If you are anything like me, your social media is currently being bombarded with films of Krampus parades happening around Germany and Austria.
Locals dress up in terrifying costumes and march through the streets to the sound of drums.
This is all part of their preparation for Christmas, but where does this tradition come from ?
Who is Krampus ?
The Krampus tradition comes from the Alpine region of northern Europe, and it can be dated in association with Christmas traditions to at least the 16th century.
He is a beastly figure with a furry black body and deranged face, topped with a pair of horns.
His appearance suggests a half-goat half-demon lineage. He is often depicted with one human foot, one goat foot, and a snake or dragon-like tongue.
He is a close companion of Saint Nicholas, who became popular in these regions from around the 11th century.
Here traditionally, Saint Nicholas visits on December 6th, giving presents to children who had been good.
Krampus visits the day before, December 5th, to punish misbehaving children.
He might give the birch sticks, but in the case of the worst miscreants, he can bundle them up in a sack, kidnap them, and take them away to be tortured.
Pre-Christian Krampus
Many scholars believe that Krampus is based on pre-Christian beliefs associated with Yule.
This was an important winter holiday among the Germans and the Vikings.
In Scandinavia, it was a 12-day festival that later became associated with Yule.
It was considered a dangerous time of year when the days were short, and the darkness reigned.
This meant that the veil between worlds was at its weakest and spirits and demons could pass into the world of men.
The suggestion is that the Krampus parades that became common in Christian towns to scare children were inspired by the tradition of men dressing up as these demons to scare away spirits and other supernatural entities during Yule season.
But this seems to conflate Krampus with the Perchten, which also have Yule and Christmas associations.
There is no historical basis for the tradition that Krampus was the son of Hel, the giantess ruler of the underworld Helheim, and Balder, the son of Odin and god of light who found himself in Helheim after being killed by Loki.
Perchta and her Entourage
Perchta was a goddess in Alpine paganism believed to have been linked to the Norse gods Frigg and Freyja, a single goddess in the Germanic traditions called Holga.
She has also been linked to the witch Baba Yaga in the Slavic tradition.
Her name means “the bright one” or “the light bearer,” and she was the patroness of spinning and a strong work ethic.
She seems to have had a dual nature, being represented as a glowing and beautiful figure all in white in some instances, and as an elderly and haggard woman in others.
This “ugly Perchta” also sometimes had one deformed foot, known as her swan foot or goose foot, not dissimilar to Krampus.
In this dark form, she seems to have been considered the mother of beasts, which were collectively known as the Perchten.
By Christian times, Perchta was associated with Christmas, specifically the 12 days of Christmas.
She would assess the works of children and young servants, ensuring that they had been sufficiently productive over the last 12 months.
She would also enforce the rule that spinning was forbidden during the holidays.
Like Saint Nicholas and Krampus, Perchta and her entourage of children would visit homes in the lead-up to Christmas.
The young that had done well throughout the year might find a silver coin as a gift in their shoes or a pail. If they did not perform well, they would receive less pleasant gifts.
In the worst cases, she would cut open their bellies, remove their stomachs and guts, and stuff them again with straw and pebbles.
Her monstrous children would help her with this task.
Perchta and her entourage seem to be the origin of the modern parades, as from the 16th-century people would take to the streets and dress up either as Schonperchten (beautiful Percht) as a symbol of luck and wealth, or Schiachperchten (ugly Percht) and her children to scare away demons.
Over the centuries the Perchten and Krampus traditions have been mixed, with the name Krampus gaining popularity over the more general Perchten due to comic books and movies about the character.
Krampus in Pop Culture
Krampus has become a pop-culture phenomenon thanks to several recent appearances.
He first appeared in a Christmas horror movie in 2013 called Krampus: The Christmas Devil, before appearing in a string of Krampus sequels, including Mother Krampus, a nod to Perchta.
The movies were inspired by several Krampus graphic novels including Krampus: The Yule Lord (2012) by Gerald Brom.
