...pen of the Puca~The
Boys of Yule
By Katharine Clark, Puca by Lauren Curtis
December: the snow is falling, the ice hangs in long slender daggers from windows and roof tops. The smoky perfume of burning wood billows from every chimney. This is Iceland at Yuletide. The houses are cleaned, the evergreens are hung, the pantries and kitchens are well stocked – and well protected. After all, a visitor is coming for the holiday. Actually, it's 13 visitors, and their parents are horrible trolls.
“Oh no, Puca,” I hear you moaning, “not another dark Yule tradition. I mean, first Krampus, and now... what next?” Well, my children, remember that Christmas fables spring directly from Pagan roots, which are always re-cast in dark shadows. And so it is with The Yule Lads.
These mischievous characters start showing up 13 days before Christmas. Their father is an ugly troll named Leppalud, and their mother is a 1000 year old hag named Gryla, one of the scariest figures in Icelandic myth. Some describe her as a child-eater, with six ears and rock-like teeth. She also has a black cat named Jolakottur, who will eat any child who does not have a new article of clothing to wear on Yule/Christmas. (I would stop complaining about the underwear and socks from Aunt Shirley, if I were you!)
Gryla, Leppalud and kitty: not your typical parents.
Their 13 offspring--The Yule Lads--come down from their mountain one by one, starting on December 12th. Each of them has a specific mischief to perform, as indicated by their names:
December 12~ Sheep-Cote Clod: He annoys the sheep and tries to steal their milk, but he has a hard time due to his stiff peg legs.
December 13~ Gully Gawk: He hides in gullies, waiting to sneak into the cow shed to steal their milk.
Gully Gawk – making off with the milk
December 14~ Stubby: he is very short, and steals pans in which there is burnt on crust.
December 15~ Spoon-Licker: He is so malnourished he is almost as thin as the wooden spoons he takes to lick!
December 16~ Pot-Scraper: he steals leftovers.
December 17~ Bowl Licker: he waits under beds until someone leaves a covered dish on the floor. Then, he helps himself to it.
December 18~ Door Slammer: Yep, you guessed it. He especially likes to slam them at night.
December 19~ Skyr-Gobbler: he has a fondness for skyr, which is a dairy product, kinda like yogurt.
December 20~ Sausage-Swiper: He hides in the rafters in order to steal sausage that's being smoked.
Sausage, anyone?
December 21~ Window-Peeper: He looks through windows, trying to spy something to steal, but he's a bit of a “Peeping Tom,” as well.
December 22~ Door-Sniffer: he has a large nose and keen sense of smell, which he uses to locate Laufabraud (“leaf bread” or a type of fried bread).
He “nose” there's fried bread out there!
December 23~ Meat-Hook: he uses a hook to steal meat.
December 24~ Candle-Beggar: he follows children to steal their candles. (In olden times, they were made from meat drippings and were eatable).
So, why the Yule Lads and their criminal tricks? Winter was a time of want, especially in very cold climates. Food was scarce and wastefulness could mean the difference between survival and starvation. Each of these “Lads” take food, or milk, or necessary household supplies. One even steals your sleep by slamming doors! They test the strength and awareness of the family they pester. Enduring the Yule Lads makes people stronger and more capable of weathering the Winter--the “Season of Death.”
They also punish disobedient children to the point of throwing them into a sack, and taking them back to their mother as a midnight munch. (Talk about take-out!) After all, each member of the family needs to work together to finally see the next Spring.
Today, the Yule Lads are re-gaining their popularity. They have shown up on postage stamps, they are sold as statues in tourist gift shops, their images have appeared on tea towels and even milk cartons!
Yule Lads, the tea towel!
Times have softened the Lads. They are kinder, gentler pranksters. If children leave their shoes on the window still, they could find a small gift inside, come morning. If they have been “naughty”, they will find a potato--still, better to eat than be eaten!
Starting Christmas day, the Yule Lads make their way back up the mountain--one by one, day by day. The last one leaves on January 6th, the Christian celebration of the Epiphany.
So, enjoy your Yule. Be merry and celebrate, but also keep an eye open for disappearing pans, low levels in the milk jug, and missing meat. It could be the Yule Lads having a spot of fun before the big day. Good Yule, everyone!