Yule Lads

The Yule Lads are ogre-like creatures from Icelandic myth. The stories of these figures first appeared around the year 1600. Over time, they became viewed as the children of the figures Grýla and Leppalúði, who raised them to spread their evil. The number of lads and their order used to vary from place to place, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Sometimes they are harmless pranksters, but many early accounts describe them as brutal monsters. They killed, tortured, and carried off bad children to kill and eat in bloody ways. It’s thought that it may have been a tradition to tell stories, with everyone one-upping the previous one in cruelty. Eventually, they became more common as a bogeyman figure than Grýla herself. In modern day, there are thirteen, with each having a different trait and goal. They visit houses in the thirteen days before Christmas and stay until Twelfth Night, a holiday marking the end of the twelve days of Christmas. They show up and leave one at a time in the thirteen days they appear, and leave one at a time in the thirteen days that follow in the same order. Stories of these figures were banned in 1746 for a time, likely due to Lutheran influence.

First is Stekkjarstaur, or Sheep-Cote Clod, who arrives on December 12th. He harasses sheep and tries to drink their milk. He is generally incapable of doing this due to his extremely stiff legs, making him unable to bend down.

Second is Giljagaur, or Gully Gawk, who arrives on December 13th. He waited to sneak into a cowshed and drank milk from the milking buckets.

Third is Stúfur, or Stubby, who arrives on December 14th. He was the shortest and would wait to steal frying pans and eat up the food stuck to them.

Fourth is Þvörusleikir, or Spoon Licker, who arrives on December 15th. He stole wooden spoons and licked off any leftover food.

Fifth is Pottaskefill, or Pot Scraper, who arrives on December 16th. He stole unwashed pots and licked the extra food from them.

Sixth is Askasleikir, or Bowl Licker, who arrives on December 17th. His actions were based on the Icelandic tradition of eating from lidded bowls stored under the bed. He waited until the household inhabitants slept and licked the bowls.

Seventh is Hurðaskellir, or Door Slammer, who arrives on December 18th. He showed up in the evening and slammed he door repeatedly to prevent anyone from sleeping.

Eighth is Skyrgámur, or Skyr Gobbler, who arrives on December 19th. Skyr is an Icelandic dish similar to yogurt. He would steal it all and stuff himself until he was in terrible pain.

Ninth is Bjúgnakrækir, or Sausage Swiper, who arrives on December 20th. He stole all the sausages from the house and ate them.

Tenth is Gluggagægir, or Window Peeper, who arrives on December 21st. He stared through the windows to watch people inside. He would steal appealing children’s toys, and if a child looked out and saw him, he made scary faces until they left.

Eleventh is Gáttaþefur, or Door Sniffer, who arrives on December 22nd. He hid behind doors and sniffed for bread and cakes that he would steal.

Twelfth is Ketkrókur, or Meat Hook, who arrives on December 23rd. This is Saint Thorlak’s day, when smoked lamb is traditionally cooked. This Yule Lad used a specially made hook to reach down the chimney to steal the cooked meat to eat it himself.

Thirteenth is Kertasníkir, or Candle Beggar, who arrives on December 24th. Candles were expensive before electricity and hard to come by, thus making them a great gift. He would find children who were given candles and try to take them for himself.

Citations: 

Hawkins, Paul. Bad Santas: Disquieting Winter Folk Tales for Grown-Ups. United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster UK, 2013.

Citation: Belanger, Jeff. The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts. United States, New Page Books, 2023.