Here in Iceland we have our very own version of Santa and according to the Icelandic myth these Santa's were not something you'd want around your house during Christmas. Yes, there are 13 "Jolasveinar" or Christmas boys, as the name might be translated into English. The Icelandic Santa's first appeared in the 17th century as the sons of the two trolls, Gryla and Leppaludi. Gryla and Leppaludi are terribly frightening creatures, and had a reputation for stealing and eating naughty children. The Jolasveinar are supposedly the sons of Gryla and Leppaludi and while their number isn't exact the most common number is thirteen. Their names however are at least 70. The dominant member in the relationship between Gryla and Leppaludi is Gryla who, according to some legends, had another husband before Leppaludi. According to the legends Gryla is unlucky enough to find herself husbands that are constantly bedridden and so, Gryla goes around the countryside finding food for her husbands. At Christmas time she steals children that have been naughty during the year. Through the centuries Gryla has been a very popular means of making children behave. There are numerous legends and stories about Gryla and her exploits, but she never gets her hands on any children. For one reason or another they have either been very well behaved or they manage to escape.