| The Yule Lads | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Names |
Stekkjastaur, Giljagaur, Stúfur, Þvörusleikir, Pottaskefill, Askasleikir, Hurðaskellir, Skyrgámur, Bjúgnakrækir, Gluggagægir, Gáttaþefur, Ketkrókur, and Kertasníkir. |
|
First Appearance |
Unknown |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
The Yule Lads, or Yulemen, are figures from Icelandic folklore who in modern times have become the Icelandic version of Santa Claus. Their number has varied throughout the ages, but currently they are considered to be thirteen. They put rewards or punishments into shoes placed by children in window sills during the last thirteen nights before Christmas Eve. Every night, one Yuletide lad visits each child, leaving gifts or rotting potatoes, depending on the child’s behavior throughout the year.
The Yule Lads were originally portrayed as being mischievous, or even criminal, pranksters who would steal from, or in other way harass the population (at the time mostly rural farmers). They all had descriptive names that conveyed their modus operandi.
The Yule Lads are traditionally said to be the sons of the mountain-dwelling trolls Grýla and Leppalúði. They would trek from the mountains to scare Icelandic children who misbehaved before Christmas. Additionally, the Yule Lads are often depicted with the Yule Cat, a beast that, according to folklore, eats children who don't receive new clothes for Christmas.
List of Yule Lads[]
The Yule lads are said to "come to town" during the last 13 nights before Christmas. Below are the 'official' thirteen Yule Lads in the order they arrive (and depart).
Names in English are based on Hallberg Hallmundsson's translation of the poem.
| Icelandic Name | English translation | Description | Arrival | Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stekkjastaur | Sheep-Cote Clod | Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs. | December 12 | December 25 |
| Giljagaur | Gully Gawk | Hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk. | December 13 | December 26 |
| Stúfur | Stubby | Abnormally short. Steals pans to eat the crust left on them. | December 14 | December 27 |
| Þvörusleikir | Spoon-Licker | Steals Þvörur (a type of a wooden spoon with a long handle - I. þvara) to lick. Is extremely thin due to malnutrition. | December 15 | December 28 |
| Pottaskefill | Pot-Scraper | Steals leftovers from pots. | December 16 | December 29 |
| Askasleikir | Bowl-Licker | Hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their 'askur' (a type of bowl with a lid used instead of dishes), which he then steals. | December 17 | December 30 |
| Hurðaskellir | Door-Slammer | Likes to slam doors, especially during the night. | December 18 | December 31 |
| Skyrgámur | Skyr-Gobbler | A Yule Lad with an affinity for skyr. | December 19 | January 1 |
| Bjúgnakrækir | Sausage-Swiper | Would hide in the rafters and snatch sausages that were being smoked. | December 20 | January 2 |
| Gluggagægir | Window-Peeper | A voyeur who would look through windows in search of things to steal. | December 21 | January 3 |
| Gáttaþefur | Doorway-Sniffer | Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate laufabrauð. | December 22 | January 4 |
| Ketkrókur | Meat-Hook | Uses a hook to steal meat. | December 23 | January 5 |
| Kertasníkir | Candle-Stealer | Follows children in order to steal their candles (which in those days was made of tallow and thus edible). | December 24 | January 6 |