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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16779
[Culture]
Date Posted:
12/7/2006
9:54:58 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,493
RSS: 18,202
Comments: 6
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Santa's Evil Sidekick? Who Knew?
Author: Alexandra Zawadil, Reuters Source: Yahoo
Title: SANTA'S EVIL SIDEKICK? WHO KNEW?
As Christmas nears, Austrian children hoping for gifts from Santa Claus will also be watching warily for "Krampus," his horned and hairy sidekick.
In folklore, Krampus was a devil-like figure who drove away evil spirits during the Christian holiday season.
Traditionally, he appeared alongside Santa around December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas, and the two are still part of festivities in many parts of central Europe.
But these traditions came under the spotlight in Austria this year, after reports last week that Santa -- also known as St Nicholas, Father Christmas or Kris Kringle -- had been banned from visiting kindergartens in Vienna because he scared some children.
Now, a prominent Austrian child psychiatrist is arguing for a ban on Krampus, who still roams towns and villages in early December.
Submitted by and Thanks to: David K.
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Community Thoughts: There are 6 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| What A Great Name | Dec 8th. at 12:39:33 pm EST
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Jennifer B. (Montague, Massachusetts) - Email Me
...for a cat!
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| Keep Krampus.. | Dec 7th. at 6:58:34 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
There are many stories about a dark figure that either appears with Befana, St. Nickolas or Father Christmas, whose purpose was to either spirit away bad children or punish them for their bad behavior. Later, it was just Santa who carried two sacks on his sleigh, one filled with gifts for the good children and the other filled with coal, for bad kids. While I do not advocate frightening kids, I do not believe that truth should be withheld from them either. There is evil in the world, and not to prepare them for it, is foolish, and dangerous. Krampus serves as a reminder that the world isn't always a nice place.
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| HA HA HA | Dec 7th. at 1:53:12 pm EST
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Richard Brownbear (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina) - Email Me
I read this to my wife, who grumpily said,
"Krampus?....Yeah I know the guy! He's the jerk that comes around me every month!"
Ya gotta lover her!
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| More Info On Krampus And Then Some.. | Dec 7th. at 12:49:23 pm EST
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Lady-hearted Mojo (Irving, Texas) - Email Me
There is a practice in the magical tradition of Hoodoo of going to the crossroads to improve or gain a skill, reportedly by selling your soul to the Devil. This is a complete Christian misunderstanding of who the "Devil" is, what happens at the crossroads, and does involve dear Krampus, who is also known as Der Teufel (the devil) .
Hoodoo's primary foundation is African-based magical traditions, particularly the practices that came out of the Congo area. When the slaves where dragged to these shores they brought their magical beliefs with them and working at a crossroads was one. The guardian of the crossroads in African belief was Ellegua, Exu, or Eshu and these were the Deities appealed to at the crossroads.
Overtime, Hoodoo began to incorporate the magical practices of a variety cultures including Native American, Jewish Kabblah, the talismans/amulets of the Ceremonialists, Western European folk magic, and the Pow-wow tradition of the PA Dutch. With Pow-wow, Krampus came into Hoodoo as the devil, and because Krampus had many similiarities to the African crossroads guardians the two became closely associated.
However, because Krampus was called "the devil" and physically resembled the Christian "Devil" (except for one foot not being a cloven hoof) the Christians automatically assumed that Krampus/Der Teufel was the same being as their Devil. Not the case at all.
The idea of "selling your soul at the crossroads" was also a Christian. In African tradition and still to this day in the Hoodoo Tradition, when a person goes to the crossroads it is to ask the Guardian/Krampus/the devil for aid in improving a skill. The guardian in then paid in whiskey or with three silver dimes or both There is never any soul-selling involved.
You can visit the following website for more information on Krampus which also includes a picture of him from an old German Christmas card:
[Web LINK]
Incidently, the legend of the late great bluesman, Robert Johnson, selling his soul at the crossroads to be able to play the Blues, never happened. It was bluesman Tommy Johnson who went to the crossroads for help, but Tommy never became as famous as Robert so the story became attached to Robert instead.
Another small tidbit, the Doors song titled, "Mr Mojo Risin', is nothing more an anagram for Jim Morrison.
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