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The Krampus () is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
on visits to children during the night of 5 December (''Krampusnacht''; "Krampus Night"), immediately before the Feast of St. Nicholas on 6 December. In this tradition, Saint Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts, while Krampus punishes badly behaved ones with birch rods. The origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and
anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
s have postulated that it may have pre-Christian origins. In certain traditional parades and in such events as the ("Krampus run"), some young men dressed as Krampus attempt to scare the audience with their antics. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called . The figure has been imported into popular culture around the world, and has appeared in movies, TV shows and games.


Origins

Discussing his observations in 1975 while in Irdning, a small town in
Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
, anthropologist John J. Honigmann wrote that:
The Saint Nicholas festival we are describing incorporates cultural elements widely distributed in Europe. St. Nicholas himself became popular in Germany around the eleventh century. The feast dedicated to this patron of children is only one winter occasion in which children are the objects of special attention, others being Martinmas, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
. Masked devils acting boisterously and making nuisances of themselves are known in Germany since at least the sixteenth century while animal masked devils combining dreadful-comic () antics appeared in
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
church plays. A large literature, much of it by European folklorists, bears on these subjects. ... Austrians in the community we studied are quite aware of "heathen" elements being blended with Christian elements in the Saint Nicholas customs and in other traditional winter ceremonies. They believe Krampus derives from a pagan supernatural who was assimilated to the Christian devil.
Krampus is usually featured as a man with horns with one grotesque human foot and one foot of a goat. He is typically covered in black hair and has a very long snake or dragon-like tongue. These qualities have increasingly made Krampus a character for horror costumes and films. In the 17th century Krampus was paired with St. Nicholas as a helper. Because Nicholas is a saint, it wasn’t logical or deemed saintly behavior for Nicholas to deliver punishments. Therefore a helper was assigned to St Nicholas; such as Farmhand Rupert, Schmutzli, Père Fouettard, or Zwarte Piet, who would go down the chimney or punish the naughty children. Krampus served St Nicholas in the same role.


Modern history

In the aftermath of the 1932 election in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, the Krampus tradition was prohibited by the Dollfuss regime under the clerical fascist Fatherland Front () and the Christian Social Party. In the 1950s, the Government of Austria distributed pamphlets titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man" for fear that encounters with Krampus might damage children's mental health. Towards the end of the century, a popular resurgence of Krampus celebrations occurred and continues today. The Krampus tradition is being revived in
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
as well, along with a local artistic tradition of hand-carved wooden masks.


Appearance

Although Krampus appears in many variations, most share some common physical characteristics. He is hairy, usually brown or black, and has one foot that has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue drops out, and he has fangs. Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the
Christian Church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a syn ...
. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes. Krampus will carry a bundle of birch branches with which he occasionally swats children. The birch branches are replaced with a whip in some representations. On Christmas Eve, Krampus travels with a sack or a basket strapped to his back; this is to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell. Some of the older versions make mention of naughty children being put in the bag and taken away. This quality can be found in other companions of Saint Nicholas such as Zwarte Piet.


The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or , the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses. The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Rite
vestment Vestments are Liturgy, liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christianity, Christian religion, especially by Eastern Christianity, Eastern Churches, Catholic Church, Catholics (of all rites), Lutherans, and Anglicans. ...
s of a bishop, and he carries a golden ceremonial staff. Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and the .


and

There were already established pagan traditions in the Alpine regions that became intertwined with Catholicism. People would masquerade as a devilish figure known as , a two-legged humanoid goat with a giraffe-like neck, wearing animal furs. People wore costumes and marched in processions known as , which are regarded as an earlier form of the Krampus runs. were looked at with suspicion by the Catholic Church and banned by some civil authorities. Due to sparse population and rugged environments within the Alpine region, the ban was not effective or easily enforced, rendering the ban useless. Eventually the , inspired by the Nicholas plays, introduced Saint Nicholas and his set of good morals. The transformed into what is now known as the Krampus and was made to be subjected to Saint Nicholas' will. It is customary to offer a Krampus
schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to ...
, a strong distilled fruit brandy. These runs may include , similarly wild pagan spirits of Germanic folklore and sometimes female in representation, although the are properly associated with the period between
winter solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...
and 6 January.


Criticism of the Krampus run

Every year there are arguments during Krampus runs. Occasionally spectators take revenge for whippings and attack Krampuses. In 2013, after several Krampus runs in East Tyrol, a total of eight injured people (mostly with broken bones) were admitted to the Lienz district hospital and over 60 other patients were treated on an outpatient basis.


Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 19th century. Sometimes introduced with (Greetings from Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems. Krampus is often featured looming menacingly over children. He is also shown as having one human foot and one cloven hoof. In some, Krampus has sexual overtones; he is pictured pursuing buxom women. Over time, the representation of Krampus in the cards has changed; older versions have a more frightening Krampus, while modern versions have a cuter, more
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...
-like creature. Krampus has also adorned postcards and candy containers.


Related celebrations and associated figures

Krampus appears in the folklore of
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
,
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, Northern Italy ( Autonomous Province of Trento,
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, and
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
),
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, and
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. In
Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
, the is presented by Krampus to families. The twigs are painted gold and displayed year-round in the house—a reminder to any child who has temporarily forgotten Krampus. In smaller, more isolated villages, the figure has other beastly companions, such as the antlered "wild man" figures, and St Nicholas is nowhere to be seen. These Styrian companions of Krampus are called or ., and are similar to the kukeri dancers of
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. A toned-down version of Krampus is part of the popular Christmas markets in Austrian urban centres like
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
. In these, more tourist-friendly interpretations, Krampus is more humorous than fearsome. North American Krampus celebrations are a growing phenomenon. Similar figures are recorded in neighboring areas. in Bavaria, in Austria and Bavaria, while or , , and are used in the southern part of the country. Other names include or (
Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
), ( German-speaking Switzerland), or (
Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...
), (
Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...
), and ( Swabia and Franconia). In most parts of Slovenia, whose culture was greatly affected by Austrian culture, Krampus is called and is one of the companions of Miklavž, the Slovenian form of St. Nicholas. In many parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil wearing a cloth sack around his waist and chains around his neck, ankles, and wrists. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicholas he is given a golden branch to represent his good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child's bad acts.


In popular culture

The character of Krampus has been imported and modified for various North American media, including print (e.g., ''Krampus: The Devil of Christmas'', a collection of vintage postcards by Monte Beauchamp in 2004; ''Krampus: The Yule Lord'', a 2012 novel by
Gerald Brom Gerald Brom (born March 9, 1965), known professionally as Brom, is an American Gothic art, gothic fantasy artist and illustrator, known for his work in role-playing games, novels, and comic books, comics. Early life Brom was born March 9, 1965, i ...
), ''Krampus'', a comic book series from
Image Comics Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...
in 2013 created by Dean Kotz and Brian Joines, television – both live action (" A Krampus Carol", a 2012 episode of ''
The League ''The League'' is an American television sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football l ...
'') and animation (" A Very Venture Christmas", a 2004 episode of '' The Venture Bros.''; " Minstrel Krampus", a 2013 episode of ''
American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...
''), video games ('' CarnEvil'', a 1998
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
; '' The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth'', a 2014 video game), and films ('' Krampus'', a 2015 Christmas comedy horror film from
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
, and '' Red One'', a 2024 Christmas action adventure comedy film from Seven Bucks Productions and Amazon Studios).


Biology

'' Anisocentropus krampus'', a species of caddisfly. '' Austrosphecodes krampus'', a species of sweat bee. Microbacterium phage Krampus (''Krampusvirus krampus''). '' Protomelas krampus'', a freshwater actinopterygian fish, is named after Krampus.


Gallery

File:1911 circa anonymer Künstler Wiener Werkstätte Postkarte No. 542, Krampus mit Kind.jpg, ("Krampus with a child") postcard from around 1911 File:Nikolaus krampus.jpg, Krampus and
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
visit a Viennese home in 1896 File:Nikolaus und Krampus.jpg, Nikolaus and Krampus in Austria in the early 20th century File:Međimurski fašnjak 2015. - Svetomartinski krampus.jpg, A Straggele costume from Sveti Martin na Muri, northern Croatia, at a local carnival in Čakovec (2015) File:DC Krampus.jpg, A man in a Straggele costume at the Washington, D.C. Krampusnacht walk (2016)
File:Masopust držíme 31.jpg, A Saint Nicholas procession with Krampus and other characters, c. 1910 File:KrampusWeissbach.jpg, Saint Nikolaus with 12 Straggele in Berchtesgadener Land, Germany (2016) File:Kramupus a Sesto 03.jpg, Straggele In Sexten, Italy (2016) File:Krampus at Perchtenlauf Klagenfurt.jpg, A modern Perchten at the Perchtenlauf in Klagenfurt (2006) File:Krampus Toblach.jpg, Straggele in Toblach, Italy (2006)


See also


Related figures

* , another West Germanic figure associated with the midwinter period * * * Goatman – a malevolent figure in urban folklore originating in the Southern United States, such as
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
* * * and creature in Balkan folklore * * , where participants wear masks and costumes and run around * * * * , an ogre
Kachina A kachina (; Hopi language, Hopi: ''katsina'' , plural ''katsinim'' ) is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of the Pueblo people, Native Americans in the United States, Native American cultures located in the south-western part of the Unite ...
who enforces good behavior from children during winter ceremonies * and a creature in Finnish folklore * , a female figure in West Germanic folklore whose procession () occurs during the midwinter period * * , a Swiss New Year's Eve celebration featuring a musical procession of performers in grotesque costumes * , celebrated in the
Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
on 5 or 6 December. He has a companion called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), who used to punish bad children with a "roe" and kidnap them in bags to take to Spain, but nowadays they are just as friendly as ("de Sint"), and give presents and sweets to all children. * * * * , associated with the midwinter period among the
North Germanic peoples North Germanic peoples, Nordic peoples and in a medieval context Norsemen, were a Germanic peoples, Germanic linguistic group originating from the Scandinavian Peninsula. They are identified by their cultural similarities, common ancestry and com ...


Other

* *
Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...
* Horned deity * Kukeri


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Roncero, Miguel. "Trailing the Krampus", ''Vienna Review'', 2 December 2013
{{German folklore Alpine folklore Austrian folklore German folklore German legends German legendary creatures Christmas characters Holiday characters European demons European folklore characters Santa's helpers Mythological creatures Supernatural legends Christmas in Germany Bavarian folklore Masks in Europe Ritual masks Devils Companions of Saint Nicholas Paganism in Europe