The Dark Side of Christmas: Gryla, the Child-Eating Witch, and the Judgmental Tomte
Holiday Horror: Unwrapping the Chilling Truth of Nordic Winter Folklore
Welcome back to the You Two Scare Me Podcast blog! The holidays are here, but we’re turning down the lights and stepping into the darker corners of winter folklore. While most people are cozying up to tales of Santa, we’re exploring the terrifying truth of Scandinavian Christmas folklore, where the spirits are colder than a snowstorm and far more judgmental than any naughty list.
In this special episode, we dive into two figures that define the Nordic winter folklore: Gryla the Christmas Witch from Iceland and the temperamental farm guardian, the Tomte and Nisse, from the mainland.
Gryla: Iceland’s Ancient, Child-Eating Ogress
Our journey begins in Iceland with Gryla, a figure far older than Santa Claus and even Christianity in Iceland. This ancient ogress first appeared in 13th-century Icelandic sagas, originally described as a tröllkona, or troll-woman, lurking in mountain caves.
Gryla is now inextricably linked to the holidays, and her specialty is terrifying: she hunts and eats misbehaving children. She tosses them into her sack, hauls them to her mountain cave, and boils them into a stew to help her survive the long, brutal Icelandic winter. Her terrifying appearance varies, but often includes hooves, multiple heads, and enough sacks hanging from her tails to carry thousands of naughty children.
The Yule Lads and the Monstrous Yule Cat
Gryla is the mother of the Yule Lads (Jólasveinar), thirteen grotesque troll-spirits who come down from the mountains in the nights leading up to Christmas. Originally feared, they have softened into pranksters who leave small gifts or rotten potatoes in children’s shoes.
But the horror doesn't end there. Icelandic folklore also brings us the Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn), a monstrous black feline that prowls the countryside during Christmas. This giant cat eats anyone who didn’t receive new clothes, a myth historically used to encourage productivity during the wool-harvesting season. These figures are the dark side of Icelandic Christmas folklore, a stark reminder of the harsh reality of winter survival.
The Tomte: Scandinavia’s Smallest and Most Judgmental Spirit
Next, we head to Sweden, Norway, and Finland, where Christmas is guarded by a very different kind of creature: the Tomte and Nisse. This tiny old man, usually child-sized with a long beard and a red cap, is a farm guardian spirit. He lives in barns and attics, watching over the animals and the land.
The Tomte is hardworking, protective, and deeply temperamental. He demands respect, and the most crucial tradition is the Christmas porridge. Every household must leave a bowl of warm porridge with butter on top on Christmas Eve. Forget the butter, and the Tomte might break tools, scare the livestock, or curse your household’s luck. He is a figure of deep power, a moral compass who judges humans and expects that porridge. With butter. Always butter.
A Holiday Warning, Wrapped in Folklore
Gryla and the Tomte serve a similar purpose in Nordic winter folklore. They remind us to respect the seasons, care for our homes, be kind to animals, and honor tradition. They are part monster, part metaphor, and part moral compass—the ghostly boundary between warmth and cold, good behavior and punishment.
So this holiday season, take care. Watch the snow-covered hills for shadows that move. Leave out the porridge. And for the love of all things festive, do not forget the butter.
Don't just read about the terror—hear the full, spine-tingling details!
Listen to the full episode of the You Two Scare Me Podcast to hear our deep dive into these holiday horror legends and the dark side of Christmas.
