The Bizarre Myth of The Icelandic Yule Cat
And how you can avoid being eaten by the festive feline
Every December, the world becomes obsessed with Christmas myths. From heartwarming stories about Santa Claus and Saint Nick to scary tales about Krampus, people love a good Christmas fable. Most Christmas stories are well-trodden. Even formerly obscure myths, like that of Krampus, have become popularized via the internet and off beat popular culture. But one myth has managed to escape the public eye — the Icelandic Yule Cat.
The Yule Cat appears during the Christmas season and is found stalking through the snow-covered countryside. The cat is not friendly but is one of many Scandinavian beasts that seemingly terrorize the populace during the long winter nights. The Yule Cat is known to eat children. But unlike other monsters that feast on children who are disobedient or out of line, the Yule Cat has a particular taste for people who have not received any new clothing.
According to the legend, the Yule Cat stalks, kills, and eats anyone who has been unable to secure new threads before Christmas Eve. This behavior is both odd and unfortunate. It is odd because most monsters base their hunting preferences on the actions of the prey. Bad kids must be tastier than good kids, for example.
