Krampusnacht The Pagan Christmas
The tradition of Krampus, a half-demon creature The Krampus tradition still survives in the folklore of Eastern and Central Europe.
It is about the figure of half-goat/half-demon monsters that punish misbehaving children during Advent time.
Krampusnacht The Pagan Christmas
They usually come together with St. Nicholas on the evening of December 5th (“Krampusnacht” or “Krampus Night”). St. Nicholas rewards good children with sweet gifts. Krampus scare bad ones with branches, sticks, and even latches!!!!!
The name “Krampus” probably comes from the German word “Krampen”, which means “claw.” It may have a connection with rituals that pagans made on the occasion of the winter solstice.
Krampus is the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld. With the spread of Christianity, people associated Krampus with Christmas. The Catholic Church made many efforts to erase this habit, but it failed.
The most typical event is the annual “Krampuslauf” or “Krampus run”. In early December, young men with Krampus masks run into cities and scare children and spectators.
They wear impressive devil masks with the horns of a goat and carry chains, that symbolize their connection with the Devil. They thrash them for dramatic effect.
The chains are accompanied by bells of various sizes. Krampus bring also the “rute” (some birch branches) and, sometimes, have sacks or baskets on their backs. They may use them to hit and take away children!!!!! So be prepared if you want to assist in a “Krampus run”!!!!
Krampus tradition is surviving in the folklore of Austria, South Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Northern Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In Bavaria, artists have begun to create hand-carved wooden masks to dress up Krampus. In 2019 some Krampus got drunk and caused disorders in Austrian cities.
Krampusnacht The Pagan Christmas
In the last years, people from many countries started recognizing the figure of Krampus. It has become part of American popular culture. Many horror films focus on their unique beauty and originality.
Do you like Krampus and Masks? Watch this video by Edgar Allan Poets
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