Atlantica - 01.11.2001, Page 49

A T L A N T I C A 47
Six o’clock signals the beginning of the
most holy of nights, when the close
relatives gather to eat a formal dinner.
Children’s eyes shine and stomachs
grumble with the sweet smells from the
kitchen. The traditional menu is ptarmi-
gan or gammon served with red cab-
bage, caramelised potatoes, green
peas and halved pears accompanied by
laufabraud (“leaf bread”). Dessert is
usually the delicious Danish-influenced
riz à l’amande – rice, almond and cream
pudding served with either a warm
chocolate or raspberry sauce. A whole
almond is hidden somewhere in its
depths and the lucky person who gets it
in their plate wins a prize. Dinner is fol-
lowed by a few Christmas carols and
the little ones get to dance around the
Christmas tree until the long-awaited
moment arrives – the opening of the
presents.
On Christmas Day, families get togeth-
er once again, but this time they enjoy
a Danish-style buffet which starts at
around lunchtime and continues into
late afternoon. Herring, smoked
salmon, hangikjöt (smoked lamb) and
turkey are just some of the things on
offer, accompanied by a cold beer and a
shot of aquavit. This feeding frenzy
pretty much continues until just after
the New Year.
FANTASTICAL FOLKLORE
Today, electric bulbs and lit-up snow-
men adorn Icelandic gardens in
December. Venture outside the city lim-
its into the all-encompassing winter
darkness and it’s easy to imagine how
in the winter nights of earlier centuries,
trolls and supernatural beings came to
life. The most horrifying monster of
them all was the ogress Grýla, and sto-
ries of her were used to frighten chil-
dren, with her favourite dish being a
stew full of naughty kids. This troll-like
creature, with a hideous face, was the
mother of the Yule Lads (Jólasveinar).
Such was their gruesome reputation
that by 1746, a public decree was
issued stating that “the foolish custom,
which has been practised here and
there about the country, of scaring chil-
dren with Yule Lads or ghosts, shall be
abolished“. Whereas the character of
the malicious Grýla has changed little
over the centuries, the nature of the
Yule Lads has undergone quite a trans-
formation. From child snatchers they
have developed into rascally, thieving
tricksters who descend from the moun-
tains one by one, 13 days before
Christmas. The custom of their placing
a small gift in children’s shoes became
common around the middle of the cen-
tury, becoming another way to make
children behave. If you’re good you’ll
get a present, if you’re bad you’ll get
an old potato or piece of coal in your
shoe. Like Santa Claus, they manage to
cover the whole country in a single
night. Despite the American influence
of a stout, white-bearded Santa Claus
clad in red, the Lads have remained in
their sheepskin and wool. The first one
to arrive is Stekkjastaur (The Sheep
Worrier), and his dozen brothers who
follow him are: Giljagaur (Gully-Gawk),
Stúfur (Stubby), Thvörusleikir (Spoon
Licker), Pottasleikir (Pot Licker),
Askasleikir (Bowl Licker), Hurdaskellir
(Door Slammer), Skyrgámur (Skyr
Glutton), Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage
Stealer), Gluggagægir (Window
Peeper), Gáttathefur (Door Sniffer),
Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) and finally
Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar), who is the
last to arrive on 24 December. On
Christmas Day, they begin departing
one by one until Kertasníkir leaves on
the 12th night, 6 January, when the
holiday season concludes with bon-
fires and elf dances.
The scariest of Christmas monsters is
undoubtedly the Yule Cat. This grossly
overgrown, mean and ravenous black
cat preys on children – but not just any
children. Unfortunately for the poor,
The Yule Lads A Celebration of Icelandic Christmas Folklore
Brian Pilkington
Over the centuries, the Icelanders have developed a highly unusual set of Yuletide traditions,
from the food they eat – smoked lamb, rotten skate and “leaf bread” – to their
colourful folklore featuring the giant troll Grýla, her thirteen rascally sons
and that huge, hungry feline, the Yule Cat.
Beautifully illustrated by Brian Pilkington, THE YULE
LADS gives readers of all ages a delightful
insight into the history, customs and
characters of Christmas in
Iceland. Available in
Icelandic and
English-language
editions.
ILLUSTRATIONS: BRIAN PILKINGTON
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