The Legend of Krampus

[00:00:00] From the darkest reaches of space, to the deepest corners of your mind, welcome to From The Void. I'll bet if I asked you if you were familiar with Saint Nicholas, or what we commonly refer to him as Santa Claus, you'd probably have heard of him.

[00:00:55] But have you ever heard of his evil counterpart Krampus? Well if you've been naughty this year, even a little bit, you might want to make sure you're informed. The exact details when it comes to the origins of the legend of Krampus are a little murky,

[00:01:11] but likely date back to pre-Germanic paganism in the Austrian and surrounding Alpine region. The name itself originates from the German word Krampen, which means claw. There's also some debate over whether he is in fact the son of the Norse god of the underworld, hell.

[00:01:28] His appearance also varies from region to region, but the consistent themes in his appearance are the devilish horns, long snake-like tongue, body covered in coarse fur, and the appearance of a goat crossed with a demon.

[00:01:42] Now I'm not entirely sure what a demon is supposed to look like, but the images of Krampus are quite creepy. The descriptions of Krampus would also evolve over time with the spread of Christianity, no doubt influencing certain aspects of his appearance.

[00:01:58] The addition of chains and bells around his arms and body are thought to perhaps be Christian attempts to evoke the binding of the devil. Krampus also starts carrying a basket with which he is said to carry children off to hell.

[00:02:13] Although the initial origins of Krampus had no connection to Christmas, Krampus quickly became known as the mirror opposite of St. Nicholas. On December 5th, or Krampus knocked the night before the feast of St. Nicholas, Krampus would

[00:02:28] join St. Nicholas as he would reward the good children by sticking candy into their shoes. Krampus, however, would come to punish the naughty children. He was known to carry a birch stick which he used to beat the misbehaved children with, and that's if you were lucky.

[00:02:45] That was getting off light. If you were really naughty, Krampus would stuff you in a sack or a basket and take you away. After that your fate was anyone's guess. You could end up being eaten, drowned in a river, or even dropped off in hell.

[00:03:03] Krampus is the yin to San Isiang. Over time there have been attempts to eradicate the legend of Krampus. During the 12th century the Catholic Church attempted to banish Krampus celebrations because of his resemblance to the devil.

[00:03:19] In the 1920s and 30s, Austria's conservative Christian Social Party attempted to eradicate all things Krampus, but Krampus would live on. Today, Krampus has his own celebration on December 5th, the day before the feast of St. Nicholas.

[00:03:35] And on that evening, celebrants can be seen dressed up as both St. Nick and Krampus, looking around town offering up gifts and treats, and exchanging Krampus greeting cards. The newer generations can be seen running around town, swatting the legs of town folk and

[00:03:51] visitors alike with birch branches just as the legend portrays. Local artists carve intricate Krampus masks, often taking months to complete. So Krampus is alive and well, and celebrations can be found in places like Austria, Bavaria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and even the United States.

[00:04:12] So from Austria and the annual Krampus Parade to celebrations in Orlando, Florida, Krampus has made a sort of comeback. There have even been comic books made about him and recently a movie. So naughty kids beware, for Krampus may be coming for you.

[00:04:30] And it is said you can hear his soft footsteps of his bare human foot alternating with the clip-clop of his cloven hoof. Merry Christmas everyone, we'll see you next year. Sleep tight.