Reykjavik on the second night of the Yule Lads
© Arctic-Images/Corbis Documentary/Getty Image
Yule love Reykjavik. Iceland awaits the Yule Lads
If you’re spending the festive season in Reykjavik, be sure keep an eye out for Sausage-Swiper, Window-Peeper and Door-Slammer. They’re three of the Yule Lads, a group of 13 mischievous pranksters who – according to local folklore – visit homes one by one to leave rewards or punishments for children on each of the 13 days leading up to Christmas. Tonight it’s the turn of Gully Gawk, who hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk. Modern versions of the lads sometimes portray them in a benevolent light, even dressed like Santa Claus, but other stories are dark. The lads are said to be the son of Gryla, a mountain troll with an appetite for mischievous children. Let’s hope we’re on the nice list this year.
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