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Christmas Book Flood • Reading for Pleasure

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Arrival of the ninth Yule Lad

Bjúgnakrækir

Also known as “Sausage-Swiper” in English, Bjúgnakrækir is one of the Yule Lads. He visits Icelandic households and communities on 20 December. The Yule Lads are a group of 13 mischievous characters, each with their unique personalities and behaviours. Let’s explore the specific characteristics and folklore associated with Bjúgnakrækir:

Bjúgnakrækir is often depicted as a tall and skinny figure with a ravenous appetite for sausages. His emaciated appearance reflects his love for this particular food.

Bjúgnakrækir‘s gets up to mischief primarily because of his love for sausages. During his nighttime visits to Icelandic homes, he seeks out sausages that have been hung up to smoke or dry. He is known for his ability to stealthily snatch sausages, leaving the household without its intended culinary delight.

He displays notorious sausage-thieving prowess: Bjúgnakrækir‘s talent lies in his ability to grab sausages from their designated hanging places without being detected. This thieving skill makes him particularly skilled at absconding with sausages.


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Arrival of the eighth Yule Lad

Skyrgámur

Also known as “Skyr-Gobbler” in English, Skyrgámur visit Icelandic households and communities on 19 December. He is one of 13 Yule Lads, a group of mischievous characters, each with their unique personalities and behaviours. Let’s explore the specific characteristics and folklore associated with Skyrgámur:

Skyrgámur is often depicted as a portly and gluttonous figure. His rotund appearance reflects his insatiable appetite, particularly for a traditional Icelandic yoghurt-like dairy product called “skyr“.

His primary naughty behaviour centres around his love for skyr. During his nighttime visits to Icelandic homes, he seeks out any skyr left unattended and consumes it voraciously. His goal is to devour as much skyr as he can find, leaving behind empty containers and perhaps some messy evidence of his late-night feasting.

Skyrgámur is known for his ability to swallow enormous quantities of skyr in a single gulp. This talent makes him particularly adept at clearing out any skyr that might be in the kitchen or refrigerator.


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Arrival of the sixth Yule Lad

Askasleikir

Askasleikir, also known as “Bowl-Licker” in English, is one of the Yule Lads, (“Jólasveinarnir” in Icelandic), who makes his visit to Icelandic households and communities on 17 December. The Yule Lads are a group of 13 mischievous characters, each with their unique personalities and behaviors. Let’s delve into the specific characteristics and folklore associated with Askasleikir:

Askasleikir is often depicted as a thin and wiry figure with a somewhat scrawny appearance. His physical traits are reflective of his singular obsession with bowls and his penchant for indulging in their contents.

His primary mischievous behaviour concerns his fascination with bowls of food. During his nighttime visits to Icelandic households, he seeks out bowls that have been left unattended and licks them clean. His goal is to savour any leftover food remnants, especially anything that might have been sticking to the sides or bottom of the bowl.

Like many of the other Yule Lads, Askasleikir is characterised as cautious, preferring to operate discreetly. He avoids direct interaction with humans and carries out his bowl-licking activities in secret.


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Arrival of the fifth Yule Lad

Pottaskefill

Also known as “Pot-Scraper” in English, Pottaskefill is one of the Icelandic Yule Lads, who makes his appearance on 16 December as part of the Yuletide tradition. These Yule Lads are a group of thirteen mischievous characters, each with their own distinct personalities and behaviour. Let’s explore the specific characteristics and folklore associated with Pottaskefill.

Pottaskefill is often depicted as a peculiar and scruffy-looking figure. He is known for his scraggly appearance, which includes unkempt hair and clothing. His attire is typically ragged, reflecting his dishevelled nature.

His mischievous behaviour revolves around Pottaskefill‘s obsession with food, particularly the remnants of food left in pots and pans. He sneaks into households during the night to scrape the leftover bits of food from cooking utensils, especially pots. His goal is to enjoy any tasty morsels that may be clinging to the cooking implements. Households may find their kitchenware cleaned to an unusual degree or with telltale signs of Pottaskefill‘s late-night visits.

Similar to many of his Yule Lad counterparts, Pottaskefill tends to be cautious and avoids direct contact with humans. He operates quietly and discreetly, sneaking into kitchens under the cover of darkness to carry out his pot-scraping activities.


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Arrival of the third Yule Lad

Stúfur

On 14 December, the Yule Lad who visits households and communities is called Stúfur, or “Stubby”, “Shorty” or “Stumpy” in English. Each Yule Lad has his own unique characteristics and behavior: Stúfur is no different. Here’s what you need to know about him.

Stúfur is often depicted as the shortest Yule Lad. His diminutive stature is reflected in his name: “Stubby”. He is portrayed typically wearing ragged, old clothing and a tattered hat, giving him a disheveled appearance.

Stúfur is renowned for his love of food, particularly the porridge-like dish called “skyr” in Icelandic. However, his voracious appetite is a cause of mischief. Stúfur is notorious for sneaking into kitchens and stealing food, especially skyr, but he has a particular quirk – he is so short that he has trouble reaching pots and pans on high shelves. He uses a long spoon to overcome this challenge, but he often spills more than he manages to eat. So, households might discover their kitchens in disarray, with spilled food and empty containers when Stúfur pays them a visit.