In a previous blog post, I discussed a holiday tradition
that I grew up with: the
celebration of St. Nicholas. I have
very fond memories of this holiday, and I look forward to celebrating it in
some capacity in the future. What I do
not remember, because I do not recall being exposed to it, is the corresponding
celebration observed in conjunction with the St. Nicholas holiday: Krampus. Krampus has gained popularity in American
culture, particularly given the recent release of a movie of the same title,
but I wanted to learn more about this holiday and the entity surrounding
it. Therefore, this blog post is
dedicated to discussing the origins of Krampus and the holiday traditions
corresponding with him.
 |
| Figure 1: Krampus (Image Source: National Geographic) |
The name Krampus is derived from the term krampen,
which is German for claw. He is depicted as a beastly creature that is
covered in thick fur, bares sharp teeth, and has long sharp horns and claws (Figure 1). Krampus is associated with Norse mythology,
although he is largely identified in cultures throughout southwestern and
southeastern Europe, which is far from where the Norse originally existed. It is believed he originated from other
mythos, as well, such as ancient Greek myths that have several different
fantastical creatures that could have been drawn upon for the creation of
Krampus.
Krampus is the dark
counterpart of St. Nicholas. Whereas St.
Nicholas is meant to reward good children with gifts in early December Krampus
is meant to punish the deviant ones. He
does this by capturing the awful children, whipping them with a switch, and/or taking
them deep into the underworld where they are never heard from again. This horrific end may have been why my
parents shielded me from such tales as I was prone to fits of fear over the
littlest thing, and if you think about the depictions of Krampus and his goals
you cannot really blame them.
 |
| Figure 2: Krampuslauf (Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine) |
Krampusnacht,
or Krampus Night, is celebrated by European adults who don Krampus costumes and
walk in the Krampuslauf, which either takes the form of a run or
a parade (Figure 2). Adults participate by drinking
and celebrating the coming of Krampus.
It is unclear as to why specifically adults embrace this aspect of the
holiday, but it may be a way to vent frustrations associated with the holiday
season, which always in one respect or another has been a bit stressful. In this way, Krampus may be the opportunity
for adults to vent their frustrations or do away with the responsibilities
associated with strict religion restrictions associated with the holiday
season.
Bibliography
Basu, T. 2013. Who Is Krampus? Explaining the Horrific Christmas Devil. National Geographic Magazine.
No Author. 2011. Who in Hell is Krampus? Krampus.com
No Author. No Date. Krampus Is Coming: Bavaria's Scary Christmas Tradition. The Local.
55 comments:
When I read some of your blog postings I feel as though I live in a dark cave somewhere, or have lived a far too sheltered life. I have never heard of Krampus, I also did not even know there was a movie about it, but I am certainly intrigued. This European holiday seems like a comparison to Saint Patrick's Day. You wear certain items and find a reason to drink and parade the streets. It may also be another way for us as parents to scare the heck out of our children. We already instill to them that if they are bad Santa (or Saint Nicholas) will not visit them with rewards, but this adds a whole new level implying that a demon looking animal will come to horrify them instead.
Michelle Amos (ANTH 205)
Don't feel bad, Michelle. I grew up in Germany in a German-American household. I celebrated many German traditions growing up, but I don't recall Krampus at all. The first recollection I have is in my adulthood. My friends asked me about it and I thought they were referring to PMS or something (because of the cramps). ;)
This was a very fun read, it is very interesting to me that parents in a different country tell their children this story during the holidays. While we Americans are celebrating a jolly old friend dropping off goodies to all the good boys and girls; Europeans are celebrating a devious beastly creature picking up all their bad children and punishing them harshly. I find this comical that these two traditions are practiced at the same time of the year and the stories are polar opposites of one another. I would have been terrified if my parents warned me of a beastly animal coming for the bad kids and taking them away forever. Ironically I also remember that my siblings and I were normally less obedient around the holidays due to the building anticipation of Santa's arrival. I also find it very entertaining to think of parents celebrating the arrival of Krampus, the hairy monster coming for their children. It sounds like a fun way to release some holiday frustrations.
Shannon Carroll
Anth 101
I believe that some cultures around the world have different characters who punishes children for have misbehaved, in contrast to those character who rewards the well-behaved with gifts. When I was kid I had some character called in spanish el coco. A imaginary guy if I misbehaved he goes to take me. Now Krampus look interested for me and I want to watch the movie.
Eliana Llanos
Anth 101
I had never heard of the term Krampus before the movie came out, which I still have not gotten around to watching. I like the idea of a counterpart St. Nicholas because the Christmas season has never been one I am fond of but it is a little scary to think about. I know of the whole bad children get coal thing but to get taken to an underworld never to be heard from again is a bit extreme, which is probably why most American adults neglect telling their children this. On another note, I can only imagine what kind of pub crawl Reno could come up with if they knew about this.
Before I read this blog post, I had no idea who Krampus is and I've never seen the movie. I think this is a little too disturbing for children but at the same time, many children who misbehave would probably display better behavior. Saint Nicholas is celebrated more in American culture, where the children who misbehave gets coal in their stockings. Krampus Night sounds similar to the Santa Crawl but people dress up as Santa and his elves.
I was unaware who Krampus is. It is always interesting to learn about different cultures. I do not think this is something that children should take part in. I feel like if I was a kid and was told about Krampus I would be extremely scared. But I do think it is important to keep traditions in cultures. If you think about there are children songs that are a little disturbing such as " ring around the Rosie". As I get older I have realized how some of the things we teach our children are actually not really fit for children but they have been around for years. It is part of our cultures.
Leslie Milton
Anthropology 101
Course 3001
This is kind of comical to me, the fact that adults celebrate and drink to this creepy idea while children literally fear for their lives. This is a scare tactic to get kids to listen to their parents. Harsh? Yes, I think this Krampus story is really extreme and would scare me enough to follow the rules set by my parents... but I think that's the point.
That is awesome! I think I would side with your parents by not telling my children about Krampus. I like that there is an opposite side to the story. I've participated in many "Santa crawls" during holiday celebrations, maybe next year is time for a Krampus costume!
The first time I heard of Krampus was by the mention of its film release. As a reader of this blog (within the voraciousness the deadline has demanded), I feel that it's quite interesting to see your parents withholding Krampus from your childhood but seemingly fostering your interests of mummies in your youth. Even as an adult, confrontations of mortality (mummies) and the possibility of an afterlife (or lack thereof) are equally terrifying to me. (-:
In Mexican culture, "el cucuy" (or 'the boogeyman') exists year-round. Any act of disobidience or misbehavior conjours up a very vocal reminder of his looming "threat". I'm glad to learn that German parents only terrorize their kids for one day out of the year. All Mexican children are indebted to colonialization for the scary lore. Apparently, Portugese and Spanish parents used the lore to cajole their children into becoming active combatants.
This was a great read. I have seen the movie, and I'll admit it was very creepy to me. The idea of children being scared into behaving, though foreign to some, is what I grew up with. Although I was never really told the story of Krampus, there were similar scare tactics that my father used to get to me behave. For instance, I attending the Boys and Girls Club after school for many many years. I enjoyed it and the field trips were something I looked forward to every year. If I did not behave appropriately or acted up, my father would threaten to take away my field trips. Though this is minuscule compared to being threatened with the idea of Krampus, I can see how this did improve my behavior when I was younger.
I learned about this guy in my German class, yeah my teacher said he said that Krampus took the ids to a country (really can't remember what it was called) and that they would have to work there. My dad was born in Austria, so I have to remember to ask my grandma if my dad ever was bad enough for Krampus to come visit.
Is this like the Christmas movie Krampers? I never understood why he attacked the whole family. It didn't seem everyone was in the wrong nor did it seem everyone was being bad. I never knew Krampers was a myth until reading this, i thought it was just another regular movie.
Aaliyah Caldwell
I also was scared of the dark, especially my parent's basement as a child. I don't remember ever hearing anything about Krampus. I don't think I'll teach my own children this tale either. After toughing through Wal-mart today with a crabby toddler and rude people, I see why some might act in this manner. Though, I'll just drink my wine in the comfort of my home.
I went and saw the movie Krampus but i didn't really understand the meaning behind it (but I did enjoy the movie). And its good to finally know where the origins of it come from.
Thank you for sharing this post. I have NEVER heard of anything like this but it is really interesting. So is Krampus considered demonic since it takes children to the underworld which I assume is hell?
I'm not sure as I never came across anything specifically identifying the underworld as Hell.
LaTroya "Trey" Jamison
This was an very interesting to read. I have heard about Krampus, but I wanted to point out that in the movie they depicted that staying near the fire (or staying near and form of light) would protect you from it, but I wasn't sure if that is considered to be a Hollywood spin or some factual truth.
In the United States as of today is Krampus celebrated throughout the entire country? When reading this blog I found it very interesting. Do you believe the youth today should know about him?
Krampus is a European phenomenon, not an American one, although Americans are adopting him in odd ways. As for youth I would not recommend that he be something that all youth acknowledge and celebrate because that falls within the scope of religion/ideology. I would not ask or expect to force any religious beliefs on anyone, even children, so that would be up to parents on how and to what extent Krampus is celebrated (or feared) in the household. I definitely think it is worthwhile to discuss Krampus and the traditions surrounding him with middle and high school aged children just to increase their cultural awareness, though.
I am a bit confused on whether or not Krampus is supposed to be something good or bad but I see it as a mixture of both when it comes to the celebration behind what is said about Krampus in this article.
Very different from Santa Clause I must say. Krampus the movie was shown in a very different, more of a man figure. Is this associated with any denominations?
Chauntiana Houston
What do you mean by denomination?
I really enjoyed this article. In fact, my mom told me about Krampus as a child before she told me about Santa. She'd always tell my sister and I that Krampus was coming to get us because we snuck and ate Skittles before bed. xD
My culture experiences something similar. he New Yam Festival of the Igbo people is an annual cultural festival by the Igbo people held at the end of the rainy season in early August.Yams are the first crop to be harvested, and are the most important crop of the region. The next day, only dishes of yam are served at the feast, as the festival is symbolic of the abundance of the produce.
Though the style and methods may differ from one community to the next these festivities normally include a variety of entertainments and ceremony, including the performance and cultural dances by Igbo men, women, and their children. The festival features Igbo cultural activities in the form of contemporary shows, masquerade dances, and fashion parade.The invisible masquerades take place at night. Sound is the main tool for them. The masquerader uses his voice to scream so it may be heard throughout the village. The masks used are usually fierce looking and their interpretation is only fully understood by the society members. These invisible masquerades call upon a silent village to strike fear in the hearts of those not initiated into their society.
The invisible masquerades can be broken down into three groups, achikwu ocha/ojii, agu mmuno, and ogbagu. The achikwu ocha (white) masquerade acts as village surveillance. The "entertainment" activities include "singing, joking, and dancing" (Oyeneke 22). Achikwu ojii (black) is the other side of the achikwu ocha masquerade. This is performed not only to protect the village, but also when there is going to be a punishment or execution of a criminal. The second group of invisible masquerades is agu mmuno (leopard spirit). In these masquerades, horrible screaming sounds are produced to create fear. The third group is ogbagu. It is "strictly used for dance entertainment"
I'm having a hard time understanding this one! This is a rather evil idea. The thought of a creature taking you into the underworld, hmmm. Not sure I would ever agree with telling this story to children simply because of how uneasy it makes me feel.
Dalyla Jordan
So now I'm curious as to why Krampus was never involved in the Christmas stories for the "naughty" kids. maybe its to similar to religion?
Well this was absolutely terrifying. Especially the part in the blog post above when it said "Krampus does this by capturing the awful children, whipping them with a switch, and/or taking them deep into the underworld where they are never heard from again." I don't think any child in the world is bad enough to have to experience hearing this story.
-Monique McAllister
These creatures look nasty, and scary. I wouldn't want to see this thing in person. I don't thin I never heard of St. Nicholas holiday but this "Krampus" seems like they should be in a hunted house.
Ive actually heard of this before not sure where exactly. I'm honestly have a tough time understanding this as well and its connection to Christmas. Is this tied to a specific culture or religion.
-Quaylan Jackson
Before this blog post I had never heard of Krampus or have heard of the movie. Krampus whipping kids with a switch, and taking kids deep into the underworld where they are never heard from again makes me glad that I never heard of this. If I ever have kids I'm not sure if I will be introducing them to Krampus. Scary.
Logan Taylor
Akwila Cooks
Wow, wow, wow. I literally watched this movie last year with my mom and before she told me about it I had never heard of it before. Who would ever think there is a bad side of Christmas? It was so crazy and scary actually to think of Christmas that way. I think not a lot of people know what Krampus is.
I never heard of krampus either until the movie came out, wasn't aware there was a history behind it though. Really just sounds like a story some parents came up with to get their kids to behave. Its kind of hard to believe that this "figure" was capturing kids & ive never heard about it before the movie.
I would always be on my best behavior if I would of known about Krampus. As a child if I would experienced it I would no longer enjoy the holiday because the pictures of it look really creepy.
Kenneth Granger
It seems that in within the past 5-7 years that Krampus has become more popular within hollywood. the first time I have ever heard of krampus was off of an American Dad episode, and not too shortly afterwards went and saw the movie featuring Adam Scott.
Krampus seems to be one scary dude. I can not imagine telling my kids this story even if it is to scare them into being good.
When I first read your statement "St. Nicholas is meant to reward good children with gifts in early December Krampus is meant to punish the deviant ones." I thought okay maybe it's like worshipping santa clause, we were told growing up that he rewards the good ones and punishes the bad children by not giving them anything. then I read about him punishing the bad kids by whipping them with switches and my whole imagination changed, I am not sure how I should feel about this post.
apreshana page
Honestly I never even heard of Krampus until now after reading this post. And it is so crazy to me because most people look up to him as a role model . Me personal think he is creepy and scary.
After reading the blog of Saint Nick I wondered if you would post about Krampus even if its a real thing there is a movie based off of this blog or this blog is based off of the movie. This blog was pretty interesting but scary makes think like what if this was real or did parents use the story of Krampus to get their children to be on their best behavior all year around not only when Christmas is approaching i enjoyed this blog post one of the best written yet . - Mykia Chaney
I’ve once started a movie with this creatures name and it was so weird and scary as well. I was confused but this article helped break it down more who this person was and why they were here. I’m still a little curious as to what happened at the end of the movie because it was so crazy at the beginning. - Alexis Buford
After reading this blog,I am a bit confused on whether or not Krampus is supposed to be something good or bad. i understand its a holiday tradition but how does it connect with christmas? the images of the creatures is scary and wired looking.
-Micah Seals
Actually I`ve never heard of krampus or have I seen the movie. After reading this article it does make me a little bit interested in learning more about this.-Tania H
I saw a movie like this once, the same concept just a much more scary tricky story line. Glad a lot of kids don't know about this because i know it would break my heart and make me to scared to go to sleep. - Kayla Johnson
I am not familiar with this “creature”. I have heard the name, probably more so from the movie, but I have never looked into it. The movie is not something that I would necessarily watch so I have not been exposed to this particular topic. I do, however, find it very interesting. Even the origin of the name is interesting to learn.
Kahla Perry
My name is Tonii Saffore. I'm sure that you would have loved to see the look on my face when I realized that Krampus was a real thing! I loved this movie and I would have never thought in a million years that It was based off of a real holiday. I think the movie has set the stage of me actually thinking that this is pretty neat. I kind of feel like this may have been a horrific tactic for parents to use to straighten out their children which is funny but kind of sad at the same time.
I’ve never known of the “ dark side” of Christmas as it’s always seemed as a joyous and boystrous holiday. Krampus really creeped me out because I did find out it was in a sense true to the holiday. However I couldn’t use this method in any instance to help with children’s and the creature alone is someone that sounds like a myth but now I see it different .
-Jazlyn Logan
I never knew there was a dark side of Christmas, i was always under the impression of it being a joyful filled holiday. Learning and reading about Krampus made my skin crawl actually.
-Kyla Thomas
I've never heard of krampus a day in my life. The creepy yet interesting information in this article made me want to research more about it. I found that basically for some, Christmas can be a dark, depressing time and Krampus provides the vocabulary to confront our own darkness.Thats how its used today and its fairly popular. This is not something I would take part in.
-Jasmine Busby
Hi,
I am happy that I was never told about Krampus. I think most kids would be scared to make mistakes if they were told about this character.
Joell Davis
Krampus is not a term I was familiar with, until I read your article. I found interesting that good children were rewarded, while bad children were whipped. I found the whipping of the children to be extreme.
Alliyah Mayweather
I have seen the Krampus movie show up quite a few times, but I have never watched it. I never knew who Krampus was until now. I am glad I have never watched the movie because I love the idea of Christmas, elves, Santa, and Mrs.Claus. Krampus does not seem to be my style. It is interesting to know that European adults support this and welcome Krampus. I agree that this is probably their way of venting. Usually, it is the children who enjoy the holidays. The adults are busy buying gifts, paying bills, and sometimes even mourning a loss of a loved one during the holiday season.
Briana Jones
The legendary tale of Krampus was told to me by my cousin when I was a just 10 years old to scare me into being a good kid around Christmas. This tale always gave me the creeps because I always thought of Christmas as an religious and involving Santa, not with an scary monster.
Jada Johnson
Some cultures have different characters reacts off children behavior. When I was a kid, it was the same for me. When I used to get into trouble my parents used to send me upstairs with the " Boy who died in the fire". I've heard of Krampus but I have never watched the movie or anything. - Maka'la Reynolds
I've heard of krampus but wasn't aware that it was associated with Norse mythology. I also was not away that he originated from ancient Greek myths.
Elaine christopher
The idea of taking responsibility for one's actions is one of the mythology of Kr's most important lessons. The Krampus children's fable serves as a warning to promote good conduct by showing how actions might have unfavorable effects. It also embodies the concept that there are rewards and penalties in the world, reflecting the cultural practice of balancing light and elements over the holiday season.- Brooklyn Blair
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