While I have talked about the Icelandic Yule Lads on the podcast in the past, I decided to change it up a bit this year by kicking off a 15-day Icelandic Christmas series.This series will include me reading a poem in Icelandic and English about the Yule Lads.
This poem was originally written in Icelandic by Jóhannes úr Kötlum and is called “Jólasveinarnir” in Icelandic. The poem was translatedCopyright © into English by Hallberg Hallmundsson.
How the 15-Day Icelandic Christmas Series is Structured
Today, I am explaining where the Yule Lads come from, sharing some information about their mother Grýla, their father Leppaluði and their vicious Black Cat. Starting tomorrow evening, the Yule Lads come to town one by one each day until the 24th. In accordance with that, I will read the poem about them for that corresponding day.
In addition to reading the poem in Icelandic and English, I will also share an Icelandic Christmas tradition to end off the episode. I feel like this is a fun way to mix up my content and I hope you enjoy it. If you do, it would be greatly appreciated if you left a review of the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and share this series with anyone that you think would enjoy it.
Join Me for a Live Talk About Iceland on the Wisdom App
I want to thank the Wisdom App for sponsoring this episode of the podcast. The Wisdom App is often thought of as “Clubhouse meets Masterclass”. You can connect with experts in their respective fields to hear them speak live about topics they are well versed in.
I’ll be giving a Wisdom App live talk on December 16th, 2021 at 8:00 PM GMT (time in Iceland) about traveling around Iceland during the different seasons. If you tune in live, you can ask me questions and interact with me. Make sure to mark your calendars, so you don’t miss out on this talk about Iceland.
"Jólasveinarnir" in Icelandic - First Part
Segja vil ég sögu
af sveinunum þeim,
sem brugðu sér hér forðum
á bæina heim
Þeir uppi á fjöllum sáust,
-eins og margur veit,-
í langri halarófu
á leið niður í sveit.
Grýla var þeirra móðir
og gaf þeim tröllamjólk,
en pabbinn Leppalúði,
-það var leiðindafólk.
Þeir jólasveinar nefndust,
-um jólin birtust þeir,
og einn og einn þeir komu,
en aldrei tveir og tveir.
Þeir voru þrettán
þessir heiðursmenn,
sem ekki vildu ónáða
allir í senn
Að dyrunum þeir læddust
og drógu lokuna úr.
Og einna helst þeir leituðu
í eldhús og búr.
Lævísir á svipinn
þeir leyndust hér og þar,
til óknyttanna vísir,
ef enginn nærri var.
Og eins, þó einhver sæi,
var ekki hikað við
að hrekkja fólk – og trufla
þess heimilisfrið.
The English Translation of the first part
Let me tell the story
of the lads of few charms,
who once upon a time
used to visit our farms.
Thirteen altogether,
these gents in their prime
didn’t want to irk people
all at one time.
They came from the mountains,
as many of you know,
in a long single file
to the farmsteads below.
Creeping up, all stealth,
they unlocked the door.
The kitchen and the pantry
they came looking for.
Grýla was their mother –
she gave them ogre milk –
and the father Leppalúdi;
a loathsome ilk.
They hid where they could, with a cunning look or sneer,
ready with their pranks
when people weren’t near.
They were called the Yuletide lads
– at Yuletide they were due –
and always came one by one,
not ever two by two
And even when they were seen,
they weren’t loath to roam
and play their tricks – Disturbing
the peace of the home.
Icelandic Christmas tradition
Advent calendars are very popular in Iceland. This year, advent started on Sunday November 28th and will end on December 24th. Most kids get an advent calendar with a chocolate or some sort of candy for each day of advent.
Some companies have gotten creative here regarding these calendars. One has created a beer advent calendar, I saw another for perfume, and nail polish. So, this tradition is definitely evolving to cater to people of all ages.
