Winter is a time of darkening nights, colder days and gloomy skies. Despite the weather, there are still plenty of folkloric figures out and about. Though some bring cheer and gifts to brighten up the winter, others are there to make it worst – bringing threats of coal, kidnapping and even bodily harm to make sure that people are behaving themselves over the winter period.
Grýla
The Icelandic giantess Grýla lives in a cave in the mountains with her lazy husband, Leppalúði. Predating Christmas, she is said to come down from the mountains during midwinter and Yule to snatch up disobedient children. She carries them home in her sack, killing them and cooking them up for dinner.
For a malicious harbinger of winter, Grýla is an unusually social creature. In addition to her husband, she has thirteen sons, each happy to cause mischief and – in modern interpretations – leave treats out for children. On different days during December, households are visited by a different son – each named for the type of mischief he causes, whether that’s stealing milk, harassing sheep or stealing food.