Hexmas Advent - #1 Meet Krampus

Krampus kidnapping children

Photo: Advertising Archive/Everett

Hexmas is just around the corner, and this year we will present four different Yule demons on each of the four Advent Sundays - the first being Krampus, the 
half-goat, half-demon, horrific beast who literally beats people into being nice and not naughty.

Get your favourite snacks; it's story time!

 

By Mikl Pis, WEIRD KULT
Before Christianity came with their Christ Mas and made Yule/Yuletide into the celebration of Jesus, it was actually a Pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice. 

What we know today as Christmas Elfs was actually demons who did more than just small innocent jokes; farmers gave them rice pudding to make sure they didn't burn down the farm or killed their livestock.

Many of the sweet and happy characters we nowadays know from Christmas has their roots in old Pagan traditions; the church just made it fit perfectly into their religion - and the final touches came with capitalism.

 

The Nightmare Before St. Nicholas

The name Krampus is derived from the German word krampen, meaning claw, and is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology.

Every year on 6 December, in old European folklore, St. Nicholas went from house to house to visit the children, and had they been good, they got presents or treats. But if they'd been naughty they didn't just get a lump of coal; they had to face Krampus!

The night before, 5 December, was Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, and Krampus would run after them and beat them with sticks, and sometimes even kidnap them and drag them to the fiery pits of Hell.

The Christmas Goat

Photo: Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen / Julebukken Vender Tilbage

 

Krampus in modern society

Today, the tradition still takes place in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic where (often) drunken people dresses as devils, who take over the streets for a Krampuslauf—a Krampus Run of sorts, and people are chased through the streets by the "devils."

In Denmark there is a similar event in Copenhagen called The Christmas goat - Long night in Copenhagen. If you're near Copenhagen on the 17th of December you should definitely go! Or maybe join in yourself?

Learn more about pre-Christian Yule demons next Sunday! 

Read about The Yule Cat from 2nd Advent.