24 Days of Martin – Day 11: Yule Lads

Martin was seated at the kitchen table, books strewn all over, papers scattered.  His head was bent down and he was furiously writing into a notebook, looking into a book, and writing more.  Mom came into the kitchen to start dinner.  “How goes your research into The Yule Lads”, she asked Martin, patting his head as she walked by.

“Almost done”, he replied.  “I’ve just got to finish copying the last few lines of this poem. It’s a reallllllly long one,” he sighed.  “But Miss Phoebe is going to LOVE it!”.

“That’s great!” said Mom while washing her hands.  “Dinner is in 45 minutes.  Can you have your books and papers cleared off by then?” she asked.

“No problem, I’ve only got like five lines left!”, Martin exclaimed.

Mom started to chop up onions and potatoes for part of dinner.  “Wonderful!  Can I see your notes after dinner?”.

“Sure!” agreed Martin.  “I can show you and Dad at the same time.  I can’t wait to tell you all about The Yule Lads!  These guys are crazy!!”.

AFTER DINNER REVIEW OF MARTIN’S RESEARCH NOTES ON YULE LADS

• Icelandic folklore with Norse mythology influences
• Legends of medieval trolls & spirits (similar to little helpers)
• Live in the mountains in Iceland.
• Originally dangerous and frightening kidnappers of misbehaving children.
• There are between 70-82 versions of Yule Lad stories
• Over time were made to be more quirky and mischievous
• 13 Troll brothers make up the Yule Lads
• Some legends include a Yule Cat named Jólakötturinn
• Yule Cat named Jólakötturinn eats anyone who doesn’t get new clothes before Christmas
• Parents are: Grýla is their mother and Leppalúði is their father
• Grýla is the most famous and early legends say she descended upon towns during the dark winter days before Christmas to seek out and boil naughty children in her giant pot for dinner.
• 1746 – King of Denmark issued a decree and officially BANNED parents from scaring their children with stories citing them to horrifying to use as punishment or discipline.
• 1852 – Folklorist Jón Árnason (inspired by the Brothers Grimm) first book did not sell well so he and his friend Magnús Grímsson stopped collecting stories.
• 1858 –  Konrad Maurer, a German legal historian and scholar of Icelandic literature encouraged them to continue.  (ARGGH!!!  GERMANY!!!!)
• 1860 – Magnús dies and Jón continues alone
• 1862 – Published Vol 1 – Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri (Icelandic Folktales and Legends
• 1864 – Published Vol 2 – Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri (Icelandic Folktales and Legends
• These two publications further spread the stories of the Yule Lads
• 1932 – Jóhannes úr Kötlum published his poetry book “Jólin koma” (Christmas is Coming), which included the poem “Jólasveinavísa (The Yule Lads)”.
• The poem “Jólasveinavísa (The Yule Lads)” cemented the backstory of The Yule Lads, standardized their names, made their personalities whimsical, and gave each Lad a funny job.  This is still the version used today.
• December 23 is called St. Thorlak’s Day in Iceland (the night Meat Hook arrives), which is when families traditionally eat smoked lamb

YULE LAD TRADITIONS

From Dec 12 thru Dec 25, each Yule Lad comes down on their own special night into the towns.  Boys and girls leave shoes out on their windowsills each night as The Yule Lads leave rotten potatoes for the naughty children and small gifts for the nice.  “Jólasveinavísa (The Yule Lads)” is recited in schools every December.  Today the Yule Lads are present at holiday events and are popular in literature, media.

INTRODUCING THE YULE LADS: 13 TROLL BROTHERS

Yule Lad – Icelandic Name	Translation / Common Name	Night of Arrival	Their Specific Mischief
1. Stekkjastaur	Sheep-Cote Clod	December 12th	Harasses sheep in the pens (sheep-cotes).
2. Giljagaur	Gully Gawk	December 13th	Hides in gullies waiting to sneak into the cowshed to steal milk.
3. Stúfur	Stubby	December 14th	Exceptionally short, he steals crusts and leftover bits from pots.
4. Þvörusleikir	Spoon-Licker	December 15th	Steals þvörur (wooden spoons) to lick the scraps.
5. Pottaskefill	Pot-Scraper	December 16th	Steals and eats uneaten food left in cooking pots.
6. Askasleikir	Bowl-Licker	December 17th	Hides under beds and steals askars (bowls with lids) to lick clean.
7. Hurðaskellir	Door-Slammer	December 18th	Enjoys slamming doors, particularly in the middle of the night.
8. Skyrgámur	Skyr-Gobbler	December 19th	Obsessed with stealing and eating skyr (a thick Icelandic yogurt).
9. Bjúgnakrækir	Sausage-Swiper	December 20th	Hides in the rafters to steal and swipe sausages being smoked.
10. Gluggagægir	Window-Peeper	December 21st	Peeks through windows looking for things to steal or to observe the family.
11. Gáttaþefur	Doorway-Sniffer	December 22nd	Has an enormous nose and uses it to locate laufabrauð (leaf bread) to steal.
12. Ketkrókur	Meat-Hook	December 23rd	Uses a long hook to steal smoked meat, often from the chimney.
13. Kertasníkir	Candle-Beggar	December 24th	Follows children to steal their tallow candles (which were sometimes eaten).

THE YULE LADS POEM

“Jólasveinavísa” by Jóhannes úr Kötlum (1932)
English translation by Hallberg Hallmundsson

Introduction
Let me tell the story of the lads of few charms,
who once upon a time used to visit our farms.
Thirteen altogether, these gents in their prime
didn’t want to irk people all at one time.

They came from the mountains, as many of you know,
in a long single file to the farmsteads below.
Creeping up, all stealth, they unlocked the door.
The kitchen and the pantry they came looking for.

Grýla was their mother – she gave them ogre milk –
and the father Leppalúdi; a loathsome ilk.
They hid where they could, with a cunning look or sneer,
ready with their pranks when people weren’t near.

They were called the Yuletide lads – at Yuletide they were due –
and always came one by one, not ever two by two.
And even when they were seen, they weren’t loath to roam
and play their tricks – disturbing the peace of the home.

The 13 Yule Lads

1. STEKKJASTAUR (Sheep-Cote Clod) – December 12
The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.
He came stiff as wood,
to prey upon the farmer’s sheep
as far as he could.
He wished to suck the ewes,
but it was no accident
he couldn’t; he had stiff knees
– not too convenient.

2. GILJAGAUR (Gully Gawk) – December 13
The second was Gully Gawk,
gray his head and mien.
He snuck into the cow barn
from his craggy ravine.
Hiding in the stalls,
he would steal the milk,
while the milkmaid gave the cowherd
a meaningful smile.

3. STÚFUR (Stubby) – December 14
Stubby was the third called,
a stunted little man,
who watched for every chance
to whisk off a pan.
And scurrying away with it,
he scraped off the bits
of food that were stuck there
– his favorites.

4. ÞVÖRUSLEIKIR (Spoon Licker) – December 15
The fourth was Spoon Licker;
like a spindle he was thin.
He felt himself in clover
when the cook wasn’t in.
Then stepping up, he grappled
the stirring spoon with glee,
holding it with both hands,
he licked it hungrily.

5. POTTASLEIKIR (Pot Licker) – December 16
Then comes Pot Licker,
a scruffy, smudgy bum.
He ran off with the porridge pot
when evening had come.
He scrubbed it and scraped it
and scoured it till clean,
and his tongue then moved over it
to get the last gleam.

6. ASKASLEIKIR (Bowl Licker) – December 17
Sixth was Bowl Licker,
a sorry, wretched bloke.
From underneath the bedsteads
at night he awoke.
He snatched up the bowls
with a light little touch,
and slurped up any porridge
that children hadn’t much.

7. HURÐASKELLIR (Door Slammer) – December 18
Next, Door Slammer came,
a crude and vulgar chap.
When people in the twilight
would take a little nap,
he was in his glory,
slamming doors and things,
and making a strong rumble
with horribly loud rings.

8. SKYRGÁMUR (Skyr Gobbler) – December 19
Number eight is Skyr Gobbler,
an awful stupid bloke.
He lambasted the skyr tub
till the lid on it broke.
Then he stood beside it,
gobbling all he could,
his greed was sure to hurt him
as a gobbler’s would.

9. BJÚGNAKRÆKIR (Sausage Swiper) – December 20
The ninth was Sausage Swiper,
a rascal most malign.
He climbed up to the rafters
and there he would recline.
He stole the sausages
that hung upon the beams,
and tossed them to the ground
– couldn’t help such schemes.

10. GLUGGAGÆGIR (Window Peeper) – December 21
Window Peeper was the tenth,
a weird little twit,
who stepped up to the window
and stole a peek through it.
And whatever was inside there
that he even slightly craved,
he was sure to have stolen
before the night waned.

11. GÁTTAÞEFUR (Doorway Sniffer) – December 22
Eleventh was Doorway Sniffer,
a doltish lad and gross.
He never got a cold,
yet had a huge, sensitive nose.
He caught the scent of leaf bread
while leagues away still
and ran toward it weightless
as wind over dale and hill.

12. KETKRÓKUR (Meat Hook) – December 23 (St. Thorlak’s Day)
Meat Hook, the twelfth one,
his talent would display
as soon as he arrived
on Saint Thorlak’s Day.
He snagged himself a morsel
of meat of any sort,
although his hook at times
was a tiny bit too short.

13. KERTASNÍKIR (Candle Beggar) – December 24
The thirteenth was Candle Beggar
– ’twas cold, I believe,
if he was not the last of the lot
on Christmas Eve.
He trailed after the little ones
who, like happy sprites,
ran about the farm
with their fine tallow lights.

Ending
Then one by one they trotted off
into the frost and snow.
On Twelfth Night the last of the lads
used to go.
Their footprints in the highlands
are effaced now for long,
the memories have all turned
to image and song.

“Well,” said Mom and Dad looking at each other with “that look” parents sometimes get.  “It’s certainly an interesting folklore.  Miss Phoebe will be able to tell you’ve done plenty of research.  But remember what we said, you are just telling what you found out, giving a report.  It’s not a full-fledged presentation!”, they both smiled and laughed knowingly.  Their Martin sure did love to speak in front of people!

“I know!  It’s just a report.  Is it okay if I go over to Mags’s house for about an hour?  We want to show each other and Otto our research notes before we start our presentati –  I mean, our reports.”

“Yes.  Go ahead.  Have fun and tell Mags’s parents we said Hello.”, replied Dad.  “And don’t forget to remind them of the Christmas Party on the 23rd!”, yelled Mom. But Martin had already run out the front door and down the steps and was halfway across the yard.