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This Icelandic Legend of Jólakötturinn, Is About The Giant ‘Yule Cat’ Who Eats People Without New Clothes On Christmas
Christmas is all about spreading joy, receiving gifts and spending time with your loved ones. Well, unless you’re a child who misbehaved throughout the year, then the holidays may not be as exciting as you wish. While no child would ever want to receive coal as a gift from Santa Claus, this may not be the only way to keep naughty children at bay. Other countries have much harsher Christmas spirits, and stories about them leave kids completely horrified. One of them is the Icelandic legend of Jólakötturinn, also known as the Yule Cat, who eats children (and sometimes adults) who don’t receive any new clothes before Christmas night.
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While these days receiving clothes for Christmas may be the equivalent of getting coal, it was completely different during the Dark Ages in Iceland. Back in the day, all family members were tasked with chores related to wool production.
Since the only thing a family could afford for Christmas was woolen clothes as gifts, it was only possible if everyone completed their tasks in time. Thus the legend of Jólakötturinn was born, to scare children and lazy adults into completing their work.
It’s clear that Jólakötturinn is not a friendly kitty. This enormous cat peeks through the windows looking for children who didn’t receive their precious clothes during Christmas night.
The cat then hunts them down and eats the naughty kids for dinner. Terrifying, isn’t it?
Right before the holidays, the PBS series Monstrum, hosted by Dr. Emily Zarka, prepared a story on this gruesome feline. You can watch it below.
Here’s how people reacted
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elfin 6 years ago
Shouldn't the cat be eating the people who failed to give their children clothes instead of the kids?
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
It went after adults, too. The point was, making your own clothes took work, and the kids had to do their share. There was no such thing as a childhood as we know it during the Middle Ages.
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Colin Leetham 6 years ago
Yep. I'm still a cat person. Nope, no matter how old the folk tradition I'll stay a cat person. Thanks!
glowworm2 6 years ago
Iceland has some really weird Yuletide legends. Besides this giant, clothing obsessed kitty, there's also the tale of Gryla and her 13 sons, the Yuletide lads. Gryla is a giantess who has a fondness for eating naughty children, who she cooks in her giant pot. Her 13 sons are various pranksters who cause all sorts of mischief from stealing and licking wooden spoons, to slamming doors and stealing candles.
Smiley Water Bottle 6 years ago
You don’t have to not be wearing Christmas clothes for a cat to eat you...
Kristrún Huldudóttir 6 years ago
Im Icelandic and was actually told that I would be fed to the christmas cat is I wasn't wearing anything new for christmas eve (which is when we open the gifts and go to christmas mass) so maybe it has changed with time? Had never heard that version before
AnnieLaurie Burke 6 years ago
I guess the short growing season precluded raising catnip, and that there was a shortage of cardboard boxes in old Iceland. If pursued by the Jólakötturinn, one would only have to throw down a box with some catnip in it. No matter the giant size of the cat and the small size of the box. We all know that's irrelevant.
AnnieLaurie Burke 6 years ago
How incongruous that the creature that scares people out of laziness and lollygagging about in the winter is a cat, whom other cultures celebrate for his propensity for napping and indolence. And also one that would love nothing better than to unravel all that yarn you've carded. And my murder-floofs say, "Eating humans? Yuck! They taste nasty! Make mine boned broiled chicken breast. After I finish my nap!"
elfin 6 years ago
Shouldn't the cat be eating the people who failed to give their children clothes instead of the kids?
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
It went after adults, too. The point was, making your own clothes took work, and the kids had to do their share. There was no such thing as a childhood as we know it during the Middle Ages.
Load More Replies... Colin Leetham 6 years ago
Yep. I'm still a cat person. Nope, no matter how old the folk tradition I'll stay a cat person. Thanks!
glowworm2 6 years ago
Iceland has some really weird Yuletide legends. Besides this giant, clothing obsessed kitty, there's also the tale of Gryla and her 13 sons, the Yuletide lads. Gryla is a giantess who has a fondness for eating naughty children, who she cooks in her giant pot. Her 13 sons are various pranksters who cause all sorts of mischief from stealing and licking wooden spoons, to slamming doors and stealing candles.
Smiley Water Bottle 6 years ago
You don’t have to not be wearing Christmas clothes for a cat to eat you...
Kristrún Huldudóttir 6 years ago
Im Icelandic and was actually told that I would be fed to the christmas cat is I wasn't wearing anything new for christmas eve (which is when we open the gifts and go to christmas mass) so maybe it has changed with time? Had never heard that version before
AnnieLaurie Burke 6 years ago
I guess the short growing season precluded raising catnip, and that there was a shortage of cardboard boxes in old Iceland. If pursued by the Jólakötturinn, one would only have to throw down a box with some catnip in it. No matter the giant size of the cat and the small size of the box. We all know that's irrelevant.
AnnieLaurie Burke 6 years ago
How incongruous that the creature that scares people out of laziness and lollygagging about in the winter is a cat, whom other cultures celebrate for his propensity for napping and indolence. And also one that would love nothing better than to unravel all that yarn you've carded. And my murder-floofs say, "Eating humans? Yuck! They taste nasty! Make mine boned broiled chicken breast. After I finish my nap!"
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