Krampus: The Sinister Sidekick of Santa
A look at one of the lesser known aspects of Christmas-time. Beware, boys and girls, for if you are naughty you may receive a visit from the Krampus! He has a whip and he isn’t afraid to use it!
Would you threaten your kids with a visit from the above if they misbehave? When children are bad these days that usually means that they are threatened with no presents when Santa Claus does his rounds. Punishment enough, one might think. Some cultures, however, had less lenient methods of dealing with errant offspring. One such deterrent was that Krampus might pay them a visit. Think of the Grinch with a really, really bad temper and you are getting close. Add some horns and more than a dash of an Orc from Lord of the Rings and you are just about there! He has been around for a long time and, as the old postcard below shows, he isn’t someone you would really like to bump in to on a dark night!
In Europe, he began to gain popularity (if that’s what you can call it!) outside of remote isolated Alpine areas due in part to the popularity of Christmas cards portraying him in the late nineteenth and earl twentieth centuries. Above is just one example of many from that period. As you can see below, the image of Krampus has changed little over the years. However, if anything he has become even scarier!
But where did the legend of the Krampus originate? The word itself comes from ‘krampen’ and is from Old High German. It means claw. Krampus is an incubus who accompanies Santa Claus, but does not follow the old man’s prerogative of present giving. An incubus is a demon in male form which visits sleepers and lies upon them (the word comes from the Latin ‘incubo’ which is to lie on top). The Krampus is not your common or garden night rapist, however: his brief is to punish the children who have misbehaved during the year. Below, in this early twentieth century postcard, you can see the whip (or Virgacs) he would carry with him. Any guesses what this pair of minor miscreants are getting for Christmas?
The Krampus legend originates in the Germanic alpine regions and is widespread throughout Austria, Hungary, Bavaria, Friul and Slovenia. A horned deity supposedly roamed the forest in pre-Christian Europe. Once a certain person died on a certain cross then this pagan ‘deity’ was deemed evil. Both Santa Klaus and Krampus are descended from these old myths – the yin and yang of the winter period. Krampus is Santa’s ‘evil twin’ and although the still has the ability to put fear in to hearts, there have been attempts to make him a little more friendly to modern city dwellers, as the card below from the nineteen twenties shows!
In Austria particularly, Krampus Night (‘Krampusnacht’) is still vigorously celebrated on the eve of Saint Nicholas’ Day (6th December). Young men (and today some women even!) dress up as Krampus and go through the streets of towns – their primary aim to frighten young children. It is quite likely that they frighten a number of adults as well, however!
Needless to say, this is Europe and the twenty first century. The Krampus tradition, whilst once done with a modicum of sobriety is now used as an enormously great excuse to get completely inebriated. Think of it as an old Europe version of Spring Break but, alcohol aside, with slightly different preoccupations and – of course – at a different time of year. Very well, just think of it as an excuse for young people to behave badly. So the world turns!
An enormous amount of effort goes in to the making of the costumes and masks for this ‘festival’. Many of the young people going to the ‘party’ live in fairly isolated rural communities and this is their opportunity to let their hair down, put their horns up and burn off an enormous amount of steam.
There is high regional diversity – because of the isolation of alpine communities. In Bavarian traditions he is the “Wilde Mann” (nothing to do with Oscar, I can assure you!) and Knecht Rupert elsewhere but the tradition of punishment persists throughout. In the Hungary of the industrial revolution, the legend was softened somewhat. There he is seen as a mischief maker rather than evil and wears a black suit, with our contemporary idea of a suave but nevertheless silly devil fully to the fore. Here, he often carries a Virgacs, which is a set of twigs bound together, which children might get if they misbehave, but only as an accompaniment to their real presents!
The largest celebration is in the town of Schladming in Austria. Over a thousand Krampus gather. They carry sticks and light whips to punish those who have misbehaved often targeting, in particular, the young ladies of the town. Many of the young women of the town chose to stay at home on this night, the Germanic predilection for a good whipping being somewhat exaggerated! Some are brave enough to venture out, but they remain wary of any approaches by Krampus!
The masks are mostly wooden, even though they bear a startling similarity to some of the rubber prosthetics used in Hollywood films – to equally scary effect. The outer garments are made from black sheep’s skin and the horns – yes, regrettably, come from the same animal. Whether the celebrants have made a promise that ‘no animals were hurt in the production of’ is anyone’s guess, but you might have to be something of an optimist to believe that the sheep went to the costume department willingly!
The festival is gaining popularity in other, surprising, parts of the world where people are tiring of the hijacking of the festive season by multinationals out to make a quick buck. There seems so little Christianity left, for the most part, in the mass celebration of the festive season that people are reverting to pagan tradition. That it ties in nicely with the goth aesthetics of our day is, inevitably, one of the reasons for its growing popularity around the world. You can even celebrate Krampusnacht at the Peacock Lounge in San Francisco: perhaps it’s something to do with the hills!
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User Comments
s hayes
On November 30, 2008 at 7:13 am
How fascinating – never heard of this character before – the anti-santa – excellent article
Jasin
On November 30, 2008 at 7:13 am
Wow, nice article, I love those kinds of old tales.
CHAN LEE PENG
On November 30, 2008 at 7:28 am
Your articles always deliver me amazement! Well done, my friend!
Allison Jae
On November 30, 2008 at 7:31 am
I’m a sucker for a pretty face.
Patrick Bernauw
On November 30, 2008 at 7:45 am
Krampus rocks!
Joe Poniatowski
On November 30, 2008 at 8:57 am
Well, this is just creepy.
R J Grant
On November 30, 2008 at 8:59 am
I didn’t know who he was but I think I hit the bars (pubs) with this guy once.
Interesting article.
Grant
Juancav
On November 30, 2008 at 9:02 am
Fortunately,I did not know Krampus.Thank you.
The Quail
On November 30, 2008 at 9:44 am
awesome interesting chaacter as well.
Lauren Axelrod
On November 30, 2008 at 10:45 am
This guy is scary. I may need to shape up for the holidays so I don’t get a visit.
joystick7
On November 30, 2008 at 11:37 am
They were indeed scaaaryyy.
Paula Mitchell Bentley
On November 30, 2008 at 11:43 am
I had to keep covering the monitor when my toddler ran by. Scary stuff indeed! Great job.
Pam Smith
On November 30, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I loved this. But I wonder if the threat of it would have the same impact on our little darlings as it once would have done. Still, a thoroughly enjoyable piece.
Nelson Doyle
On November 30, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hi R J -
Excellent creepy article. That would have made an outstanding Halloween costume.
Stumbling this.
God Bless,
Nelson Doyle
MJPatrick
On November 30, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Scary mask, great write and enjoyed the read.
lindalulu
On November 30, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I have never heard of this character before, scary and creepy, but great write.
Matt John
On November 30, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Very scary and good article too.
Lost in Arizona
On November 30, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Okay, first thing.. ahhhhh! Holy frijoles, I think I just peed myself. This brings back childhood memories I thought I had repressed..lol! Not the krampen! It’s one thing to tell a kid that if you’re bad, the krampen is coming for you. But since I was always bad, you can kinda get the idea of how often I grew up hearing stories about this creature who came after bad children… You’d think I would have been better behaved…lol! Thanks for the journey down memory lane RJ. ;P
eddiego65
On December 1, 2008 at 8:20 am
Very frightening character! Great article.
Michelle
On December 1, 2008 at 10:33 am
I cannot tell you how excited I was to see this post. I lived in Southern Germany for 8 years (Garmisch to be exact). Whenever I try to explain what happens when this time of year comes around, no one believes me. Yes, it is yet another reason to fill a mass and drink, but it is also one of the most fun, yet scary Christmas traditions. The town that I went to for Krampus is Berchtesgaden. There are several “hordes” of Krampus (you can hear them coming as they have HUGE cowbells) that roam the town over, looking for people to whip. Yes, I said whip (made from long willow branches braided together). The point is to whip the bad out in order to let the good in. St. Nicolaus also roams the town with a band of merriment men (elves). So, imagine this…..every bar in town is packed with people, drinking and being merry….there are gluwein stands everywhere (alcoholic of course)….you hear the bells, you know they are coming….you try to hide behind others, so you don’t get picked to be whipped, but you cannot help by watch as others get the crap whipped out of them (I can tell you stories that involve blood and jeans…)…then you go back to drinking and having a good time. Now, if you do happen to be chosen, they are supposed to “mark” you with black soot to show that you have already received your beating, but that tends to make you a target for others. For woman, the name of the game is to snag the whips from the Krampus. I’m sure you can imagine what can be done (lots of kissing under costumes). All in all, it is a fun tradition to witness, just beware of the whips! I miss living in Germany….
Michele Cameron Drew
On December 1, 2008 at 1:10 pm
This is a very unusual and interesting tradition. I am truly amazed that I have been completely unaware of this tradition my entire life. Great article, nicely written, informative and very well presented.
-M
Kim Buck
On December 1, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Um, I think I like the good ole’ American Santa. I won’t be leaving this country any time soon.
RJ Chamberlain
On December 1, 2008 at 11:55 pm
This was a great article. Had no idea of anyone or anything to do with Krampus. Hes one scary dude. Um I think Santa could take him down if that was what was needed!
christaann
On December 2, 2008 at 8:17 am
I’d never heard of Krampus, seeing this reminded me of a movie that Mystery Science Theater 3000 got hold of, called Santa Claus. The devil in that movie resembled the old drawings of Krampus.
Hein Marais
On December 2, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Fascinating!
C Jordan
On December 2, 2008 at 8:33 pm
He can keep his hands away from my Christmas stockings!
Spacedoubt
On December 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I was wondering where my ex had gone to.
Kyle
On December 5, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I too am familiar with this character from my childhood…we called him Nickelous (NICK-oh-lous). Nasty fellow….but his visit always ended with a bag full of candy. It was a good way to extort good behavior out of my brothers and I around the holidays.
My son, however, will not be subjected to the same torture I was.
Amit Goyal
On December 7, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Blogged!
http://webonasia.blogspot.com/2008/12/krampus-sinister-sidekick-of-santa.html
..and I used to think a lump of coal for Christmas would suck.
Ashley Ann
On December 11, 2008 at 10:43 am
omg i am so using this on my nephew when he’s bad for me…
Neil
On December 12, 2008 at 1:09 am
In Hungary (and probably elsewhere in central Europe) it’s common to give children bundles of twigs, painted gold. They look a lot like the “whips” in the old greeting cards above. They used to be the equivalent of a lump of coal in your stocking, but now they’re just part of the tradition of St Nicholas’ Day (Dec 6). Even better, sparklers are sold for this holiday too!
Glynis Smy
On December 14, 2008 at 11:10 am
I return to the UK and find Santa is …well not what I thought! Great article!!
Christoph Erhard
On December 15, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I’m from originally Austria & I used to be a Krampus. I now live in the US [Seattle] – but before becoming a Krampus I spent many years as a child being chased around town as the pray of the masked hords with their chains & long whips. It is one of the scariest experiences you can have as a child growing up in Austria – but we sought it out to prove our bravery to our friends – and it is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes – because the danger in quite real – once they saw my friends & me – they would start chasing us – we were the little guys & they were the big teenagers & adults dressed up as demons – they don’t let up – we would jump fences & run through backyards & they would jump right after us – we would split up & they would too – if you can’t make it into a pub [kids can go anywhere in Austria - but wont be served] or find a hiding place – they would catch up & you usually get a pretty good whipping around your legs – and yes – it hurts & it’s totally scary – but in the end you figure out a way to reunite your group of friends while not being caught again – but then the chase starts all over – in the end it’s a great adventure you share the next day in school & for years to come – I can never forget that thrill as a child. Later I dressed as a Krampus & chased the kids – but it’s not as exiting because there is no danger when you’re a Krampus – it’s much more fun being the chased ~
Virginia Wolfe
On December 16, 2008 at 8:24 am
oh my, and i thought that i was mad about the little lies that i was told!
and to Christoph Erhard, i am so glad that you can share your story of being chased with amusement. if that had happened to me i would still be scared. lol
Vanessa in SF
On December 16, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I think that would scare the bejeezus outta me – i would be one of the gals who stays home that night! knowing my mom she would’ve had me out as a child to get scared into being a good kid! tee hee!
Nina Colada
On December 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I’m Austrian and quite familiar with the Krampus, since I got beaten up by him several times in my childhood.
no severe damage done, though.
Nevertheless, I must point out something here: Krampus is not the buddy of Santa Claus (we don’t have a Santa Claus bringing us presents on Christmas day, our presents are brought by the so called “Christkind” (a mixture of Baby Jesus and an angel)) – Krampus is the evil side kick of Saint Nicholas, coming to our homes on the 5th and/or 6th of December. St. Nicholas looks quite like Santa Claus, only a bit taller and skinnier, with a high, pointy hat…
There is a movie by Cameron Jamie called “Kranky Claus” in which he films Krampus rituals in Austria, accompanying those legendary demons on their nightmarish pre-Christmas tour, thrashing frightened children.
Although, correctly speaking, what he filmed was not Krampus but the “Perchten” – yet another bunch of scary creatures – they look quite like Krampus but form part of a different ritual… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchta
bjoern
On December 19, 2008 at 2:38 pm
cool article. I enjoyed the pictures very much. I had heard about krampus in my german classes before, but i had never realized that it was so popular.
Krampus
On January 19, 2009 at 7:24 am
I like these European traditions. Pity we don’t have such things in England but England is more like the third world now so I guess we won’t.
Shay Mouse in Ireland
On March 16, 2009 at 6:44 am
Ten years ago I found one of the worlds best kept tourist secrets, Germany! I’ve been back to the Germanic parts of Europe at least twice a year since. Last year we travelled to St. Johann im Pongau for the Perchtenlauf, it was fantastic.
This year we will fly to Munich to travel out to see Krampus/Perchten. I know it takes place on the night of the 5th of December. What I don’t know is where the larger events are.
If anybody out there has good information on where to head for please post a reply.
Thanks
Shay
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