Gluggagægir...Window-peeper He sneaks around looking in all the windows, to case the premises for what he can steal. The people in the house scream in fright, when they see his face in the window. Gluggagægir only laughs and makes faces to scare them even more.
Meet Grýla and Leppalúði the Jólasveinars' parents. Are they not the most charming couple?
Grýla the Jólasveinars' 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 Grýla and her family, venture from their caves in the mountains, down to the farms, towns and cities.
Leppalúði, whose name means Ragamuffin, on the other hand is a pitiful specimen of a Troll. He according to some telling is Grýla’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 Grýla 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.
Leppalúði is the Jólasveinars' Father. He is a 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 Grýla to bring unfortunate naughty children, for his dinner.
Today he ventured down from the mountains to check out the story Grýla told him, about how hard it is to find misbehaving children in this day and age. Leppalúði is afraid of Grýla’s wrath and did not want to contradict her story, so for once he roused himself and followed her, the Christmas Cat and the Jólasveinar down to civilization. At worst, he thought to himself I could go to Bæjarins Bestu and steal some Pylsur and Cokes.