#Bavarian folklore

[catschimericalcreations]

Tatzelwurm Plush made from repurposed stuffed animals by Cat's Chimerical Creations

Did you know:

With every donation you make at https://ko-fi.com/catschimericalcreations you can unlock one fun fact about any repurposed Beanie Baby hybrid plush beast of your choosing!

[briefbestiary]

Now to catch a wolpertinger one must either salt its tail or perform the aptly named "sack, stick, spade" method.

The "sack, stick, spade" method consists of propping open a sack with a spade, lighting a candle inside as a lure, and finally removing the spade and trapping it after it has gone inside.

[mask131]

Green spring: The wolpertinger

THE WOLPERTINGER

Category: Bavarian folklore

Remember when I made a post about the Dahut/Dahu, during my very recent Cold Winter series? Well meet his German cousin: the Wolpertinger! Also called the Wolperdinger, Woipertinger or Woiperdinger. Just like with the dahu, the wolpertinger is a completely fictional creature that was invented to mock people, as a sort of “running joke” that became part of the folklore.

There are actually traces of the Wolpertinger existing as a folkloric being, since Bavarian legends about the beast were recorded in the 16th century, but the actual “existence” of the wolpertinger started in the 19th century, when taxidermists began creating “stuffed wolpertingers”. Originally these fake animals were created as a nod to the local folktales, to be bought by Bavarian families as a weird little decoration or as a tool to help storytelling when the wolpertinger legend was told to children… But the “stuffed wolpertinger” fad grew unexpectedly fast, as people found a new use for these fake bodies: selling them to tourists and visitors of Bavaria… This was the start of the fame of the wolpertinger. Whenever people wanted to scam or mock foreigners, when someone was ignorant of everything about Bavaria or obviously gullible and naïve, a stuffed wolpertinger was presented to them, and the beast was described as a part of the local fauna everybody knew about – and the “victim” was incited to buy the stuffed body as a souvenir of their trip to Bavaria. This “good joke” lasted to this day, as you can still find dead wolpertingers for sale on markets or in souvenir shops across Bavaria.

The wolpertinger actually has several different names depending on the part of Bavaria you are in: Oibadrischi, Rammeschuksn, Raurackl… And equivalents of the wolpertinger also started appearing in other regions of Germany: rasselbock in the central regions, dilldapp in Hesse, elwetrisch in the western lands… To this proliferation of names corresponds a proliferation of appearances: for you see, the whole point of the taxidermized wolpertingers was originally to just put together various animal elements to create a fantasy beast fitting the elusive and mysterious tales of a strange creature. As a result, each taxidermist did a different wolpertinger, and the creature had no fixed or “canon” appearance. The only thing people could agree on was three facts: the wolpertinger is quite small in size, it has a chimeric appearance mixing elements taken from other species, and it is a carnivore. The most famous and widespread description of the wolpertinger presents it as a hare with antlers, wings and fangs – most illustrations of the beast go with this description. However there are many other depictions of the little critter: a horned and winged squirrel, a half-hare half-deer creature with a cockscomb, a chicken with antlers, a mix of a fox and a duck, or a cross between a marten and a pheasant… There are so many different descriptions of the wolpertingers that people started explaining that the race probably started out as the union of opposition species, creating bizarre hybrids, that then found mates among each other – and now each individual is unique, bearing traits of all its ancestors species, randomly organized on its body.

Beyond all this, the only two other facts the storyteller will always be certain of are the wolpertinger’s habitat (the forests and mountains of Bavaria), and its diet: meat… to be more precise human meat. Indeed, part of the joke if warning tourists and travelers that if they wander carelessly and alone in remote and wild areas… they might get attacked by wolpertingers. And the warning usually comes with tales of imprudent tourists who got devoured alive by these little, but ferocious, beasts…

- - - - -

If you are American, the idea of a horned hare will probably bring to mind another name: jackalope, which could be considered another folkloric cousin of the beast.

The dahu in France, the wolpertinger in Germany, the jackalope in Northern America… Other names you might look into are the Swedish Skvader (a half-hare half-bird creature invented in the 20th by a taxidermist out of hunters tall tales), or into the “wild Haggis” (the critter of the Highlands whose flesh is the dish called “haggis”… or at least that’s what joking Scots might tell a particularly naïve tourist). And of course… who could forget the Australian “drop bears”?

[folkvisuals]

Let Down Your Hair

With talks of a Tangled live action remake, I decided to create somewhat of a mood board, inspired of course by beautiful Bavaria♡

[lunawolfewolf]

The Wolpertinger

A creature from German Folklore, this is a very illusive creature that is said to hide within the Forests of Bavaria...

[postcard-from-the-past]

Bavarian folklore garment

German vintage postcard

[educationaldm]

The Wolpertinger from Bavarian Folklore. Basically a flying rabbit with antlers. It would make an amazing familiar or animal companion.

[im-a-dream-wizard]

Considering writing a masterpost of works that have informed my Bavarian/German/Alpine folk magick…

[spaicymeatballs]

Bavarian Hotties

See all of my work on IG: @spaicy_meatballs

[grave-buster]

WAIT THEY GAVE VOLKOV A DAUGHTER????? fuck now i need to know more. i don't care abt neo-borg but i'm like the only volkov enjoyer so now i'm super curious. also i'm planning a beyblade women tournament and i'm gonna have 2 put her in the preliminaries

YESS THEY DID. Here's a link to Aoki's colored illustration of her: http:// sakura2factory.web.fc2.com/image/regina20201209.jpg (remove the space after http://)

Her name is Regina Hase, and she is the final antagonist of Beyblade RISING. The first female last boss in Beyblade plastic gen.

I can't recall rn if she directly states, "I'm Volkov's daughter" but I'm very sure she's his daughter (people in the Japanese fandom also seem to think this).

Edit: Okay yeah it's confirmed, she even calls him Father. My memory is very hazy XD

She runs a beyblade gambling ring, DBB. Initially, she disguises herself as Volkov, until Yuriy realizes she's not really him. She was also the one who got Yuriy kicked from the World Championships by circulating videos of Yuriy being all "muahahah I am so evil" while destroying beyblades. She also tried to ruin Takao's reputation by tricking him into battling at DBB and broadcasting it, falsely claiming that Takao is also a DBB blader. She defeats Takao, and gives Yuriy a hard time until Takao joins in on the match and helps Yuriy defeat her.

She has purple hair like Volkov (her long hair is a wig btw, her real hair is very short), and calls herself 'Volkov's heir' at one point, I think. Her nationality is stated as "German-Russian" in a page in the manga, and since her mother Emilia is shown to be German, I think it's safe to say she gets the 'Russian' part from Volkov. She meets Volkov after being defeated by Yuriy and Takao. She talks to him, and at one point Volkov mentions how Regina's anger upon being defeated is just like her Mother's.

Instead of leaving with Volkov, she decides to go her own way.

Later, it is shown she opens the Deustche Beyblade Liga, DBL with her mother. Also, beyblade RISING is very parenthood-centric. A lot of the characters have their parents shown, and some of the plot involves their parents as well. I think it's safe to say Volkov is her father.

Her bit beast is the rabbit Wolpertinger from German Folklore. It is said to live in Bavarian forests. Her launcher is a crossbow launcher like Brooklyn's, although it is handheld rather than worn on the arm. Her last name 'Hase' also means Hare/Rabbit in German, similar to how 'Volkov' means Wolf in Russian.

I think I already described what her beyblade is like, right?

I love how it looks! It took me two years to realize there are two rabbit heads on the lower part. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the way the spikes work. It's a bit too over the top, even for beyblade XD A toned down version of it would be amazing tho!

I also find it interesting that Regina is the one who wears Volkov's iconic mask in RISING, while Volkov himself wears an eyepatch here, presumably from losing an eye? It feels as though he 'passed the torch' to his daughter.

Thanks for the ask! I'm happy to see anyone show interest in Regina. Also, your beyblade women championship sounds amazing!! I'd love to know more about it.

Edit 2: I removed the image and added a link to it on Aoki's site instead, for the longest time I thought you couldn't share links to his illustrations either? But now I saw a post explaining you can.

[thedrawingunicorn]

Sometimes seen in the Bavarian woods, the Wolpertinger can be seen. A pile of disjointed animal parts this small creature is said to be ferocious.

A bit late but it is done. I am really enjoying the built in time on this prompt list.

Prompt from @/buttercat_paradox ‘s prompt list for #obscureoctober

#inkart #myth #folklore #legend #creature #mythicalbeast #octoberchallenge #beast #watercolor #indiaink #illustration #wolpertinger #cryptid

[rogue-taxidermy-of-sarina-brewer]

Wolpertinger Wednesday ~

A lighthearted and whimsical commission from many moons ago. The infamous “wolpertinger” of Bavarian folklore, only this time with a Northern Minnesota twist. The internet fell in love with this piece back in 2009. Over the years it has appeared on a number of news and entertainment sites across the globe including locales as far away as Brazil, Japan, and Russia. Fifteen years later this charming little character is still popping up in Google searches and warming people’s hearts.

Wolpertingers are a long-standing tradition in German folklore, particularly in Bavaria. These fictional creatures are said to inhabit the deepest, darkest parts of the forest and stories about them have circulated for centuries. Akin to the flying Jackalope of the American Great West, wolpertingers are purportedly the hybrid offspring resulting from the ‘ungodly’ mating of a hare and a deer. Taxidermy mounts of wolpertingers are a big part of the tradition. Mounts served as mascots in German taverns as far back as the early 1800’s, and still do to this day. There is also a long tradition of these mounts being sold as souvenirs in Bavaria. Originally locals sold stuffed wolpertingers to gullible tourists, claiming the mounts were hunting trophies of real animals. These days they are a popular gift shoppe novelty in the region.

Historical illustrations and paintings of wolpertingers traditionally depict them as a hare/rabbit with antlers and wings, sometimes with bird talons replacing their paws. In addition to rabbits, fox were often used to create the taxidermied tavern mascots. Modern mass-produced taxidermy mounts of wolpertingers are usually made with the comparatively inexpensive pelts of muskrats and ground squirrels. I decided my version of a wolpertinger needed a humorous twist that would set it apart from traditional interpretations so I utilized a grey tree squirrel, a species not found in old-school wolpertinger mounts. The remaining animals I used to create my version are traditional components, in this case game bird wings, duck feet, roe deer antlers, and fox fangs.

See more of my work at www.Sarina-Brewer.com

[skogenraev]

Strawberries - Magical Properties

🍓  The spiritual meaning of strawberries symbolizes love, passion, and healing. This fruit has been revered for centuries in various cultures for its connection to emotional and physical well-being. 🍓  The strawberry’s heart shape, vibrant red color, and sweet taste make it a powerful symbol in the spiritual realm. 🍓  Love and passion: Strawberries are associated with love and passion due to their red color and heart shape, often linked with the goddess Aphrodite. 🍓  Healing and purification: The strawberry’s high vitamin C content has long been believed to possess healing powers for both body and soul. 🍓  Abundance and fertility: Their seeds, which are visible on the outside, represent life, growth, and abundance, symbolizing a fruitful existence. 🍓 Spiritual growth and transformation: Strawberries symbolize the journey towards inner growth and enlightenment, as they ripen from green to red, signifying personal transformation. Although strawberries have only relatively recently been cultivated in Europe and western cultures, beginning around 1300 C. E. in France, folk all around the world have used strawberries for a variety of purposes for centuries. In South America before the Europeans arrived, strawberries were traded. North American First Nation tribes used strawberries as medicine, particularly as a women’s medicine used to clear toxins and support fertility and child-rearing. In Asia, strawberry’s detoxifying properties were also recognized as many as 2600 years B. C., at which time the Yellow Emperor used the leaves of the strawberry plant in a weak tea to detoxify and reduce the effects of aging. The Romans used Strawberries to lift the spirits and relieve bad breath as well as to treat a variety of digestive complaints. Strawberry’s popular reputation, however, solidified around fertility early on, and there it has remained. Strawberry shows up in European mythos as a fertility-inducing and love-producing fruit beloved of goddesses such as Venus, Aphrodite, Freyja, and the Virgin Mary. It was said the fruit of strawberry, when shared with another, would produce love. In Bavarian folk tradition, strawberries are gathered and hung in baskets on the horns of cattle to pay the local nature spirits in trade for many healthy calves and cows who produce an abundance of milk. It was said that if a pregnant woman carried strawberry leaves in her pocket they would relieve the pains of pregnancy. From inducing love to producing offspring, strawberry has been recognized as a potent little herb. It’s no wonder, too, strawberry has enjoyed a solid standing amongst the fertility herbs of folklore and mythos. Strawberry is a member of the Rosaceae family, also known as the Rose family, known for their love-inducing properties. Through her seeds, strawberry amplifies this message of dedication. Strawberry seeds grow on the outside of the fruit and can germinate even when soil isn’t present. Strawberry knows deep down no matter what the present conditions appear to be, she has the power to succeed. Strawberry magic is the magic of success through inner vision that sustains until the outer world is ready to receive. Success, as strawberry teaches us, requires proper preparation of one’s self. Wild strawberries tend to concentrate their energy and healing properties more intensely and in small fruits than their cultivated cousins. Thus, if your project has grown up or come to you through a wild, uncontrolled, undirected manner or source, you may be able to expect a longer duration of more concentrated energy and small-sized but intense fruits. Conversely, if your project has been carefully cultivated, you may enjoy large, abundant fruits for a shorter period. In Astrology, strawberry is considered a feminine plant and is governed by Venus. Strawberry’s element is water. 🍓 Symbolism - Love, passion, purity, and fertility 🍓 Color - Red, symbolizing vitality, life force, and sensuality 🍓 Shape - Heart-shaped, representing the heart chakra and emotional connections 🍓 Associated Deities - Freya, Aphrodite, and Venus, goddesses of love, beauty, and fertility 🍓 Historical Use - Used in ancient Roman ceremonies as a symbol of love and fertility 🍓 Cultural Significance - In medieval Europe, strawberries were used as a symbol of perfection, purity, and righteousness

🍓 Spiritual Practices - Used in rituals to attract love, enhance passion, and strengthen relationships

🍓

Medicinal Properties

- Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, promoting physical and spiritual health

History & Lore 

 "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." (Dr. William Butler, 17th Century English Writer) Dr. Butler is referring to the strawberry. Strawberries are the best of the berries. The delicate heart-shaped berry has always connoted purity, passion and healing. It has been used in stories, literature and paintings through the ages.

 In Othello, Shakespeare decorated Desdemonda's handkerchief with symbolic strawberries.

 Madame Tallien, a prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries. She used 22 pounds per basin, needless to say, she did not bathe daily.

In parts of Bavaria, country folk still practice the annual rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They believe that the elves, who are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and abundance of milk in return.

The American Natives were already eating strawberries when the Colonists arrived. The crushed berries were mixed with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread. After trying this bread, Colonists developed their own version of the recipe and Strawberry Shortcake was created.

In Greek and Roman times, the strawberry was a wild plant.

The English "strawberry" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "streoberie" not spelled in the modern fashion until 1538.

The first documented botanical illustration of a strawberry plant appeared as a figure in Herbaries in 1454.

In 1780, the first strawberry hybrid "Hudson" was developed in the United States.

Legend has it that if you break a double strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall in love with each other.

The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shapes and red color.

Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII had a strawberry shaped birthmark on her neck, which some claimed proved she was a witch.

To symbolize perfection and righteousness, medieval stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals.

The wide distribution of wild strawberries is largely from seeds sown by birds. It seems that when birds eat the wild berries the seeds pass through them intact and in reasonably good condition. The germinating seeds respond to light rather than moisture and therefore need no covering of earth to start growing.

Strawberries in Bible

While there are many interpretations of what strawberries may represent in the Bible, one of the most common is that they symbolize righteousness and purity.

In Song of Solomon, for example, the narrator compares his love interest’s lips to “a cluster of ripe grapes” and her breasts to “two fawns, twins of a gazelle.” This analogy is often extended to include strawberries as well, with their reddish hue and seeds representing the blood of Christ and the fruit of salvation respectively.

Strawberry Facts

🍓 The average strawberry has approximately 200 seeds.

🍓 A strawberry flower averages five to seven petals.

🍓 Americans on average eat approximately three-and-a-half pounds of fresh strawberries each per year.

🍓 Strawberry word has its origin from Old English words “steowberie” or “streawbelige”.

🍓 Amazing good for pregnant women. Birth defects like spina bifida can be reduced if they eat strawberries on a regular basis.

🍓 The strawberry plant is a perennial. 

[that-spider-witch]

Mythological animals that I think should be used for Arknights character designs

I posted this on Reddit, might as well post it here too.

Arknights has a lot of myth-inspired characters already beside the obvious dragons, angels and devils: We have Pegasi (the Nearl family), Griffins (Archetto). Hippogryph (Hellagur), Phoenixes (Fiammetta), Kukulkán (Ho'olheyak), Cerberus (Ceobe), Typhon (well... Typhon)... you get the picture. 

So... why not add some more mythical animal-inspired designs? Here are some that I think would be awesome to have in the game.

Cadejo:

What they are: The Cadejo (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈðexo]) is a supernatural spirit that appears as a dog-shaped creature with blue eyes when it's calm and red eyes when it's attacking. It roams isolated roads at night, according to Central American folklore of indigenous origin. In some variations of the myth, there is a good white cadejo and an evil black cadejo. Both are spirits that appear at night to travelers: the white cadejo protects them from harm and danger during their journey, while the black cadejo (sometimes an incarnation of the devil) tries to kill them.

What I think would be cool: A Perro Dollkeeper that switches between "white" and "black" mode in battle, giving some really nice flavor to the "doll" mechanic. Bonus point if HG goes the Archetto/Ho'olheyak route and give them Sarkaz or Caprinae horns while still having them be of Perro race, as lots of Cadejo artwork represents them with goat horns and/or hooves in line with the whole devil aspect of the legend.

Kamaitachi:

What they are: Kamaitachi (鎌鼬) is a Japanese yōkai often told about in the Kōshin'etsu region. They appear riding on dust devils and they cut people using the nails on both their hands that are like sickles. One would receive a sharp, painless wound. The name is a combination of the words "itachi" meaning weasel, and "kama" meaning sickle. In the Musashi region and Kanagawa Prefecture, they are called "kamakaze" (鎌風, "wind sickle"), and in the Shizuoka Prefecture they are called "akuzen-kaze" (悪旋風, "evil whirlwind"). 

What I think would be cool: Seriously, why do we not have an Anaty operator based on these guys yet? Why wasn't Shirayuki one? It is not like Arknights has not based characters on yōkai before (Suzuran and Utage immediately come to mind), so where's our sickle weasel at?

Tatzelwurm:

What they are: In the folklore of the Alpine region of south-central Europe, the Tatzelwurm, Stollenwurm, or Stollwurm is a lizard-like creature, often described as having the face of a cat, with a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby, with four short legs or two forelegs and no hindlegs. The creature is sometimes said to be venomous, or to attack with poisonous breath, and to make a high-pitched or hissing sound. Anecdotes describing encounters with the creature or briefly described lore about them can be found in several areas of Europe, including the Austrian, Bavarian, French, Italian and Swiss Alps. It has several other regional names, including Bergstutz, Springwurm, Praatzelwurm, and in French, arassas.

What I think would be cool: ...okay, I will be honest, I just find the idea of a lizard or serpent-tailed catgirl or catboy really cute (Bonus points if they have cute venomous little fangs). Yes, the idea of putting serpent tails were you wouldn't expect to find them has already been used for both Utage and Ho'olheyak, but not only are both of those examples also based on mythology (The Nue for Utage, Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl for Ho'olheyak), but their designs also seem to be decently popular with the fandom, so why not repeat the formula?

Simurgh:

What they are: The simurgh (/sɪˈmɜːrɡ/; Persian: سیمرغ, also spelled simorgh, simorg, simurg, simoorg, simorq or simourv) is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. The Simurgh is depicted in Iranian art as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. It appears as a peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion – sometimes, however, also with a human face.

What I think would be cool: As with the Tatzelwurm, I just want to see what HG could design based on this. There's no doubt in my mind that such a character would have to be a Liberi, just like Ho'olheyak, Archetto and Hellagur before it. I want HG to give us what initially seems like a new Perro or Lupo waifu, fluffy wolf/dog ears and tail, with just a easily missable peacock feather on her hair to foreshadow her true inspiration... and then when the character actually comes out they reveal her as a Liberi seemingly out of nowhere, big majestic Simurgh on her E2 art background, all Lupoknights players utterly jebaited. Let's keep this trend of weird Liberi going, please!

[mydollcave]

The Percht

Perchten are creatures in Austrian and Bavarian (among others) folklore. They roam from December to January and rattle with bells and chains to cast out the evil spirits of winter. They are not the same as Krampus! But in my experience there is a lot of overlap visually.

I am beyond excited about how this guy came out. Started a year ago and he was chilling as a wip for a long time but now i've finished him just in time. Mask and horns are air dry clay, hair is a mix of doll hair (underneath) and yarn wefts on top and for the beard. i kept the sneakers from the base doll (a jimin bts doll lol) and just painted them because this is not really an animal spirit creature - it's a guy in a costume :P

more pics and details under the cut

wire in the tail for posing; hands painted and claws added, they kinda get lost in the big sleeves tho haha

perchten masks usually have horns from real animals, often ibex, which was the reference for these

[riveroracle]

Krampus: The Dark Shadow of Winter

By: Christina McCarthy

While many figures in pagan & witch folklore are shrouded in layers of mystery, some stand out as a little stranger than the others. The more I dig to uncover the true nature of Krampus, the more an ethereal snowy mist seems to gather, further obscuring him into the realm of whimsical Yuletide mythology. Perhaps this is how he’s come to inhabit such a unique place in the psyche of modern people around the world.

There is debate about how & when the Krampus legend came into being. Some say he’s a sort of pre-Christian deity, the son of Hel, Norse goddess of the Underworld, but evidence for this theory is nonexistent and appears to be a very modern addition to Krampus lore. Other sources say his festival in Germany and throughout Alpine Europe started only a few hundred years ago, a now faded older tradition from pre-Christian Germanic paganism adopted into its modern form by the Catholic church to subdue pagan influences around midwinter. Some classic depictions include chains, to show the power of the Christian god over the “devil”.

This famous depiction shows his one cloven hoof and one clawed bear foot.

Images like these, often featuring poems and season's greetings, come from Krampuskarten, or Krampus cards, often whimsical and humorous greeting & post cards which were exchanged around the holidays, starting in the 19th century. He is often depicted mischievously pursuing beautiful women in a Cupid-like fashion, punishing and chasing weeping children, and accompanying St. Nicholas.

His name appears to come from a combination of a Middle German word, “kralle”, meaning “claw”, and a Bavarian word “krampn” meaning dead, shriveled, or lifeless, connecting him with death mysteries. He is depicted as an often hairy, black or brown, therianthropic beast, part man, part goat, with cloven hooves, reminiscent of the satyrs of Greek mythology. He's also commonly shown with sharp fangs, a red lolling tongue, large bulging eyes, and a single clawed bear foot. There are other regional variations of this spirit, with similar features & mythic function - Knecht Rubrecht and Belsnickel in Germany, Schmutzli in Switzerland, Bartel in Austria, Zwarte Piet or "Black Pete" farther west, and many other midwinter demons. There's even a feminine version - the goddess Perchta lives on today through a similar tradition, Perchtenlauf, where the "ugly" and "beautiful" Perchte or Percht, her hoard of Krampus-like spirits, stage a mock battle in the streets as perhaps a symbolic battle between death and life occurring at midwinter. Some consider this to be a precursor to modern Krampuslauf celebrations, yet the Perchta tradition continues to exist alongside Krampus today.

The widespread prevalence of such similar traditions gives rise to the theory of a class of spirits like Krampus whose names and specific lore vary by local region.

This map shows Alpine Europe - the highlighted area shows the location of the Alps, but of course the Krampus tradition stretches beyond the exact borders shown.

Map source: https://alpshiking.swisshikingvacations.com/where-are-the-alps/

Regardless of his origin, today Krampus strikes a cheerful holiday fright into the hearts of children and adults alike. It’s said that he punishes the children on St. Nick’s naughty list, whipping them with a bundle of birch switches called a "ruten bundle" or sometimes a whip, or kidnapping them in a sack or basket on the eve of St. Nick’s feast day. The punishment is said to fit the crime - the lightest sentence being handed a single birch stick, as if a reminder of which path to choose, and the naughtiest children being dragged to hell or even drowned or eaten by Krampus! Instead of the Christmas Devil's lumps of coal and harsh sentences, good children would find little gifts filling their shoes from the jovial Saint Nicholas, who is often depicted dressed as a bishop with a golden ceremonial staff as pictured above. Sources below have more information about St. Nick if you want to learn more about the minor saint we now call Santa Claus!

In Germanic Europe, holiday festivities in December are first heralded by Krampusnacht, meaning “Krampus Night”, and Krampuslauf, the “Krampus Run”, where revelers dress up in extensive costumes with furs, masks, and horns to run the streets and terrify the townsfolk, inspiring Yuletide nightmares of the Christmas Devil.

This practice may have connection to the pervasive European myth of the Wild Hunt, where dark forces - often depicted as a hunter on horseback and his hounds, among other dark pagan imagery - parade through the skies around midwinter, carrying the souls of mortals over wintery skies to the afterlife. Both Krampuslauf and the Wild Hunt may partly be reminiscent of an ancient cleansing ritual where disguised townsfolk would run the streets, ringing bells and perhaps rattling Krampus's chains, acting as a hellish hoard to scare away unwelcome spirits. To extend the conjecture even farther, some draw a link from Krampus to the witches' horned god, due to his similarity to "wild man" therianthropic figures such as Pan, Cernunnos, and Herne.

Once the children have been sufficiently frightened into another year of their best behavior, the Krampuses traditionally drink alcohol in celebration. The drink of choice, for this after party and for offerings to Krampus, is schnapps. The Krampuslauf tradition is believed to be around 500 years old, and while many attempts to quell these celebrations have been enacted by oppressive forces, from the Catholic church throughout several centuries, to the Christian Social Party of Austria with their famous propaganda pamphlet titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man", to the Nazi Party, the Krampus run is alive and growing today.

From a Krampus celebration in Austria.

One of the most famous festivals takes place in Munich, Germany. Among their famous Christmas marketplace, filled with glittering lights and symbols of Catholic advent, caroling, traditional treats, and the glow of a modern city, Krampuses can be found running around giving folks a chilling holiday scare, reminding them of a time gone by when the fear of winter’s darkness kept everyone warm and safe inside their homes on the eve of December 5th.

Krampus in a getaway car! We often think of a tradition like this as distant history, so seeing a depiction made during a period of industrialization is a little mind bending!

I personally believe the modern resurgence of Krampus is related to a collective yearning, whether conscious or unconscious, to honor the darkness of the season. What’s become a heavily Christianized (and commercialized) “holiday season” of constant flashing lights and warm familial celebrations, was once more widely regarded as a time of death, darkness, and difficulty. In the depth of winter, when resources and warmth were scarce & daily life was focused on enduring the season, celebrations of the sun were an ode to survival and hope that life would return to the earth again. Krampus represents this inescapable reality of the darkness and hopelessness we experience when the sun is at its weakest, when all the earth holds its breath, silently praying for deliverance from night’s bitter shadows.

Sources:

Note: I'm loosely using Chicago style format, unless there isn't enough information to bother, in which case I will usually just post the link.

🕯️Bustamonte, S. (2018) Krampus Spaß, The Wild Hunt: Pagan News and Perspectives. Available at: https://wildhunt.org/2018/12/the-murky-origin-of-the-krampus.html.

This was an especially rich resource! It contained a lot of detailed information that I’ve never heard before, but most of the new content presented, I was able to verify by looking at other sources. It also lists a book source that seems interesting - books aren’t foolproof, their information should still be verified, but a website listing a printed source is a good sign the information is likely to be correct!

🕯️Krampus. https://brickthology.com/category/banishing/

This was an interesting resource with a wealth of information, which was not sourced and the author seemed to be a random unidentified person, so I still cross referenced the information. This person seemed to have a good working knowledge of the cultural traditions which may be from personal experience, and that kind of information is important in research about regional folklore.

🕯️ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus

🕯️https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Nicholas

For most projects, I use simple pages like these as a starting point for a quick summary of basic information. Brittanica has been around a long time, and I know the information on their site is usually accurate. I still cross-verify the information to make sure there aren’t any inconsistencies.

🕯️Christmas Market at Marienplatz: The Magic of the Christmas Season. Simply Munich. Available at: https://www.munich.travel/en/pois/markets-festivals/christmas-market-marienplatz.

I had some prior knowledge that one of the most popular Krampus Runs takes place in Munich, so I sought out an official Munich website to get their version of the information. What I found was context surrounding Krampus, seating him firmly in modern German customs, and that helps bring mythology to life.

🕯️Krampus, the Christmas Devil of Alpine Europe. The German Way & More. Available at: https://www.german-way.com/krampus-the-christmas-devil-of-alpine-europe/.

I didn’t strictly use this source in this blog post, but I found it to be a credible source that goes further into detail about regional Krampus traditions, containing photos, videos, and further links on related topics. I like to provide sources like this in my bibliographies for people to learn more than what I wanted to cover in the post.

🕯️Perchtenlaufen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchtenlaufen

That's right, this is a wikipedia link! Sure, wikipedia can be unreliable. As long as you're checking the information with other sources, there's nothing wrong with using it as a starting point to break into information you're not familiar with.

All photos with sources not listed are under public domain.