December 15th comes The Yule Lad, Pot-Licker (Pottaskellfill)

Introduction

Among the whimsical and mischievous figures of Icelandic Christmas lore stands Pottaskefill, sometimes known in English as the Pot-Scraper or Pot-Licker. He is the fifth of the thirteen Yule Lads (Icelandic: Jólasveinar) and traditionally makes his visit on the night before December 15th. Arctic Adventures+2Arctic Portal+2

In this blog post we explore his origins, his signature mischief, and how his story is celebrated today, and how he is found in The Saga of Belsnickel.

Origins & Character of Pottaskefill

• The name “Pottaskefill” in Icelandic literally means “pot scraper” or “pot-scourer” (from potti meaning “pot” and skefill meaning “scraper” or similar). Some sources render his name as Pottasleikir (“pot-licker”) when translated more colloquially; either way his mischief involves pots and leftovers. Arctic Adventures+1

• According to tradition:

  • Pottaskefill sneaks into the kitchens of Icelandic farmhouses during the dark winter nights, seeking out cooking pots that have been used for stews, soups or roasts. He then scrapes or licks out the remaining scraps. Guide to Iceland+2Gardening in Iceland+2

  • He typically arrives on December 16th (night of the 15th to 16th) and departs about thirteen days later, often December 29th. Arctic Portal+1

• Historically the tale of Pottaskefill likely emerged as a moral or practical lesson: in pre-modern Iceland, food was precious during the long winter months. Wasting food was discouraged; thus, a figure who comes to eat leftover scraps in pots functioned as an incentive to families (especially children) to finish their meals and not waste. Guide to Iceland+1

• In older renditions of the Yule Lads myth, these figures were far more ominous. Pottaskefill like his brothers belonged to a folk world of trickery, stealth, and the precariousness of winter survival. Wikipedia+1

  
  

Symbolism & Cultural Meaning

• Food & scarcity: Pottaskefill’s focus on pots and leftover food evokes the winter-economy of Icelandic farm life: minimal waste, preservation, resourcefulness. The pot’s remnants become the target of the mischief-maker, a reminder that nothing edible should be ignored.

• Kitchen as liminal space: In a household context, the kitchen is warm, safe, domestic. Pottaskefill crossing into it at night introduces the wildness of folklore into daily life — the boundary between the ordinary (pots, meals, kitchens) and the extraordinary (trollish visitors, midnight mischief).

• Mischief with meaning: His antics are not merely for laughs, they carry a lesson: guard your provisions, mind your meals, respect your household tools. For storytellers, he embodies the moment when tradition meets whimsy, and everyday objects become enchanted.

• Modern telling: the Saga of Belsnickel explores the meeting of old pagan ways and a new Light, Pottaskefill serves well as a bridge. He comes with the old winter world of leftovers, kitchens, survival; yet his tale can be transformed into a moment of grace or redemption when Ulvie, Donner and Blitzen realize there is hunger in the world and that it is good not only to share “leftovers” but meals, celebrations and gatherings with the less fortunate.

The Yule Lad the Pot-Licker

How Pottaskefill is Celebrated Today

• In modern Iceland, the Yule Lads are kindlier than in the ancient tales, many families keep the tradition of leaving a shoe on the windowsill each night of the Yule-Lad season (from December 12 onward). On December 16 (morning of) children may find a small treat from Pottaskefill if they have been good, or (in older traditions) a raw potato if they have not. Arctic Adventures+1

• Pottaskefill appears in tourist-folklore materials, Christmas decorations, children’s books about the Yule Lads. His name and characteristic behavior (pots, scraps, sneakiness) are part of Iceland’s winter folklore branding. brookstonbeerbulletin.com+1

• His story is often used in educational contexts to teach children about food-waste, domestic chores, respect for the home environment, albeit in a playful folkloric guise. For example, some blogs mention that Pottaskefill was “no doubt created to encourage children to finish their meals.” Guide to Iceland

  
  

Conclusion

Pottaskefill, the Pot-Scraper or Pot-Licker, may seem like a minor figure among the Yule Lads, a thief of leftovers rather than grand feats. But in his story lie deep threads: of winter kitchens, of scarcity and sharing, of the boundary between myth and home.