the whole world’s got one santa claus but in iceland there are 13 of them!
that’s right! 13!
they’re called the yule lads but they really are christmas trolls and if you know trolls – they’re always up to no good, causing havoc wherever they go, not just under bridges.
sneaky and mischievous, the history of the yule lads or yulemen is dark. their notoriety knows no bounds. they range from the execution of simple pranks to the gobbling of innocent children. burp!
but as the years went by, these once frightening figures of icelandic folklore are now perceived as bumbling, silly and humourous christmas entities.
i’d probably be the pot-scraper (pottaskefill) – the yule lad that steals leftovers from pots as i love food quite a lot. there’s even a funny poem about him that goes something like this:
pot scraper, the fifth one,
was a funny sort of chap.
when kids were given scrapings,
he’d come to the door and tap.
and they would rush to see
if there really was a guest.
then he hurried to the pot
and had a scrapingfest.
so here’s to a happy x’mas from me and my finger-lickin’ pot of yummy goodies! have a great holiday. stay warm, stay safe and see you all bright and shiny in 2013!
– persis –