Krampus

Krampus is a half-demon, half-goat, devilish-like creature that terrifies children in central Europe every December. The beast targets naughty children by beating them with birch sticks, and in extreme cases, Krampus will even eat or drag an ill-behaved child to hell.

The legend of Krampus originates from the Alpine regions of Austria and southern Germany, but the creature has also preyed on children in Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. And like so many European monsters, ghouls, and spirits, Krampus has also emigrated to the United States.

Krampus is usually referred to as Saint Nicholas’s evil sidekick. Traditionally, on the night of December 5, the day before the official feast of St. Nicholas, the saint would travel through villages giving gifts to well-behaved children. However, naughty children would instead receive a visit from Krampus, who would either leave them a lump of coal or beat and scratch them, or even murder them. The creature is sometimes called the “Christmas Devil.”

This collaboration allows Nicholas to remain a good and saintly figure while Krampus plays the devil, thereby symbolizing the constant yin-yang-style battle between good and evil. However, Krampus has proved to be a controversial figure with the Catholic Church, which has occasionally, throughout the centuries, tried to dismiss the creature as a blasphemous figure from a pre-Christian pagan era.

Krampus is thought to have been paired with St. Nicholas in the 17th century. It is not necessarily his first helper, as Nicholas has also been paired with Knecht Ruprecht and Belsnickel, two elf, goblin-like creatures from Germany who dole out punishments every year to naughty children on December 5 or 6.

Krampus is a hideous demon-like beast

Descriptions of Krampus are horrific. It generally stands up to about seven feet tall and appears to be part demon, part goat, and part man. The face is mangled with bright red glowing eyes and large goat-like horns on the head; it often has fangs and a large forked tongue that dangles from its snarling mouth. It has one goat leg and one deformed human leg.

Krampus is usually hairy with black or brown fur and is often dressed in ragged furs from other animals. The beast carries a sack or barrel for abducting children, who it carries to hell or eats. Krampus also carries birch branches, which are used for battering children. In some depictions, Krampus carries chains that he rattles dramatically; this has been interpreted in two ways, either as a symbol for the chains that bind the devil or simply as a way to appear more scary to its victims.

The origins of Krampus are unclear

The origins of Krampus are a little contested, but most folklorists accept that the creature was pre-Christian and that the beast may have been a part of pagan festivals celebrating the winter solstice. The name is thought to come from the old German word for claw, Krampen. One legend claims Krampus was the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld. In the medieval era, the Catholic Church tried to ban all references to Krampus, but as the legend refused to die, the creature was then incorporated into the story of St. Nicholas.

Nowadays, the legend of Krampus is kept alive throughout Austria and, to a lesser extent, in Bavaria on December 5 when young men dress up as Krampus. Small towns and villages often engage in Krampusnacht, or Krampuslauf (Krampus night or Krampus run), when men posing as Krampus knock on the doors of homes and threaten the children within. In many cases, the Krampus creatures run through the streets, whipping people with birch branches. In the 20th and 21st centuries, this has become an annual celebration that has amused adults but still terrifies children. In recent years, the authorities have become concerned because of a rise in injuries among spectators and those dressed as Krampus. Unfortunately, alcohol often plays a large part in the celebrations, which leads to high spirits and some severe injuries.

Authorities keep trying to destroy the Krampus legend

Throughout the centuries, authorities have made numerous attempts to limit or ban Krampus’s influence. As already mentioned above, the Catholic Church in the 12th century, alarmed by Krampus’s resemblance to the devil, banned all mention of the creature. However, the legend endured until the church authorities happily incorporated him into the story of Saint Nicolas.

In the 1930s, Austria’s far right fascist regime banned the Krampus run. In the 1950s, the head of Vienna’s kindergarten school system proclaimed that Krampus was affecting the mental health of the country’s children. They were backed up by the government, which released a pamphlet in 1953 warning of the dangers of Krampus. One local newspaper proclaimed, “There is too much fear in the world already. Unemployment, high taxes, not to mention the atom bomb. Let’s begin by throwing out Krampus.”

However, Krampus refused to die. Every year in Austria, articles, experts, and figures of authority warn about the danger Krampus poses to the minds of children, and the Krampus run is blamed for causing multiple injuries.

In December 2024, a 21-year-old man dressed as Krampus in a village in Carinthia, southern Austria, was attacked; a woman pulled his horns repeatedly until he was rendered unconscious. The police said the attack was part of a rising trend that has seen an increase each year on violence against Krampus.

Krampus has infiltrated US popular culture

Krampus has entered North American consciousness through movies and television, perhaps most famously through the 2015 movie Krampus. The comic horror movie focuses on a boy who summons the Christmas Devil to his family home, causing horror and mayhem.

The demon also plays a role in the 2024 movie Red One starring, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and Lucy Liu.

Dear reader, we leave you with a 19th-century German poem titled Krampus’s Chains. It is translated directly from German and warns that living a selfish life could lead to Krampus imprisoning you in chains.

References