Know Your Yule Lad Basics: We Keep Getting Older, Yule Lads Stay The Same Age

In 2005, we were a struggling publication, and we decided to take a leap and detail the unique Icelandic Christmas tradition of Grýla, Leppalúði, and their children, the Yule Lads. Little did we know that our explanation of the characters from Jóhannes úr Kötlum’s poetry would have such an impact. Below, then, is one of our most grifted articles, a guide to the Yule Lads.

Grýla and Leppalúði are the parents of the Yuletide Lads, and their pet is the Christmas Cat. Children feared all these characters in times past. This maybe undersells Grýla, actually. She eats children. In the urtext, Jólin Koma, we learn that bad children are grabbed and carried back to the mountains to be consumed. There is a half-hearted conclusion stating that she starved to death when the children stopped being bad, but it rings a little false.

On December 12 the Yuletide Lads begin to come to town. The first is Stekkjarstaur (Sheepfold Stick), who tries to drink the milk from the farmers’ ewes. Also he has peg legs. We should have opened with that.

On December 13 Giljagaur (Gully Oaf) arrives. Before the days of milking machines, he would hide in gullies, or ravines, then sneak into the cowshed and skim the froth off the pails of milk.

The Lad who arrives on December 14 is Stúfur (Shorty), who, as his name implies, is on the small side. He is also known as Pönnuskefill (pan-scraper), as he scrapes scraps of food off the pans. This will become a recurring theme.

On December 15, Þvörusleikir (Spoon-licker) comes down from the mountains. He steals the wooden spoon that has been used for stirring. When he visits the National Museum, he goes looking for wooden spoons.

On December 16, Pottasleikir (Pot-licker) visits. He tries to snatch pots that have not been washed, and lick the scraps from them.

Askasleikir (Bowl-licker) arrives on December 17. He hides under beds, and if someone put his wooden food-bowl on the floor, he grabs it and licks it clean. This is definitely a theme.

Hurðaskellir (Door-slammer) comes on December 18. He is an awfully noisy fellow, who is always slamming doors and keeping people awake.

The Lad who is expected on December 19 is called Skyrgámur (Curd Glutton), because he loves skyr (milk curd) so much that he sneaks into the pantry and gobbles up all the skyr from the tub there.

Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Pilferer) comes on December 20. He loves sausages of all kinds and steals them whenever he can.

On December 21, Gluggagægir (Peeper) arrives. He is not as greedy as some of his brothers, but awfully nosy, peeping through windows and even stealing toys he likes the look of. This is the Yule Lad who genuinely raises eyebrows.

On December 22, Gáttaþefur (Door Sniffer) comes calling. He has a big nose, and he loves the smell of cakes being baked for Christmas. He often tries to snatch a cake or two for himself. December 22 was sometimes called hlakkandi (looking forward) because the children had started looking forward to Christmas.

On December 23, St. Þorlákur’s Day, Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) arrives. He adores all meat. In olden days he would lower a hook down the kitchen chimney and pull up a leg of lamb hanging from a rafter, or a bit of smoked lamb from a pan, as smoked lamb was traditionally cooked on St. Þorlákur’s Day.

Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar) comes on Christmas Eve, December 24. In olden times, candlelight was the brightest light available. Candles were so rare and precious that it was a treat for children to be given a candle at Christmas. And poor Candle Beggar wanted one too.