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HH01 Iceland's Troubling Trolls: The 13 Yule Lads
Description
Today on Ghost Bites, Mike and JT take a festive, yet deeply unsettling, trip to Iceland to explore the folklore of the 13 Yule Lads (Jólasveinar). Mike details the Lads' evolution from child-eating trolls to modern gift-givers, and introduces their cannibalistic mother, Grýla, and the giant, garment-obsessed Yule Cat. JT dissects the sheer absurdity of their crimes—from Spoon Licking to Skyr Gobbling—and critiques the administrative chaos of having thirteen Santas. It's a hilarious look at a holiday tradition that proves sometimes, the best way to get children to behave is still a credible threat of a rotten potato.
Sources
● Arctic Portal. (n.d.). The thirteen Icelandic Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://arcticportal.org/education/quick-facts/people-and-culture/3469-the-thirteen-icelandic-yule-lads
● Arctic Portal. (n.d.). Icelandic Yule Lads. Retrieved from https://arcticportal.org/x-mas
● Gale, T. (n.d.). The Yule Lads History. Retrieved from https://icelandicyulelads.com/yule-lads-timeline/
● Icelandair. (n.d.). Christmas in Iceland: The Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://www.icelandair.com/blog/the-yule-lads/
● Icelandic Christmas folklore.
(n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October
9, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore
● Nordic Visitor. (n.d.). Christmas in Iceland with the Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/the-13-yule-lads-of-iceland/
● WorldStrides. (n.d.). Iceland's 13 Yule Lads. Retrieved from https://worldstrides.com/en-us/teachers/how-it-works/blog/icelands-13-yule-lads
Intro Music by - Jayme McDonald (Chatterless) Spotify, Linktree
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
View all episodes
By Brew CrimeDescription
Today on Ghost Bites, Mike and JT take a festive, yet deeply unsettling, trip to Iceland to explore the folklore of the 13 Yule Lads (Jólasveinar). Mike details the Lads' evolution from child-eating trolls to modern gift-givers, and introduces their cannibalistic mother, Grýla, and the giant, garment-obsessed Yule Cat. JT dissects the sheer absurdity of their crimes—from Spoon Licking to Skyr Gobbling—and critiques the administrative chaos of having thirteen Santas. It's a hilarious look at a holiday tradition that proves sometimes, the best way to get children to behave is still a credible threat of a rotten potato.
Sources
● Arctic Portal. (n.d.). The thirteen Icelandic Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://arcticportal.org/education/quick-facts/people-and-culture/3469-the-thirteen-icelandic-yule-lads
● Arctic Portal. (n.d.). Icelandic Yule Lads. Retrieved from https://arcticportal.org/x-mas
● Gale, T. (n.d.). The Yule Lads History. Retrieved from https://icelandicyulelads.com/yule-lads-timeline/
● Icelandair. (n.d.). Christmas in Iceland: The Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://www.icelandair.com/blog/the-yule-lads/
● Icelandic Christmas folklore.
(n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October
9, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore
● Nordic Visitor. (n.d.). Christmas in Iceland with the Yule Lads.
Retrieved from https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/the-13-yule-lads-of-iceland/
● WorldStrides. (n.d.). Iceland's 13 Yule Lads. Retrieved from https://worldstrides.com/en-us/teachers/how-it-works/blog/icelands-13-yule-lads
Intro Music by - Jayme McDonald (Chatterless) Spotify, Linktree
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices