Want to meet with Gryla, the most famous troll lady in Iceland?
23.11.2007
Icelandic Wonders is a museum in the small village of Stokkseyri, dedicated to elves, trolls and the northern lights.
From 17th of November until 6th of January, Iceland's most famous troll woman, Gryla, will be living in the troll cave of the museum. The 13 Icelandic Yuletide lads will join their mother in her cave one by one. The first one, Stekkjastaur, will arrive naughty as ever on the 12th of December and the last one, Kertasníkir, will come on the 24th.
Gryla's favourite is to eat naughty children during the Christmas time, but she gets annoyed when children behave nicely. Her husband is the male troll, Leppaludi, but he is described as small, gutless and very lazy. The 13 Icelandic Yuletide lads or "jólasveinar" are their puckish sons, big and clumsy, smelly and wearing rags. They also have a pet, the Christmas Cat, a rascal black as pitch.
In times past, all these creatures were used by parents and grown-ups to frighten naughty children. If the children would not behave in a decent manner, one of these would come and fetch them. If the children didn't get some new clothes for Christmas, it was said that the Christmas Cat would eat them.
In the mid-20th century, the Yuletide Lads began wearing red clothes and to give children little presents, left in their shoes on the night leading up to Christmas. The Yuletide Lads have mellowed but still tend to steal things and play tricks.
Still modern times children are instructed to behave in a proper manner during the month of December otherwise the Yuletide Lads will only give them a potato in the shoe. And that would be perfectly horrible!
The museum is located in the small village of Stokkseyri, which is about 70 km from Reykjavík.
The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm - 8:30pm and from Monday to Friday from 6pm - 8:30pm.
Please note that from 24.12.07 to 1.3.08, the museum is only open during weekends. Further information at www.icelandicwonders.com.
