YULE GOATS AND ELVES
By Silver Spiritwolf

Because the Christian missionaries did not reach Scandinavian countries until the 10^th and 11^th centuries, Christmas folklore and old traditions had longer to settle in.  We can find images and traditions that probably go way back.

For instance, there is the Julbock or Julbukk, or Yule goat, from Sweden and Norway who had his beginnings as carrier for the god Thor.  Now he carries the Yule elf when he makes his rounds to deliver presents and receive his offering of porridge.

Let me start from the beginning. Jolfodr (Yule Father) and Jolnir(Yule) are names for Odin.  It is believed that Odin was the original “Alf�?or gift giving “Elf�?  In Denmark he is known as Julesvenn, in Sweden as Jultomten, and in Norway as Julenissen.  Long before Santa Claus was popularized in the Victorian era as a fat jolly Elf, he was seen as a tall and lean, wearing a dark cloak and not a red and white tunic.  In earlier legends they portrayed him as riding a white horse and not driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer.  We have from folklore Odin’s steed Sleipner who is the elder “Yule Elf�?who is a bit stern and could be quite terrifying especially to rude or ill-willed folk.

It is believed that this forbidding Yule Father arose from ancient legends of Odensjakt or Wild Host who during Yule tide rode the stormy Winter skies led by Odin as Oskoreidi.  At times, people would be taken to join the Wild Host in tumultuous flight.  During the beginning of the Christian idea of Yule people were warned to stay inside at night to avoid the furious Host who was much feared. 

Then, of course, there are the many accounts that came from Germany of the wayfaring folks being picked up and transported from one place to another by the throng of the dead, only to be left there lifeless while others were left lying as dead but presumably in a trance state while their souls fared aloft with the Wild Host.  This fearful reputation of the Wild Host was especially encouraged by Christians who claimed the Wild Huntsman was their devil   From a Pagan perspective, the origin of the Wild Host was depicted by human devotees of the God Wodan.  He is the God of ecstasy, but also of death, so the dead probably always made up part of the Wild Host which rode with great clamor upon skeletal horses and accompanied by ghostly hounds.

Pagans believed fertility and blessings were brought by the Wild Host, Oski, “Fulfiller of Desire,�?or “Granter of Wishes,�?as an aspect of Odin that could well be associated with the Yule Elf.  Oskoreidi, Leader of the Wild Host, was known to give gold or other great gifts to those who were courteous or clever.  Another gift and considered the greatest was believed to be brought by the Furious Host as they rode over the fields and ensured fertility and fruitful harvests for the coming year.  Another interesting custom which has survived in German is of leaving the last sheaf of grain cut in the field for the Huntsman’s horse, the eight legged Sleipner or Odin’s magical steed.  This fertility ritual of the Wild Hunt could be connected in some way with the return of the dead to their earthly homes at Yule and brought blessings with them and bestowed upon their kin.  All of these “evolved�?dead were considered to be Alfar (male Elves) or Disir (powerful female ancestral spirits).  This was a higher soul state some benevolent humans were believed to achieve upon death.  These holy ancestors then became guardian spirits of their kin’s land and continued in the gifting of continued fertility of the land and its inhabitants.  People would honor their ancestors by bringing gifts of food and drink to the family burial mound.  Some would also, customarily, sit out on a mound in order to receive the highly valued advice of the Ancestor within. 

In Scandinavia it is the God Thor who is thought to be the origin of the Yule Elf, also known as Julbck or Julbukk, the Yule Goats who to this day plays a big part in Norse Yule festivities and thought to be derived from Thor’s magical goats Tannginost and Tanngrisnir.  Tannginost and Tanngrisnir drew His chariot through the sky and many legends tell of Thor’s benevolent protectiveness of human kind, his jolly, fun loving nature (or at least when he is not in a troll slaying mood).  This depiction seems more in line with the modern conception of jolly Saint Nick than grim Oden and the Wild Huntsman.  The Yule goats carry the Yule Elf as he visits the folk, bestows gifts upon them, and gets his traditional offering of porridge.

Although it is believed that only at Samhain is the veil between the worlds thin and the dead may most easily manifest to the living, it is not usually the human dead who were considered the most fearsome.  At Yuletide spirits of all kinds are abroad and similar beliefs are held by Celtic Pagans of Samhain.  In Norse lands, Trolls of many types are roaming; draugr (rare and evil human ghosts of enormous strength) accost mortals, and the Alfar (Elves), both malicious and benevolent may drop by the homes of men.  Many Yule customs that survive to this day have their origins in practices either meant to ward the home from evil wandering spirits at Yule or in reverse, to welcome good spirits into the home and show them thanks for the blessings they bestow.  For instance; House wights who are tutelary spirits of the home and the respected dead of the family were welcomed gladly to the Yule Feast.  As with the ritual of Samhain, food would be left out on the table for them after all had gone to bed.  At Yuletide hosts of dead could be seen feasting with great revelry in their mounds and even paying each other friendly visits in each other’s mounds.  It is more than obvious that Yule has a dual nature when it comes to goats, elves, and other unworldly spirits:  it is the time of Death and darkness, when trolls, ghosts and alfs fare about and is also the time of the return of the waxing Sun and celebration of Her promise of Life and light renewed.

Offerings of the sustenance of fruit trees, evergreens, beer, bread, and table scraps were offered to the Alfar (wights who govern growth and fertility in nature) in gratitude for harvest yields.  By bringing the evergreen boughs inside to “deck the halls�?it was a representation of the ever-renewed life force and serve to welcome good Alfar into the house.  It also served to protect the home from evil Wights.

It is traditional on Yule Eve to begin dinner with rice porridge which contains one lucky almond.  A bowl is also set out for the Barn Elf so that he will continue to watch over the animals and not turn mischievous.  Also, in ancient times, a Norse figure called Julesvenn would come during the feast of Jul to hide the lucky barley stalks around the house.  They are now called Julnissen, the Yule gift bringers of Norway and are household elves that live during the year in attics and stables.  On Yule eve they come out to hide presents all around the house for good children.