As darkness falls on the evening of December 5th, folks across certain regions of Europe perpare for Krampusnacht. Traditionally, across Austria’s Alpine folklore and some parts of Germany, Krampus was said to visit children the night of December 5th, the day before the feast of Saint Nicholas. While well behaved children would be rewarded with gifts and treats from St. Nick, Krampus was known to punish bad children. Krampus is known for his use of birch rods.
Many believe Krampus' beliefs and traditions date back to pagan times. In some ways, Krampus is similar to Germany’s Belsnickel. Except that Belsnickel works alone, without Saint Nick hovering over his shoulder.
Krampus is believed to be inspired by other, earlier creatures. Mainly Perchten and Straggele. Perchta is a figure that fits the same mold that many of these holiday creatures do. On New Year’s Eve, Perchta is said to roam around and punish those who have misbehaved and reward well behaved folks.
The history of Krampusnacht and celebrations have taken many different forms and shapes. From Krampus Runs, which involve men dressing up like Krampus and attempting to scare onlookers with their horrifying behavior and costume. And of course, Krampus has become a staple in holiday based horror films. Notably, Krampus (2015) which starred Adam Scott and Toni Collette, helped to solidify the folklore within a modern horror community.
Belsnickel is similar to Krampus in some ways. He hails from a region of Germany in the Southwest, along the Rhine River. Belsnickel is often depicted as a man who wears furs, and a mask. Similar to Krampus, he is also depicted as having a long tongue. A very creepy detail. Also similar to Krampus, he walks around with a switch in order to punish poorly behaved children. Some believe that Belsnickel is based on Knecht Ruprecht (or Farmhand Rupert, in English), which is an even older story from Germanic folklore.
Farmhand Rupert is an associate of Saint Nicholas, who we are going to discuss more in a minute. Rupert dates back to the 17th century in written texts. He was an incredibly popular figure locally, but isn’t broadly known outside of the region.
Across the Holy Roman Empire and its surrounding regions, the companions of Saint Nicholas were known to accompany St. Nick and acted as foils to him. Generally meant to punish children who aren’t well behaved, while Saint Nick rewards well behaved children with presents.
Farmhand Rupert generally wears a white robe, a mask and a flax wig. Sometimes he is depicted as walking with a limp, from a childhood injury.