12 Demons of Xmas Day 6: Yule Lads
It's Yule! Here are the Yule Lads, Iceland's 13 Demented Santa Boys!
Happy Yule, my friends! I hope you like this comic about the Yule Lads, who all hail from the snowy mountains of Iceland. As you can tell, we’re a little late in introducing these 13 lads. The first lad (Sheep-cote Clod) turned up on December 12th, and if you go by the dates, you’ll see that Window-Peeper is supposed to visit today.
All of the lads stay until Christmas Day, and then each one leaves in the order it came—one per day. That means that you have some number of lads visiting your house every day between December 12th and January 6th, causing mischief and pulling pranks. You might have to keep a close watch on your bowls, your spoons, your pots and pans, your skyr, your sheep, your meat, and your candles—all the way through December and into January. (Oh, and if you’re confused about why Candle-Swiper is so obsessed with candles, it’s because they used to be made of tallow, and therefore could be eaten.)
Prior to the 17th century, the Yule Lads were a bit more varied from place to place, and while some of them were benign pranksters, there were others who kidnapped and devoured naughty children (yes, this is a theme among our winter demons). These versions of the Yule Lads were more like their giantess mother, Gryla, who is a child-eating monster to this day.
Now, the Yule Lads are more mischievous than sinister, and will even leave treats in the shoes of good children at night. If you’re naughty, it’s rotten potatoes (which is ten thousand times worse than lumps of coal or bundles of sticks—sorry, Krampus and Santa.)
There’s not really anything you can do to keep the Yule Lads away. They get in, they cause mischief, and they leave when they’re good and ready—no sooner.
Also, if you see someone peeping in your windows tonight, don’t be alarmed! It’s just one of the lads. Just set your shoes out by the window, and he’ll leave you some goodies.
I hope you have a merry and festive Yule, and that you’re doing something to bring in the light on this the darkest night of the year. You all mean so much to me, and I’m so glad we get to share stories about tricksters and demons as the days get shorter and the nights get colder.
Happy Yule, my loves!
🕯Becca Lee, the Haunted Librarian🕯