Definición y significado de Krampus

  Krampus and Saint Nicholas visit a Viennese home in 1896

Krampus is a mythical creature recognized in Alpine countries. According to legend, Krampus accompanies Saint Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children. When the Krampus finds a particularly naughty child, it stuffs the child in its sack and carries the frightened child away to its lair, presumably to devour for its Christmas dinner.

In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented as a beast-like creature, generally demonic in appearance. The creature has roots in Germanic folklore. Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria, South Tyrol, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten. There are many names for Krampus, as well as many regional variations in portrayal and celebration.

  Origins

  Krampus at Morzger Pass in Salzburg, Austria

The history of the Krampus figure stretches back to pre-Christian Germanic traditions.^[1] He also shares characteristics with the satyrs of Greek mythology.^[1][2] The early Catholic Church discouraged celebrations based around the wild goat-like creatures, and during the Inquisition efforts were made to stamp them out. However, Krampus figures persisted, and by the 17th century Krampus had been incorporated into Christian winter celebrations by pairing him with St. Nicholas.^[3]

  Modern history

In the 20th century, Austrian governments discouraged the practice. In the aftermath of the 1934 Austrian Civil War, the Krampus tradition was prohibited by the Dollfuss regime^[4] under the Fatherland Front (Vaterländische Front) and the Christian Social Party. In the 1950s, the government distributed pamphlets titled "Krampus is an Evil Man".^[5] Towards the end of the century, a popular resurgence of Krampus celebrations occurred and continues today.^[6] There has been public debate in Austria in modern times about whether Krampus is appropriate for children.^[7]

  Appearance

Although Krampus appears in many variations, most share some common physical characteristics. He is hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long pointed tongue lolls out.^[1][8]

Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes.^[9] Of more pagan origins are the ruten, bundles of birch branches that Krampus carries and occasionally swats children with. The ruten have significance in pre-Christian pagan initiation rites.^[1] The birch branches are replaced with a whip in some representations. Sometimes Krampus appears with a sack or a washtub strapped to his back; this is to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell.^[1]

  Krampusnacht

  A modern Krampus at the Perchtenlauf in Klagenfurt (2006)

The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on December 6. In Alpine countries, Saint Nicholas has a devilish companion named Krampus^[10] so it is said that on the preceding evening, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, this hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses.^[1] The Saint usually appears in the vestments of a bishop such as the mitre, and he carries a 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 ruten bundles. ^[11]

  Krampuslaufen

A Krampuslauf is a run of celebrants dressed as the beast, often fueled by alcohol. It is customary to offer a Krampus schnapps, a sweet liqueur.^[1] These runs may include perchten, similarly wild pagan spirits of Germanic folklore and sometimes female in representation. In larger cities, there may be numerous runs throughout the Advent season.^[12]

  Krampuskarten

  A greeting card featuring Krampus

Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s. Sometimes introduced with Gruß vom Krampus (Greetings from the Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems. Krampus is often featured looming menacingly over children. In some, Krampus has sexual overtones; he is pictured pursuing buxom women.^[13] 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-like creature. Krampus has also adorned postcards and candy containers.^[14]

  Regional variations

Krampus appears in various forms, and as part of differing celebrations, throughout central Europe. In Styria, the ruten bundles are 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 character 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 Schabmänner or Rauhen.^[1]

A more toned-down version is part of the popular Christmas markets in Austrian urban centres like Salzburg. In these, more tourist-friendly interpretations, Krampus is more humorous than fearsome.^[15]

In the 1600s, the Lutheran Church presented a "christchild" figure in the place of the Catholic Saint Nicholas. Representing the baby Jesus but often appearing as a young maiden, this figure was also paired with Krampus in some areas. In France's Alsace region, Krampus is known as Hans Trapp and accompanies a "christchild" character during the holiday season.^[11]

North American Krampus celebrations, though rare, are a growing phenomenon.^[16] Some traditional Germanic communities in the northeast of the United States have preserved a Krampus tradition; in these he goes by Bellsnichol and combines aspects of both the wild man and Saint Nicholas.^[11]

  Other names

The word Krampus (sometimes spelled "Grampus") is a derivation of the old German word for claw,^[3] but the creature has many names. Klaubauf is used throughout Austria, while Bartl or Bartel, Niglobartl, and Wubartl are used in the southern part of the country.^[1][17] Outside Austria, Krampus and related creatures go by Pelzebock or Pelznickel in southern Germany, and Gumphinckel in Silesia.^[2] In Hungary, he is Krampusz.^[3]

  In popular culture

The Krampus has made appearances in English-language popular culture. Some examples:

  Comics

• Chickenhare, a graphic novel (first issue released in 2006), has a character named Banjo who is a Krampus.^[18]
• Jingle Belle, In the special, "Grounded", the character Peter Krampus laments at the fact that he is no longer a part of the Christmas tradition and that naughty children go unpunished as a result.^[19]
• PvP, a webcomic, began a story arc on December 5, 2011 in which the character Scratch Fury takes on the role of the Krampus.^[20]
• Something Positive, a webcomic. The December 5, 2004 strip accurately described Krampus.^[21]

  Television

• The Colbert Report aired a segment about Krampus and the War on Christmas called "The Blitzkrieg on Grinchitude - Hallmark & Krampus" in its December 9, 2009 episode.^[22]
• G4 (TV channel) created a Christmas commercial in 2003 featuring Krampus. In it some carolers sing about Krampus while he enters a house putting the bad children in his sack.^[23]
• A Very Venture Christmas, the 2004 Christmas episode of the television cartoon series The Venture Bros. Krampus is accidentally released by a book of ancient occult magic and wreaks havoc on Doctor Thaddeus Venture's Christmas party.^[24]
• Supernatural, in the episode A Very Supernatural Christmas, Sam makes a reference to the Krampus when discussing the 'Anti-Santa'.

  Video games

• The Binding of Isaac (video game), from 2011, has a "Devil Room" in which a horned opponent named Krampus may appear.^[25] If Krampus is defeated, the player obtains a "gift" from it: a lump of coal with a note stating that "You've been bad!"^[26]
• CarnEvil, a 1998 arcade game, has a level called "Rickety Town" with a boss (video gaming) named Krampus. He resembles a large, horned, clawed, demonic Santa Claus clad in green, and attacks by hurling flaming coals and swinging his bag at the player.^[27]

  Music

• Random Spirit Lover, a 2007 album by indie band Sunset Rubdown, features a picture of Krampus on the back cover.^[28] Spencer Krug stated, in an interview with Pitchfork Media, that the Krampus image was placed there because "he represents the sort of duality that's a theme on the record, the two sides of every thing."^[29]

  See also

	Holidays portal
	Mythology portal

  References

  External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Krampus

External videos
	Perchten and Krampus performance in Vomp (Tyrol, Austria)
	Perchten and Krampus parade in Styria
	Krampuslauf in Sankt Anton am Arlberg, Austria

• Account of a Kramuslauf (blog)
• Swiss legends
• Austrian legends
• Krampus in Tirol
• http://www.rotten.com/library/occult/deviltry/krampus/
• Christmas Cartoon Featuring Santa‘s Demonic ’Helper’ Yanked From Travel Channel
• Krampus: The Darker Side of Christmas