Yule Goat, Large

The Yule Goat has for long been an important symbol in Scandinavia. It is still today one of the most common decorations used around the house during Christmas times. The tradition originates from the pagan beliefs, where Thor, the god of thunder, rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by the two goats Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir.

The goats are handmade, meaning that they vary in shape and size. No two are identical.

A theory is that the Yule Goats were used in the pagan celebrations around Midwinter. The last sheaf of the newly harvested crop was believed to contain a special power of the crop, and it would have been important to preserve it till the next year. The sheaf was shaped as a goat in honor of Thor’s goats and saved till the Yule celebrations where it was used in rites to ensure good harvests the coming year.