Trickery by Iceland's Yule Lads
Be good for goodness sake
Even now, at Christmastime, the 13 special elf brothers called the Yule or Christmas Lads are not so jolly, and have the reputation of being tricksters. They steal food and tease, bang at your door and make off with your candlesticks. In the mid-20th century, the Yule Lads began to leave small presents for good children and rocks for naughty ones. (I think Santa might be a cousin to those lads.)
Although I never got to see an elf or a Yule Lad, I certainly saw signs that people believe in them. Outside Reykjavik, I spotted several small brightly painted doors on the sides of black lava rocks. And in Hafnarfjördur, which is supposed to have the largest settlement of elves in Iceland, I found a tiny dollhouse sitting out in a field. For a brief moment, I wondered if elves were in the little house looking out at me.
I love the idea that these small spirits protect nature by playing tricks on construction sites. Goodness knows we humans could use the help to look after our planet better.
See it to believe it, or believe it to see it?
I think I am at that in-between stage now. That stage between the time when my wide-eyed imagination was just perfect for seeing fairies and elves, and the time where I need to see to believe.
I want to believe with all my heart that elves are real. I want to believe that there is this other dimension protecting the land we seem so lackadaisical about. But most of all I want to believe in the magic of these hidden people. And for that I may have to look with my heart and not just depend on my eyes.
Have you ever had an elf encounter? Click on the microphone icon and tell us about your experiences with elves, fairies, pixies or other mythological creatures.
Where do you find the true spirit of Christmas?
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