Icelandic traditions: the Yule Cat, Gryla, and the 13 Yuletide Lads
December 17, 2013 7:06 AM Subscribe
The Yule Cat, called Jólakötturinn or Jólaköttur in its native Iceland, is something in the lines of a holiday threat. Those who don't work hard and make, earn, or receive new clothes before Yule will be devoured by Jólakötturinn, as told in the poem by Jóhannes Bjarni Jónasson (original poem with some illustrations). Myths say that Jólakötturinn belongs to the ogress Grýla, mother of the 13 "Yule Lad" trolls.
Something Awful has more on Yuletide Lads and how to protect yourself from them, their mother, and her cat.
Terry Gunnell, an assistant professor in Folkloristics in the Social Science Department of the University of Iceland, provides a look back at the history of Grýla, Grýlur, Grøleks And Skeklers, the related Scandanavian myths of the ugly, ever-ravenous troll or ogress, who has relatively recently been cast as the mother of the Icelandic jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar, referred to in English as the Yule Lads or Yulemen.
See also: Yuletide Lads, previously.
Something Awful has more on Yuletide Lads and how to protect yourself from them, their mother, and her cat.
Terry Gunnell, an assistant professor in Folkloristics in the Social Science Department of the University of Iceland, provides a look back at the history of Grýla, Grýlur, Grøleks And Skeklers, the related Scandanavian myths of the ugly, ever-ravenous troll or ogress, who has relatively recently been cast as the mother of the Icelandic jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar, referred to in English as the Yule Lads or Yulemen.
See also: Yuletide Lads, previously.
But will the presence of a Yule Goat help or hinder my safety from this grim kitteh menace?
posted by elizardbits at 7:17 AM on December 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 7:17 AM on December 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Just looked into the Yule Lads and sent of a quick, threatening email to my daughter about getting rotting potatoes for Christmas as a consequence for misbehavior.
Great job team. High fives all around.
posted by shothotbot at 7:30 AM on December 17, 2013
Great job team. High fives all around.
posted by shothotbot at 7:30 AM on December 17, 2013
Nothing can save you from the grim kitteh menace ... except tinsel.
And now you know.
posted by Mezentian at 7:33 AM on December 17, 2013
And now you know.
posted by Mezentian at 7:33 AM on December 17, 2013
Tinsel? I'm pretty sure it's clothing or shoes:
posted by filthy light thief at 7:54 AM on December 17, 2013
Because you mustn't let the CatNow listen missy, you'll wear that apron I got you, or the giant cat will eat you. And you, too, little mister, put those shoes back on, or you're kitty food! Sweet dreams!
Get hold of the little children.
They had to get something new to wear
From the grownups each year.
And when the lights came on, on Yule Eve
And the Cat peered in,
The little children stood rosy and proud
All dressed up in their new clothes.
Some had gotten an apron
And some had gotten shoes
Or something that was needed
- That was all it took.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:54 AM on December 17, 2013
See also Colombia's Christmas Panther, a.k.a. "el puma de navidad."
Note: a group of about 30 Colombians I know LOLed at that Wikipedia article and said they'd never heard of el puma de navidad, although several of them lived near Quimbaya. One suggested that perhaps the author was thinking of this.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 8:27 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Note: a group of about 30 Colombians I know LOLed at that Wikipedia article and said they'd never heard of el puma de navidad, although several of them lived near Quimbaya. One suggested that perhaps the author was thinking of this.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 8:27 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Maybe the Yule Cat just wants to keep people with old clothes warm... in his belly!
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:28 AM on December 17, 2013
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:28 AM on December 17, 2013
He gave a wave of his strong tail,
He jumped and he clawed and he hissed.
Sometimes up in the valley,
Sometimes down by the shore.
He roamed at large, hungry and evil
In the freezing Yule snow.
In every home
People shuddered at his name.
I think I'm going to listen to some Bathory and pretend that's what Quorthon is singing.
posted by ignignokt at 8:44 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
He jumped and he clawed and he hissed.
Sometimes up in the valley,
Sometimes down by the shore.
He roamed at large, hungry and evil
In the freezing Yule snow.
In every home
People shuddered at his name.
I think I'm going to listen to some Bathory and pretend that's what Quorthon is singing.
posted by ignignokt at 8:44 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
New clothes? It seems oddly... specific. And unrelated to cats. The only relation my cats have with my clothing is that they like to sleep on it. The more used and smelly it is the better. Only Minerva, the black one, has any sort of response to new, clean items. If they happen to be t shirts she'll claw holes into them. Although she's a black cat she really looks more stupid than demonic.
Also how does this affect Secret Quonsar gifting? Will I have to feel guilty if my Quonsee is devoured by a Norse demon cat because I quonsed them non-clothing-related items?
posted by Hairy Lobster at 9:05 AM on December 17, 2013
Also how does this affect Secret Quonsar gifting? Will I have to feel guilty if my Quonsee is devoured by a Norse demon cat because I quonsed them non-clothing-related items?
posted by Hairy Lobster at 9:05 AM on December 17, 2013
The corn cat sits atop the stalks and waits for the lazy children.
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 AM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 AM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
nothing like the sound of a yule cat burning cheerily in the fireplace.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:21 AM on December 17, 2013
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:21 AM on December 17, 2013
Wintertime really is the best holiday time. So much Big Fun Supernatural Evil, so much tasty tasty fruitcake.
posted by Doleful Creature at 10:39 AM on December 17, 2013
posted by Doleful Creature at 10:39 AM on December 17, 2013
New clothes? It seems oddly... specific. And unrelated to cats.
Kids complain about getting socks as a gift a lot less when the alternative is 'being murdered by a demonic snow predator'.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:17 AM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Kids complain about getting socks as a gift a lot less when the alternative is 'being murdered by a demonic snow predator'.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:17 AM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
I love the names of the Yulemen . Nothing says Christmas like a gang of be-whiskered dyspeptic old perverts.
posted by islander at 11:28 AM on December 17, 2013
posted by islander at 11:28 AM on December 17, 2013
You think Yule Cats are bad? Watch out for the Yule Gibbons; they are foragers.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:35 AM on December 17, 2013
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:35 AM on December 17, 2013
I can see the holiday ads now:
PURCHASE MORE TEXTILES OR BE DEVOURED!
YULE CAT SAYS, "BUY MORE!"
this message brought to you by Cotton, ♪ the Fabric of our Lives ♫
posted by leotrotsky at 12:37 PM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
PURCHASE MORE TEXTILES OR BE DEVOURED!
YULE CAT SAYS, "BUY MORE!"
this message brought to you by Cotton, ♪ the Fabric of our Lives ♫
posted by leotrotsky at 12:37 PM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Apparently Bjork set the poem to music.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 1:48 PM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 1:48 PM on December 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Hairy Lobster: New clothes? It seems oddly... specific. And unrelated to cats.
From this link above:
It may sound strange that the deprived ones will also become the sacrifices, but this tradition is based on the fact that every effort was made to finish all work with the Autumn wool before Yule. The reward for those who took part in the work was a new piece of clothing. Those who were lazy received nothing. Thus the Yule Cat was used as an incentive to get people to work harder.
So...if you work hard you get rewarded with a sweater AND not eaten by a gigantic hellcat. Hooray!
posted by inertia at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
From this link above:
It may sound strange that the deprived ones will also become the sacrifices, but this tradition is based on the fact that every effort was made to finish all work with the Autumn wool before Yule. The reward for those who took part in the work was a new piece of clothing. Those who were lazy received nothing. Thus the Yule Cat was used as an incentive to get people to work harder.
So...if you work hard you get rewarded with a sweater AND not eaten by a gigantic hellcat. Hooray!
posted by inertia at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here is Eve Online/CCP's explanation of the "Yule Lads."
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 2:26 PM on December 17, 2013
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 2:26 PM on December 17, 2013
elizardbits: "But will the presence of a Yule Goat help or hinder my safety from this grim kitteh menace?"
Get something from the LL Bean Catalog! Take no chances!
posted by Mister_A at 4:33 PM on December 17, 2013
Get something from the LL Bean Catalog! Take no chances!
posted by Mister_A at 4:33 PM on December 17, 2013
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posted by Mezentian at 7:12 AM on December 17, 2013