Did You Know Thursday: Krampus

Did you know that in parts of Europe there is a horned half-goat, half-demon who punishes naughty children with a switch?

Nikolaus and Krampus in Austria. Newspaper-illustration from 1896. Source. Wikimedia.

Krampus who comes from folklore in Austria’s Alpine region, where he’s been frightening children and amusing adults for hundreds of years.

“But far up in the mountains, high on a slope,
Their words were conveyed to a black-hearted pope.
He was craggy and crooked and covered in hair,
And he carried a switch that he waved in the air.
His tongue it was forked, and it spilled from his mouth,
Like a river of evil that wound its way south.…
For there stood Krampus, a high holy terror,
With that great ghastly switch for the beat out their errors.
He licked at his lips and he hissed out a threat:
“I shall give you a thrashing you shan’t soon forget!”
– Aruther greenleaf holmes (poem found here)

Nikolaus and Krampus in Austria. Source. Wikimedia.

Krampus is, for all intents and purposes, Santa Claus’ anthropomorphic counterpart. He goes door to door punishing those unruly children who made the naughty list. Half goat and half-demon, Krampus comes around on December 5th following jolly ole’ St. Nick (read more about Saint Nicholas Day here or here).

Although he is Santa’s counterpart, his roots actually don’t have anything to do with the Christmas holiday. His legend actually dates back to pre-Germanic paganism. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “His name originates with the German krampen, which means “claw,” and tradition has it that he is the son of the Norse god of the underworld, Hel.” And because Krampus looks an awful lot like the devil, during the 12th century the Church attempted to eliminate Krampus festivals and parades.

Krampus at Perchtenlauf Klagenfurt. 2006. Source. Wikimedia.

So, it makes complete sense that Krampus has his origins in pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice (read more about the Winter Solstice here). Later, he became part of Christian traditions in which St. Nicholas visited children to reward them on December 5 or 6 (read more about this here). Around that time, Krampus, St. Nick’s menacing partner would also visit kids to punish them. In Alpine Austria and some parts of Germany, this day was known as Krampusnacht, or “Krampus night,” when adults dressed up as Krampus to frighten children at their homes.

Legend has it that during the Christmas season, misbehaved kids are beaten with birch branches or even disappear. Those kids are stuffed into Krampus’ sack and hauled off to his lair (some think he resides in Hell) to be tortured and/or eaten.

Krampus “Morzger Pass” Salzburg 2008. Source. Wikimedia.

To save the naughty children, offerings to Krampus are left out around Christmas time. His drink of choice is apparently schnapps. I wonder what flavor? I’m also surprised it’s not something a little harder than schnapps. Haha, I feel like Krampus would drink scotch or fireball, or something like that, right? In homes where particularly naughty children live, Krampus leaves behind bundles of twigs painted gold, which is hung up in the house all year as a reminder of the punishments that await disobedient children. That’s some expert-level parenting.

*Krampus mit Kind* (“Krampus with a child”) postcard from around 1911. Source. Wikimedia.

Most who continue to celebrate Krampus today just do it in good fun. Krampus has seen a resurgence throughout Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. For instance, in Lienz, Austria has an annual Krampus parade. The tradition is for young men in town to dress up as the mythical creature. They parade through the streets in an ancient pagan ritual designed to disperse winter’s ghosts. Of course, the parade wouldn’t be complete without fur-suits, carved wooden masks and cowbells. Essentially, the parade involves drunken men dressed as devils, who take over the streets for a Krampuslauf—a Krampus Run of sorts, when people are chased through the streets by the “devils.”

Krampus has even gained recognition in the United States, where Orlando, Florida is hosting a Krampusnacht Festival. There is actually a pretty funny American Dad episode based around Krampus that you should check out. Oh, and don’t forget the Krampus movie that came out a few years ago!

Did you know that Krampus isn’t the only bad boy of Christmas?

That’s right, Santa has other counterparts or companions!

In addition to Krampus, Santa traditionally enjoyed a host of different companions depending on region and culture, they often reflected local history and beliefs. These mythical figures and creatures generally played the role of punisher or abductor, in contrast to the compassionate and generous saint. They often carried a rod, stick, or broom, were usually unkempt, with unruly hair, or beastly features.

These included elves, kobolds, or pre-Christian house-spirits of English and Scandinavian tradition were believed to be gift makers or bringers but didn’t share the same elevated status as Saint Nick and his companion.

Belsnickel

The German and Swiss immigrants who migrated to Pennsylvania around 1700 brought with them their own beloved Christmas traditions, which are still alive and well in Pennsylvania Dutch communities today. They have also helped to shape all American Christmas traditions. I grew up in Central Pennsylvania and I’ve never heard of Belsnickel.

Legend has it that each child would set out a little basket for gifts from their parents and from Christkindl—the Christ Child—who came on Christmas Eve. However, before the children could receive any gifts, they were visited by Belsnickel. He would arrive unannounced on an evening in December, usually portrayed by a masked uncle or grandfather clad in furs and make himself known with a rap on the windowpane with the wooden switch. He used the switch to beat naughty children. “Der Belsnickel!” was the traditional greeting for Belsnickel.

Of course, Belsnickel terrified the children and made them run screaming. After gathering them up the parents would sit all of their children in front of good ole’ Belsnickel. He would then ask each child if they had been naughty over the past year. An honest admission of guilt would earn you a rap on the knuckles but lying resulted in an even worse reprimand! Once every child had been judged, each was asked to recite a prayer or prove something they had learned in school to earn a small treat from Belsnickel’s bag.

Although Belsnickel and the Christkindl were replaced by the much jollier alternative, Santa Claus, the gift-bringer. The tradition of “Belsnickling” where groups of masked young people went door to door entertaining on the nights preceding Christmas, continued for many years.

Knecht Ruprecht

In Germany, Knecht Ruprecht, or Farmhand Rupert, Servant Rupert, was an old man with a long beard and dressed in fur. He often accompanied St. Nicholas and carried a bag of ashes. You might hear his coming due to the ringing of tiny bells sewn into his clothing.

Knecht Ruprecht expected children to be able to recite Christian dogma and their prayers. If they did, he would give them fruit or gingerbread. If they hadn’t learned their lessons, he would leave them a stick or a lump of coal in their shoes at best. At worst he’d place the children in a sack, and either eat them or throw them in a river. Ruprecht became a common name for the devil in German.