Uncommon Folk
The world of folklore is a diverse, thriving mix of ancient traditions, old gods, strange beasts and curious tales.
Every land has their own folk traditions, and while some themes are universal, each has something special about them that makes them unique.
Join stand-up comedian, writer, and folklore PhD candidate Dan Mitchell as he dives into the dark oceans of folk, hoping to find a never before found denizen of the deep. Featuring exclusive interviews with academics, folklorists, scientists, poets, magical practitioners, and many more special guests from around the world, Uncommon Folk hopes to unearth the bones of folklore and resurrect them with incantations long forgotten.
From deep dives to short nuggets, Uncommon Folk will enlighten, enthuse, and entertain the folk community.
Uncommon Folk
Uncommon Folk 31 Days of Winter - Joulupukki and the Yule Goat
Ever wondered how a fearsome figure demanding gifts turned into the jolly Santa Claus we know today? Get ready to uncover the captivating transformation of Yulepukki, Finland's own Santa Claus. Once a formidable character with a mask and horns, Yulepukki's evolution is steeped in rich folklore and fascinating connections to Nordic mythology, including ties to the Norse god Odin and his legendary wild hunts.
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Yulepukki. Now, lots of nations have their own version of Santa or Father Christmas, and Finland is no different. So Yulepukki is the Finnish Santa, the name literally translating as Christmas Buck. Now, in the past he used to be sort of more of a horrific sort of figure and more on the naughty list. His face was covered in a mask, he had big horns on his head and had a fur-lined coat which was inside out. For some reason, this older form is actually more associated with Nutapuki, which are evil spirits who demand gifts. They don't expect to give gifts, they demand gifts and the leftovers from any Yule feast. But now, as is often the way, from any Yule feast. But now, as is often the way the stories become entangled across the world, and because he had some sort of like red clothing, he's more close to the Father Christmas or the Santa Claus that we know. He wears red robes and pulls a sleigh of reindeers. I mean, that is Santa, isn't it really? But he still has links with the Norse god, odin, which means he's also associated with a wild hunt that Odin would lead across the sky. So it's almost like the more sort of pagan sort of versions of things have once again been diluted by the Christian Saint Nicholas, but he also has a connection to the Yulebok, which is the Yule goat in Finland.
Speaker 1:In Finland the Nordic Yule Goat is a decoration made from straw and tied with red ribbons. In the past it was considered to a really good, funny thing to do at Christmas to put a straw goat in someone's house without them noticing. You'd have to make it relatively small. I imagine you can't have a life-size goat and sneak into someone's house without them noticing. You'd have to make it relatively small. I imagine you can't have a life-sized goat and sneak into someone's house and they'd get rid of it the same way They'd have to get rid of it without anyone noticing as well. Now Swedish tradition hailed the Yule Book as an invisible spirit who would help with Yule preparations, and this sort of echoes Yulepoki's older form as a an invisible spirit who would help with yule preparations, and this sort of echoes Yulepukki's older form as a Christmas spirit too. So there are some Nordic traditions there around Christmas spirits, one of them very much transformed by our idea of Father Christmas, yulepukki.
