I Love The Idea Of The Yule Cat

http://www.weirdretro.org.uk/the-dark-side-of-european-christmas-traditions.html

 

 

Finally to Iceland, and their folklore traditions of the Yule Lads and the Yule Cat. The Yule Lads are said to be the sons of the giantess of the Icelandic mountains called Grýla, who as Christmas approaches leaves her cave in the lava fields of Dimmuborgir in search of naughty children. The Yule Cat is her pet, a huge and vicious monster of a thing. The cat will eat anyone that has not been given new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. It thought that the cat was used an incentive for farm workers to work hard to earn new clothes or be eaten by the Yule Cat.