Lost your way? Here, I'll help you... but first... have you heard of The Christmas Witch?

Gryla The Christmas Witch is Iceland's equivalent of the bogeyman, an old troll giant with one goal: find naughty children to eat.

The written article for this podcast can be found on our website, as well as the companion piece, Yuletide Carols.

Thank you for tuning in and supporting this podcast!

This research was written and conducted by Danni Petrilak. You can find a written copy with MLA citation here.

Have any questions or ideas for future stories? Did I pronounce something wrong, or get information mixed up? Let me know by emailing darkfirechroniclespodcast@gmail.com, or dropping a comment on our socials.

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Attributions for this episode can be found here.

Music provided by Kevin MacLeod on incompetech.com and Bragi Olafsson on YouTube

Sound Effects provided by freesound.com under Attribution 0.

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Research Sources:

7, STPL Reference Slidell. “Origins of the Yule Log Traditions.” St Tammany Parish Library, 7 Dec. 2021, www.sttammanylibrary.org/blogs/post/origins-of-the-yule-log-tradition/#:~:text=Origins%20of%20Yule%20log%20tradition,from%20Germanic%20or%20Scandinavian%20paganism.

Eldridge, Alsion. “Yule.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 18 Dec. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/Yule-festival.

Hrodvitnir, Yamuna. “Gryla: The Yuletide Monster of Iceland.” Medium, Medium, 14 Sept. 2020, yamunahrodvitnir.medium.com/gryla-the-yuletide-monster-of-iceland-a0a5d8f0d6ab.

Iceland, Mystic. “Every Child’s Nightmare in One Obscene and Frightening Christmas Story.” Mystic Iceland, 25 Feb. 2022, mysticiceland.com/frightening-christmas-story/.

Pasick, Adam. “These Icelandic Lullabies Are Absolutely Terrifying.” Quartz, Quartz, 5 Aug. 2015, qz.com/470760/these-icelandic-lullabies-are-absolutely-terrifying.

Ragnarsdóttir, Regína Hrönn. “The Icelandic Yule Lads Live at Dimmuborgir in North-Iceland!” Guide to Iceland, guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/the-icelandic-yulelads-at-dimmuborgir. Accessed 3 Jan. 2024.

Shahin, Ingólfur. “A Complete History of Iceland.” Guide to Iceland, guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/history-of-iceland. Accessed 3 Jan. 2024.

Sturluson, Snorri, and Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur. “THE BEGUILING OF GYLFI.” The Prose Edda, The American-Scandinavian Foundation, New York, 1916, pp. 24–24.

Unknown. “Grýla Og Leppalúði.” Þjóðminjasafn Íslands, www.thjodminjasafn.is/jol/jolasveinar-og-adrir-vaettir/gryla-og-leppaludi#. Accessed 3 Jan. 2024.

Unknown. “How the Vikings Gave Us Christmas.” Sky HISTORY TV Channel, www.history.co.uk/articles/how-the-vikings-gave-us-christmas#:~:text=The%20Christmas%20Elf&text=Again%2C%20we%20have%20another%20myth,with%20a%20red%20pointy%20hat. Accessed 3 Jan. 2024.