is is a Yule greetings card pack by A Forest of Shadows.
Consisting of three cards, depicting a Reindeer forest skull, the Julbock (Yule goat), and Jolakotturinn (Yule Cat).
The cards are printed on recycled stock card and come with plain white envelopes. They measure approx 14.5cm X 10.5cm and are blank inside for your own personal message.
Julbock, or the Yule goat is a Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbol and tradition. Its origin may be Germanic pagan and has existed in many variants during Scandinavian history.
The Yule goat's origins go back to ancient Pagan festivals. While a popular theory is that the celebration of the goat is connected to worship of the Norse god Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, it goes back to common Indo-European beliefs.
Jolakotturinn, the Yule Cat, from Icelandic folklore is a huge and vicious cat who is described as lurking about the snowy countryside during Christmas time and eating people who have not received any new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. He is the house pet of Gryla and her sons.
Though referred to as an ancient tradition, written accounts of the Yule Cat have only been located as recently as the 19th century. The threat of being eaten by the Yule Cat was used by farmers as an incentive for their workers to finish processing the autumn wool before Christmas. The ones who took part in the work would be rewarded with new clothes, but those who did not would get nothing and thus would be preyed upon by the monstrous cat.