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Coca Cola may have Santa Claus with his red coat and white beard, other may have Nikolaus, Ruprecht and Sinterklaas! We have our beloved Icelandic Yulelads - our „Jólasveinar“!
They are definitely not the the typical fatherly Christmas figure – quite the opposite! The Icelandic „jólasveinar“ live in a cave up in the highland and are a group of 13 brothers. Frankly, their parents wouldn´d win a parenting award, both are certainly of troll origin: Grýla, the mother, harsh punishing and Leppalúði, the lazy good – for – nothing father. |
. The boys devout their time to teasing each other and acting like mere pranksters! Their names speak for themselves: Hurðaskellir (Doorslammer), Gluggagægir (Window peeper), Gáttaþefur (Doorwaysniffer) and Kertasníkir (Candlestealer). To make up for their pranks and mischiefs they are in the habit of bringing little presents to the Icelandic children. On December 12th the first one, Stekkjastaur (Sheep cot clod) departs from the mountains and puts a little present into the shoes provided by Icelandic children in the doorway or window sill. Well, that is if they have been good kids! Otherwise the only thing they get is a potato! Stekkjastaur is followed by his brothers one by one until the last one „Kertasníkir“ has come down from the mountains on December 24th. On the next day they are leaving for the mountains again, starting with Stekkjastaur on the 25th until all of them are back in the Icelandic mountains by January 6th.
Have a look and enjoy!
Have a look and enjoy!
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