By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. If they’ve been good, he’ll reward them with presents and treats. Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.” European versions of St. Nicholas have long had scary counterparts like Krampus and St. Nick’s other bad boys have their origins in pagan celebrations of the Children might have also seen Krampus running through the street during a The introduction of mass visual media couldn’t help but sweep the charismatic Krampus up in its wave.


Krampus, in central European popular legend, a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime.

The night (December 5th) preceding St. Nicholas’ feast is nowadays known as Krampushnacht or Krampus Night.

Etsy has Although Krampus is relatively new to the U.S., this alpine legend is the original bad Santa.

When the postcard industry experienced a boom in Germany and Austria in the 1890s, it These holiday cards weren’t mean to make you feel warm and fuzzy. Krampus seems to have originated from seventeenth-century Germanic folklore that was partially influenced by Norse mythology.

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Virtually any topic for the virtual learner. Krampus Now Despite his pre-Christian origins, the legend of Krampus is still very much alive today. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you.© 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. But if they’ve been bad, they’ll get a lot more than a lump of coal—they’ll have to face Krampus.Who’s Krampus, you ask? Ones marked “Gruss vom Krampus” (“Greetings from Krampus”) showed Krampus stuffing a distressed child into his satchel or preparing to hit one with his bundle of birch sticks.

He is the devilish companion of St. Nicholas.

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Considered to be the offspring of the Norse deity Hel, a subset ruler of the underworld, Krampus physically resembles anything but human.





In another, a smiling woman dangles a defeated-looking Krampus … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Krampus was thought to have been part of pagan rituals for the Every year in early December, children in Austria get ready for St. Nicholas to visit them. A costumed performer at a Krampus festival in Kappl, Austria, 2015. History at your fingertips In some cards, Krampus is portrayed as a large woman whipping tiny men with her birch sticks and carrying them off in her satchel.
You can draw your own conclusions about the gender politics in these.For over a century, most Americans probably never saw a Krampus card or even knew who Krampus was. He’s the half-man, half-goat who comes around every year to chase naughty children and maybe even drag them to hell. In another, a smiling woman dangles a defeated-looking Krampus in the air, holding his bundle of birch sticks behind her back. The legend of Krampus isn’t in fear of dying out, as it is in fact gaining in popularity, even though there are those who believe the devil-like Krampus figure is inappropriate for children, or he is believed to have been altered to suit modern anti-Christmas sentiments: Krampus cards in the early 20th century show him punishing children, yes, but also proposing to women.

That changed in 2004, when art director and graphic designer Monte Beauchamp published a book of Krampus cards and helped organize an art show inspired by the cards.Whether or not Beauchamp is primarily responsible for introducing Krampus cards to the U.S., Krampus has since become a sort of ironic icon in America. In some cards, Krampus is portrayed as a large woman whipping tiny men with her birch sticks and carrying them off in her satchel. Many of these postcards depicted Krampus going after children with his sticks, leading them away in chains, or carrying them off in his bag.There were also cards that were a little more…adult. All Rights Reserved.




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