Number 3 in the 12 Demons of Xmas is none other than Yule Cat! (Or Jólakötturinn, if you’re in Iceland. 🇮🇸)
Yule Cat is a monstrously large black cat who shows up on Christmas Eve to feast on the flesh of children asleep in their beds. According to Icelandic legend, the only way to keep Yule Cat at bay is to receive new and colorful items of clothing among your Christmas presents.
Like many obscure Yuletime myths, one knows for certain where the Yule Cat came from. He’s supposedly the house cat of Grýla, a frightening ogress who lives in the Icelandic mountains. She, Yule Cat, and her husband Leppalúði descend on Icelandic villages at Christmastime to eat naughty children. (I’ll share more on them in a later post.)
Some folks think that Yule Cat is an incarnation of the troll-cat, a creature that was commonly conjured by witches and warlocks in Scandinavian lore. This might be why Yule Cat became associated with a family of trollish mountain folk.
Even though I love the idea of a giantess and her people-eating pet being part of the Icelandic Christmas season, I’m not sure I’m totally on board with the legend of Yule Cat. Although folklorists suspect the legend has medieval origins, it’s been used more recently to bully laborers into working more for their bosses during the holidays. There are stories of farmers using the legend of the Yule Cat to get their farmhands to work harder and longer hours. Those who did got a new item of clothing to keep the Yule Cat away.
Yes, those capitalist pigs used the delightful tale of a man-eating cat to squeeze overtime out of their employees.
Personally, I think the legend sounds better as a way to get people excited about receiving clothes as a Christmas present. Socks and underwear got you down? Well, guess what would get you even more down? Being devoured by a giant troll cat and his cat mom.
So I hope you like the story of Yule Cat, and that you get the chance to use it to give someone an incredibly practical gift of new clothes this year. I know I will.
I also thought I’d share a Yule Cat phone background, since it’s been a while since I sent one out to you guys. Consider it the phone equivalent of decking your halls.
I hope this comic brought you a lil smile. To be honest, this week has been a bit rough at our house—my partner just got a positive COVID test, so he’ll be isolating in one part of the house for the next ten days. The kids and I tested negative (so far) which is good, but it means I’m on my own with the kids for the next week and a half. Thankfully my partner has little-to-no symptoms, and he actually tested negative this morning, but he’s still keeping his distance (OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, as they say.)
This week is also the anniversary of my dear friend Annie’s death. I hadn’t planned on spending it alone, without my friends or my partner, but here we are. I know I’m lucky in so many ways, but I’m also letting myself feel how hard this is. I find myself feeling a bit tired and a bit lost—especially at night when everyone else is asleep, and I’m curled up alone on the living room couch beneath all the guest blankets.
And yet, so many folks in my circle—whether in real life or in this space—have been so good to me over the past few days. I have meals lined up, delivery pizza in the fridge, and so many kind messages. So, I know that my situation is truly good. Like, bone-deep, homemade-muffins-on the-doorstep good.
So, thank you for being part of this circle. Even if all you do is read and laugh at this silly little comic, I’m so glad you’re here.
With all my love,
🖤Becca Lee, the Haunted Librarian🖤
And if you think someone would enjoy reading this newsletter, please feel free to share.
Hi Becca, great story and art as usual. I hope your partner turns out to be negative after all. I wasn't so lucky. If you are interested, here's what happens when you get infected in Japan: https://giannisimone.substack.com/p/coronation-street