by Every year in December, Santa Claus comes out and, according to popular culture, gives presents to good children all over the world. But according to some myths, misbehaving children are instead visited by a far more terrifying creature: Krampus.
But who is Krampus? Where do these myths come from? And why does Krampus appear around Christmas time?
Krampus is a mythical creature often depicted with horns and a demonic face. According to the myth, which probably originated in modern-day Germany and Austria, the creature punished misbehaving children.
Krampus is also called Klaubauf, Toife, Toifi or Toifl (a word similar to the devil), Matthew rest (opens in new tab), a social anthropologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, told Live Science in an email. Rest assumes that the name “Krampus” was introduced in Vienna in the 19th century, but is not sure.
Traditionally, Krampus appeared on the evening of December 5, or “Krampus Nacht” (also spelled Krampusnacht), Jennifer Collins, an academic communications and reference librarian at the State University of New York who has studied Krampus extensively, told Live Science in an email . Krampus Night took place just before the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6th. Essentially, Krampus is the bad cop of Santa’s good cop, Collins said.
Krampus would often target misbehaving children, hitting them with a branch known as a “switch,” or even kidnapping them in a basket.
If kids were “good guys,” they wouldn’t be kidnapped or beaten, but instead would wake up on the sixth with presents from Santa, Collins said.
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Sometimes on December 5th people dress up as Krampus and take part in events called “Krampus Runs”. This is particularly popular in Germany and Austria.
When and how the Krampus custom began is not entirely clear.
“The Krampus tradition certainly has several origins, located in different historical and geographical contexts,” Gertraud Seiser (opens in new tab)a researcher at the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna, told Live Science in an email.
During the Enlightenment (1685-1815), Krampus appeared in Vienna, where it was “used as an educational tool to teach children obedience and discipline,” Seiser said.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, carnival processions became popular in Bavaria and the mountainous areas of Austria, and Krampus may have been included in them. Authorities tried to ban these parades, in part because they enticed young people to get drunk and riot, Seiser said.
The Krampus lore may have originated in Bavaria after the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Collins said, noting that the death toll from that war was immense and some areas lost half their population.
Krampus isn’t the only monstrous creature appearing this time of year. December 12 is dedicated to Perchta, who sometimes appears as a witch-like creature who “eviscerates the girls who haven’t used up all their wool for the year,” Collins said. This day is also popular in southern Germany and Austria. (Historically, knitwear was essential for survival in southern Germany and alpine Austria, and the myth of this creature encouraged girls to knit.)
Growing Popularity
Krampus’ popularity has gone up and down over the years.
“In the mid-19th century it was actually only being practiced in a handful of small regions in Bavaria, Tyrol and Salzburg,” Rest said.
In the 21st century, Krampus festivals are more popular than ever, with events all over the world.
“Advances in technology and social media could be a reason for the increasing popularity of the Krampus tradition”, Ilona Grabmaier (opens in new tab)a research fellow at the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna, told Live Science in an email.
