Gryla. If I said that name on an American street corner, nobody would bat an eye.
If I said it on the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland? Someone would hastily cross the street and give me a nervous glare.
On the island-nation of Iceland, Gryla is as nasty a Christmas entity as Krampus is in Europe. Both are the stuff of legends…frightening holiday legends.
Who/What is Gryla?
Gryla is a troll. Which in Iceland, means she’s a huge, ugly, not-too-intelligent giant. She lives in a deep cave in the high mountains of Iceland.
She only comes out during the holiday season, prowling the landscape. If you’re good (and lucky), she’ll pass your house by and leave you alone.
If you’re a naughty child, well…it’s a very different story. See, Gryla likes to eat children.
The Gryla Treatment
During the holiday season, in the dead of night, Gryla ventures across the land. Her heavy feet thud-thud-thudding through the snow. When she enters villages, she seeks naughty children to snatch up, take away, and eat.
Some legends say she has twenty tails, each of which drags a bag through the snow, laden with squirming prey. Any children unfortunate enough to be caught are taken to her mountain cave, where she makes a huge pot of stew…with them as the main ingredient.
(I wanted to make a ‘Children McNugget’ joke here, but it didn’t quite fit.)
Naturally, parents tell their children to be good all year. To do their chores, not waste food, and go to bed on time. Otherwise, their naughty behavior might earn them a visit from Gryla. Nothing like a giant specter of doom to encourage good behavior!
Gryla’s origin is not clear. She seems to have formed from pre-medieval folk tales, eventually coalescing into a singular legend. By the medieval period, she began to gain cultural associations, such as with the holiday season. And, curiously, arctic foxes. Living in a cave, having tails, eating meat…it’s a stretch, but not an unreasonable one.
I understand the new movie “Red One” features Gryla. Good choice, I’d have to say. She’s definitely not someone you want to encounter on a snowy road one December night!
Making it Worse – The Yule Lads
Gryla’s not alone in her holiday tormenting. She has family.
Meet the Yule Lads. Her 13 sons run through Icelandic villages during Christmastime, causing chaos & misery.
What kind of chaos? Well, they do exactly what their names suggest. Here are their names.
- Sheep Cote Clod (Sheep Harasser)
- Gully Gawk (Milk Thief)
- Stubby (Pot/Pan Thief)
- Spoon-Licker
- Pot-Scraper
- Bowl-Licker
- Door-Slammer
- Skyr-Gobbler (Skyr is a dairy-based treat)
- Sausage-Snatcher
- Window-Peeper
- Doorway-Sniffer
- Meat Hooker
- Candle-Stealer
Pretty weird assemblage, huh? At least Gryla had the decency to name them eponymously.
Origin-wise, the best source we have is actually “The Poem of Gryla,” a 17th-century work that established the Yule Lads as Gryla’s children. I say ‘established’ because they probably, like her, arose from local folk tales coalescing together over centuries.
Maybe a little holiday caution is warranted…
In the modern day, we know that legends like these are just meant to keep wayward children safe. Advising them against harmful behaviors, like going outside at night without warm clothes, not finishing their meals, or staying up too late.
But that’s the funny thing about legends. They have a way of gaining their own life. Their own identity. Growing beyond the original intent by passing from person to person.
Who knows? Maybe something does lurk among the Icelandic mountains at this time of year. Something more than shadows and wind.
Would YOU want to go find out?