Small Whale · Reading worksheet

Grýla

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gr-la

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Grýla. Small Whale. https://smallwhale.org/articles/gr-la. Accessed 2026-09-23. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who is Grýla in Icelandic folklore?Grýla is a spooky troll who visits homes looking for naughty children.
2. Why does Grýla visit children?She wants charity from naughty children and tests how well people behave.
3. How is Grýla connected to the Yule Lads?She is the mother of the 13 Yule Lads, who come down from the mountains before Christmas.
4. When did Grýla become the mother of the Yule Lads?In the 17th century, her story changed to make her the matriarch of the Christmas pantheon.
5. Is Grýla still scary today?Modern stories soften her threat, showing her as a playful and caring mother instead of a frightening monster.
6. From the article, write the folklore classification:Monstrous entity, troll-like crone

Medieval sources: Texts and documents originating from the historical period known as the Middle Ages, spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th century.