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Yule Lads
and they still occasionally hang out with the Yule the long trek from the mountains to the farm-
Cat, an oversized kitty that chases children who steads below on the morning of December 12,
haven’t received new clothes for Christmas. Better followed by one brother per day for the 13 days
ask for socks this year! leading to Christmas. Each brother stays for two
According to tradition, the first Yule Lad makes weeks and arrives according to a strict schedule.
by Corey Michael Dalton
Art by Jimmy Holder

The Yule Lad Lineup

1. Sheep Worrier 2. Gully Gawk

The first Yule Lad to turn up is always Sheep Worrier, Next is Gully Gawk, a fellow who likes to hide in
who loves to milk unattended sheep. Fortunately for ditches and wait for just the right opportunity to
the sheep, his stiff peg legs prevent him from doing sneak into the cowshed and snatch the cows’ milk.
much milking!

4. Spoon Licker
3. Stubby Spoon Licker appears on December 15. As his name

K ids everywhere know the story of Santa

Claus, the jolly fat man who flies all
around the world in a reindeer-drawn sleigh
shorter, grubbier, trouble-making cousins
and you won’t be far off. The Yule Lads first
appeared in Icelandic folklore in the 1600s as
Stubby, the shortest Yule Lad, is the third in line. He
steals cooking pans so he can eat the burned bits
stuck to the bottom—his favorite part.
suggests, this extremely thin Yule Lad collects all
the dirty spoons in the house so he can “clean”
them with his tongue.
delivering presents every December 24. But the sons of Gryla, a fearsome troll lady with
what if Santa wasn’t such a nice guy? What a reputation for snatching naughty children.
if he played pranks on bad kids and even Originally, the 13 men were used to scare
stole from the houses he visited? And what children into behaving; folks said that the
if he wasn’t just one man visiting for one Yule Lads would throw disobedient kids in a
night, but a pack of 13 unruly brothers who sack and deliver them to their troll parents!
camped out in your home causing trouble Personally, I’d rather have pizza delivered.
for weeks? Well, that’s just what kids in But over the last hundred years, the
Iceland have to deal with every winter when Yule Lads have mellowed, cutting ties with 5. Pot Scraper 6. Bowl Licker
the Yule Lads pay their annual visit! their vicious mother and father. They have As brother number six, Bowl Licker hides under beds
The fifth brother is Pot Scraper, who swipes left-
Who are the Yule Lads? Imagine Santa’s remained mischievous pranksters, though— and waits for kids to put down their bowls, which
overs from cooking pots.
(unsurprisingly) he then steals.
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 Much to the delight of their human hosts, place a shoe on their windowsill each night
the Yule Lads start departing for their moun- will awaken to find a small gift (if they’ve
tain home again—one at a time in the order been good) or an old potato (if they’ve been
in which they arrived—on Christmas Day, with not so good) inside. That means that good
the last brother heading back to the moun- Icelandic children can get up to 13 presents
tains on Twelfth Night (January 6). from the Yule Lads before Christmas even
Despite their love for mischief—and food— arrives! Perhaps the gifts make all the pranks
8. Curd Gobbler the Yule Lads are not all bad. For one thing, worth suffering through. Unless all the pres-
7. Door Slammer Curd Gobbler arrives eighth. He’s a greedy Yule Lad
they give presents. Icelandic children who ents are rotten potatoes, that is.

Next comes Door Slammer. He likes to squeak (is there any other kind?) who gorges himself on a
hinges and slam doors while people are trying to yogurt-y Icelandic cheese called skyr until he’s about
sleep. What a jerk! to burst.

9. Sausage Swiper 10. Window Peeper

As the ninth brother to appear, Sausage Swiper takes Window Peeper is an oddball who enjoys peeking
great pleasure in climbing into the rafters to snatch through windows in search of nice things to steal.
sausages while they’re being smoked. And if he does a little spying, so much the better!

11. Door Sniffer 12. Meat Hook

Brother number 11 is named Door Sniffer, and has Second to last comes Meat Hook. His favorite
a gigantic nose and a sensitive sense of smell that trick is to put a long pole with a hook on the
he uses to sniff out fried bread from miles away. end down the chimney and pluck roasting meat
Take that, bloodhounds! directly from the fire.

13. Candle Beggar

Finally, Candle Beggar wraps things up on
December 24 by following children around
and begging for their candles. After he
gets the candles, however, he can’t decide
whether to light them or eat them! (Candles
used to be made from edible animal fat.)

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