A face at the window is an unsettling sight on a dark December night. Gluggagægir, the Window Peeper, is the tenth Yule Lad, arriving during the night of December 20th, ready for the morning of December 21st. His Christmas mischief begins with a look inside—and an interest in what he might take.
A Stolen Glimpse Before the Theft
Gluggagægir lurks outside houses and peers through the windows, looking for something that catches his eye. In Jóhannes úr Kötlum’s poem below, that stolen glimpse is the beginning of another kind of theft: whatever interests him is something he may try to take later.
Who Is Looking Through the Glass?
If you have curtains or blinds, this is the Yule Lad who gives you a playful reason to close them. The other verse below pictures him making faces at the windows and laughing when he is spotted. For the children inside, a curious visitor quickly becomes a frightening one.
On January 3rd, Gluggagægir heads home. The windows are free of this particular peeper until next Christmas—though his story can make a dark pane feel a little less empty.
Window Peeper in Verse
Window Peeper
The tenth was Window Peeper,
a weird little twit,
who stepped up to the window
and stole a peek through it.
And whatever was inside
to which his eye was drawn,
he most likely attempted
to take later on.
Another Verse: A Face at the Window
Window Peeper was a very curious fellow
he visited most farms and took a look inside.
Lying at the windows he made faces at people,
and if somebody saw him he just gave a laugh.
The children fled in haste to escape the sight,
for he really had an ugly face.
Draw the Curtains on His Mischief
Gluggagægir turns the familiar window into the most unsettling part of the house. His story needs no grand entrance: a face beyond the glass and a little too much curiosity are enough. In this Christmas tale, the view into a warm home is an invitation to mischief.
Meet the previous visitor, Bjúgnakrækir, the Sausage Swiper, then continue to Gáttaþefur. You can also meet their mother, Grýla, or explore all the Yule Lad stories.
2 thoughts on “Gluggagægir the Window Peeper: Iceland’s Yule Lads”
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