Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs and Jolasveinar
The first to arrive is Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs, he sneaks into the sheep shed, hoping to milk one of the ewes, for his favorite drink. He is particularly stiff today, after his long walk from his mountain home. The sheep startled , jump and tumble about the shed, and due to Stekkjastaur’s stiff legs, are able to get away. Poor Stekkjastaur will have no milk today.
Today December 12th is a big day in Iceland, the first of the 13 Jolasveinar, variously called Yule Goblins, Christmas Men or Christmas Lads, arrives down from the mountains. Today's arrival is named Stiff-legs then comes Gully-gawk, Stubby, Spoon-licker, Pot-scraper, Bowl-licker, Door-slammer, Skyr-gobbler (Skyr is like yogurt) Sausage-swiper, Window-peeper, Door-sniffer, Meat-hook, and on the 24th, Christmas Eve, the last but not the least, Candle-beggar. Then they leave for the mountains one by one, the last one leaving on 12th night, January 6th.
These charmers were first mentioned in print in the 17th century and were known by various names which differ from region to region, with up to 80 names recorded.
Most of the names reflect the tricks they played. They coveted things people found hardest to do without during the lean times and the blackest Artic nights, that is food and light. Their parents were real charmers, their names are Gryla (Ugly) and Leppaludi(one who wears tattered clothes). It was said that Gryla and Leppaludi liked to feast on misbehaving children and were used as bogeymen to terrify children into obedience. The family pet was an enormous Black Cat who had the same culinary habits as Gryla and Leppaludi.The children of today, do not have to worry about Grila's, Leppaludi's and the Cat's former culinary habits, as they now probably prefer a Pizza or a Hamburger with a Coke.
In the 20th century the 13 Jolasveinar have mellowed and evolved from bogeymen into benevolent beings. They are now entertainment for, and friends to children. Each night when the children go to bed they leave their shoe on the window sill. If they have been good, they will recive a gift from each of the Jolasveinar, as they arrive from their mountain home. If they have been bad, they will find a potato in
their shoe.
Labels: My Art
11 Comments:
I'm sure Stekkjastaur would loosen up with a little bit of milk, so to speak. If he's lactose intolerant, well then...
Thank you for sharing this custom with us Mo'a. I love to learn of other's celebrations. Luckily (or not so) Tali and I found Gryla as the illustration for her post about "The Lady in Black" and have now found out a bit about her from you and Minka, as well as Tali's violin teacher.
Make sure you put your shoes out! Enjoy the holidays dear Mo'a!
Ooh and I'm first! I guess everyone's still a bit nervous about Gryla.
Oouuu Mo'a - I'm so excited to see you putting your own Jolasveinar on your site!! And lucky, lucky me to have one of my very own which you made, here at home! I have loved learning more about the Jolasveinar, after becoming obsessed with Island some time ago. Thanks for your post all about those 13 Yule lads - it is fun to hear the story in wonderful detail. Can't wait til the next one appears :-D
delightful! and i finally feel like one of your "inner circle" of friends! Monika made a reference the other day to the Jolasveiner, i believe, i'm glad to finally know what the heck she was talking about (i didn't ask at the time because i didn't want to appear more stupid than i already do!)
quick question: are small shoes filled with tater tots?
thank you, dearest Mo'a! truly charming -- just like YOU! xox
Hey, M'oa -- what do you call a guy named Stekkjastaur for short? Stekkie? And, remind me to be out of town when "Meat Hook's" night comes 'round. Brrr...
Seriously, beautiful work, M'oa. Will you be posting your renderings of the other characters, too (we hope)?
And, is this still your official blog site? What about that other one...? The one I linked to from my site today, thus correcting a long-standing egregious mistake (sorry). :-)
Mo'a - boo hoo I am unable to post on your other blog... don't know what the problem is :-( I'll keep trying.
Mo'a - the other site won't let me post my comment :-( So, here is my comment for there, on here. Hope you don't mind :-) I know, that's just plain weird :-D
Well well - well done indeed, you creative thing you! Tsk Tsk though - these are supposed to be WEIRD things, not normal things
:-D Love of chairs? Your chairs are all works of art - nothing weird there. Hardfiskur instead of ice cream? My sentiments exactly. Okay, well, there you go - NOT chewing your coffee MIGHT be a wee bit weird. Anybody? huh? oops - I guess I have that backwards... hmmm - no music? Well, that is just outright weird... whoever heard of preferring silence...? Next- from straight to curly? Sometimes not all things turn out the way we imagine. I would adore curly hair. Okay - please pack up your magic mirror and ship it to me immediately. I need a mirror like that - LOL~
Thank you Mo'a for your succinct list - I feel honored and pleased that you took the meme to heart :-D
g: I enjoy showing and telling about the Jolasveinar....I will be doing this for 13 days....Gryla may be coming by for a visit, so lock the children up....unless they have been good :)
Neva: You are the center of the Inner Circle my dear :) It is exciting for me that I have someone new to show the Jolasveinar to....*whisper* this is a rerun you know....with added featuers, to come soon.....and after all they come at the same time each year.
I don't know about the tater tots...I was always such a good little girl ;)
AL: Although Stekkie is a good nickname I would be careful....the Jolasveinar have quite a temper I am told....if they like the name they will not do a thing to you....but....well as you say Brrrr ;)
I will be showing my version of the Jolasveinar each day as they arrive.
This is still my official blog....the other blog came about, when I was helping a friend set her's up in Beta Blogger....I used my new one as a trial to walk her through it....Beta is so easy...and fun....but can be frustrating with the break downs.
Al....I was being very snarky...Central Snark brings that out in me...Thank you for linking me....I think I have a history of not wanting to be left out :) long story.
Terry: What is with that....I tried to use my idendity from here to leave a comment on my other blog....we are in the same family after all.
I am glad now that I have this one also.
About the meme....well I think I am quite normal....everyone else is strange....that statement should show how normal I am LOL
As I sit here and type this message I am trying to chew my coffee....I need a tutorial on that...OK...all I come up with is a roll on the tongue.
I love music and there is much off it in the house, when I am not alone...but I do love silence...actually there is not much silence anyway....the house has it's own music....and then there is my Canary Oli Moses :)who sings beautifully for me.
Lost my comment at your other place :-( - now I know I can't post there at all. Is it because I'm of the old blogger type, not beta?
Lesson in chewing coffee:
-sip delicious coffee
-chew
-swallow
There, that wasn't so hard, was it?
I love that your house has it's own music :-) And go Oli, go!
These little needle-sculpted goblins are really well done Mo'a. I'm enjoying reading their legend & would like to add that you have a wonderful way with words!
Coralie: Thank you for coming over and leaving a comment....so sorry that I did not see this until today. I need to keep up with my visitors :)
I love words and to write thank you for the compliments :)
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