#Jólasveinar

[reykjavik-municipality]

We realize it's a bit too much to get familiar with all local customs, but this one is something everyone should take up really.

It's second yule. After our 13 days of yule we hold a second yule. The first is the same as any capitalist christmas except for the trolls and the child stealing giant cat.

Second yule is about taking down anything holiday related except the lights. The lights stay up as long as your neighbor's, and yes this becomes a game of virtue chicken. The most virtuous is the person who lasts almost the longest. It's a bit complicated and there was a nobel prize winner in economics that formulized the phenomenon.

It's your civic duty to light up the winter darkness

The first person to take them down hates yule, hates society, is not redeemable.

The last person to take them down is the laziest, tackiest and careless person alive

So instead of explaining that our society ir comprised of spiteful individuals we just say "they look so good, don't you think?" while we try to hide the tears in our eyes.

Would recommend.

[thewildwitchkeziah]

the Winter Ones: Folkloric Figures of Winter, Yule, & Christmas

by Keziah

The winter holidays are ebbing ever closer for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. With each passing year, more and more practitioners of witchcraft and/or followers of pagan paths have looked to taking up the customs of their ancestors or incorporating those customs into their practices in some way. Holidays have become a popular way of embracing such traditions, traditions that can make diasporic practitioners feel a little closer to home, traditions that can bring one nearer their ancestors, traditions that can aid in making one’s practice and customs truly unique to them.

Winter has many customs and traditions, and those practices differ from region to region. One of my favorite aspects of winter is the amount of figures associated with the season – folk figures unique to the regions from which they hail. For many people, if you ask them about figures they associate with winter, you’ll hear Father Christmas, Krampus, and maybe even a nod or two to Hans Trapp, but there are so many more winter figures out there! In this post, we’ll meet a variety of these folk spirits, and we’ll learn a bit about their tales. It’s my hope that readers of this blog may find a new way of incorporating beliefs or customs of their ancestors or of their homelands (for our readers who are members of diasporic populations), and that, in doing so, their winter holidays may be brighter for it. Now, shall we dive in? Who to meet first…

GRÝLA, JÓLASVEINAR, & JÓLAKÖTTURINN

Grýla, the Yule Lads, and the Yule Cat

(Icelandic Folklore)

A prominent feature in Icelandic Christmas and Yule folklore is the tale of a mountain-dwelling family that descends upon Icelandic communities during the Yule season, or during the 13 days leading up to Christmas. This family consists of –

Grýla – a large, frightening giantess, ogress, or half-troll/half-ogre (depending on what version of the tale you hear) who feasts upon naughty children;

Jólasveinar / the Yule Lads – Grýla’s thirteen thieving, tricksy sons;

and Jólakötturinn / the Yule Cat – Grýla’s pet cat, a massive, vicious, people-eating creature.

According to lore, throughout most of the year Grýla and her crew keep to themselves in some isolated mountainous area. If not in the mountains, it’s often said that Grýla and co. live in Dimmuborgir (lava formations in north Iceland). During the Yule or Christmas season, though, Grýla and her brood leave their domain behind to bring a bit of terror to the inhabitants of Iceland.

For thirteen nights, Grýla’s sons, the Yule Lads, will leave gifts for (and party with, play games with, and perform for) well-behaved children, and leave tricks or warnings for naughty children, but this version only came about after a shift in the tone of the tale. Most sources state that the Yule Lads were once purely horrible and simply wreaked havoc for the thirteen nights leading up to Christmas. Why the change? Well, apparently the original lore was so terrifying that the parliament of Iceland officially outlawed its use as a scare tactic against children. Thus, the brighter lore of playfully mischievous Yule Lads was born, differing greatly from the ‘creepy and revolting’ ways exhibited in the earlier tales.

As the stories go, one-by-one, the Yule Lads go into inhabited areas of Iceland and sow a little terror and chaos, each carrying out his own special form of mischief. They could only do their deeds at night, and were quite terrifying to behold – large, dirty, and ‘humanoid and bestial in equal measure’ (though now most depictions of the Yule Lads feature cheerful, bearded men with woolen clothes and pointed hats). The Yule Lads arrive (one per night) starting thirteen days before Christmas, and each continues their mischief spree for thirteen nights, only then departing (again, one per night).

The Yule Lads are:

Stekkjastaur ‘Sheep-Cote Clod’ – from the 12th - 25th of December, Stekkjastaur sneaks into pens and stables to harass sheep, attempting to suckle them all, though this is made difficult by his long, stiff, wooden legs, which don’t allow him to bend his knees and kneel on the ground.

Giljagaur ‘Gully-Gawk’ – from the 13th - 26th of December, Giljagaur hides in the gullies near homes until all the household has fallen asleep. Then, he makes his way to the cowsheds to steal milk.

Stúfur ‘Stubby’ –Stúfur will, from the 14th - 27th of December, steal into homes and nab anything leftover in the pans. Some versions say he steals the pan itself, for he likes to eat the ‘crust’ left behind on them from cooking.

Þvörusleikir ‘Spoon-Licker’ – from the 15th - 28th of December, Þvörusleikir sets about his diabolical task of breaking into homes and licking all the spoons (in particular, the wooden spoons).

Pottaskefill ‘Pot-Scraper’ – from 16th - 29th of December, Pottaskefill breaks into homes to steal unwashed pots so he can lick up all that’s left, be that the remnants of sauces, broths, and gravies, or leftover bits of food. He’s also said to eat any unfinished foods from plates.

Askasleikir ‘Bowl-Licker’ – from 17th - 30th of December, Askasleikir hides beneath beds, lying in wait for anyone to set their askur down. An askur is an Icelandic wooden bowl with a lid, which, according to these Yule tales, would sometimes be carried off to bed whilst one was enjoying a late-night snack. The bowl would then be placed on the floor beside the bed or just under the bed, where Askasleikir would be waiting to scarf down whatever is left in the askur.

Hurðaskellir ‘Door-Slammer’ – from 18th - 31st of December, Hurðaskellir starts his rounds, going around slamming doors. He finds it even more fun to do whilst everyone is sleeping.

Skyrgámur ‘Skyr-Gobbler’ – from 19th of December - 01st of January, Skygámur commits the heinous act of robbing any and every pantry or refrigerator he can find of skyr, a traditional Icelandic dairy food similar to yoghurt.

Bjúgnakrækir ‘Sausage-Swiper’ – as if Skyrgámur’s antics weren’t enough, Bjúgnakrækir is a rotten old sausage thief. He sits in the rafters of homes, waiting for everyone to go to bed or to look away. Then, he steals as many sausages as he can manage. Bjúgnakrækir makes his arrival on the 20th of December and leaves on the 02nd of January.

Gluggagægir ‘Window-Peeper’ – perhaps the creepiest of the lot thus far (though someone licking all the spoons is the stuff of nightmares), Gluggagægir makes his rounds from the 21st of December - 03rd of January, peeping through windows into homes, hoping to spy something to steal.

Gáttaþefur ‘Doorway-Sniffer’ – from the 22nd of December - 04th of January, Gáttaþefur, lured to your home by the scent of freshly baked laufabrauð (‘leaf bread,’ a traditional Icelandic Christmas bread), arrives to one’s doorway and will attempt to steal the laufabrauð.

Ketkrókur ‘Meat-Hook’ – from the 23rd of December to the 05th of January, Ketkrókur would find a way to steal the meat from your kitchen. He’d hide in the pantry, behind doorways, in the rafters, up the chimney, and he’d use his long, hooked staff, or meat hook, to quickly snatch away the meat either while it was being prepared or from the holiday table itself.

Kertasníkir ‘Candle-Stealer’ or ‘Candle-Beggar’ – from the 24th of December to the 06th of January, Kertasníker, the last of the Yule of Lads, steals candles, especially from children. Candles were once typically made from tallow and were edible, and some lore states that Kertasníker would steal the candles to snack on.

Nowadays, the Yule Lads are said to leave candies and small gifts for good children, placing the goods in the shoes that kids leave on their windowsills in hopes of finding them later filled with presents. Bad children, however, are said to be left nothing but rotten potatoes.

As for Grýla, well… Grýla comes and kidnaps naughty children, loading them into her sack and carrying them back to her husband, Leppalúði (who most sources say is quite lazy and prefers to stay in his cave than to go with Grýla and the Yule Lads to terrorize Icelandic children). Grýla and Leppalúði then eat the naughty children, cooking them up in Grýla’s giant pot or cauldron. Though Grýla and Leppalúði are known to have a particular fondness for eating children, some sources also warn that they’ll eat adults caught outdoors on their own during those long, dark winter nights.

If Grýla and her husband weren’t bad enough, you still have the Yule Cat to worry about, especially if you didn’t receive any gifts of new clothes for the holidays. It’s said that the Yule Cat, on Christmas night, eats anyone it catches that isn’t wearing at least one new item of clothing.

LA BEFANA

(Italian Folklore)

With particular association with Epiphany Eve (the night of the 05th of January), La Befana is witch in Italian folklore (sometimes called, fondly, the Christmas Witch). She’s said to fly around Italy on her broom on the night of Epiphany Eve, when she visits each household with children and fills each child’s stocking with gifts or punishments, depending on whether they were well or poorly behaved. Well-behaved children receive gifts and sweets, while those who were naughtier receive a coal lump, black rock candy, or a stick. Some tales also say that La Befana (who is obsessively tidy in some variations of her origin story) may sweep or clean your house before she leaves.

La Befana is said to be a very old woman with a cheerful, kindly disposition. She dresses simply, usually wearing a shawl either around her shoulders or tied over her hair (sometimes both), and her clothes are soot-covered, as the tales say she flies into each home via the chimney. She carries a wicker basket or cloth sack filled with all of the gifts and sweets she must deliver.

In some Italian regions, bonfires are burned on Epiphany, and those bonfires sometimes feature effigies of La Befana. Many people dress as La Befana at various Epiphany events and festivals in Italy.

ST. NICHOLAS & KRAMPUS

(Central European Folklore)

On Saint Nicholas Day (observed on the 5th or 6th of December, depending on the region), many children throughout Europe (and in diasporic communities around the world), wake up excited to check in their shoes or under their pillows for gifts from St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas, is a tall, lean, cheerful old man with a long white beard, usually depicted as being dressed in fine vestments, including a cape or chasuble, and almost always wearing an ornate miter atop his head. In Central European (and some Eastern European) folklore, though, jolly old St. Nicholas does not work alone.

The Krampus travels as Saint Nicholas’ companion. Usually depicted as a large red, black, or brown demon with cloven hooves and the legs and horns of a goat, pointed ears, a long, pointed or forked tongue, and a frightening, human face with a crazed or menacing expression, Krampus is truly the stuff of childhood nightmares. Saint Nicholas and Krampus make their rounds on Krampusnacht – the night of the 05th of December. While the well-behaved children received gifts from Saint Nicholas, naughty children meet punishment at the hands of Krampus. The punishment varies from one tale to the next – some say that Krampus switches the children with birch branches; some say that Krampus devours the children, often swallowing them whole; and still other tales say that Krampus nabs the children, loading them into the basket or pouch he wears upon his back and taking them to hell.

Despite attempts by the Catholic Church to ban Krampus, belief in the goat demon is very much still alive, with festivals and parades dedicated to Krampus, such as Krampuslauf, booming in popularity.

BELSNICKEL

(Germanic Folklore)

Belsnickel (also often spelled Belschnickel or Beltznickle) is a figure of Germanic folklore that finds its origins in Rheinpfalz, a historic region of Southwestern Germany. The belief in Belsnickel finds life still yet in some areas within this region, as well as in diasporic German peoples (and the descendants thereof) in Pennsylvania Dutch communities (birthed from settlers from the Rheinpfalz region) throughout the US.

Belsnickel is a man dressed in tattered, dirtied furs and clothes. In some versions, he also wears a mask with a long, pointed tongue. Belsnickel travels around at night (usually on the night of Christmas Eve), wielding a long switch in one hand and carrying a sack filled with cakes, candies, fruits, and nuts in the other hand or on his back. Poorly behaved children would receive a switching, while well-behaved children would be given sweets from the sack.

Brown’s Miscellaneous Writings features a first-hand account (having taken place around 1830) of one Beltznickel tradition from Maryland, USA –

‘One hand would scatter the goodies upon the floor, and then the scramble would begin by the delighted children, and the other hand would ply the switch upon the backs of the excited youngsters – who would not show a wince…’

In some Pennsylvania Dutch communities, it’s said that Belsnickel arrives one-to-two weeks before Christmas to ‘check in’ on how the children were behaving, punishing the bad children and serving as a frightening warning and reminder that they had better correct their ways before Christmas.

PERCHTA

(Alpine Folklore)

Known by many names, such as Pehta Baba (in Slovenian lore), Frau Perchta, and Frau Faste (in some Swiss and Slovenian lore), Perchta is a goddess associated with winter, spinning, and folk magic, particularly in Germany and Austria.

Perchta’s association with winter bears particular emphasis on midwinter and Twelfth Night. It’s said that Perchta would enter homes during the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany, and she would dole out rewards and punishments. Children and servants of the home who had worked hard throughout the year and who had been good people would wake the next morning to find a small gift left by Perchta (usually a coin or trinket, though some modern customs say she may leave candies).

Her punishments, however, were far greater than her gifts. For children and servants who had been poorly behaved, unkind, and lazy, Perchta enters their bedrooms while they slumber, cuts them open, and replaces their stomach and guts with straw. Some tales say she does not replace one's entrails but simply fills the stomach with straw. It’s also said in some tales that Perchta delivers this same punishment to those who on the night of Perchta’s feast day eat something aside from the traditional foods of her feast day (those foods being fish and gruel).

Perchta’s association with spinning also comes into play in some variations of this tale, in which Perchta’s punishment is reserved for those who did not complete their spinning by the time of her visit. She was also said to trample or set fire to any half-spun fibers she discovered.

Perchta’s links to midwinter come from her ties to the legend of the Wild Hunt. Some tales of the Wild Hunt feature Perchta as the leader of the hunt.

As for Perchta’s appearance, there are two main versions. Perchta is sometimes described as a beautiful, young woman, with white or very pale hair and fair skin, usually dressed in white or silvery white hues. This Perchta differs greatly from that featured in some old depictions, which describe a hag woman dressed in rags, with a wrinkled face and a large beak-like nose made of iron. Some descriptions say this woman carries a cane, and many depictions feature her keeping a knife or blade beneath her skirts or robes.

The difference in these two depictions of Perchta is also reflected in the two variations of Perchten – a term that is used to apply to both the masks worn at festivals and processions honoring Perchta, as well as to figures associated with Perchta and seen as her subjects or helpers. Of these figures, there are two types –

Schönperchten: the beautiful, bright Perchten dressed in silvers and whites, said to deliver blessings of wealth and good luck during the Twelve Nights,

and Schiachperchten: the monstrously ugly Perchten with fangs and tusks, horns, tails, and beastly, fur-covered faces. The Schiachperchten are said to drive away evil spirits, ghosts, and demons.

SPILLAHOLLE

The Spillaholle – also known as Mickadrulle / Mickatrulle, Popelholle (‘Hooded Holle’), Zumpeldrulle –  is believed to be a regional variation of Frau Holle or Perchta. She is said to be a very short old woman dressed in ragged, tattered clothing and a hood, and is, in some tales, said to carry stinging nettles with her.

The Spillaholle appears in towns and villages during winter, especially nearing Christmas or during the Twelve Nights of Christmas. The Spillaholle, who is strongly associated with spinning, is said to travel through town, peeking in the windows of each house to check to see ‘if the children and spinsters are spinning diligently.’ If their spinning hasn’t been taken care of by evening or nightfall, it’s said that the Spillaholle will dole out punishments. It’s even said that the Spillaholle will take the lazy spinsters away, beating them with the stinging nettles she carries with her. As for those who have finished their spinning, instead of a punishment, the Spillaholle leaves a blessing of protection – a single nettle is left upon the stoop or at the threshold of the home, a nettle that shall protect the house from various misfortunes for the next year.

MARI LWYD

(Welsh Folklore)

The origins of the Christmas tradition of the parading of the Mari Lwyd are up for debate. Some say it’s an early Christian practice, while many others believe that it’s a surviving pre-Christian tradition that’s been Christianized throughout the years. Believed to have come from a wassailing custom, the Mari Lwyd (said by some to mean ‘Grey Mary,’ ‘Holy Mary,’ or ‘Blessed Mary,’ and by others to mean ‘Grey Mare’) is a hobby horse, puppet, doll, or effigy that is paraded through town, carried from door-to-door by wassail-singing groups. This is done during the Christmas season, often ‘between Christmas Day and Twelfth Night.’

The head of the Mari Lwyd is usually a skull of a hoarse (and in most cases, the same skull is to be used each year), though there have been accounts of a head being carved from wood or shaped from a pillow. The skull (or makeshift horse head) is beautifully decorated with flowers and ribbons (the ribbons usually making up the Mari Lwyd’s mane), and has lights, baubles, or bottle glass for eyes. A white cloth is draped from the horse’s head down over the base of the Mari Lwyd, concealing the carrier of the doll underneath. A spring or stick is usually attached to the lower jaw of the skull, so that the jaw can be made to open and snap shut.

The parade is to begin at dusk or sundown. Singing and dancing is to be enjoyed whilst the Mari Lwyd makes her way along. At each door, the Mari Lwyd procession would perform traditional songs, and the household was to reply (usually through the closed door) with improvised, taunting poetry, usually delivering some kind of funny insult. A competition then ensues, a back-and-forth between the Mari Lwyd party and the household (this is a ritual called pwnco), until one side was bested and gave up, having no reply. Should the Mari Lwyd procession singers lose, they leave empty-handed. Mari Lwyd winning and entering the house, though, is believed to be a blessing that will bring good fortune to the household for the coming year.

The Mari Lwyd is said to be mischievous as well – chasing people, gnashing her jaws to scare children, and even trying to steal things or knock things about when she enters a home.

DED MOROZ & SNEGUROCHKA

(Slavic Folklore)

Ded Moroz (also called Dedushka Moroz – and other variations of Grandfather Frost – and Morozko) is familiar to many as Russian Santa, but Ded Moroz is much, much more than that. Ded Moroz finds his origins in pre-Christian Slavic paganism and folklore as a great magician and wizard of winter. Belief in Ded Moroz and customs surrounding him were banned during the early Soviet era. Nevertheless, Ded Moroz not only lives on, but has become a winter icon in East Slavic culture and is now the main figure associated with Novy God, the secular Christmas-like Russian celebration of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Ded Moroz – a tall, old man with rosy cheeks and long white beard, who dresses in a floor-length fur coat and fur hat, and usually wields a magic staff – travels about (usually depicted travelling by a horse-drawn sleigh) delivering gifts to children. Some tales say that he delivers gifts all through December as well as on New Year’s Eve night, when he places the gifts under the New Year Tree whilst the household is sleeping.

One aspect of Ded Moroz’s tale that is rather unique is that of Snegurochka – Ded Moroz’s granddaughter who helps him make his deliveries. Snegurochka (also called Snegurka and the Snow Maiden), unlike Ded Moroz, doesn’t find her roots in pre-Christian Slavic lore, but rather in 19th century Russian fairytales. Snegurochka wasn’t depicted as Ded Moroz’s granddaughter until after 1935, when the holiday of Novy God was permitted by the Russia Federation. From then on, Snegurochka became Ded Moroz’s granddaughter and assistant, and has since been more commonly depicted as wearing wintery silver and blue cloaks and a fur hat (sometimes a crown made of glistening snowflakes).

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Collection of Folklore of Jón Árnason The Icelandic Yule Lads and their evil mother Gryla A Journey Around the Figure of the Befana – Manciocco, Claudia; Manciocco, Luigi Krampus | Definition, History, & Facts The Origin of Krampus, Europe's Evil Twist on Santa ‘the Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil’ – Ridenour, Al The Winter Goddess: Percht, Holda, and Related Figures: Folklore: Vol 95, No 2 ‘Deutsche Mythologie’ – Grimm, Jakob Holda: Between Folklore and Linguistics Who is Belsnickel in Pennsylvania German Christmas lore? ‘Brown’s Miscellaneous Writings’ – Brown, Jacob Yes Helen, there is a Belsnickel ‘A Dictionary of British Folk Customs’ – Hole, Christina The Mari Lwyd ‘Ritual Animal Disguise: A Historical and Geographical Study of Animal Disguise in the British Isles’ – Cawte, E.C. Mari Lwyd, a Welsh Christmas Tradition ‘A Tour Through Part of North Wales, in the Year 1798, and at Other Times’ – Evans, J. ‘Perchta the Belly-Slitter and Her Kin: A View of Some Traditional Threatening Figures, Threats and Punishments’ – Smith, John B. Felix und Ulrich Mueller - Percht und Krampus ‘the Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year’ – Raedisch, Linda "Дед Мороз и Снегурочка" (Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden) –Dushechkina, E. B. ‘Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth and Legend’ – Dixon-Kennedy, Mike

[factoidfactory]

Christmas Fact #8

Icelandic children eagerly await the arrival of the 13 Jólasveinar, or Yule Lads.

Mischievous and merry, they each take a turn on the 13 days before Christmas to visit the houses of children who have put a shoe on the windowsill and leaving behind candy for good children and rotten potatoes for bad children (a lump of coal doesn't seem so bad anymore, does it?).

[aromantisk-fagforening]

Wait actually further on that "nisse" thing. So in Norwegian folk belief there's a common concept, called a couple different things:

«tuft», «tuftekall», «tomt», «gardsbonde», «godbonde», «haugebonde», «gardrud», «rudkall» «rundbonde» (via wikipedia)

now I won't claim to understand every name, but some of them are like adjective-farmer, and "rud" is a suffix used for farms that were abandoned after the Black death. (source: me, hi I'm Norwegian this is taught in like fourth grade)

variations include (via wikipedia)

fjøsnisse - fjøs: house for "fe" which means like, cows and similar, sheep, pigs etc. (google translate just lied to me so please tell me the English word)

skipsnisse - ships (boats)

kirkenisse - church

hagenisse - garden. (see also: cobolds, garden gnomes, dwarfs)

in Norwegian jul tv you'll find most fjøsnisser, such as in "jul i Blåfjell" (jul in Blue Mountain) - a jul calendar tv program. I think also most cozy jul books too, but please prove me wrong.

translations & equivalents include:

tomte - sweden

goblin, gnome - England

Wichtel, Heinzelmännchen, Kobold - Germany

jólasveinar - Iceland

Contexts of "Nisser" in Norway

national-romance, because the period was about making a national identity it's not surprising they pulled up with nisser. Ibsen wrote plays with them. (via wikipedia)

the era of enlightenment. Wergeland portrayed nisser as bigoted and ignorant, as opposed to elves. (via wikipedia)

(pagan/heathen¹) yule times (jul), from as early as year 900 in icelandic & Norwegian culture it was for example tradition to set out porridge with butter for nisser, if you didn't they'd be pissed. (via NRK)

1. I think it's pagan/heathen, though 900 was during the Christening of Norway (year 850-1100) (sources: store norske leksikon, norgeshistorie)

(and cause apparently it's not common knowledge, "christmas" (originally "jul" or "yule" (which it still is called in Norway today)) does originate in Norse mythology and Nordic tradition, with supernatural spirits and animal sacrifice (source: store norske leksikon), and beer (ref that NRK article)) (and no I don't care if you ""disagree"" with history unless you are an actual historian). (and I don't care about christian aspects of the holiday today, bother someone else).

[mediamixs]

Meet these evil Christmas creatures

In various cultures, there are mythological Christmas beings associated with punishment and mischief. One well-known figure is Krampus, who originates from Austria and Central Europe. Krampus is depicted as an anthropomorphic, demonic goat who punishes misbehaving children by beating them with birch branches and carrying them off in a basket to consume them for Christmas dinner. Another being is Grýla, an ogress from Icelandic legend who kidnaps, cooks, and eats children who don't obey their parents. These creatures are part of traditional folklore and are often used as cautionary figures to encourage good behavior in children during the holiday season.

Apart from Krampus and Gryla, there are other evil Christmas creatures in various cultures. Some of these beings include:

Belsnickel (Pennsylvania Dutch): This spirit is known for wearing tattered clothes and frightening people during Christmas.

Jólasveinar (Iceland): These are the Yule Lads, a group of mischievous elves that cause trouble during the holiday season.

Zwarte Piet (Netherlands): This character is associated with Saint Nicholas and is known for his dark appearance, sometimes being referred to as Black Peter.

Perchta (Austria and Germany): This figure is an evil witch who flies on a broomstick and is sometimes associated with the abduction of children.

Straggele (Europe): These are horned demons that help Gryla punish bad children.

Hans Trapp (Germany): This character is a witch who tries to steal children's souls during the holiday season.

Kallikantzaroi (Greece): These demons spend most of the year underground and come to the surface during the 12 days of Christmas, causing mischief and seeking to steal children born during this period.

These creatures are part of traditional folklore and are often used as cautionary figures to encourage good behavior in children during the holiday season.

[shortieinaleatherjacket]

Ok idk if this has happened already… if so someone please tell me. But Christmas movie where Santa class gets in a pinch and different christmas cultural mythology figures have stop step in and work together to cover his territory.

Like imagine a team of: Krampus, Bellsnickle, La Befana, Dee moroz, Agios Vassilis, Jólasveinar, the 3 wise men on a crazy adventure to deliver Christmas around the world

[miniar]

I ticked christian and believed but like greed-the-dorkalicious here, that's not exactly the correct answer. I'm Icelandic and in Iceland we have Jólasveinar or "the yule lads", which are thirteen young, male, trolls. Think, 17 year old boys, but monstrous, large and misshapen, raised in the mountains by a massive, monstrous woman who literally eats children and a massive equally monstrous man who's primary characteristic is that he never does a fucking thing to help out. These boys used to just terrorize the country side, taking turns, one a night from the eldest to youngest, for the thirteen nights leading up to Christmas eve (which is the primary celebration day here) and then they leave, one a night, until the "thirteenth" which is when the elves move homes and is the official final night of the holiday season.

Each one of these fuckers has his own thing that's pretty much his namesake. Hurðaskellir literally means "the slammer of doors" and his thing was to show up, slam doors, and make it impossible to sleep properly. Giljagaur however means something more like "dude of the ravines" and he just agitated the sheep and stole their milk straight from the teat iirc. Skyrgámur (eater of skyr), Bjúgnakrækir (stealer of sausages), and Askasleikir (licker of medieval equivalent of tupperware), would steal food. Kertasnýkir would beg for candles, or steal them, basically stealing your light, and he was the last to come, so on the eve of the darkest day of the year (solstice being the pagan yule) he'd fucking steal your light!

Now, the story goes that these dudes kinda softened and decided to be "nicer" than that, so if you were a good little boy, or girl, they might not take all your food and candles or keep you up all night and they might even leave you a small present or treat in your shoe if you put your shoe in your window. So we'd make little paper shoes out of christmas wrapping paper and put them in the window and in the morning there'd be a handfull of crisps or a clementine or a single small chocolate bar. Little things. Of course if you were a massive asshole they might tell their mother. Grýla. Her name is what is used as a translation for the term bogeyman in english. She would then come down the mountain, stuff you in a sack, take you home, and boil you in her stewpot and feed you to her worthless husband.

They also had a cat. The yulecat was the size of a small hut... so like... the size of a minivan... This cat would hunt and eat any child that didn't get a single piece of clothing for the holidays. Of course we all figured out pretty early that the treats came from our folks, but that still meant that if we misbehaved during those 13 days leading up to the big holiday then we wouldn't get a treat in our shoe. We'd get a single raw potato. As a warning. Because the lads are fair like that. You get a warning before they tell on you to their mum. This is still the standard here. You don't get a present on christmas "from santa" because there's thirteen dudes, and they've already left you snacks to keep you behaved for thirteen days! But the word "santa" is still translated to Jólasveinn in icelandic.

[landhoe-norris]

Yooooo Kertasníkir is your favourite of the Jólasveinar?! Nice

Sometimes I forget you're Icelandic because I'm bad with details but I just saw something you reblogged and got hit. My dad's side is Icelandic and I grew up with the Jólasveinar whenever I got to spend Christmas with him.

My dad passed earlier this year and I just wanted to say thank you for that, I know it was small but it was so comforting ❤️❤️❤️ I hope you get something lovely in your shoe tomorrow night

I got a lovely gift from Kertasníkir ❤️❤️ and it’s so cool that your dad’s side is Icelandic! I’m so sorry for your loss, but I hope you managed to have a lovely Christmas ❤️🥰

[valkxrie]

@kylo-wrecked sent an ask from this meme (accepting) [ lights ] sender and receiver admire the lights together

Her tongue tasted of Glühwein, lips stained with wine and spice. A gloved hand cradling a stained and steaming paper cup. Brunnhilde adored Christmas Markets; ever since she was a child, she had adored them. The lights, the smells, the food cooking, the skating rink (not that she could skate, she just enjoyed watching), the way the cold bounced off her coat and her blood refused it entry.

There was a magic to it that her bones smiled at. And now, her bones stood grinning at a Christmas tree as the first snow of winter began to fall in the city. It's breath flushed the tip of her nose.

She glanced at Ben, bundled up in coat with its collar pulled high and a scarf to his chin. Same as her. She sipped her drink and gave him the grin she had given the tree.

"Have you ever heard of the Jólasveinar - the Thirteen Yule Lads?"

A small accent escaped at the Icelandic word. A small sniff protested the cold. A small curiosity wondered what he had been like as a boy.

"You could be the fourteenth." She is teasing him, the wine climbing into her head and pinching cheeks. Brunnhilde lent her body against Ben's so they were a breath apart at the mouth and nowhere else. She watched him in the lights, in that first snow. "You could be a nice one. The Jólabókaflóð Lad. The bringer of the Christmas Book Flood."

The world moved around them, ignoring their recklessness and not knowing the line the walked. Beside the line stood questions and time. Hard questions. Short time. Ignored by wine and lights. By the first snow, the scent of pretzels, the sound of carols. Running on blood magic. Bone magic. Binding magic. And him.

[smiteworks]

New Release Beware the Yule Cat (2E) Frog God Games

Beware the Yule Cat is a holiday-themed adventure. As the adventurers face the wrath of the ferocious Yule Cat, they must also deal with the cruel pranks of the Yule Lads, who are determined to spoil Yule for everyone. Things go from bad to worse when the party discovers that the Jólasveinar have kidnapped the mayor's infant son, and taken him to their lair on nearby Snow Mountain, possibly bound for Grýla's stewpot! Köldhorn seems bound for a cold, dark Yuletide, but the adventurers may have a chance to make it merry for all.

[ask-carlos-theghosttoaster]

CHRISTMAS EVE PEOPLE!!! Gotta stay up and try to catch Santa, who’s with me?

[reykjavik-municipality]

So we are at the fourth day of yule, so Stekkjastaur, Giljagaur and Stúfur have all left. Then they'll all be leaving until the thirteenth day of yule, which is the 6th of January.

I don't know why we don't celebrate all thirteen of them anymore but I do know the king of Denmark took the national holiday third day of yule from us, because we were so lazy and this would give us our needed work ethic?

So jól is still going strong, best you belive. This this is the employee jól where most of the remaining national holidays land on weekdays

[catcnz]

A ogni porta il suo! #iceland #bedroomdoor #painting #tvisvar #art #jólasveinar (presso Milli Vina Guesthouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJRFJ7hFpHt/?igshid=bduamf4p3n69

[schneckie]

I just wanted to say your tags on post/625558122902224896 reminded me that I just heard a Yule Lads tale (from Tales podcast, which I recommend if you love all kinds of fairytales) and absolutely LOVED their names. I am such a sucker for all their silly descriptive names and their amazing personalities!

Thanks for the podcast recommendation! I will check it out. Yeah, I love nonsensical names, too, and if it’s anything to do with folk/fairy stories, I’m in!

[mariagislart]

🇮🇸Minningar 🇬🇧Memories. Card with my mom’s beautiful handwriting. The Yule Lands are done when I was young. Grýla and Leppalúði are done later, around 30 years ago . . . . . #yulelads #challigraphy #beutifulhandwriting #jólasveinar #folklore #icelndicfolklore #jul #mythologicalcreatures #mythology #mythical #christmasstory #christmas #jol #navidad #wheinachten #juletid (at Reykjavík, Iceland) https://www.instagram.com/hiddenmaria/p/CXYoYFCgT-a/?utm_medium=tumblr

[agentur-snapshot-photography]

Sorry kids, #SantaClaus trapped in #reykjavik #fun #christmasseason #christmas #weihnachten #weihnachtsmann #jólasveinar #iceland #icelandtoday #icelandphoto #reykjavikcity #strollingreykjavik #streetsofreykjavik #strollingaround #strolling #strollingrvk (hier: Reykjavík, Iceland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIyKLkuKQ-z/?igshid=1xs2ktmvwepgl