The Yule Lads
In Iceland, thirteen mischievous troll brothers come down from the mountains in the nights before Christmas, and their mother eats naughty children.
What was reported
Icelandic Christmas folklore tells of the Yule Lads, thirteen troll brothers who come down from the mountains one by one in the 13 nights before Christmas, each with his own mischief: Spoon-Licker, Door-Slammer, Sausage-Swiper, Window-Peeper and Candle-Beggar among them. Children leave a shoe on the windowsill and find a small gift, or a potato if they've been bad.
Their mother is the ogress Grýla, said to eat naughty children, and their pet is the Yule Cat, which eats anyone who hasn't received new clothes for Christmas.
Explanations offered
The Yule Lads were once truly frightening figures; in 1746 a public decree is said to have told parents to stop scaring children with them. Over time they became friendlier, influenced by Santa Claus. The Yule Cat encouraged people to finish their wool work before Christmas.
- When
- The 13 nights before Christmas
- Where
- Iceland
- Witnesses
- Icelandic tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.