Dec 29, 2024
A Holiday Arson Tradition in Sweden - The Gävle Goat
Let's close out 2024 with some festive... arson? Turns out that one holiday tradition in Sweden, the Gävle Goat or Gävlebocken has a dark and sinister history associated with the otherwise festive tradition. The Gävle Goat has been damaged or destroyed 42 out of 58 years. It's been hit by cars, beaten with clubs, and even subjected to an Alfred Hitchcock style bird massacre. However, the most popular way to dispatch the over 40 foot tall goat is arson. It's been roasted a record 38 times. As of the time of this recording, on Christmas Day, 2024, the Gävlebocken was still standing but in many years it's fallen prey to the flames of vandals on New Year's Eve so will it survive to see the dawning of 2025? Only time will tell. You can check to see if it's still standing at the official youtube livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/@gavlegoatlive
Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated
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Sources Used:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A4vle_goat#:~:text=The%20construction%20of%20the%20goat,Merchants%20pay%20the%20remaining%20sum.
https://youtu.be/R3G3yUSJLRY?si=q-4RiF8dCnOpmlZg
https://www.indy100.com/viral/gavle-goat-arson-tradition-sweden
https://www.visitgavle.se/en/gavlebockens-ode
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/12/gavle-goat-sweden-burn-interview-eje-berglund.html
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/g%C3%A4vle-goat-birds-1.7066692
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/30/503881528/swedish-revelers-get-their-goat-again-as-holiday-tradition-meets-annual-arson
https://youtu.be/Wom8qQXt7j0?si=sbhoVHkpIWatfSr1
https://www.visitgavle.se/en/about-gavle-goat
https://youtu.be/ROzkRmrlqyU?si=4FZg6oXaFiuazTBc
14 days ago
I don’t know what this poor goat did to upset the locals, but the absolute rage and hatred to kick down a 30 something foot tall anything is something I don’t think I have ever felt before. I mean the fire is easy, set and forget. But kicking takes a lot of time and effort. Like enough time that you have to take a breather and think, hey, maybe this goat doesn’t deserve this, only to return to kicking it to death.