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| Artistic depiction of the Yule Cat (Source: Frostyknowsbest) |
Do you or have you ever received socks for Christmas? Ever wonder why your family exchanges pajamas the night before Christmas? Ever gotten the death glare for being ungrateful for that sweater someone knitted and gifted you for Christmas? All of these seemingly benign traditions might actually be steeped in a larger cultural myth that comes from Nordic and Icelandic groups, specifically related to a monstrous Christmas creature known as the Jólakötturinn, or simply the Yule cat. Today’s blog post will explore the myth of the Yule cat, as well as address the history and motivations behind this odd belief.
The Jólakötturinn is identified as a gigantic cat that towers over buildings and roams through the Scandinavian countryside throughout Christmas. It is part of a series of Christmas monsters known as the Grýla, supernatural creatures that haunt the region and wreak various types of havoc, mostly eating naughty children. These supernatural entities were first documented in the 1800s, although their origins stem back to the Dark Ages or even before when the Vikings populated the area. It is believed that the original monstrous Christmas creature as not actually a cat but instead a goat, but as goats became less prevalent and cats took over the creature changed to a cat to match the social and physical environment.
The Jólakötturinn’s sole purpose is to eat naughty children who did not receive new clothing either before or at Christmas. According to Icelandic tradition new clothes were gifted as a reward for good behavior, meaning the absence of new clothing, particularly among children, was a mark of disobedience and a poor work ethic. It is also told that families that could not afford to give their children new clothing would actually have richer members of the society provide those clothing to them. All in all the purpose of this myth was actually to encourage obedience among children and a distribution of wealth within communities. Given that Iceland and Scandinavia get incredibly cold around Christmas time it makes sense that new clothing should be shared at this time to provide for the basic needs of individuals for their survival in the cold, harsh winters.
While the Jólakötturinn story may seem harsh it is in line with other Christmas traditions that exist throughout Europe, such as the tale of Krampus who would steal naughty children away, and the United States, wherein Santa Clause would gift coal to naughty children. Ultimately, these tales reinforce the cultural ideals that dominate the Christmas season: good will and charity, as well as those more cultural specific, such as work ethic among Scandinavian groups.
Bibliography
Lewis, Danny. "Each Christmas, Iceland’s Yule Cat Takes Fashion Policing to the Extreme." Smithsonian Magazine 19 December 2016: 1. Electronic.
Staff Writers. "Do Icelanders really believe in a giant evil child-eating Christmas Cat? ." Iceland Magazine 27 November 2018: 1. Electronic.
Su, Minjie. "The Yule Cat of Iceland: A Different Kind of Christmas Tradition." n.d. Medievalist.net. Electronic. 7 December 2020.
6 comments:
As I read more articles and watch more movies, I find more meanings or traditions behind holidays like Christmas. I think it is interesting that the Jolakotturinn story is about an evil cat. There are many stories to tell that surround Christmas and many traditions to learn about. Although this story may seem harsh, it is a traditional tale told in some cultures, just like the story of Santa giving coal to children who are bad.
When I was younger I feel like I received pajamas and socks every year. I don’t necessarily think my parents had any background knowledge on this but I do find it very interesting. I was never too happy opening up those gifts but I think I might carry this on to my future children to encourage obedience and gratefulness
This myth of the Yule Cat and many other monsters is similar to something we have in America. But instead of a cat coming to get you you would have coal in your stocking. Or this can also relate to the boogie man. If you don’t behave well then the boogie man will get you. Or even if you don’t go to sleep on time. As they do mention, their tradition is a little harsh but it might just work well for them.
Wow this was great! I’ve heard of krampus and the Grinch but a Cat now that’s something out of the box. Maybe I could pass this story down to my younger cousins.
-Jasmine Hill
This was a funny article to read. I remember every year my uncle used to buy me pajamas and socks for Christmas. I remember seeing the Jólakötturinn on a television show called the “Simpson.” I never knew that it was called a Jólakötturinn, I thought it was a regular cat. It always used to come on the show when something bad happened and around Christmas.
AJ Moore
I had never heard of the Yule Cat. It makes sense now why we receive clothes before or on Christmas, so that we do not get eaten.
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