Grýla has arrived, and these verses give her no gentle welcome. First comes the warning: she has an appetite for children who misbehave. Then comes a monstrous portrait, with three heads, glowing eyes, and hands like claws. The language is vivid, unsettling, and full of the exaggeration that gives her folklore its dark humour.
This second part of the collection presents the English and Icelandic verses in their existing bilingual images. If you are starting here, read Part 1 for another telling of Grýla’s hunger.
Grýla Is Here: A Warning at the Door
Three Heads and Eyes Like Embers
The Ogress the Verses Leave Behind
These verses make Grýla difficult to forget. Her hunger becomes a warning, while her impossible features give the fear a face—or three. Alongside the illustrations, they show how a few lines can turn a Christmas visitor into something far more unsettling.
Return to Grýla’s poems, Part 1 →
Explore the folklore behind the verses in Grýla’s story, or meet her sons in the Yule Lad collection.
