Best-selling single figure

Icelandic Yule Lad - Christmas Cat

Name: Icelandic Yule Lad - Christmas Cat
Brand: Penninn
SKU: YULE000015
Price: 38.90 USD
Availability: InStock

Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat of Icelandic folklore · hand-painted figure designed by Brian Pilkington · about 13 cm (5.1 in)

$38.90

The Yule Cat eats people who get nothing new to wear for Christmas. So this is the figure to wrap up with a pair of socks or mittens: the clothes keep the cat away, and the cat explains the clothes.

The Yule Cat, in short

A scruffy striped cat with yellow eyes, a pale muzzle and ears laid out sideways
Sitting in snow on big pale paws, with one front paw lifted
A red collar with white dots, and JÓLAKÖTTURINN in gold letters on the red base
About 13 cm (5.1 in) by the publisher's measurement, and about as wide as it is tall

Same-day dispatch* Weekday orders before 14:00 UTC leave Iceland the same day

Any four Yule Lads ship free to the US, Canada and Europe (orders over $149)

Free shipping over $149 — US, Canada & Europe
US & Canada — duties & taxes settled at checkout
Ships worldwide from Iceland with tracking

Designed by Brian Pilkington
Goes with a gift of something to wear
Window box with an English booklet

Description

Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat, is the Christmas monster of Icelandic folklore that eats people who get no new clothes to wear for Christmas. It is not one of the Yule Lads, though some say it is the house cat of their parents, Grýla and Leppalúði.

Brian Pilkington's figure is a scruffy striped tabby sitting in snow, with yellow eyes, big pale paws, one front paw lifted and a red collar with white dots. It is painted by hand, so the shade of the coat varies, and measures about 13 cm (5.1 in). It comes in a window box with a small English booklet about the whole family.

You can also buy the set of all 16 figures.

Product facts

Character: Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat (also called the Christmas Cat). It is not a Yule Lad
Height: about 13 cm (5.1 in)
Base: oval and red-rimmed, with JÓLAKÖTTURINN in gold letters
Design: Brian Pilkington
Brand: Sólarfilma
Finish: painted by hand
Colour: dark striped tabby. The shade varies from piece to piece, from near black with brown stripes to a browner coat
In the box: the figure in a clear window box, with a small booklet in English about the 13 Yule Lads, Grýla, Leppalúði and the Yule Cat
Good to know: a display figure, not a toy. The ears and the tail are thin, so pack it away with care after Christmas
EAN: 5690666388229

Shipping, duties & returns

Shipping — DHL Express worldwide, fully tracked. Rates & times

US & Canada duties — collected at checkout; nothing to pay on delivery. How it works

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

Icelandic Yule Lad - Christmas Cat

$38.90

Why you'll love it

It outsells every Yule LadIn the twelve months to October 2026 we sold more Yule Cats than any other single figure in the series, the thirteen brothers included.
The reason for soft parcelsClothes are the present that keeps the cat away. The figure's Icelandic publisher puts it plainly: children who get no soft parcel at Christmas go to the Yule Cat.
A cousin of the Christmas goatThe National Museum of Iceland finds its nearest relative in the Nordic Christmas Buck, which also watches people through Advent and goes for anyone without new clothes.
In the same 1932 book as the LadsJóhannes úr Kötlum, whose poem fixed the names of the thirteen Yule Lads, wrote a poem about the Yule Cat as well. Both are in his children's book Jólin koma.
A man-eater in a spotted collarPilkington gave his cat a red collar with white dots. It suits the newer version of the story, in which the monster is also somebody's pet.
Bought for people who like the cat bestOne reviewer ordered it for a husband who likes the Yule Cat. Another chose it with other figures after a visit to Iceland. Five of its six reviews are five stars.

Popular together

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

The cat and the household it belongs to
Grýla, Leppalúði and all thirteen Yule Lads come with the Yule Cat in the set of 16. It costs less than buying the figures one by one and ships free to the US, Canada and Europe.
Icelandic Yule Lad - Christmas Cat Yule Lads Figures - Set of all 16

$572.90 for both

Family-owned since 2013Run by two brothers in Iceland

2,600+ verified reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5

Same-day dispatch*Weekday orders — see how it works

Authentic Icelandic goodsPacked and shipped from Iceland

Questions people ask before they buy

What does the Yule Cat do?

It eats people who do not get a new piece of clothing for Christmas. Icelanders have a phrase for that fate, að fara í jólaköttinn, to end up in the Yule Cat. The National Museum of Iceland records a gentler reading too, in which the cat only eats their Christmas food.

Where does the story come from?

Nobody knows for certain. The National Museum thinks it was probably meant to get the work done. Farm workers who finished the wool work before Christmas were given a new garment by the household. Those who did not finish got nothing, and so ended up in the Yule Cat. Many Icelanders still put on something new on Christmas Eve.

Is it one of the Yule Lads?

No. Some say it is the house cat of Grýla and Leppalúði and lives with them in their cave, though the National Museum calls that a fairly recent addition to the story. It belongs to the same series of sixteen figures as the thirteen Yule Lads and their parents.

Is the figure black?

Not plain black. It is a striped tabby, painted by hand, and the shade varies from one piece to the next. In our photo it is close to black with brown stripes. In the National Museum shop's photo of the same figure it is browner. The eyes are yellow and the collar is red.

How is it packed, and what if it arrives broken?

In the same clear window box as the rest of the series, with a small English booklet about the sixteen characters. Five of its six reviewers mention careful packing or safe arrival. If yours arrives damaged, send us a photo within 7 days and we will replace it or refund you in full.

Will I be charged duty at the door?

Not in the US or Canada. Duties and taxes for both countries are settled at checkout. For other countries the courier collects local import charges on delivery, so please allow for that. Shipping for one figure is calculated at checkout, and orders over $149 ship free to the US, Canada and Europe.