07 Dec 2005
Julbok

Lot's of folks up at Dull's have asked me about the goats: why use goats to pull Yule trees? When I'm feeling especially snarky I just answer "Because I can!", but, of course, there are deeper reasons.

Julbok with Pack The photo at the left shows a Julbok (modern English "Yule Buck") or Christmas Goat ornament. This is a fairly common and widespread tradition across Northern Europe, from Scandinivia (especially Sweden) across Finland and into the Slavic countries. The Julbok was originally one of the goats that pulled Thor's chariot. Nowadays he's considered one the of the symbols of the season, and many figurines, most made of straw, are built for display under the Yule tree (below, left) or even in the town square (below, right). In some areas, vandals have taken to burning the town's Julbok.

Straw JulbokJulbok Illustration from children's bookGiant Julbok (Photo from Pravada.ru)

The Julbok has also become quite a famous literary character (above, center): a man dressed as the "Christmas goat" delivers presents in this illustration, taken from a Swedish children's book, "Petter and Lotta's Christmas," by Elsa Beskow, published in 1947. Sometimes Santa rides the Julbok, rather than arriving by reindeer pulled sleigh, and sometimes Santa is still considered a tomte, what modern Heathens would call a landwight, who lives in the barn or under the floor and is responsible for the luck of the household throughout the year. Interestingly enough, it's tradition to leave gifts of cookies, porridge and milk for the tomte, to insure your luck in the coming year.

One has to wonder how these relate to the Wild Hunt and the Krampusse. In any event, it's quite amazing to me how deeply Heathen many of our most cherished Christmas traditions really are: I wonder how the public would take to a campaign to "Put Thor Back into Yule!"

Update: If you'd like your very own straw Julbok, here's where to get it! I also found a bit more history on the Gävle Goat, mentioned above by way of burning this year (again).

00:00 /Asatru | 2 comments | permanent link