and the old, dark christmas
Roots and rebirth of the folkloric devil
The Krampus, a folkloric devil associated with St. Nicolas in Alpine Austria and Germany is now becoming part
of the American Christmas.
But the old world from which he comes knew a very different holiday, one haunted by ghosts, witches, devilish
horsemen, murderous incarnations of Catholic saints, the demonic Perchten, and witch-like Frau Perchta,
knows for disemboweling naughty children.
Even the church once celebrated this holiday with plays depieting the Devil, Antichrist, and Herod´s gory
Massarcre of the Innocents. Together, these strange winter traditions gave birth to a monster now more popular
than ever, the Krampus.
