Rudolph isn’t our only fictional festive friend! Sophie Layton explores the lesser-known creatures of festive folklore from across Europe who may (or may not) be in the running for the new icon of Christmas!
The festive season is defined by tradition. From the German ritual of decorating a tree near the holidays to the Druids’ use of holly wreaths as protection from evil spirits, many winter activities are well-established in years past and bring a sense of family, warmth and community to the holiday season. It’s not just plants that have been harnessed for Christmas celebrations. Animals so often feature significantly in the festivities, most notably characterised by Santa’s reindeer companions, led by the infamous sore-nosed Rudolph.
Though Rudolph takes the limelight every year, our reindeer friends are not the only creatures central to festive traditions across the globe. So wrap up warm and take a stroll through the snow as we explore some of Christmas’ lesser-known fictional fauna.
The Yule Goat
Beginning in Scandinavia, a perhaps distant cousin of Rudolph comes in the form of Julbocken, translated as ‘Yule Goat’. This creature, with origins in Germanic Paganism, is most often characterised as one of the two goats drawing the sky chariot of Norse god Thor, who has also been interpreted as a festive man in other renditions of this folklore.
The Yule Goat is said to materialise in the days and weeks preceding Christmas to ensure that preparations for the upcoming holiday are carried out correctly. Like most folk tales, however, this story has evolved over time. Initially said to be the bringer of gifts, the Yule Goat gradually acquired common symbolism as an ornamental figure, which it still holds today.
Scandinavian Julbocken monument. Image Credit: Bernt Fransson,Lindås on Wikimedia Commons.
Whilst appearing most often in miniature form, to be hung on Swedish Christmas trees and placed on mantlepieces, larger models of Julbocken are constructed as the festive season approaches in towns and cities across the country. However, recent years have seen these models become key targets for arsonists, with more extensive protective measures taken as a result.
The Legend of the Christmas Spider
Avid watchers of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! may be used to a spider or two around Christmas time, but arachnophobes beware; this Christmas figure is much closer than on TV! The Christmas Spider derives from an Eastern European folktale and is most often seen in countries such as Ukraine as the festive season draws near.
Legend has it that a pine cone, having fallen on the floor of a small family’s hut, grew into a tree that the inhabitants wished to decorate, but due to poor fortune went to bed on Christmas Eve with the tree bare. By the next morning, it had been remarkably covered with cobwebs. When touched by light, these turned into pure gold and silver, making their hut festive and blessing the family with a fortune!
Ukranian Christmas spider tree ornaments. Image Credit: Erika Smith on Wikimedia Commons.
Today, small ornaments often depicting a spider sitting on a web are used to decorate trees across Eastern Europe. Finding a spider or a web on a Christmas tree is even considered by some (although I’m certain not all!) to be good luck! The ‘Christmas Spider’ has also become a nickname in Australia for the Austracantha genus of spider, due to their most numerous appearance during Australian summertime, specifically December and January.
Mari Lwyd
Returning closer to home, our Welsh friends have their own Christmas creature, one considerably more frightening than Julbocken or even the Christmas Spider. Whilst not exactly a fictional creature as such, Mari Lwyd is a folk tradition around the festive season that involves the creation of a creature for display and performance purposes.
Mari Lwyd involves the use of a hobby horse and a horse’s skull, decorated with white sheets and flowers to resemble something akin to a ‘ghost horse’. There is much debate over what the name specifically refers to, with some arguing it means ‘Holy Mary’ while others believe ‘Grey Mare’ is the correct interpretation. The tradition first originated during the 1800s with travelling shows where performers would sing to homeowners in a bid to be admitted for food and drink.
Comentários