Gryla: The Yuletide Monster of Iceland

The Giantess and Her Monstrous Kin

Associated with the winter holiday in Iceland is a lesser known and deeply unsettling giantess named Grýla. Her origins are within Norse mythology and the first written account of her was in the transcription of the previously oral traditions of Scandinavia, the Prose Edda. While she was mentioned in that work during the 13th century as ugly and evil like most other giants in Norse mythology, she wasn’t associated with the winter holidays until the 1800s. The first mention of this association is found in the poem called Poem of Grýla, which describes her 13 horrible children, known as the Yule Lads.

The Yule Lads are the children of Grýla and her third husband Leppaludi. These malicious children play pranks and harass people during the final 13 days leading up to Yule. Children leave their shoes in windowsills and the Yule Lads will leave gifts for them within these shoes. If they have been poorly behaved however, they will find a potato in their shoe instead of a gift. The number of Yule Lads and their mannerisms tend to vary within early depictions based on region and time. Some have described them as mere nuisances, but others have claimed that they are vicious and will kill or devour disobedient children. Like many other figures associated with the winter holidays, they have served as an excuse to frighten children into good behavior. Today, they are depicted as pleasant and jolly men, but earlier tales describe them as monsters. Much like their terrifying mother, they found joy in the suffering of children and hungered for their flesh.

Tale and Motif

Earlier descriptions of Grýla paint her as an ugly, wretched giantess who would beg, trick, or try to trade parents for their children so that she could feed upon them. The more ill-tempered and disobedient the children were, the more she enjoyed their taste. She could be satiated with gifts of other food or would have to be chased away. According to the stories, she lived in a small hut near the edge of town, but when people grew tired of having to chase her away and keep their children safe from…