You Better Watch Out…

 

Throughout our childhood, the only Christmas character we know is Santa Klaus, who’s also known as Father Christmas in the United Kingdom. However, did you know that there are also wicked characters who will punish misbehaved children? Today, we will be unfolding the story of Krampus, a monster from the underground world.

Who is Krampus?

Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon monster that appears in central European legends. The name Krampus itself comes from the German word Krampen, which means claw. In Norse Mythology, Krampus is said to be the son of Hel, the goddess of death. This monster shares the same characteristics as other demonic creatures with their sharp goat horns and fangs. There are a few variations of Krampus, but they all have the same long pointed tongue that lolls out along with their hairy skin, which is usually brown or black.

Krampus is known as the devilish companion of St. Nicholas who is also popular for punishing misbehaving children during Christmas. He whips children into being nice and not naughty. According to folklore, Krampus shows up on Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, on December 5. On the next day, December 6, children usually look outside to see if the shoe or boot they’d left out on the 5th contains presents or a rod. If their shoe or boot contains a rod, they will be taken away to Krampus’ lair and get whipped.

Modern Krampus

Nowadays, people celebrate and commercialize Krampus, whether through festivals or making movies about this monster to preserve this cultural heritage. One of the movies about Krampus is a movie directed by Michael Dougherty, entitled “Krampus”. This movie narrates about a young boy who lost interest in Christmas, which ended up awakening Krampus. Now, he has to bring the family back together to save each other from a monstrous fate.

In the United States, they embrace this dark side of Christmas by watching Krampus movies or attending local Krampusnacht while dressing up as Krampus. Krampuslauf or the Krampus run is also celebrated, in which people dress up as Krampus and parade through the streets while scaring children into being nice. They’d even chase the spectators from time to time. In Austria, people attempt to commercialize this monster by selling chocolates, figurines, as well as collectible horns. 

In short, Krampus is a petrifying monster created by folklore. He is the personification of a wicked monster who will punish children so that they will be nice. Even though Krampus is just a myth, the moral of its story is deep and meaningful. Krampus’ story was enough to make a big impact on making children do good things instead of being naughty. That’s why, don’t forget to be a good person or you will be punished!

Written by: Aurelia R. P. /XA2