Mind on Fire Books

The customs of the holiday season, which include St. Nicholas Day, New Years Day, and Epiphany, as well as Christmas, often incorporate earlier pagan traditions that have been appropriated and adapted for contemporary use. Customs that encourage little children to be good so as to deserve their Christmas gifts often come with a dark side: the punishment you’ll receive from a monster or evil being of some sort if you aren’t good! These nefarious characters vary from place to place, including the 8 legendary ones, and they go by many different names and images.

1. KRAMPUS

Santa rewards good behavior in children, while Krampus deters it. Krampus is Santa’s evil counterpart or twin. Costume designs vary by region and available materials, depicting him as a devil or alpine beast. Celebrated on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, Krampus Night features public festivities with Krampuses patrolling streets to frighten people. This tradition has spread beyond Europe, with many American cities now hosting Krampus Nights.

2. JÓLAKÖTTURINN

A representation of Jólakötturinn in IcelandATLI HARÐARSON

Jólakötturinn is the Icelandic Yule Cat, a fearsome creature. He might eat you if you’re lazy. According to Icelandic tradition, those who finished their work on time received new clothes for Christmas, while the lazy ones did not. Parents told the tale of the Yule Cat to encourage children to work hard, explaining that Jólakötturinn could identify lazy children by their lack of new clothing. These children would then be sacrificed to the Yule Cat. This story motivates children to do their chores. A poem about the cat suggests that children help the needy, so they, too, can have new clothing’s protection. No wonder Icelanders work more overtime than most Europeans.

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3. FRAU PERCHTA

In Germany and Austria, tales sometimes feature a witch named Frau Perchta. She rewards and punishes during the 12 days of Christmas (December 25 through Epiphany on January 6). Known for her gruesome punishment, she rips out your organs and replaces them with garbage. Her ugly image may appear in Austrian Christmas processions, similar to Krampus.

Perchta’s story likely descended from a legendary Alpine goddess of nature, who tends the forest most of the year and interacts with humans only during Christmas. In modern celebrations, Perchta or a relative may appear in Fastnacht processions before Lent. There might be a connection between Frau Perchta and the Italian witch La Befana, but La Befana isn’t truly a monster. She’s an ugly yet kind witch who leaves presents.

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4. BELSNICKEL

Belsnickel is a male character from southwestern German lore who traveled to the United States and survives in Pennsylvania Dutch customs. He comes to children sometime before Christmas, wearing tattered old clothing and raggedy fur. Belsnickel carries a switch to frighten children and candy to reward them for good behavior. In modern visits, the switch is only used for noise, and to warn children they still have time to be good before Christmas. Then all the children get candy, if they are polite about it. The name Belsnickel is a portmanteau of the German belzen (meaning to wallop) and nickel for St. Nicholas.

Knecht Ruprecht and Ru Klaas are similar characters from German folklore who dole out beatings to bad children, leaving St. Nicholas to reward good children with gifts.

5. HANS TRAPP

Hans Trapp is an “anti-Santa” who punishes bad children in Alsace and Lorraine, France. Legend says Trapp was a real man—rich, greedy, and evil—who worshiped Satan and was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He was exiled to the forest, where he preyed on children, disguised as a scarecrow with straw in his clothing. Just as he was about to eat a boy he captured, lightning struck and killed him, a punishment from God. Still, he visits children before Christmas, dressed as a scarecrow, to scare them into good behavior.

6. PÈRE FOUETTARD

The French legend of Père Fouettard, whose name translates to “Father Whipper,” begins with an evil butcher who craved children to eat. He (or his wife) lured three boys into his butcher shop, where he killed, chopped, and salted them. St. Nicholas came to the rescue, resurrected the boys, and took custody of the butcher. The captive butcher became Père Fouettard, St. Nicholas’ servant whose job it is to dispense punishment to bad children on St. Nicholas Day.

7. THE YULE LADS

The Jólasveinar, or Yule Lads, are 13 Icelandic trolls with unique names and personalities. They used to steal and cause trouble around Christmastime, scaring children into behaving, like the Yule Cat. However, in the 20th century, the benevolent Norwegian figure Julenisse (Santa Claus) emerged, bringing gifts to good children. Traditions mingled, and the once devilish Jólasveinar became kind, leaving gifts in the shoes of well-behaved children.

8. GRÝLA

All the Yule Lads answer to Grýla, their mother. She predates them in Icelandic legend as the ogress who kidnaps, cooks, and eats disobedient children. She only became associated with Christmas in the 17th century when she was made the mother of the Yule Lads. Legend says Grýla had three husbands and 72 children, causing trouble from mischief to murder. The Yule Cat also lives with Grýla, making the household even more crowded. This ogress is such a troublemaker that The Onion blamed her for the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption.

Thank you for visiting with us. For more Reviews, visit our blog at The Ritual.

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