#runetober

The Yulecat is a modern Icelandic folklore figure. It is said to prey on those who did not receive a new item of clothing by Christmas day. This was probably used by farmers as an incentive for their farmhands to help with processing the wool for the year. In my picture, a child is proudly showing their new socks to the cat.

The Cat was especially made famous through a poem by Jóhannes úr Kötlum, which many might know better through the song version by Björk.

The runes I used are late medieval runes reflecting the modern Icelandic text. I used 3 stanzas from the poem:

You know the Yule-cat that cat is very large Folks don't know where he came from nor where he has gone.

He opened his eyes widely both of them are glowing it was not for cowards to look into them

He walked about, hungry and grim in painfully cold yule snow and kindled the hearts with fear in every town

In Icelandic: Þið kannist við jólaköttinn, – sá köttur var gríðarstór. Fólk vissi ekki hvaðan hann kom eða hvert hann fór.

Hann glennti upp glyrnurnar sínar, glóandi báðar tvær. – Það var ekki heiglum hent að horfa í þær.

Hann sveimaði, soltinn og grimmur, í sárköldum jólasnæ, og vakti í hjörtunum hroll á hverjum bæ.