The end of November marked the beginning of the Gävle Goat Livestream. It consists of a single camera pointed at a giant goat made of straw, with the surrounding environs pixelated out. There is no audio.
The uninitiated may be confused as to why this livestream exists, so let me enlighten you: it’s to monitor any and all arson attempts against the goat.
Let’s back up. There’s a longstanding Scandinavian tradition of creating “Yule goats”: small goat figures made of straw. In 1966, the town of Gävle began the yearly practice of erecting a giant Yule goat in the town square.
1966 also marks the first year the Gävle goat was destroyed by fire.
I say “first” because the goat has since been burned many, many times. In 2001, the culprit was a tourist from the United States who believed he was taking part in a completely legal and time-honored tradition (and was wrong on at least one of those counts). Gävle has, over the years, taken escalating measures to prevent the burning of the goat.
After the goat burned in 2016, it remained unburned for the next four years. The goat finally burned again in 2021, but has remained unburned since (although in 2023 it was eaten by birds).
The years between 2016 and 2021 were extremely bad for just about everybody. The years since 2021 have also been Not Good. It is my firm conviction that the burning of the Gävle goat at midwinter is a cosmically essential act. The goat contains within its immense straw body the sins of all the world, and it must die in fire to purge that evil from the universe.
So if you’re taking a trip to Sweden this holiday season, I have a fun local activity to suggest.
End of Year Sale
It’s time once again for Smashwords’ End of Year sale! All my books are at least 50% off, and you can get a bunch of them for free. Sale prices are valid through to January 1.
Smashwords also lets you send ebooks as gifts — just select the “Give as a Gift” option on the book page and, at checkout, provide the email of whoever you’re sending the gift to.
This Week’s Links
UnitedHealthcare sued by shareholders over reaction to CEO’s killing
The group, which seeks unspecified damages, argues that the public backlash prevented the company from pursuing “the aggressive, anti-consumer tactics that it would need to achieve” its earnings goals.
With the Serial Numbers Filed Off: The Problem with Trad Pub Fanfic
I’m obviously in no position to throw stones, but:
From a queer, community-based space that runs on a gift economy, certain winners are now being crowned. The stories that get lifted out of fandom—where a bad (white) man is redeemed by the love of a good (ambiguously brown) woman he’s busily oppressing—are being chosen because those are the stories capitalism always wanted to tell.
Grandad SpongeBob looks back on his life
An elderly Grandad SquarePants looks back on his life under the sea- including what happened to his neighbour Patrick Starr
I feel like this newsletter is going to pop up on the customs officer’s computer in the event I ever try to visit Sweden. Quick note to said customs officer: I AM JOKING. Mostly.
-K
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