So back on the bus and down the frozen highway we go to Dimmuborgir, and hey look -- it's Tammy's friends again.  And we're about to go see where they were born!

Icelandic kids are lucky -- they're visited by 13 Santas in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.  These mythological creatures are known as the Yule Lads and each has a distinctive personality.

They came to life among the rocks down there, and this is where they still live with Mom and Dad.

The snow is deep and the ice is slick, but we wouldn't want to miss seeing where the Yule Lads were born, would we?  So here we go.

Bill is so excited, his nose is running.

The Arctic explorer bravely presses forward.

Oooh, spooky!  The home of the Yule Lads is over there somewhere in those rocks.  Now who are these guys, exactly?

From Wikipedia: The Yule Lads were originally portrayed as being mischievous, or even criminal, pranksters that would steal from, or in other way harass the population (at the time mostly rural farmers). They all had descriptive names that conveyed their modus operandi.

The Yule Lads are traditionally said to be the sons of the mountain-dwelling trolls Grýla and Leppalúði. Grýla, is in Icelandic mythology, a horrifying monster and a giantess living in the mountains of Iceland. Her favourite dish is a stew of naughty kids and she has an insatiable appetite.  She is said to come from the mountains at Christmas in search of naughty children.  Her husband Leppalúði is said to be living with her in their cave in the Dimmuborgir lava fields, with the big black Yuletide Cat and their sons, the Yule Lads.  The Yule Lads are often depicted with the Yuletide Cat, a beast that, according to folklore, eats children who don't receive new clothes in time for Christmas. 

In modern times the Yule Lads have been depicted as taking on a more benevolent role comparable to Santa Claus and other related figures and putting small gifts (or potatoes if the child has misbehaved) into shoes placed by children into their windows the last thirteen nights before Christmas Eve. They are occasionally depicted as wearing the costume traditionally worn by Santa Claus, but are otherwise generally shown wearing late medieval style Icelandic clothing.

Want to see pictures?

What?  Can't read the descriptions?  Well, just click on the picture for the big version.

Tammy and Patty are not afraid of Gryla. 

But the visitor center back up there on the hill is beginning to look warm and inviting.

Tammy says, "Let's go."

And so we go.