Hand Painted Christmas Baubles Yule Lads mother and Candle beggar

Handpainted Christmas Ball Ornament, Candle Beggar & Yule Lads' Mother - The Icelandic Store

The last Yule Lad and his mother

Handpainted Christmas Ball Ornament, Candle Beggar & Grýla

Name: Handpainted Christmas Ball Ornament, Candle Beggar & Grýla
Brand: The Icelandic Store
SKU: PSF922270
Price: 38.90 USD
Availability: InStock

Kertasníkir, the 13th and last Yule Lad, and the ogress Grýla, his mother · ball ornament painted by hand from the inside, after Brian Pilkington's drawings · about 8 cm (3.1 in)

$38.90

The ball for Christmas Eve. Kertasníkir, the last of the thirteen Yule Lads, comes on 24 December wanting nothing but a candle of his own. Turn the ball round and there is his mother Grýla, the ogress Icelandic children were warned about, painted with every tooth and claw.

On this ball

Kertasníkir on one side, in a spotted red cap, holding up a thin lit candle with his other hand held out open
Grýla on the other: long dark hair, a great hooked nose, a wide mouth full of yellow teeth, curved claws and a staff
A green background with pale stars
About 8 cm (3.1 in), gold-coloured bands at the top and bottom, on a gold cord

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Christmas Eve, 24 December
A candle on one side, an ogress on the other
In a lined red box

Description

Kertasníkir, the Candle Beggar, is the thirteenth and last Icelandic Yule Lad, arriving on Christmas Eve. In the old farmhouses candles were precious, and he wanted one more than anything. Grýla is his mother, an ogress who, in the stories, comes down before Christmas to eat naughty children.

This ball shows Kertasníkir with a lit candle on one side and Grýla, all teeth and claws, on the other, on a green starry background. The ball is hand-painted from the inside, following Brian Pilkington's drawings of the family. It is about 8 cm (3.1 in), with a gold cord, and packed in a lined red box.

See the set of all seven balls.

Product facts

Characters: Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar), the 13th and last Yule Lad, and Grýla, the ogress who is mother of the Yule Lads. She is not a Yule Lad herself
Comes to town: Kertasníkir on 24 December
Size: about 8 cm (3.1 in)
Design: based on drawings by Brian Pilkington
Brand: Sólarfilma
Finish: painted by hand from the inside, gold-coloured bands at top and bottom
Background: green with pale stars
In the box: one ball on a gold cord, in a lined red box
Good to know: breakable. Grýla is painted as the old stories tell her, teeth and claws included
EAN: 5690666922270

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Returns — unused items in original condition within 30 days; see our returns policy.

Handpainted Christmas Ball Ornament, Candle Beggar & Grýla

$38.90

Why you'll love it

Light and dark on one ballKertasníkir, who only wants a candle, on one side; Grýla, who wants naughty children, on the other.
The last nightKertasníkir is the thirteenth lad and comes on Christmas Eve. His ball is the one that finishes the row.
Not softenedThe painter has kept Grýla as frightening as the old stories make her. The National Museum of Iceland traces her back to the 13th century.
Back in its box in JanuaryThe lined red box keeps the ball safe until next Christmas.

Popular together

Made to be used together. One click adds both to your cart.

Grýla and all thirteen sons
The set of seven balls brings the whole family: every Yule Lad from Stekkjarstaur to Kertasníkir, plus Grýla, each ball in its own red box. It costs less than buying them separately and ships free to the US, Canada and Europe.
Handpainted Christmas Ball Ornament, Candle Beggar & Grýla Yule Lads Christmas Ball Ornaments - Set of All 7

$281.90 for both

Family-owned since 2013Run by two brothers in Iceland

2,600+ verified reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5

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Authentic Icelandic goodsPacked and shipped from Iceland

Questions people ask before they buy

Is Grýla one of the Yule Lads?

No. She is their mother, an ogress of troll descent. The National Museum of Iceland says she comes down shortly before Christmas looking for naughty children and that she likes nothing better than to eat them. Unlike her sons, the museum notes, she has changed very little.

Why would anyone beg for candles?

Because in the old farmhouses a candle was the brightest light there was, and what children longed for most at Christmas was a candle of their own. Kertasníkir longed for one too. The candles were made of tallow, so sometimes, the story goes, he ate them.

Is Grýla too frightening for a family tree?

That is your call. Icelandic parents have used her as a warning for centuries, and this ball does not make her pretty. On the other side is Kertasníkir, who only wants a candle, so you can turn whichever face you prefer to the room.

Is this the same ball sold in Iceland?

It is Sólarfilma's ball, from the Icelandic publisher whose name is on the box, and it carries the same item number Sólarfilma sells it under in Iceland.

What will shipping and duties cost?

Shipping for one ball is shown at checkout before you pay; orders over $149 ship free to the US, Canada and Europe. US and Canadian duties and taxes are settled at checkout. Elsewhere the carrier may collect local import charges.