Lögberg-Heimskringla - 16.12.1994, Síða 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 16. desember 1994
Slcelawl,
Conf'd>
and tall. He always hoped for a
deserted kitchen. “Pot Scraper” came

weave and knit so that every child,
even the poorest one, would get some
new clothing and the children had to
be good so that the Cat would not
hear them. No quarrelling or swearing
was allowed, and they would light
candles all over, so there were no
shadows in the rooms where evil
things could hide.
By the middle of the 19th century,
there was a softening on the story of
these folklore creatures. It was no
longer lawful to frighten children with
Grýla and her sons or the Christmas
Cat. Instead the holiday visitors were
seen as pranksters bent on stealing
food and other things, especially from
children. About 50 years ago the
Icelandic Yule-lads became friendly to
children and the bringers of holiday
gifts. However, the Yule-lads who
show up at children’s Christmas par-
ties and other places are now dressed
like Santa Claus, and they give out
candy and other small things. Before
they were dressed in homespun pants
and sweaters, with long woolen hats.
Since 1930, the State Broadcasting
Service in Iceland has presented spe-
cial radio programs for children at
Christmas. Because no one knows
which particular Yule-lad is visiting,
the children have an incentive to
recall all of the names to come up
with the right one. Now there are
songs about the Yule-lads, with fun
music.
The festive season in Reykjavík is
now ushered in with a ceremonial
illumination of a large Christmas tree
in the city centre, the annual Yule-tide
gift of the people of Oslo to the people
of Reykjavík. Just before dusk on
Sunday in mid December, parents and
children gather from all over the city
to crowd around the tree as a brass
band plays Christmas carols,- As dark-
ness falls, the Norwegian ambassador
throws a switch and a web of fairy
lights illuminate the Christmas tree.
Then on a flat roof on the opposite
side of the square, the Yule-lads make
their appearance,
Children believe in putting their
shoes out each night on the days
before Christmas and, if they are very
good, they can expect to find gifts and
goodies in the shoes the next morn-
ing.
self. Ninth came “Sausage Stealer’
was number eleven, could smell food
even from the mountains and was
quick to arrive. Twelfth came “Meat
Hooker” who lumbered onto roofs to
fifth and competed with the children
in finishing the left-overs. “Pot
Licker”, the sixth, hid under beds and
jSRMjg'
rsí' ý.y,
an unwelcome guest who tried to fin-
ish all the smoked sausages which
had been saved for Christmas. “The
Peeper” came tenth and frightened
he would even stoop so low as to
steal from pets. Seventh came “Door
Slammer” who loved disturbing any-
slip down the kitchen chimneys for
hangikjöt. Finally it was the turn of
“Candle Beggar” who .arrived on

body’s sleep. Dairy products were
never safe from the eighth one who
used every opportunity to stuff him-
the children in his never ceasing
search for loot. “The Sniffer” who
Christmas Eve. His weakness was the
children’s candles burning in the
night.
Another folklore surrounded the
Christmas Cat. Everyone had to get
some new clothing before Christmas
for the perfect investment in
your heritage your Weekly lcelandic Newsf.
□ Manitoba $39.90/year (inc. GST & PST)
□ Elsewhere in Canada $37.45/year (includes GST)
□ United States/lceland/Others $40./year
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or else they would be eaten by the
Christmas Cat. No one knew from
where he came or where he went.
Therefore the ladies would spin and
Name:
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