Tradition

If you haven't yet noticed, I am of Icelandic decent. My great grandparents came from Iceland in the 1880's and with a handful of other Icelanders, settled on the Great Plains of North Dakota. They eked out a living raising sheep (yup) and loads of children. My grandmother was Norwegian and they often argued over which was the better 'race'. It was quite a coincidence when I married an Icelander. (Made my Grandpa very proud). My husband was born here in the US, moved back to Iceland when he was two weeks old and came back to stay in the states by the age of three. His siblings speak the language, which is very difficult, but poor K can only understand a little of what is being said.

Traditional Turf House, Iceland

And so, as the holidays approach, I have been given many crash courses in Icelandic traditions and legends. I thought I'd share some with you since they are quirky and strange, dark and mysterious and I can even tie it all in with knitting. Oh, and Jan Brett, eat your heart out!

The Yule Cat (Jolakottur) - The Icelanders reading this are moaning and saying, "Oh no! Not that one!"

OK. So there is an old legend of a cat; a huge, wild, dark cat with scary yellow eyes. On Christmas Eve, the yule cat sneaks around the country looking into windows to find what she will eat for her dinner. By the way, she eats children. But only children who have no new clothes at Christmas.

My understanding is that warm clothes (which came almost exclusively from sheep)* were the difference between life and death in old Iceland. Children were a part of the process - carding and combing and spinning and yes . . . knitting! Processing the fall sheering and slaughter had to be finished by Christmas or Yule time. Apparently, the hideous cat was used as a threat for idle children. You know the routine, "Snorri, you had better get going on that wool or the Yule Cat may come find you on Christmas Eve!"

Our kids get clothes every year from Amma and Afi (grandma and grandpa). This year, I am going to be extra sure that the creepy Yule Cat doesn't cross the Atlantic and come after my little ones - they'll each have something warm and woolly under the tree.

And look what I found on the web - I have GOT to knit one of these! Isn't it hilarious!


Gledileg Jol! (Merry Christmas)

*We talked to one old Icelandic fisherman that said some clothing, especially for fisherman, was made from seal skins or fish skins, like shoes. Fishing season in days of old was during the dark days of winter. If you didn't drown, you died of pneumonia. If you survived, you were made out of pure toughness. He said in very desperate situations, there were fisherman who would eat these fish skin shoes. And I wonder why my husband never gets sick and he'll also eat anything!