The Grýla is a typical figure in Icelandic folklore, depicted as a huge troll looking for naughty children to stuff into a sack to cut into small pieces and cook in her pot. She lives married to another troll, from whose union thirteen children have been born, the Yule-Lads, or Jólasveinar as one prefers, who take turns coming down in the days leading up to Christmas, starting on December 12th, and then always returning in turn one at a time, until January 6th. She even owns a pet, Yule's Cat, or Jólakötturinn, depending on the pronunciation, a large cat who eats any person on Christmas night who hasn't received at least one new dress as a gift. I was also thinking, for Christmas, of making the portrait of all thirteen of his children, but I'm not very sure, for fear that it will take up my time, I hope you can appreciate the work and enjoy the holidays. Fun Fact: Due to the various stories of terror that have arisen about this figure and her thirteen children, the Icelandic government passed a law requiring parents to tell the story of Grýla and her children to scare the children. I can't tell you whether this law is still in force or whether it has been repealed. If any Icelanders were to gauradre the picture and read this note, I would really appreciate it if you could give me some news about it. I would be very flattered.
Grýla, Mother of the Yule-Lads (24/11/2025)
#acrylicpainting #babushka #iceland #troll #christmaspainting #grýla #acrylics #jólasveinar #yulelads #temperas
