Margo Lestz's Blog, page 2

Easter Animal Traditions and Egg Deliveries Around the World

In many countries, cute little animals have the job of delivering the colorful eggs and chocolatey treats that appear in our Easter baskets - and they're not all bunnies...

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The Mythic Beginnings of the City of Rome

For almost 1,000 years, Rome was a power to be reckoned with. However, its beginnings were modest and shaped by family feuds.

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Finding Dante in Florence: A Walking Tour

Learn more about Dante as we walk through Florence. Tread the same streets and see the same sites as the great poet…

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Dragons: Ancient and Modern

In days gone by, medieval knights were known for slaying dragons. But, of course, in our day there are no more dragons - or so I thought...

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Hedgehog History and Lore

Our ancestors had some interesting ideas about hedgehogs and their behavior – most of them were wrong – but still quite interesting… 

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Women with Weasels in Renaissance Art

In the 1500s weasels became a must-have accessory for any fashionable female getting her portrait painted and was pregnant or hoping to be.

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The Yule Cat: Not a Nice Kitty

If the words Christmas and cat bring visions of a cosy December evening sitting in front of a blazing fireplace with a sweet little kitty curled up on your lap and purring… That’s a nice image, but that’s not what we are talking about here. 

This Christmas cat is a monster. I’ve written before about some of the darker Christmas characters: Santa’s Evil Sidekicks and Father Whipper. And I’ve also written about Santa’s animal helpers (who were mostly nice, except for the Yule Goat), but now let’s take a look at the child-eating Icelandic Yule Cat… 

The Yule Cat

In Iceland there is a larger-than-life Christmas cat called the Yule Cat, or Jolakotturinn in Icelandic. On Christmas Eve he comes down from the snowy mountains and prowls around the towns and villages and, believe me, he’s not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley. 

He’s said to be a huge black cat – bigger than a house – with glowing eyes. He roams through the land, peeking in through windows looking for children who are not getting new clothes for Christmas – then he eats them. Yes, you read that right. He’s really focused on children’s fashion, and he gobbles up those kids who are still wearing last-year’s styles.

How many times have we seen disappointed children groan as they open a Christmas present only to find socks, a scarf, or some other piece of clothing. Not Icelandic children – those new Christmas garments might just save their lives.

Why is the Yule Cat concerned with clothing?

Fashion seems like a very strange thing for a cat to concern himself with, and no one really knows why he does. 

Some think the threat of a cat who eats children without new clothes was a way to motivate farmers to finish up their work in time to process the wool so clothing could be made for everyone before the cold winter set in. Assuming they didn’t want their children to be eaten by a giant cat, it was a pretty good incentive to work hard and get everything done.

Another idea is that in the long, dark, and really cold Icelandic winters, warm clothing was quite important for survival. So maybe the story of the Yule Cat was a way to get kids to wear those new mittens they got for Christmas… Who knows.

Whatever the reason, the huge, child-eating cat became a major character in the Icelandic Christmas traditions.

Where Does He Live?

When he’s not prowling around the villages on Christmas Eve looking for children wearing last year’s fashions, the Yule Cat lives in the Icelandic mountains where he is a family pet. 

You might wonder what kind of family would have a pet like that. Quite a dysfunctional one, that’s for sure. The Yule family is a family of trolls who live in a cave up in the mountains and they only descend at Christmas time. The family is made up of the mother, Gryla, the father Leppaludi, and their 13 sons called the Yule Lads.

Gryla with her sack of naughty children. SourceGryla and Leppaludi

Let’s introduce the parents first: The mother, who definitely rules the roost, is called Gryla. She is a fearsome, ugly troll who, like her kitty, also likes to eat children (and maybe even former spouses). She goes out looking for naughty children. When she finds one, she stuffs them into her sack, takes them home, and cooks them for dinner. Her husband, Leppaludi, is pretty lazy and mostly just sits at home in their mountain cave.

The Yule Lads

Gryla and Leppaludi’s 13 sons are known as the Yule Lads. Beginning 13 nights before Christmas they go down into the towns (one brother per night) to visit homes and perform mischievous deeds. Their antics range from harmless mischief to minor theft depending on their personalities. Most of them steal food while one slams doors and another peeks through windows. 

The 13 Yule Lads: Sheep-Cote Clod, Gully Gawk, Stubby, Spoon-Licker, Pot-Scraper, Bowl-Licker, Door-Slammer, Skyr-Gobbler, Sausage-Swiper, Window-Peeper, Doorway-Sniffer, Meat-Hook, and Candle-Beggar. Image source

Today the Yule Lads have become better behaved and are the bearers of gifts, similar to Santa Claus. Children now leave their shoe on their windowsill and during the night (each of the 13 nights before Christmas) one of the Yule Lads will come by and leave in it either sweets (if they’ve been good) or a rotten potato (if they’ve been bad.)

The Yule Family Rehabilitated

At some point in recent history, the Yule family must have gone into rehab and changed for the better. We all have to change with the times, don’t we… The old Icelandic generations thought that the best way to get children to behave was to scare them with threats of being eaten by a giant cat or an ogre. But today’s parents take a softer approach. The Yule family is still present at Christmas celebrations, but children are no longer eaten.

Even the family cat has reformed. In modern times, he has become less of a fearsome enforcer and more of a beloved symbol of Icelandic Christmas traditions. He’s often depicted in books, artwork, and holiday decorations. Instead of striking fear into the hearts of children, the story of the Yule Cat is shared as a quirky and amusing piece of folklore.

Red One

I was interested to see part of the Yule family in the 2024 movie Red One (a Christmas action adventure film). Gryla is the villain who kidnaps Santa. They refer to her as the Christmas witch and make mention of her 13 sons. I kept expecting the Yule Cat, but he didn’t show up. This film also includes another holiday bad boy, Krampus, who is presented as Santa’s brother.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas!You Might Also Like:Legends of St. Nick and his Evil SidekicksGoats, Donkeys, Horses, and Reindeer: Santa’s Animal HelpersFather Whipper: St Nick’s Evil Helper

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The Curious History of the Mock Turtle and Mock Turtle Soup

Is a mock turtle the thing mock turtle soup is made from? The Victorians ate mock turtle soup, but it wasn't made from mock turtles...

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Victorian Mad Tea Parties: In Wonderland and in Real Life

Alice's mad tea party wasn't just a story, the Victorians actually went to mental hospitals to watch the patients take tea, dance, etc.

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Pigeons: Love Them or Hate Them, You Have to Respect Them

Pigeons just don’t get any respect. However, in the past, they were valued for their war service and they saved thousands of human lives.

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