Results: Results: Greatest Holiday Folklore! Part 2 (Finale)

Grýla. In Iceland, there is a very frightening myth of Grýla who is said to be a mountain troll with hooves for feet, and has 13 tails. Every Christmas when she leaves the mountain, she looks for children who have been naughty. When she finds them, she kidnaps them by stuffing them into a bag, and brings them back to her cave, boils them alive, and eats them in a stew. She is always in a bad mood because she is constantly hungry for children. The legend of Grýla dates back to the ancient Pagan time period. It is also believed that her sinister ways are not only felt by children, but also by men. She had three husbands, and two of them she killed just because she was bored with them. And that's not all: she also has 13 children – all boys – who are just as frightening as she is. They are known as the "Yule lads" and… well, just keep reading…Have you heard of this lore?

Yule lads and Jólakötturinn. The Yule lads are the 13 sons of Grýla, and each have their own unique characteristics – much like the beloved Seven Dwarves of Snow White fame, but substantially creepier. Every night during the 13 days before Christmas, the Yule lads visit the children of Iceland. If the children have been good, each lad leaves a small gift, but if they were naughty, the lads will leave behind a rotten potato. These 13 sons are: Sheep Cote Clog (a peg-legged sheep fancier), Gully Gawk (he hides in ditches and enjoys milk from cows), Stubby (very short and enjoys pie crust), Spoon Licker (steals and licks spoons… duh), Pot Scraper (steals leftovers), Bowl Licker (he hides under your bed and steals your bowls), Door Slammer (he slams doors all night… double duh), Skyr Gobbler (he loves yogurt), Sausage Swiper (he steals sausages… these names are pretty on the nose, right?), Window Peeper (he watches you through your window… they weren't even trying at this point, were they), Doorway Sniffer (has a huge nose and sniffs through doors looking for Christmas bread), Meat Hook (steals meat with his hook… you probably guessed that), Candle Stealer (he steals children's candles so that they are in the dark… which is a real jerk move). Another myth from Iceland is the Jólakötturinn, or the Yule Cat. He's also, in fact, the family pet of Grýla and the Yule lads. The myth of this Christmas cat has been around since the 19th century (at least, as far as written records go). He is said to be a large cat that wanders the streets during Christmas and eats people who are not wearing new clothes. While it is believed that the Jólakötturinn likes to eat humans, other versions of the legend have him eating all the food belonging to the people who were so poor they couldn't afford new clothing. At one point, it was illegal to use the story of the Jólakötturinn to scare children, but the ban was lifted shortly after. Have you heard of this lore?

La Befana is an Italian Christmas witch that has quite a few similarities to Santa Claus. On Epiphany Eve, the old woman carries a large bag and flies around on a broomstick visiting boys and girls to see if they have been good or bad. She will leave the children candy and gifts if they have been good, but if they have been bad, she will leave them dark lumps of coal. And instead of leaving out cookies and milk, a glass of wine is often left for the witch to enjoy before going on to the next house. It is believed that the myth of La Befana dates as far back as the 13th century. Legend has it that the Three Magi were on their way to present gifts to little eight pound, six ounce baby Jesus when they stopped at an old woman's house to ask for directions to Bethlehem. Before they left, they invited the old woman to accompany them to see the new-born King, but she refused. After much thought, she decided she wanted to join them, but they were already gone, so she left sweets at every child's door along her journey, hoping that one of those houses had Jesus inside. Have you ever heard of this lore?

Frau Perchta. The legend of Frau Perchta is well-known, specifically in Germany and Austria. This Christmas witch is also known as the "belly slitter" because if a person is lazy or committed too many bad deeds during the year, she will slit their belly open and steal their insides with the long knife she hides under her clothes. She will then replace the stolen organs with garbage, straw, or rocks. She has also been said to cut out the tongues of children who lie, and if she found a spinner's work half finished, she would set fire to it. She is followed by a pack of demons who torture people who are bad; however, she is also said to protect good people from those evil spirits. In some folktales, she is described as a beautiful woman wearing all white, but in other darker versions, she is said to be an ugly old woman with a long, curved nose, and dressed in rags. She is said to visit homes during the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany to check on families to make sure they are spending quality time together. Families often leave out porridge for her as an offering, and if she thinks that a person was kind and generous throughout the year, she will leave them a silver coin in their shoe. Have you heard of this lore?

Krampus. Most of us have heard of Santa's evil and terrifying sidekick Krampus. The name Krampus comes from the German word "krampen," which translates to "claw." The legend of this long-horned, furry, goat-like beast with a long tail and a forked tongue has terrified children for many years, making them afraid that, if they were bad during the year, Krampus would beat them with a bunch of sticks, kidnap them, and bring them down to Hell for an entire year to punish them. Although it is uncertain when the legend of Krampus actually began, it is believed that it originated in Germany, even before Christianity. On Krampus Night, which is the evening of December 5, children in Germany were very careful not to get his attention by being on their best behavior. If they were good boys and girls, Saint Nicholas would bring them gifts on December 6. The legend of Krampus is still going strong today, as people still exchange colorful greeting cards featuring the creepy beast. There are also annual parades where men dress up as Krampus and run around the streets, shaking chains and snarling at spectators. Surely you've heard of this lore?

Happy Holidays everyone! And a YIPPIE KI YAY TO ALL!