The Gulon is a creature in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n legend, also known as a "Jerff" in
Northern Sweden
Norrland (, , originally ''Norrlanden'', meaning 'the Northlands') is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administrative pu ...
and "Vielfraß" in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It resembles a hodgepodge of various animals, usually described as being the size and shape of a dog, with some cat-like features such as the head, ears, and claws. It also supposedly has a thick coat of shaggy brown fur and a tail resembling that of a fox.
Activities
The Gulon is notorious as a symbol of gluttony because of the strange eating habits it is supposed to have. It will make a kill and then gorge itself until it is swollen and unable to eat more, at which point it will find two trees and squeeze itself in between them, pushing the meat through its own body before returning to the kill and repeating the process.
It is most likely a
wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
, based on the traits it shares with the animal native to arctic climates around the world, including Scandinavia.
Further reading
Resource: ''Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus'' by Olaus Magnus. (The History of the Northern People, 1555 AD)
References
*The Mythical Creatures Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings
Gulon*Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore
Gulon{{Folklore-stub
Scandinavian legendary creatures
Scandinavian folklore