lads are believed to be the sons of Grýla, an Ogress who dwells in the mountains. Early tales portray them in a dark way – as the kidnappers of really naughty youngsters – over time they became less scary and stories focused more around their pranks, so that in modern times, the Yule Lads are more comparable to Santa Claus. They are generally portrayed wearing late-medieval Icelandic clothing but are sometimes shown in the costume traditionally worn by Santa, especially at children's events.

Each Yule Lad arrives individually and stays for thirteen days, starting on 12th December. Once the first Lad departs on Christmas Day, the rest follow suit each day through to 6th January. Below is a list of each of the Lads, their names, descriptions and the date of their arrival and departure:

Name - Stekkjarstaur Translation - Sheepcote Clod Description - Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs. Arrives - 12th December Departs - 25th December

Name - Giljagaur Translation - Gully Gawk Description - Hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk. Arrives - 13th December Departs - 26th December

Name - Stúfur Translation - Stubby Description - Abnormally short. Steals pans for the food baked to the bottoms and brims. Arrives - 14th December Departs - 27th December

Name - Þvörusleikir Translation - Spoon Licker Description - Steals wooden spoons being used for cooking. Extremely thin from malnutrition. Arrives - 15th December Departs - 28th December

Name - Pottaskefill Translation - Pot Scraper Description -Steals pots to scrape out the leftovers. Arrives - 16th December Departs - 29th December

Name - Askasleikir Translation - Bowl Licker Description -Hides under beds awaiting the wooden food bowls placed on the floor. Arrives - 17th December Departs - 30th December

Name - Hurðaskellir Translation - Door Slammer Description - Enjoys slamming doors, especially during the night, waking up the household. Arrives - 18th December Departs - 31st December

Name - Skyrgámur Translation - Skyr Gobbler Description - Has a great affinity for skyr, a regional style of yogurt. Arrives - 19th December Departs - 1st January

Name - Bjúgnakrækir Translation - Sausage Swiper Description - Hides in the rafters and snatches sausages that are being smoked. Arrives - 20th December Departs - 2nd January

Name - Gáttaþefur Translation - Doorway Sniffer Description - Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate Leaf Bread. Arrives - 21st December Departs - 3rd January

Name - Gluggagægir Translation - Window Peeper Description - A snoop who looks through windows in search of things to steal. Arrives - 22nd December Departs - 4th January

Name - Ketkrókur Translation - Meat Hook Description - Uses a hook to steal meat. Arrives - 23rd December Departs - 5th January

Name - Kertasníkir Translation - Candle Beggar Description - Follows children to steal their precious candles, made of tallow and thus edible. Arrives - 24th December Departs - 6th January

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog my friend, I hope you found it enjoyable, if you like folktales or scary stories why not try out my Audio book ‘Fireside Horror.’ It is wonderfully narrated by the talented voice actor, Aubrey Parsons, and is the perfect thing to listen to on these cold, dark nights. Link below -