Yule cat

Sea CreatureIceland · Northern EuropeLegendFear 7/10

Description

세계 설화에 등장하는 Sea Creature. The Yule cat (Icelandic: Jólakötturinn, IPA: [ˈjouːlaˌkʰœhtʏrɪn], also called Jólaköttur and the Chr

Origin & Background

The first definite mention of the Yule cat is found in Jón Árnason's collection of folklore, Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og æfintýri, published in 1862. In this book, the Yule cat is described as a malicious monster that devours those who do not receive new clothes. Jón did not specify the source of this story. Subsequently, two theories have been proposed regarding the origin of the Yule cat. In the first theory, folklorist Árni Björnsson mentions the expression 'to dress a cat' in Jón's commentary, arguing that this expression may have contributed to the creation of the Yule cat. In the second theory, archaeologist Guðmundur Ólafsson connects the Yule cat to various beings associated with Saint Nicholas. He noted that the lack of literature on the Yule cat is not of great significance. Traditionally, the Yule cat was used as a threat to encourage farm workers to process the wool collected in the fall before Christmas. Those who participated in this task received new clothes, while those who did not received nothing and became prey for the Yule cat.

The Legend

The Yule cat (Icelandic: Jólakötturinn) is a mythical cat from Icelandic Christmas folklore, said to hide in the snow-covered countryside during the Christmas season and devour those who do not receive new clothes. In other versions of the story, the Yule cat is said to eat the food of those who do not receive new clothes. Jólakötturinn is closely associated with other figures in Icelandic folklore and is considered the pet of the witch Grýla and her sons, the Yule Lads.

In Popular Culture

The Yule cat became a part of classic Icelandic Christmas folklore with the publication of the poetry collection 'Jólin koma' by Jóhannes úr Kötlum in 1932. One of the poems in this collection, 'Jólakötturinn,' focuses on the monster that eats those who share its name, and it has since become a common element of Icelandic Christmas celebrations and decorations. In 2008, the English online newspaper 'The Reykjavík Grapevine' published an article about the Yule cat, contributing to its international recognition. In 2018, the city of Reykjavík installed a 5-meter tall metal sculpture of the Yule cat as a Christmas decoration in the central square of the city. In December 2023, a movie about the Yule cat titled 'Þið kannist við...' was released in Iceland.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Yule cat" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia