yule cat

The Yule Cat meets the kreppa

December 18, 2009

So I’ve blogged about yule cat insurance before. If you’ve just joined us, the Yule Cat [jólakötturinn] is a pretty formidable creature out of Icelandic mythology that eats people who have not received anything new for Christmas. That’s right: EATS those poor little innocents who are forced to go without. In other words, the Yule [...]

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MY ICELAND: The Advent

November 29, 2009

Today is the first day of the Advent* here in Iceland, meaning we have now entered the season of Kitty and the Yule Lads. This is definitely one of the most magical times of year here, fully qualified to rival the season of the midnight sun. It’s the time when coloured lights decorate just about [...]

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Kitty

December 14, 2005

Grýla, the ghastly child-eating ogre and mother of the Yule Lads, has a rather under-publicized yet sinister sidekick: jólakötturinn, or the Yule Cat, who lives with her in her cave. In the Iceland of yore, every person who did not get a new item of clothing for Christmas ended up in the belly of the [...]

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