Supernatural Iceland: Christmas *Bonus episode*

[@stuw4943]

The Icelandic folklore stories are so much fun! And really well told by Valur, who continues surprising us…a journalist, former model and now singer! Thanks guys…love the content! 🎄

[@colleenpye5521]

Godness gracious, Valur! I think I'll be going to bed with the light on over Christmas. Heavens above! Many thanks for sharing more of Iceland's folklore. I'm very much interested in the legends and folklore of other cultures. Iceland's stories take no prisoners. The Christmas tree in its snowy setting is such a contrast to Australia's Xmas weather in most places. We are finally getting the warm/hot and clear days usual for where I live on the east coast at the beginning of the lovely south coast region. More Supernatural Iceland please! A search on KZbin under Australian Christmas Songs gives examples of same. Some of the more traditional style carols are a bit old fashioned but give lovely images of Australia, although the recording is showing its age. Other examples have a strong larrikin flavour. Pardon my longwindedness. Bit of an old windbag. Much love to all at the Grapevine.

[@ChristophersMum]

Hi Valur... this Gryla seems to be in folk tales all around the world...it must have been a particular event that inspired such a horrible character to have such a wide distribution... Polly was really enjoying herself...even picking some passers by to throw the frisbee when you weren't paying attention to her...Love from Scotland💌😁☃✨

[@elizabethlascurain5294]

Gryla reminded me of all the witches that cook and eat children around the world. Thank you for sharing this beautiful icelandic legend with us!!! Have fun and happiness during these wonderful season!!! 🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼🎄

[@Momcat_maggiefelinefan]

Wonderful tales from Iceland’s past. I enjoyed the monster cat in particular. She’s vicious looking, but artistically attractive. Good to see Polly playing frisbee in the snow. Merry Christmas Valur, Polly, Art and everyone in Iceland, from Linda and Floozie, the not nasty cat, from Canada! 🇨🇦 🎄 ☃️

[@ptournas]

Happy Holidays to you, your family, and all the staff at the Grapevine! Thanks for another great video! I gifted two friends with merchandise from the Grapevine this year. They are a couple that I brought with me to Iceland in 2019. For the woman, who loved the Blue Lagoon, I got the Spa Box of Iceland and for her husband I got the Karlssonwilker Bæjarins Beztu Hotdog Stand T-Shirt, since two years later he still is telling people about finding the best hotdogs in the world in iceland!

[@TheReykjavikGrapevine]

Happy holidays to you too Peter, and thanks for supporting us!

[@marie-annemoors2133]

I like the explanation about the Yule Lads. Every country has its own traditions at the end of the year to check whether children have behaved well. In Dutch we know Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) He comes in November with a boat and helpers and a white horse. As a child you can put your shoe by the chimney until December 5th and then you will find a small gift in your shoe if you have been good. On December 5 he brings presents and on December 6 he leaves for Spain. He lives there. When I was little, naughty children could be taken to Spain. Fortunately, that disappeared from the story. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or should I say Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár.'

[@ellenpa2000]

Lol i didn't see your message. Just said very briefly something about the Sinterklaas tradition too. From NL... Moved to Canada 38 years ago when I was 29. 🇳🇱 🇨🇦🙋

[@Momcat_maggiefelinefan]

Another Canadian wishing all of you a Merry Christmas! Just waiting for the supernatural event. 🎄 🇨🇦 ☃️ 🎄

[@ellenpa2000]

Hiya Linda, from Kitchener Ontario 🇨🇦🙋

[@Momcat_maggiefelinefan]

@@ellenpa2000 Hi right back at ya, Ellen! Merry Christmas.

[@nancybarnes7109]

In yesterday's video, you thanked all of your viewers for their continued support, but you spoil us, Valur, out working on Christmas day to bring us another delightful video. Merry Christmas and may the Yule cat never darken your door! ☺️

[@ellenpa2000]

@The Reykjavik Grapevine. 🇨🇦🙋Gleðileg jól! Another great video! Valur, you can even sing well! You're good missing people with the frisbee! 😂 Polly is a super-good catcher! Giving the yulelads gifts is a similar tradition to Dutch Sinterklaas to put a carrot in your shoe for Sint's horse the weeks up to 5 December. Dezzy (our cat) was very interested un the troll cat. He bites too! (Softly) 😾😜 hi fellow Canadians Barry and Linda.🖖🏼

[@christinamarandino8079]

Merry Christmas from Tennessee! It is far too warm here! Thank you for the snowy scenes! ❤️🎄❤️

[@RDnAC]

I’m glad to hear that Gryla has had a change of heart over the years. Maybe there’s hope for the world after all. 🌟🎄☃️Merry Christmas 🎅🏼

[@gabiesiren]

I'm also canadian from Montreal, thank you very much to Valur, Polly and all the grapevine team for making interesting videos and showing us your beautiful town. Merry Christmas to you all !

[@WhiteTiger333]

That was fun! The narrative, the Polly, the Christmas snow.... Do children help choose what to leave out for each Yule lad?

[@lipre744]

Jólakötturinn became my favourite Christmas song so as I'm learning Icelandic (just because) I challenged myself to learn it and sing it today but I failed miserably haha You have wonderful tales but language prononciation needs even more supernatural powers ;) Gleðileg Jól!

[@leandabee]

Fascinating Valur! I love the supernatural tales, even though some of them are quite horrific 😳😅. Hello Art and Polly too🙋🏼‍♀️. From Tasmania 🎅🥂

[@mikerichards6065]

Christmas is traditionally the time for ghost stories here in the UK - thank-you Charles Dickens. When I was a kid, the BBC always made a new television adaptation of one of M.R. James's classic ghost stories which almost always involved creepy houses, old churches, buried treasure and people being too curious for their own good. Fantastically scary stories sometimes rooted in genuine real local myths and legends. Have a spooky Icelandic Christmas everyone - hope you didn't get any potatoes in your shoes!

[@TheReykjavikGrapevine]

I watched "Whistle and I'll Come To You" with my dad when I went home for Christmas a few years ago - terrifying!

[@TheReykjavikGrapevine]

I've started reading the books, Mike! Thank's a lot for the present!

[@mikerichards6065]

@@TheReykjavikGrapevine enjoy them! ‘Lost Hearts’ is a favourite of mine - but best not read just before going to bed.

[@CherryBlossomHill]

I love hearing Santa referred to as an American Yule lad! It’s so hard not to take my eyes off Polly, she seems extra happy today! Merry Christmas guys, wish I had sent something special to thank you for doing the greatest job of entertaining, educating and inspiring us every single week to help us keep our spirits up. I’ll take Iceland over any country any time of the year! It looks extra beautiful there. Warm hugs to everyone at RG! 🎄❄️🌬🌨🥏🐶🎥🥇

[@lavenderlilac8920]

Me and my doggy and cats hope you all had a great Christmas. Belated Christmas wishes and Happy New Year to Valur, Polly, Art, and all the RG crew, from snowy and cold Canadian prairies. Let's hope 2022 is a better year for the world. 🌲🥂🎆

[@ravensdotter6843]

YAPPY HOWLIDAYS Valur and Polly!

[@wyrmhand]

Merry Christmas from Sweden.

[@robmrowka]

Thank you for another wonderful episode! Love Polly! Happy New Year from Franklinville, New Yoirk USA. Been wanting to go back to Iceland for two years now, maube the third in 2022 will be the charm.

[@eliasg.thomas8423]

Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár! (yes, i've followed your previous video :D) Ég sakna Íslands svo mikið... enn ekki íslenskt veður! Of kalt fyrir mig! xD

[@johnzuijdveld9585]

Well lets face it, they are all "poor children" when they get eaten! 😲

[@chezmanya]

I enjoyed hearing you sing, Valur! You should do that more often. I also enjoy your strolls around Reykjavik because I know the locations that you and Art seem to favor. It's a treat to see places where I have actually been. Wishing you all lovely holidays and maybe a new volcano soon!? P.S. We will also get snow in the Pacific Northwest, starting tonight

[@nancybarnes7109]

So jealous. Here on the East Coast we are having an unusually warm Christmas and I want snow! ☃️❄️

[@corrineboxkicklove7942]

Magnificent! Thank You Valur, Art, Polly and Josie for this Episode. I’m planning to buy the books of these tales after the Holidays. Can’t wait to see the next story. Loved that you showed The Christmas Tree, also. It looks so Beautiful with the snowfall. 🎄⛄️ ❄️

[@barrystrachan6340]

Merry Christmas from Canada..your programs are very entertaining and informative. I wish you all the best in 2022 and hope for the end of Covid.

[@ellenpa2000]

Hi Barry, from Kitchener Ontario 🇨🇦🙋

[@maggi3320]

Merry Christmas to you from Potter County PA!

[@quietone748]

That cat sculpture is AMAZING! Also, on which day of the month of December do the 12 days of gift giving from the Julelads start?

[@AriesJedi]

I am studying astrology atm and I noticed that if you start at Aries and the first Yule lad, it fits. The ancient Enoch calendar starts at the Spring Eqinox and Aries and 1st house, around 21st March, finishing at Pisces the next February. You have to have Ophiuchus in the Zodiac, as there are 13 lads. Door slammer is Libra and the 7th house, which rules relationships. Imagine a couple arguing and one leaves and slams the door. Pisces and 12th house is said to be the darkest house where you don't want anyone stealing your Light or your candle. These 13 lads would be a good way to remember the yearly calendar, the seasons and life lessons that each sign of the Zodiac brings. The good or bad ways that people behave. The Jola cat reminds me of Hoses 13 in the Old Testament. There is a black panther that hides in a tree looking at the people walking in the Way. And the people walking in the Way need to be spiritually clean and put on new clothes on their spirit body. Or you get destroyed. I used to live in a town in London called Catford and outside the Mall in the air, was a huge black cat. It looked like one of it's paws was going to swipe you. My mum had a Christmas tradition of giving us new clothes every Christmas eve, after a bath, and I then continued this tradition with my own children. We then moved to Iceland 6 years ago and we fit in here. We must be Icelandic in our hearts.

[@helmuthschultes9243]

Merry Christmas to you all.

[@Bobwa2008]

Merry Christmas 🎄

[@Audion]

You have one job, just throw the frisbee! 🐕

[@crowindigotarot]

Merry Christmas! Love your videos.

[@tamarawant8286]

Happy Holidays Ev1

[@noway8445]

Thank you

[@AmyDCools]

Marked safe from the Yule Cat! 🐈‍⬛ 👚

[@Son-of-Tyr]

Anyone here remember Sam O'Nella's video about the Yule Lads?

[@arcsta_rr]

Polly pekke!!!!! 0:09

[@Callithyia]

Man, I miss Valur and Polly.

[@charlesmnadeau]

Thank you.

[@TheReykjavikGrapevine]

You're very welcome

[@WindTurbineSyndrome]

Very interesting

[@enckidoofalling4519]

I there some truth in this? What happened to the Greenland Vikings?

[@DisVietVetUSA]

Valur we like you stories,s you English and hearing Icelandic words we cannot understand

[@patriciaactis]

❤🌷⚘🌺🌻