Mythological & Legendary Figures Codexery

Krampus

Horned companion of Saint Nicholas who punishes naughty children.

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On the night of 5 December, a horned, hairy, anthropomorphic figure from Central and Eastern Alpine folklore accompanies Saint Nicholas.[1] Saint Nicholas gives small gifts to well-behaved children, while badly behaved ones receive punishment from Krampus in the form of birch rods.[1] The old German word "Krampen," meaning claw, is the source of the name Krampus.[2]

Key facts and history

Krampus is typically portrayed with horns, one human foot and one goat's foot, black hair, and a long tongue resembling a snake's.[3] The chains Krampus carries are believed to represent the Christian Church's binding of the Devil, and he shakes them noisily for effect.[4] Because it was considered inappropriate for a saint like Nicholas to administer punishments, Krampus was assigned as his helper in the 17th century.[5] After the 1932 election in Austria, the Dollfuss regime prohibited the Krampus tradition.[6]

A revival of Krampus celebrations gained popularity near the end of the 20th century and persists into the present.[7] Bavaria is also experiencing a revival of the Krampus tradition, alongside a local craft of hand-carved wooden masks.[8] Folklore in Austria, Bavaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Northern Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia includes the figure of Krampus.[9] In Styria, Krampus gives families a bundle of birch rods that are then painted gold and kept on display all year as a reminder for children.[10]

What the cited sources add

A 2008 Der Spiegel Online article explains that Krampus reintroduces punishment to Christmas, threatening naughty children with consequences worse than a lump of coal.[2] According to the same 2008 Der Spiegel Online article, in certain towns children must run a Krampus-gauntlet, avoiding swats from tree branches.[2] Vizor, in a 2024 Mad About Horror article, describes Krampus as a devil-like being with horns, cloven hooves, fangs, and wild eyes, and says his origins are rooted in pagan winter solstice traditions.[11] Vizor additionally states that during the early modern period, the Catholic Church tried to prohibit Krampus.[11]

Little's article also states that early 20th-century Krampus cards depict him not only punishing children but also proposing to women.[12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Billock, "The Origin of Krampus, Europe's Evil Twist on Santa", Smithsonian Magazine; "Krampus Definition, History, & Facts Britannica", britannica.com, 2023-10-20 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Run, Kris Kringle, Krampus is Coming!", Der Spiegel Online, 2 December 2008. facts only, no text reused. spiegel.de
  3. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vizor, "The Dark Origins of Krampus: Europe’s Ancient Christmas Demon", Mad About Horror, 2024-12-05 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gatzke, "Krampus? Who's That?", The Vienna Review, 1 December 2009; Bruce, "The Krampus in Styria", Folklore, March 1958, p. 44–47 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Run, Kris Kringle, Krampus is Coming!", Der Spiegel Online, 2 December 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Krampus disliked in Fascist Austria; Genial Black and Red Devil, Symbol of Christmas Fun, Is Frowned Upon", The New York Times, 23 December 1934 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Throw Out Krampus", 7 December 1953, p. 41; Silver, "Merry Krampus?", NGM Blog Central, 30 November 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Olsen, "In Bavaria, Krampus Catches the Naughty", The New York Times, 21 December 2014; Alexandra, "Santa’s evil sidekick? Who knew?", Reuters, 6 December 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Williams, "Celebrating Life Customs around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerals", ABC-CLIO, 2016, p. 222 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Krampus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bruce, "The Krampus in Styria", Folklore, March 1958, p. 44–47 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Vizor, "The Dark Origins of Krampus: Europe’s Ancient Christmas Demon", Mad About Horror, 2024-12-05. facts only, no text reused. madabouthorror.co.uk
  12. Little, "Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children: The Alpine legend is the original bad Santa", History, 5 December 2018. facts only, no text reused. history.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Krampus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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