Yule Lads, in Icelandic jĆ³lasveinarnir or jĆ³lasveinar, are magical creatures from Icelandic folklore. They are similar to pixies or elves, often portrayed as being mischievous pranksters. There are considered to be 12 or 13 Yule Lads. They get up to mischief during Christmastide/Yuletide (the 12 days leading up to Christmas, often pranking or leaving gifts for children depending on how they have behaved throughout the year.
The origins of Yule Lads are unknown, but it is thought that they came to be well known in the late medieval period, and are still depicted as wearing late medieval clothes. Yule Lads were popularised in the poem JĆ³lasveinarnir, written byĀ JĆ³hannes Ćŗr Kƶtlum in 1932.
The story of the Yule Lads, as told in Iceland, is that there was a huge troll called GrĆ½la who lived high up in the mountains. She is the mother of the Yule Lads and a giant black cat. Every Yuletide, GrĆ½la and her sons come down from the mountains to wreak havoc on the community. GrĆ½la would go in search of naughty children to boil in her cauldron, and the lads would create havoc and mischief.
The Yule Lads are as follows:
Stekkjastaur (Sheep-Cote Clod)
The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.
He came stiff as wood
to pray upon the farmerās sheep
as far as he could.
The second was Gully Gawk,
grey his head and mien.
He snuck into the cow barn
from his craggy ravine.
Stubby was the third called,
a stunted little man,
who watched for every chance
to whisk off a pan.
Ā Ćvƶrusleikir (Spoon Licker)Ā
The fourth was Spoon Licker;
like spindle he was thin.
He felt himself in clover
when the cook wasnāt in.
Pottasleikir (Pot Licker)Ā
Pot Licker, the fifth one,
was a funny sort of chap.
When kids were given scrapings,
heĀ“d come to the door and tap.
Askasleikir (Bowl Licker)Ā
Bowl Licker, the sixth one,
was shockingly ill bred.
From underneath the bedsteads
he stuck his ugly head.
HurĆ°askellir (Door Slammer)Ā
The seventh was Door Slammer,
a sorry, vulgar chap:
When people in the twilight
would take a little nap.
SkyrgĆ”mur (Skyr Gobbler)Ā
Skyr Gobbler, the eighth,
was an awful stupid bloke.
He lambasted the skyr tub
till the lid on it broke.
BjĆŗgnakrƦkir (Sausage Swiper)Ā
The ninth was Sausage Swiper,
a shifty pilferer.
He climbed up to the rafters
and raided food from there.
GluggagƦgir (Window Peeper)Ā
The tenth was Window Peeper,
a weird little twit,
who stepped up to the window
and stole a peek through it.
GĆ”ttaĆ¾efur (Door Sniffer)
Eleventh was Door Sniffer,
a doltish lad and gross.
He never got a cold, yet had
a huge, sensitive nose.
Meat Hook, the twelfth one,
his talent would display
as soon as he arrived
on Saint Thorlakās Day.
KertasnĆkir (Candle Stealer)
The thirteenth was Candle Stealer
- ātwas cold, I believe,
if he was not the last
of the lot on Christmas Eve.
