Christmas Folklore: The Nordic Yule Goat (Julbocken)

The Yule Goat, delivering gifts.

Hello friends, as the cold sets in across towns and villages, people begin decorating their homes, turning them into little glimmers of starlight against the dark, freezing nights. Winter is upon us, and with it comes Christmas - or Yule - the jolliest time of year. To celebrate, I will continue posting Christmas folklore from across Europe.

Today, we journey north to Scandinavia to meet a character from Northern European Yule tradition: the Julbocken, or Yule Goat. Today, it is best known as a Christmas ornament displayed throughout Nordic countries. This modern version of the Yule Goat is decorative, made from straw bound with red ribbons, and hung on or placed beneath the tree. Larger versions are often erected in towns during Christmastime; this tradition began with the Gävle Goat in 1966.

In Sweden, tradition held that the Yule Goat was an invisible spirit that would appear sometime before Christmas, checking to ensure all preparations for the great day were being carried out correctly.

Local people would craft Yule Goats from the last sheaf of grain gathered at harvest, which was often saved for this purpose as it was believed to contain magical properties. A popular festive prank in Scandinavian society involved secretly placing a Yule Goat in a neighbour’s home. The family successfully pranked was then required to dispose of the small, crafted goat in the same manner.

During the nineteenth century, the Yule Goat was somewhat akin to the modern Santa Claus. He was believed to travel throughout Scandinavia, dispensing gifts to children. Men within the household would dress as the Yule Goat, though this tradition fell out of favour in the mid-twentieth century as Santa became increasingly more commercial and prominent, and the man-sized goat gradually disappeared.

Whilst we cannot be certain of the creature’s origins, it is possible to connect the Yule Goat to the Norse god Thor, who was said to ride across the sky in a chariot pulled by two goats: Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.

There may also be links to ancient proto-Slavic belief. During the Koliada (Yule) festival, which honoured the god of the fertile sun and the harvest, a deity known as Devac was represented by a white goat. During these celebrations, a person dressed as a goat would go from house to house demanding tributes in the form of gifts. Finally, we find mention of a mysterious, man-sized goat figure in eleventh-century accounts of the Childermas festival which occurred during the twelve days of Christmas, where it was led by a man dressed as Saint Nicholas, symbolising his dominance over Satan.

Julbocken is also the title of a Christmas song written by Alice Tegnér in 1913. It tells of a time when the old Yule Goat enjoyed far greater popularity. Sadly, despite my best efforts, I was unable to find an English translation; however, I have included the original version below for my Swedish readers to enjoy:

En jul när mor var liten,

hörde hon hur någon en kväll

stod där ute och stampa’

och gav dörr’n en smäll.

In där klev en julebock,

skäggig och med luden rock,

han tog ur en påse

små paketer opp.

Mor, hon fick en docka

mycket söt och riktigt klädd.

Men när bocken hoppa,

oj, vad hon blev rädd.

Mor, hon har en bror, du vet,

han fick också sitt paket,

och i det han fann en

trumma och trumpet.

Nu är bocken gammal,

han är nog båd’ halt och grå,

men han kanske hittar

hit till oss ändå.

Stiger in med påsen stor,

ser sig kring och frågar mor:

“Är det här, de glada,

snälla barnen bor?”

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed this little legend from the north. With the festive season rapidly approaching, if you are a lover of classic Christmas ghost stories, I have compiled a collection of some of the finest seasonal tales of terror ever told - Pocket Christmas Horror. It makes the perfect companion for these long, dark evenings. Please consider picking up a copy via the link below. 

Alternatively, you will find plenty of free stories, written by yours truly, in the downloads section of this website.

Until next week - stay spooky.

Sources

Wikipedia

AncientPages.com

MythologyWorldwide.com