Yule Lads - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Yule Lads, or Yulemen, are figures from Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

ic folklore

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

who in modern times have become the Icelandic version of Santa Claus

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

. Their number has varied throughout the ages, but currently
there are considered to be thirteen.

Origins

The Yule Lads originate from Icelandic folklore. Early on their number and depictions varied greatly depending on location, with each individual Lad ranging from mere pranksters to homicidal monsters who eat children.

In 1932 the poem "Jólasveinarnir" was published as a part of the popular poetry

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

book "Jólin Koma" ("Christmas Arrives") by Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum

Jóhannes úr Kötlum

Jóhannes Jónasson úr Kötlum was an Icelandic author. He used the pseudonym Anonymus when he published poems written in modern style.-Publications:* 1926: Bí bí og blaka, poems* 1932: Jólin koma, poems...

. The poem reintroduced Icelandic society to Icelandic Yuletide folklore and established what is now considered the 'official' thirteen Yule Lads, their personalities and connection to other folkloric characters.

Modern Depictions

The Yule Lads were originally portrayed as being mischievous, or even criminal, pranksters that would steal from, or in other way harass the population (at the time mostly rural farmers). They all had descriptive names that conveyed their modus operandi

Modus operandi

Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...

.

The Yule Lads are traditionally said to be the sons of the mountain-dwelling trolls Grýla
Grýla
Grýla is, in Icelandic mythology, a horrifying monster and an giantess living in the mountains of Iceland. She is said to come from the mountains at Christmas in search of naughty children....

and Leppalúði. Additionally, the Yule Lads are often depicted with the Yuletide Cat, a beast that, according to folklore, eats children that don't receive new clothes in time for Christmas.

In modern times the Yule Lads have been depicted as taking on a more benevolent role comparable to Santa Claus

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

and other related figures and putting small gifts (or potatoes if the child has misbehaved) into shoes placed by children into their windows the last thirteen nights before Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...

. They are occasionally depicted as wearing the costume traditionally worn by Santa Claus

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

, but are otherwise generally shown wearing late medieval style Icelandic clothing.

List of Yule Lads

The Yule lads are said to "come to town" during the last 13 nights before Christmas, each staying for two weeks before departing. Below are the 'official' thirteen Yule Lads in the order they arrive (and depart).

Names in English are based on Hallberg Hallmundsson's translation of the poem.

Icelandic Name	English translation	Description	Arrival	Departure
Stekkjastaur	Sheep-Cote Clod	Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs.	December 12	December 25
Giljagaur	Gully Gawk	Hides in gullies Gully A gully is a landform created by running water, eroding sharply into soil, typically on a hillside. Gullies resemble large ditches or small valleys, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width... , waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk.	December 13	December 26
Stúfur	Stubby	Abnormally short. Steals pans to eat the crust left on them.	December 14	December 27
Þvörusleikir	Spoon-Licker	Steals Þvörur (a type of a wooden spoon with a long handle - I. þvara) to lick. Is extremely thin due to malnutrition Malnutrition Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions.... .	December 15	December 28
Pottasleikir	Pot-Licker	Steals leftovers from pots.	December 16	December 29
Askasleikir	Bowl-Licker	Hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their 'askur' (a type of bowl with a lid used instead of dishes), which he then steals.	December 17	December 30
Hurðaskellir	Door-Slammer	Likes to slam doors, especially during the night.	December 18	December 31
Skyrgámur	Skyr-Gobbler	A Yule Lad with an affinity for skyr Skyr Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product, similar to strained yogurt. Technically it is a very soft cheese. It is very popular in Icelandic cuisine. Skyr was originally discovered by accident. A group of farmers in Iceland in the early settlement days poured skim milk over barrels of meat to... .	December 19	January 1
Bjúgnakrækir	Sausage-Swiper	Would hide in the rafters and snatch sausages that were being smoked.	December 20	January 2
Gluggagægir	Window-Peeper	A voyeur who would look through windows in search of things to steal.	December 21	January 3
Gáttaþefur	Door-Sniffer	Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate laufabrauð Laufabrauð Laufabrauð is a traditional kind of Icelandic bread that is most often eaten in the Christmas season. Originating from northern Iceland but now eaten throughout the entire country, it consists of round, very thin flat cakes with a diameter of about 15 to 20 cm , decorated with leaf-like, geometric... .	December 22	January 4
Ketkrókur	Meat-Hook	Uses a hook to steal meat.	December 23	January 5
Kertasníkir	Candle-Stealer	Follows children in order to steal their candles (which in those days was made of tallow Tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,... and thus edible).	December 24	January 6

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