Hand-painted figurines of Iceland’s mischievous Yule Lads, the thirteen quirky brothers from Icelandic folklore. Every brother has his own quirky personality and name that describes his favorite mischief:
Stekkjastaur – Sheep-Cote Clod – tries to milk the sheep but has stiff legs.
Giljagaur – Gully Gawk – hides in gullies and sneaks into barns for milk.
Stúfur – Stubby – short and steals leftover pans of crust.
Þvörusleikir – Spoon-Licker – licks the wooden spoons clean.
Pottaskefill – Pot-Scraper – steals leftovers from cooking pots.
Askasleikir – Bowl-Licker – hides under beds to snatch unwashed bowls.
Hurðaskellir – Door-Slammer – makes mischief by slamming doors all night.
Skyrgámur – Skyr-Gobbler – can’t resist stealing Iceland’s beloved yogurt, skyr.
Bjúgnakrækir – Sausage-Swiper – hides in rafters to steal hanging sausages.
Gluggagægir – Window-Peeper – peeks through windows to find things to steal.
Gáttaþefur – Doorway-Sniffer – has a huge nose and follows the smell of laufabrauð (Icelandic Christmas bread).
Ketkrókur – Meat-Hook – uses a hook to snag smoked meat from the rafters.
Kertasníkir – Candle-Stealer – loves to steal candles, once made from animal fat.
The Yule Lads live in the mountains with their fearsome mother, Grýla, and her lazy husband, Leppalúði.
Grýla is a giantess who comes down at Christmas to collect naughty children, she’s said to cook them in her cauldron for stew! Leppalúði mostly stays home, helping her as best he can.
Their pet, the Jólakötturinn, the Christmas Cat, is a giant black cat that prowls the snowy countryside at Christmas time. According to legend, anyone who doesn’t receive new clothes before Christmas risks being eaten by the cat!
Hand-painted figurines of Iceland’s mischievous Yule Lads, the thirteen quirky brothers from Icelandic folklore. Every brother has his own quirky personality and name that describes his favorite mischief:
Stekkjastaur – Sheep-Cote Clod – tries to milk the sheep but has stiff legs.
Giljagaur – Gully Gawk – hides in gullies and sneaks into barns for milk.
Stúfur – Stubby – short and steals leftover pans of crust.
Þvörusleikir – Spoon-Licker – licks the wooden spoons clean.
Pottaskefill – Pot-Scraper – steals leftovers from cooking pots.
Askasleikir – Bowl-Licker – hides under beds to snatch unwashed bowls.
Hurðaskellir – Door-Slammer – makes mischief by slamming doors all night.
Skyrgámur – Skyr-Gobbler – can’t resist stealing Iceland’s beloved yogurt, skyr.
Bjúgnakrækir – Sausage-Swiper – hides in rafters to steal hanging sausages.
Gluggagægir – Window-Peeper – peeks through windows to find things to steal.
Gáttaþefur – Doorway-Sniffer – has a huge nose and follows the smell of laufabrauð (Icelandic Christmas bread).
Ketkrókur – Meat-Hook – uses a hook to snag smoked meat from the rafters.
Kertasníkir – Candle-Stealer – loves to steal candles, once made from animal fat.
The Yule Lads live in the mountains with their fearsome mother, Grýla, and her lazy husband, Leppalúði.
Grýla is a giantess who comes down at Christmas to collect naughty children, she’s said to cook them in her cauldron for stew! Leppalúði mostly stays home, helping her as best he can.
Their pet, the Jólakötturinn, the Christmas Cat, is a giant black cat that prowls the snowy countryside at Christmas time. According to legend, anyone who doesn’t receive new clothes before Christmas risks being eaten by the cat!
