Grýla the murderer

Grýla and her husband Leppalúði are ogres, leaving in cave amongst the Icelandic mountain. There are kept quiet until winter time where Grýla, with sharp hearing, throw misbehaving children in a bag and cook them into a stew. She has a black cat who also eats children, and is the mother of the 13 Yule lads, well know as time crooks, thieves and robbers.

This folk north Atlantic tale from the early middle ages is nothing more than the personification of the cold, long, dark (4 hours of daylight during December and January ) and harsh winter in Iceland that could have justify high infant mortality rate or simply a loneliness feeling during this period.

Grýla likes nothing better than feasting on naughty children.

A relevant fact is the evolution of this folkloric tale over the course of the centuries. Grýla and her husband remain hideous ogres, that strike fear in the hearts of small children. But their mischievous sons, the Yule elves, instead of sabotaging and scaring the  population distribute presents.
One by one, they begin arriving at Icelandic homes, from December 12th to the 24th, each leaving a small gift for children or a black potato, in case of misbehaving. Which, we can all agree on, is quite similar to the Santa Claus tale. Bushy white beard, red and white clothes have now replaced the ratty and dirty clothes of the Yule Lads.

The winning team: Sheep-Cote Clod, Gully Gawk, Shorty, Ladle Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Skyr Gobbler, Sausage Swiper, Window Peeper, Door Sniffer, Meat Hook and Candle Beggar.

Icelandic trolls

Nowadays Yule lads

To sweeten tale is a common phenomenon. Walt Disney did it with Grimm and Perrault tales, whose original versions are more cruel. So logically, opposite phenomenon had widely spread on the internet as we can see in the work of photograph Thomas Czarnecki  or even in the sexy calendar of Disney princesses.

On another subject I can recommend to read the Thesis on the figure of Grýla a mother and a murderer.
Indeed, apart from the devil aspect, Gryla embodies the character a powerful women, appreciated in Icelandic culture.

You can also read more on this medieval Icelandic folk belief.