Christmas is coming! (Maybe even a little too early...)
For obvious reasons, many people associate Christmas/Yule with Santa Claus who is the legendary toy bearing being based upon the historical St.Nicholas. Did you know, however, there are way more creatures involved? Christmas, a Christian holiday that has now become quite commercialized, adopted many traditions over the centuries from Pagan cultures such as the Scandinavians, Russians, Celts, et cetera.
I will be purposefully avoiding the Germanic creature Krampus because he has become well known over the years. I will be analyzing others.
Without further ado, here they are.
Jólasveinarnir (Yule Lads) - The 13 Christmas Trolls
Originating from Icelandic Folk Tales, the 13 Christmas Trolls, called the Yule Lads, are a mischievous bunch. They are the children of the well known parents Grýla and Leppalúði, who also have their own stories. Although they are quite the pranksters, they are benevolent in nature and like to put toys in Icelandic children's shoes if they have been good. For 13 days, the Yule Lads take turns delivering presents (or tricks) to the children. Each one has a very distinct personality, revealed in their names, and a preference for the type of trick they like to play. Here is a list of each one:
Stekkjastaur- Sheep-Cote Clod
A peg-legged lad that likes to suck milk from sheep
Giljagaur - Gully Gawk
He likes to steal the froth of milk that remains in buckets in barns
Stúfur - Stubby
A really short fellow, he likes eating crust left on pie pans
Þvörusleikir - Spoon Licker
In Icelandic, a Þvöru is a long wooden spoon. This Yule Lad loves to steal those types of spoons and lick them
Pottaskefill - Pot Scraper
He scrapes pots and steals them from kitchens
Askasleikir - Bowl Licker
While bowls are left on tables and floors, this Lad creeps in and takes them so he can eat what is leftover
Hurðaskellir - Door Slammer
While people are sleeping, he slams doors as an annoyance
Skyrgámur - Skyr Gobbler
Skyr is an Icelandic yoghurt that is very thick. This Lad has a great appetite for it
Bjúgnakrækir - Sausage Swiper
If sausages are left to be smoked, he comes and steals them away
Gluggagægir - Window Peeper
As awful as this sounds, this Yule Lad enjoys peeping into windows while people are asleep to see if there is anything of worth to steal
Gáttaþefur - Doorway Sniffer
This one has an amazing long nose used to sniff out yummy meals
Ketkrókur - Meat Hook
Meat Hook is obsessed with various types of meats. If there are any left around, he takes them for himself
Kertasníkir - Candle Beggar
In the olden days, candles were made of edible materials. He steals those kinds of candles not for light but to eat them
Nuuttipukki - The Wild Goat Man
In Finnish folk culture, on the twentieth day of Yule (Tjugondag Knut/Saint Knut's Day), a figure, by the name of Nuuttipukki, arrives and goes door to door to consume beer and feast on leftovers. In actuality, it is just two men wearing the furs and bones of goats. One of the men would control the feet and the other the head and arms. Originally, the figure was associated with the wilderness during the winter solstice but eventually it was combined with the Catholic Saint Knut's Day.
Nisser - The Christmas Gnome
Associated with the Winter Solstice in Scandinavian folklore, the Nisser are benevolent little beings similar to the modern perception of elves or gnomes. They oftentimes wear a bright red woolen cap, keep really long white beards, and are incredibly short in stature. In places like Finland, Sweden, and Denmark they like to live in barns. If a farmer isn't careful about their presence, the Nisser are known to retaliate by performing tricks and pranks.
караконџула/ Karakondžula - The Christmas Goblin
Many people associate the Twelve Days of Christmas with the merry and jolly tune that says "on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me" et cetera. However, in Serbian and Bulgarian folklore the Twelve Days of Christmas are when the veil between the demonic word and the human world vanishes, releasing the troublesome Karakondžula. These feisty beings especially dislike adulterers and other types of sinners. If caught outside in the middle of the night, they'll jump upon the sinner's back and won't let go till the sun rises. They are described by Serbians as hairy diminutive creatures whereas the Bulgarians describe them as shapeshifters.
Jólakötturinn - The Fashion Loving Yule Cat
This cat is no ordinary pet; in Icelandic folklore, the Yule Cat roams the countryside and feeds on punished children who were too naughty to receive new clothes. Towering above houses, the Yule Cat creeps along to each house and examines the contents inside. If a child is without a pair of new socks or any other clothing item when it passes by on Christmas, it gobbles them up. Especially in the olden days, parents would try to entice good behavior by telling their children that they must commit to their chores or else they wouldn't receive new clothes which meant they were at the mercy of the nasty Jólakötturinn.
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