Christmas Elve Number Nine...Bjugnakraekir...Sausage-swiper

Bjugnakraekir.....Sausage-swiper is number nine. He will seek high and low to find the sausages that have been hidden from him. Sometimes they are hidden so well, that he can not find them. Today luck was on his side, he found a string of nine.

Meet Gryla and Leppaludi the Jolasveinar’s parents. Are they not the most charming couple?

Gryla the Jolasveinar’s Mother, is a huge Troll. She is hideous to say the very least. Her nose is big and crooked. She has big warts on her face with wiry hairs sticking out of them, big teeth, some worn down to a stub, shifty eyes, stringy hair and horns on top of her head.
She has enormous bony hands with long sharp nails, her feet a hoofs and she has a long tail.
It was recorded in the 13th Century that she had 15 tails with a 100 sacks on each tail and 20 children in each sack. It makes me shiver just to think about it, and I think and hope, that whoever recorded this story was prone to exaggeration.
Her diet is one that strikes fear in every Icelandic child, she eats naughty children, just like her pet, the Christmas Cat. Oh! the horror!!! Is it any wonder that the children are particularly good this time of year? As this is the time of year that Gryla and her family, venture from their caves in the mountains, down to the farms, towns and cities.
Leppaludi, whose name means Ragamuffin, on the other hand is a pitiful specimen of a Troll. He according to some telling is Gryla’s third husband.
Her first husband was Gustur whose name means Gust, as in a gust of wind. His death is suspicious and there has been much speculation and talk about just how much of a hand in his death Gryla had. I shall not go into that here, I might frighten you away with just mentioning one of the theories that I have heard. Shivers and more shivers!!!
The second unfortunate husband was Boli his name translates into Bull. Boli did not resemble is name at all. He was a sickly Troll and it is said that he was bedridden for a Trolls age and that he faded away in his sleep.
Leppaludi is the Jolasveinar’s Father. He is slovenly Troll that wears torn and tattered rags, that have been patched numerous times, by whom remains a mystery. He is an uncouth slobbering slacker, who usually waits in the cave, for Gryla to bring unfortunate naughty children, for his dinner.
Today he ventured down from the mountains to check out the story Gryla told him, about how hard it is to find misbehaving children in this day and age. Leppaludi is afraid of Gryla’s wrath and did not want to contradict her story, so for once he roused himself and followed her, the Christmas Cat and the Jolasveinar down to civilization. At worst, he thought to himself I could go to Bæjarins Bestu and steal some Pylsur and Cokes.

This year I will be giving away one of the little Jolasveinar (Christmas Elf).  I will be drawing a name from the comments.  All the names for each day will be added to the hat...so that if you comment each day your changes will be greater. Only one comment per post..please.
The Jolasveinn (Christmas Elf) that has the most comments will be the prize.  If there is an equal number of comments on each post, there will be a drawing for the giveaway Jolasveinn (Christmas Elf).
There is also one small rule...I would like to have a least ten comments on each post :)
The drawing will be on January 7th, 2009. Good Luck.

Comments

[Lucille]

A nice family group! I admire your ability to make clothing for them, and your use of color!

[Jill]

I love the shades of colors in your work - and the string of sausages is adorable!

Browniesmoke

[Deirdra Doan]

I love sausage. He is a dear one. Trolls are trolls...how scary to know about them as a child...eating children...eeks!

[Linda Fleming]

Oh my! I am in love with Gryla and Leppaludi. What sweet gentle looking faces.

[BrittArnhild]

I'll make sure to take good care of my sausages :-)

I love Gryla and her husband.

[Fran]

Another wonderful enjoyable story.
I am a couple of days behind because I have been working at our Perfume Shop. This is our busy season. Come 1st of the year, back to all my doll creating.

Love the Sausage Swiper and his parents. Cain read the other stories and he said, Cat was not nice. LOL Wait until he reads this one. OH MY!! :-)

[marilee pittman]

What a wonderful story. You should do a book!

[Lea]

Oh it is so good to see my Icelandic friends here! I had a feeling they were out and about as our sausages have gone missing! And one of them is going to get to go to someone's home!!!! Oh that I had a hundred blog addresses to enter!!!! XOXOXOXO

[Anne]

Another fascinating story - love the outfits on these trolls - especially grandma's. I am learning so much from these stories - keep them coming - so enjoyable.

[Dorthe Hansen]

Thisfellow looks realy cunning,waiting to get away with the sausages, but also a kind of friendly,which is not to say of the two trolls, -but Moa the 3 of them are so wonderfully made, so much carakter, and so wonderfull clothes.
Hi Dorthe

[shibori girl]

Hello,

I found your enchanting blog through Christine, at Du-Buh-Du designs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your marvelous Christmas Elves.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas,

Kate

[Rebecca]

These are a great set! Bjugnakrækir looks especially mischievous. The sausages look great, I love all your props in these figures.

Grýla has such a haughty look to her, she gives off an air of being in charge, and her costuming is amazing. And Leppalúði looks the perfect part, and his costume is great as well!

[Sharon @ norah'S]

A triple treat today indeed. But I'm not scared. Warts and tails and hairs in warts, I love them all.

[Nessa]

They all seem to be focused on food. My kind of elves.

[Binna]

Your Bjúgnakrækir is a lucky guy with his edible chain!

The ninth was Sausage Swiper,
a shifty pilferer.
He climbed up to the rafters
and raided food from there.

Sitting on a crossbeam
in soot and in smoke,
he fed himself on sausage
fit for gentlefolk.

(Jóhannes úr Kötlum, translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson)

[shashi.]

Nope they don't frighten me they are adorable little elves.