Kallikantzaros
A malevolent goblin that emerges during the twelve days of Christmas.
The kallikantzaros (Greek: καλικάντζαρος) is a creature of modern Greek folklore, known for its ill will toward humans. For most of the year, it lives underground, occupied with sawing at the great tree that holds up the Earth. But during the twelve days of Christmas—from December 25 to January 6, ending at Theophany or Epiphany—it surfaces to cause trouble. Similar beings appear in Bulgarian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Cypriot, and Turkish traditions.
The creature’s name takes many forms in Greek: kalikántzaros, kalikántzaros, kallikantzaros, and locally skalikántzaros on Zakynthos, kalkántaros on Lesbos, kalikáttaros in Cyprus, and skalikántzaros on Cythera, among others.
Scholars have debated the word’s origins. Some see the kallikantzaroi as echoes of the satyrs and sileni that followed Dionysos. The term itself may break down into kalos (“good, beautiful”) and kántzaros, possibly from kéntauros (“centaur”), though this “beautiful centaur” idea has faced criticism. Adamantios Koraïs suggested kántzaros came from kántharos (“scarab beetle”). Franz Boll supported this, noting that the “holy kantharos” appeared in mystical texts as a demon or god, even invoked in a magic papyrus as “lord of all.” The kantharos was also a vase used in Dionysian rites, and on Rhodes a subtype of kallikantzaros is actually called “kantharos.” Elderkin argued the beetle-cup kantharos, like the Egyptian scarab, was a symbol of resurrection and immortality; Saint Ambrose of Milan even called Christ “beetle on the cross.” Kantharos and Kanthara were mystical names for Dionysos and his consort Persephone, so “good kantharoi” might be a euphemism for these gods. John Cuthbert Lawson rejected the kantharos theory, favoring the centaur. Carlo Ginzburg dismissed Koraïs and Boll’s idea as a “cockroach” theory, though the insect is wrong. Bernhard Schmidt thought the word defied Greek explanation. The form karkántsalos, used by Greeks in Stenimachos (Bulgaria) for a “mischievous demon,” points to the Albanian karkantšolji (“gypsy ghost”), borrowed from Turkish kara-kondjolos (“werewolf, vampire”). This Turkish-Albanian origin was endorsed by Albanologist Maximilian Lambertz.
In Greek folklore, the kallikantzaroi spend their time underground sawing the trunk of the world tree. When the cut is nearly through, Christmas dawns, and they forget their work to come above ground.
Quick Facts
- Aka
- karakoncolos, karakondžula, karakondzhol
- Grouping
- Folklore
- Sub Grouping
- Goblin
- Details
- Shape-shifting
- Country
- Greece, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania
- Region
- Southeastern Europe
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Kallikantzaroi are believed to dwell underground, spending most of their time trying to saw down the giant tree that holds the Earth, so that it will collapse. However, when the final part of the trunk is about to be sawed, Christmas dawns and they come to the surface, forgetting the tree and bringing trouble to mortals by playing pranks: they come down the chimney, urinate on the fireplace, befoul food, water, or wine, spoil milk, break furniture, devour Christmas pork, and terrorize people. On Epiphany (6 January), the sun starts moving again, and they must return underground to continue sawing, only to find the tree has healed, forcing them to start over annually.
There is no standard description of their appearance; regional variations describe them as enormous or diminutive, black and hairy with burning red eyes, goats' or donkeys' ears, tongues that hang out, beastly limbs and paws, and often male with prominent sexual organs. Alternate descriptions depict them as squint-eyed, one-eyed, blind, lame-legged, knock-kneed, or reverse-footed. The most common belief is that they are ugly goblins with horns and a long black tail, or small black creatures resembling little black devils. In Chios, according to Leo Allatius, the shaggy-looking kallikantzaroi roamed during the 12-day Christmas season, slashing victims with sharp claws and asking 'Tow or lead?'—if the latter answer is given, the person is crushed. Protection methods include leaving a sieve to distract the creature into counting holes (it cannot pronounce three), or leaving out tangled hemp to count until cockcrow. A child born on Christmas Eve in Zakynthos is said to become a skalikántzaros, able to transform during the Christmas season in adulthood.
Reader's Guide
The kallikantzaros holds significance in modern Greek folklore as a seasonal demon whose annual cycle mirrors the winter solstice and the Christian twelve days of Christmas. Its lore is tied to ancient winter festivals: one theory connects it to the masquerades of the ancient winter festival of Dionysus (Dionysia), whose masked parties and fright-causing antics may have inspired the goblin. Another view, subscribed to by Allatius, sees it as a folkloric nightmare that presses or rides people, constrained to yuletide. The creature's equivalents across Bulgarian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Cypriot, and Turkish folklore indicate a widespread regional belief. Its legacy includes apotropaic practices such as burning the Yule log, throwing foul-smelling shoes or salt into the fireplace, marking doors with a black cross, burning incense, or hanging a pig's lower jaw behind the door or in the chimney. Bribes of desserts and honey cakes are placed to lure the spirit away, and in Cyprus, eggs, sausages, or pancakes are put out on Epiphany. The etymology remains disputed, with proposed derivations from 'centaur' or 'kantharos' (beetle or vase), but the word may defy Greek explanation, possibly originating from Turkish-Albanian terms meaning 'black bloodsucker' or 'werewolf'.
Did You Know?
- Kallikantzaroi spend most of the year underground sawing the tree that supports the Earth, but emerge during the twelve days of Christmas.
- A child born on Christmas Eve in Zakynthos is believed to become a skalikántzaros in adulthood.
- The creature cannot pronounce the number three, so leaving a sieve distracts it into counting holes endlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kallikantzaros?
Kallikantzaros is a malevolent goblin from modern Greek folklore, notorious for its deep hostility toward people. It spends the majority of the year hidden beneath the earth, only breaking the surface during the festive Christmas season.
What is Kallikantzaros doing underground for most of the year?
For the bulk of the year, the creature dwells beneath the ground and busies itself sawing at the great tree that supports the Earth. This endless labor keeps it occupied until the Christmas period arrives.
When does Kallikantzaros surface and what does it do?
The creature emerges during the twelve days of Christmas, running from December 25 through January 6. Once above ground, it dedicates itself to causing mischief and trouble for humans until Theophany.
Are there similar creatures in other cultures?
Yes—closely related beings appear across the Balkans and beyond, including the Bulgarian karakondžul, the Serbian karakondžula, the Albanian karkanxholl, and the Turkish karakoncolos. These figures share the same general profile of a mischievous, subterranean goblin tied to the winter holiday period.
How does the Kallikantzaros cycle end?
The creature's twelve-day reign of havoc concludes on January 6, the feast of Theophany (Epiphany). At that point it retreats back underground to resume its endless sawing of the world tree until the following Christmas.
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