Diamond T Design
Let your light shine!
Creative ideas for creative minds.
Let your light shine!
Creative ideas for creative minds.
THE YULE LADS, IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
1. Sheep-Cote Clod (Stekkjastaur) – 12th-25th December
2. Gully Gawk (Giljagaur) – 13th-26th December
3. Stubby (Stúfur) – 14th-27th December
4. Spoon Licker (Þvörusleikir) – 15th-28th December
5. Pot Licker (Pottasleikir) – 16th-29th December
6. Bowl Licker (Askasleikir) -17th-30th December
7. Door Slammer (Hurðaskellir) – 18th-31st December
8. Skyr Gobbler (Skyrgámur) – 19th December - 1st January
9. Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper) – 20th December - 2nd January
10. Window Peeper (Gluggagægir) – 21st December - 3rd January
11. Door Sniffer (Gáttaþefur) – 22nd December - 4th January
12. Meat Hook (Ketrókur) – 23rd December - 5th January
13. Candle Beggar (Kertasníkir) — 24th December - 6th January
They live nearby Reykjavik in a mountain called Esjan with their troll mother Gryla and father Leppaludi.
Their cat is called Jolakotturinn or The Christmas Cat.
13 nights before Christmas the Yule Lads start descending from the mountain to town one by one.
On the night of December 11th children put their shoes in the window in hope that they will find a nice small gift from the Yule Lad when they wake up.
The Yule Lads know if you have been good or bad and if the children have been good,
they get something nice, if on the other hand they have been bad, they will get an old potato, and nobody likes that. This tradition keeps on going for those 13 nights before Christmas, so it can be a nice time for the parents when all kids behave.
Each and every Yule Lad has a name and it´s own character.
The first one is called Stekkjastaur or Sheep-Cote Clod. He harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg legs. He arrives the 12th of December.
The Second one is Giljagaur or Gully Gawk. He hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk.
The third one is Stufur or Stubby. He is abnormally short and he steals pans to eat the crust left on them.
The fourth one is Þvorusleikir or Spoon-Licker. He steals Þvörur (a type of a wooden spoon with a long handle) to lick. He is extremely thin due to malnutrition.
The fifth one is Pottaskefill or Pot-Licker. He steals leftovers from pots.
The sixth one is Askasleikir or Bowl-Licker. He hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their ‘askur’ (a type of bowl with a lid used instead of dishes in the old days), which he then steals.
The seventh one is Huroaskellir or Door-Slammer. He likes to slam doors, especially during the night.
The eight one is Skyrgámur or Skyr-Gobbler. A Yule Lad with an affinity for skyr, an Icelandic dairy product.
The ninth one is Bjugnakrækir or Sausage-Swiper. He would hide in the rafters and snatch sausages that were being smoked.
The tenth one is Gluggagægir or Window-Peeper. A voyeur who would look through windows in search of things to steal.
The eleventh one is Gattaþefur or Doorway-Sniffer. Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate laufabraud, an Icelandic deep fried bread.
The twelfth one is Kjotkrókur or Meat-Hook. Uses a hook to steal meat.
The thirteen and the last one is Kertasnikir or Candle-Stealer. Follows children in order to steal their candles (which in those days were made of tallow and thus edible).
Read more Trivia.
