"Krampus, popular throughout Europe,
is usually described as a black devil
who accompanies St. Nicholas and punishes
disobedient children. Parents warn their
children that Krampus will carry them away
if they don't behave. The legend surrounding
this character varies depending on which
region you hear it from. In Austria he is
Krampus, in Germany Knecht Ruprecht,
and in Holland Black Peter."


Krampus Christmas Card

Krampus was a well known Christmas Figure
in Europe in earlier years, when he was pictured
as the Companion of St. Nicholas.  While "Santa"
give out the gifts and rewards - it was "Krampus"
who punished the naughty chiildren.

Even today, there is a hint of the Krampus Message,
in the popular song that is sung about Santa Claus.
The lines "You Better Watch Out" -  "You Better
Not Cry" -  are the old time warning about being
punished - by the "Dark" Helper that roams wth
Santa - or St. Nicholas.
 

In Europe, pictures of Santa and Krampus were
frequently found on Christmas Postcards and also
on Christmas Greeting Cards.

Krampus and Santa have been pictured on sleds
together, on Ski's and also on Motor Bikes.



These old European Christmas Cards -
depicted children as being frightened
or afraid of Krampus.

"Central Europe has the Krampus,
who is St. Nick's evil sidekick.
In these parts, Mikulás shows up
in December accompanied by a
foul-breathed, forked-tongued
creature who sought out the bad
children and instilled terror in them
by taking them away with him."

"The Krampus (or Krámpusz, in Hungarian)
appeared all across the Austro-Hungarian
lands in one form or another. Often, he was
rather unimaginitively depicted as a
traditional Christian-style devil with
horns, cloven hooves, forked tail or
flaming red tongue, on Krampus-themed
Christmas postcards that circulated in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries."

"Leave it to the Weiner Wertstatte in Vienna
to really get down to the essence of the
Krampus in their version of the nasty fellow.
Many Christmas greeting cards and post cards
depict the Krampus as an employee of the Santa
empire, clearing out the nastiest brats so
that St. Miklos could come in and drop off
his gifts more efficiently across the
Austro-Hungarian lands."

Europe is filled with the Legends of Krampus - who whips
naughty kids -  and sometimes even takes them away.
Greetings from Krampus - was a common theme for
Christmas cards and Christmas postcards  in Europe.


Above you can see a sled full of naughty children that are
being hauled away by Krampus on Christmas.

Bad children were carted off in the pail or sack of Krampus.
Good Children were rewarded with presents from Old St. Nick


Old St. Nick - and  "Krampus"

These naughty children above are running and
trying to escape from the Krampus who accompanied
St. Nick on his Christmas visit.

The Krampus,  The Cross, and Santa
See Below -

Krampus is seen accompanying St. Nick on his journey
in Decenber to Punish and Reward Children according to
their deeds.

 
Krampus and St. Nicholas
from the Journal of  Carl Baumann  -
Written 1813-25

Girl Praying Before Krampus

A common theme on old European Christmas
cards - was a scene depicting children praying
to Krampus. They were afraid of him and were
pleading with him - to prove they had been good
all year - so that when he arrived with Santa at
Christmas - they would not get punished.

Krampus snatching kids right beneath the nose
of their mother - in the scene below - on an old
Christmas postcard.  (see below)


Evidently these children had been naughty all
year - and instead of getting presents from
St. Nick for Christmas - they are being punished
by Krampus.  He is snatching them away right in
front of their mother. 

This Christmas Postcard Below -
Depicts Krampus as looking Mean, and Cruel.
Their mother warned them - "You better be good,
or else - because Christmas is coming, and you know
what happens to bad boys and girls at Christmas."


This old European Christmas Postcard above
is a gruesome depiction of the evil Krampus.
St. Nick's companion was depicted as a  Devil-Like
creature that appears to dislike children -
especially naughty ones.

Saint Nick is shown with Krampus below - in a
greeting card from Europe at Christmas Time.

In the above Christmas scene - you can see evil Krampus
right alongside of Old St. Nick.....  They were constant
companons in Europe during the Christmas Season.

copy of used Christmas Greeting Card
From Hungary

You can see Krampus hauling off a naughty child
in his bucket of pail.

`
Krampus Greeting Card above -
showing Krampus punishing
the naughty children at Christmastime.

In Europe - the focus has always been on
punishment verses reward  - for children
during the Yultide Season of Christmas. 


Another Christmas Post Card showing Krampus
carting awa a bad boy.  It appears that this demon
was used as warning for the girls and boys to be
good - all year round.

KRAMPUS  AND  ST.  NICK

The Mythological Creature called "Krampus" - reminds
us so much of Satan the Devil - that we are lead to believe
that St. Nick's companion - points to the Evil Origins
of Christmas.

"Pope Gregory...advised Saint Augustine
to allow his converts certain festivals...
as formerly they had done this in honor of
"THE DEVIL"....Therefore Saint Augustine
permitted their usual December celebration
under the new name (of Christmas)...And
From these early pagan...ceremonies are
derived many of the English holiday
customs that have survived to our day."
- The Evolution of Christmas;
     Published in 1909

"What harmony can there be
between Christ and the Devil ? "
(2Corinthians 6:15)(NLT)-BibleGateway

The children in the above Christmas postcard
are praying to St.Nick and the Devil - They look
frightened and scared.  Notice Krampus hiding
behind St. Nick - ready to pounce upon these kids
and met out some punishment on them..

"Pope Gregory...advised Saint Augustine
to allow his converts certain festivals...
as formerly they had done this in honor of
"THE DEVIL"....Therefore Saint Augustine
permitted their usual December celebration
under the new name (of Christmas)...And
From these early pagan...ceremonies are
derived many of the English holiday
customs that have survived to our day."
- The Evolution of Christmas;
     Published in 1909

"What harmony can there be
between Christ and the Devil ? "
(2Corinthians 6:15)(NLT)-BibleGateway

Krampus and
The Evolution of Santa Claus

Krampus and
The Evolution of Santa Claus

The modern commercialized Santa Claus
has evolved into what he is today. 
Over the years he has absorbed the
evil Krampus that used to accompany
him on his December gift-giving Tours.

If we look real hard, we can still see
and feel the remnants of the lost link
to the pagan past of this modern Christmas
celebration.

"In the English-speaking countries,
we combined Santa and his helpers
(Krampus and black peter) into a
composite which arrives at Christmas
time to stuff the stockings and
reward children who have been naughty
and nice.  But the pagan history
shows that St. Nicholas is a vastly
more complex being..."
-THE ANTINOOPOLIS GAYZETTE
   MEET SANTA'S HELPERS -
 KRAMPUS AND ANTINOUS/APOLLO

"this "Yuletide" spirit-being
is a duality.  Part of him is
the kindly priest in flowing robes
and part of him is the evil fiend
with slashing teeth and claws."
-THE ANTINOOPOLIS GAYZETTE
   MEET SANTA'S HELPERS -
 KRAMPUS AND ANTINOUS/APOLLO

"What may surprise you is that
Santa Claus has not always been
a jolly ole elf, or even human.
In fact, he has been depicted
as an evil gnome as well as a goat."
-Will the Real Santa Claus
  Please Stand Up?
The Many Faces of Santa
Denise Alvarado

"Ol Saint Nick as it turns out
has a bunch of demonic buddies.
You wouldn't know it from the
Christian American Coca Cola
interpretation of Christmas
but there's some really disturbing
stories surrounding that special
time of the year..."
-Monster Brains Presents..
     Krampus!
 Aeron Alfrey - 12/08/07

The Evolution of Santa Claus

In the Nordic Countries
Santa continued to evolve by
absorbing the Krampus creature

In the above depiction of the Norse god, Thor,
we can see that he resembles Santa Claus,
while at the same time, he features the coarse
and cruel features of Krampus including  the
switches and sticks in his back pack.
Also note the horns displayed on his new
companion - The deer.

Krampus was often depicted as being
covered with Fur all over his body.
Notice the santa figure above is also
covered with fur.

"the old stories of the Wildmen are
interwoven into those of Santa Claus. 
The Wildman of the Middle Ages
was described as a bearded large man
whose body was covered in thick, matted
hair.  His traditional beast of burden
was the reindeer."
-Santa is a Wildman
 by Loren Coleman

The Evolution of Santa Claus

THE  WILD  MAN  OF  CHRISTMAS

The Wild Man of Christmas

In the depiction above we see a further evolution
of Santa as he continues to absorb Krampus from
the tradition roots of the pagan December Holiday.

"in the southwestern alpine part of Bavaria,
the tradition of the "Wilde Mann" (wild man)
is kept alive.    He is described exactly like
Krampus.  In the Alpine regions "the Krampus"
is represented by a demon incubus - the Companion
of Saint Nicholas in many European traditions."
-Paganism in the Eastern Alps
Absolute Astronomy
Exploring the universe of knowledge

"The offspring of the "Wild Man"
is the  precursor of "Father Christmas".
-The Last Wild Man
 by PHYLLIS SIEFKER
 FT 118 - January 2000
 Fortean Times

"As we watch this portly figure (of Santa)
entice us with baubles (of gifts), we are
witnessing the last remnant of the oldest
sacred figure that exists, for Santa's past
is full of ancient mysteries, with a depth
few imagined. In the Middle Ages he was
a Wild Man, a beast-man. In the Sixth
Century, he was a beast-god so powerful
that Pope Gregory the Great chose him
to be Christianity's poster child for evil –
the cloven-hoofed, goatish devil figure
that persists even today.  For millennia
before that, he was worshiped as a god."
-The Last Wild Man
 by PHYLLIS SIEFKER
 FT 118 - January 2000
 Fortean Times

"the old stories of the Wildmen are interwoven
into those of Santa Claus.  The Wildman of the
Middle Ages was described as a bearded large
man whose body was covered in thick, matted hair.
 His traditional beast of burden was the reindeer."
-Santa is a Wildman
 by Loren Coleman

"Even Father Christmas, who was often
shown wreathed in ivy in early depictions,
has been suggested as a similar woodland
spirit as the green man (or wild man)."
--Siefker, Phyllis (February 1997).
Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men:
The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas
McFarland & Co Inc. ISBN 0786402466 

"The Green Man would appear to be pagan,
perhaps a fertility figure or a nature spirit,
similar to the the wild man of the woods.
Rather than alienate their new converts,
early Christian missionaries would often
adopt and adapt local gods, sometimes
turning them into obscure saints."
-- Dufourcq, Albert (1903).
La Christianisation des Foules.
Paris: Bloud et cie. pp. 44 et sec. ,
quoted in Wilson, Stephen (1983).
Saints and their cults.
Cambridge University Press. p. 96.
ISBN 9780521311816. 

THE  EVOLUTION  OF  SANTA  CLAUS

"History shows us that the Christians
moved their holiest day to the Winter
Solstice in a futile attempt to replace
the irrepressible heathen winter celebration
and its pagan beliefs which carry on today
even in so-called Christian homes."
-The Book Beat Shop
Krampus; The New Loki 4/12/08
Cary Loren for the Book Beat

"Santa Claus and the Krampus evolved
from the same pagan archetype  - from
whence came the Wild Man and the horned
Devil, all central figures in the mythology
of pre-Christian Europe."
-The Book Beat Shop
Krampus; The New Loki 4/12/08
Cary Loren for the Book Beat

"With Christmas ostensibly about Christ,
one must ask why Santa has become the
chief mythic figure of the highest of
Christian holidays.  One must answer:
Santa and alter-ego Krampus continue
to shape human consciousness and his
influence is clearly on the rise."
-The Book Beat Shop
Krampus; The New Loki 4/12/08
Cary Loren for the Book Beat

 The Evolution of Santa Claus

Krampus Hides Behind The Mask

Krampus hides behind the Mask of the Jolly
Old Elf.   He demands respectability for
himself.

The absorption of Krampus into the person
of Santa Claus has been so complete, that
some people do not even see Krampus at all
in their December holiday season.

He may be well hidden, but Krampus is
still there - behind the respectable mask
of the beloved Santa Claus of commercialized
America.  Coca-Cola portrayed a cute
fat man with a jolly smile - in order to
propagate more Holiday sales each year.

"if we look at many of today's customs,
superstitions and celebrations, we can
see much of those Heathen religions
firmly stamped on them. So in that
sense we can say strongly that
heathenism is still with us today,
and is still being practiced, albeit
unknown to most of those who
practice it."
-Anglo-Saxon Heathen Heritage
  by Stuart Alan

"Christianity has never completely
destroyed the popular heathen faith
in the power of the pagan gods. 
The Devil certainly was a real
enough being to a people who still
had memories of Celtic elfs and
fairies."
-The Popular Conception of the Devil
in Chaucer's Day - by Joseph Raben
Hoosier Folklore, Vol. 9, No. 1
(Jan. - Mar., 1950), pp. 13-16
Published by:
Indiana University Press

"The story of St. Nicholas was simply
recycled from those of Pagan gods.  
So you see, the church leaders at
that time were responsible for a
great fraud upon society,  which
has never been corrected to this day,
of both Christ's birthday celebration
and that of Santa Claus."
- Falsehoods of Religion
Foisted on a Gullible Society
 By Eileen T. Waldron
Saturday, November 29, 2003

With the evolution of Santa being
exposed for public view, we are
left to wonder if it is a good thing
to be involved with this holiday ?

^"What harmony can there be
between Christ and the Devil ^{? "
(2Corinthians 6:15)(NLT)-BibleGateway}

"...I will punish those who....
introduce pagan....practices;
And I'll punish all who import
pagan superstitions...."
(Zephaniah 1:7)(MSG)-BibleGateway

Krampus Travels by Sled

Krampus Travels by Sled

The Krampus really gets around.
He's not always on Foot. He has
been known to travel by sled,
on skis, and even by motorcycle.

"Krampus is also capable of diverse
forms of mobility: when not leading
children away on foot or painfully
pulling them after him, Krampus is
driving an automobile, arriving by
train, riding a sled, or flying in
primitive airplanes, suggesting
that there are few places to which
he doesn't have access."
-- The Devil in Design:
The Krampus Postcards
Monte Beauchamp
Editorial Reviews

Krampus Travels by Sled

Christmas Postcard
Krampus is taking naughty children away

"Everyone knows that Santa keeps lists of good
and bad children. If you are good you get a visit
from Santa and he leaves toys. However, in
turn-of-the-century Europe, if you were bad
you got a visit from KRAMPUS!"
-HA31 Art Event - Krampus
Founder, D. A. Sweigart,
fellow artist and web designer

Krampus on Skis with Santa

Krampus on skis with Santa

As the evil companion of Santa,
Krampus is also depicted skiing
his way to the Christmas Festival.

And now we have Krampus
riding a Motorcycle
along with Santa

Above is the Devilish Looking Krampus as he
drives this Motorcycle with his companion,
St. Nick being towed at his side.

The friendship between Krampus and Santa
as depicted in this Christmas Card - is undeniable.

But no matter what mode of transportation
he uses, he is always easy to spot,
with his dark appearance, his red
tongue, his long horns, his pitchfork,
and his long tail and his evil demeanor.
Sometimes he even carries a chain
a whip, a switch, or a handful of sticks,
with which to administer beatings and
punishment.

Few will deny that he looks like the
devil himself.  For Satan and his demons
are often portrayed in similar manner
by artists and mythologists.

With all of this noticed by the general
public, it is little wonder that in
some areas, Krampus has been removed
from the Christmas Festivities. 
After all, what Bible reader wants to
be involved with a holiday that includes
a demonic figure?  What highly spiritually
minded church enthusiast wants to be
connected to a Festival with such demonic
trappings ?

But whether they drop Krampus or not - the
matter still remains that he has always
been a part of the December Yultide holiday.
It just can't be denied.  You can look
the other way, but it still is there.

December 25 is the birthday of numerous
sun gods.  The very first god to declare
it as his birth was Nimrod of Ancient
Babylon.  And since all subsequent sun gods
have been fashioned after him, they all
share that date as their birth.

Nimrod was an evil chracter who was known
for his ferocity and cruelty.  He had a
demonic type personality similar to that of
Krampus.   Who would want to celebrate 
Nimrod's  birth as the birth of  Christ ?? 
Would Christ be flattered by such an
unclean and unsavory association ?

^"What harmony can there be
between Christ and the Devil ^{? "
(2Corinthians 6:15)(NLT)-BibleGateway}

"...I will punish those who....
introduce pagan....practices;
And I'll punish all who import
pagan superstitions...."
(Zephaniah 1:7)(MSG)-BibleGateway

KRAMPUS  HAS  BEEN  FORGOTTEN

KRAMPUS  HAS  BEEN  FORGOTTEN

Krampus Has Been Forgotten

In America, Krampus has been forgotten.
Most Americans have never heard of him.
It comes as a big surprise to them,
that Krampus used to be part of the
Christmas Festival in much of Europe.

The Europeans have not forgotten him. 
Krampus is still popular in parts of Italy,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and
Scandinavia, to mention just a few.

So what happened to America? 
Why did the Americans drop Krampus? 
What made them forget him?

America is a fairly new country
compared to Europe.  And as such,
America started out with high ideals
and a desire to start things over with
a clean slate.  America wanted freedoms
that she felt were new and fresh.
In her quest for religious freedom,
she sought to escape from old
superstitions and outlived fears. 
And thus, the Krampus was thrown
aside, as an old and useless invention
to scare the kids into behaving well
during the year.

So in America, Santa took over the
dual role of reward and punishment
that was once shared with Krampus. 
The vigorous Christians in America
would not have embraced Christmas
with a devilish creature still in the
picture.

"by the 1800s church leaders had
marginalized Krampus, making St. Nick
into a solo act."
-National Geographic
  Marc Silver

In America today, the only punishment
that the children face at Christmas time -
is a lack of presents under the tinseled tree. 
Not a fearful thing, but nevertheless a
deterrent to a nation that is based upon
"spending, spending, and more spending". 
The average American child would be
devastated if he didn't get the latest video
game, or a new DVD for his TV,  a new
"ipod" or the latest CD player.  There is
no need in America for corporal punishment,
in fact, it's against the law to even spank
your children in the U.S.A.   So Krampus
is definitely out.

In a country like America, where spankings
are forbidden by Law....  The Krampus
would definitely be OUTLAWED.

"Apparently never shy about causing
physical pain and discomfort, Krampus
freely pulls children's hair, boxes
their ears, and switches their bottoms.
Though some children allow themselves
to be led blandly away, others are
clearly terrorized and beg last
minute forgiveness; but regardless
of their reaction to him, Krampus'
expression of dutiful pleasure
never changes."
-- The Devil in Design:
The Krampus Postcards
Monte Beauchamp
Editorial Reviews

The Christmas Krampus

The Christmas Krampus beat and brutalized
the children in Europe.  His Friendship with
St. Nick would have to be obliterated
by Americans, in order to keep Christmas
alive in their country.  Their own laws
forbade any form of physical punishment
for children.

Christmas postcards and Christmas Greeting
Cards in Europe have displayed the evil
Krampus - as he forcefully punishes European
children in a most obnoxious way.

Indeed, the Americans would have nothing
to do with this Krampus on their religious
and commercialized holiday.

"In Hungary he (St. Nick) is often
accompanied by the Krampus,
the frightening helper who is out
to take away the bad children."
-Encyclopedia Britannica
under article - Saint Nicholas

Another Christmas postcard shows the Krampus
as he pulls and shoves this little child into a bag
to be hauled away - as a punishment for being
naughty throughout the year.

"Krampus is a goat-horned, lusty demon
incubus who accompanies Father Christmas
in the Alpine region of Europe, and who
enjoys whipping naughty children
as punishment for their misbehavior."
-Wikipedia
Under Article "Krampus"

Above is another Christmas postcard
showing the ferocious Krampus as he
punishes another "bad" kid during
the Christmas Festivals in Europe.

"The Krampus is a demon that,
with the approval of kindly St. Nick,
terrorizes bad children and apparently
lusts after the ladies. His chief implements
of torture seems to be a switch and a
tongue which would embarass even
Gene Simmons. This is designed to
frighten children into behaving well.
Germanic peoples have always
understood that the best way to rear
children is by keeping them terrified
of the consequences of bad behavior."
-Krampus
Happy Eve of St. Nicholas Day!
by Eric Brightwell; 12/5/08

"Krampus, of course, is Santa’s
evil twin, and travels with Santa
to punish naughty boys and girls
while Santa hands out gifts to the
good children."
-- Krampusnacht
is Just Around the Corner!
ReCreating Tampa
by Dave Humor; 12/1/08

"A look at one of the lesser
known aspects of Christmas-time.
Beware, boys and girls, for if you
are naughty you may receive a visit
from the Krampus! He has a whip
and he isn’t afraid to use it!"
-Krampus:
The Sinister Sidekick of Santa
Holidays;
R.J. Evans (United Kingdom)
 London; 11/30/08

"It’s hard to think of anything
wackier than honoring the birth
of Jesus — by maxing out your
credit cards, gorging on turkey,
fighting with in-laws and drinking
yourself into a stupor. But that’s
largely what we Americans do."
-By Laurie Cunningham —
Special to GlobalPost
Published: Chicago; 12/23/092009
America and the World

"In large parts of the world...
like Russia and China...
where people aren’t Christian...
but that hasn’t stopped them
from embracing the commercialism
of Christmas."
-By Laurie Cunningham —
Special to GlobalPost
Published: Chicago; 12/23/092009
America and the World

"Krampus is also capable of diverse
forms of mobility: when not leading
children away on foot or painfully
pulling them after him, Krampus is
driving an automobile, arriving by
train, riding a sled, or flying in
primitive airplanes, suggesting
that there are few places to which
he doesn't have access."
-- The Devil in Design:
The Krampus Postcards
Monte Beauchamp
Editorial Reviews

"It has taken Krampus a hundred
years to reach American shores."
-- The Devil in Design:
The Krampus Postcards
Monte Beauchamp
Editorial Reviews


"God's Spirit clearly says
that in the last days
many people will turn from
their faith. They will be fooled
by evil spirits and by teachings
that come from  DEMONS."
(1Timothy 4:1)(CEV)-BibleGateway

"This wisdom is not that which
comes down from above, but is
earthly (pagan)... and demonic."
(James 3:15)(NASB)-BibleGateway
 

The Christmas Compromise
It All Began With a Tree
The Snake - The Tree -
and Christmas (click-here)

Christmas is a Compromise
With Pagans (click-here)

The "CULT" of Christmas
(click-here)

Christmas,
Pope Gregory, and The Devil
That "Famous" Letter - 
(click-here)

Bearing Witness to the Truth
- (click-here)

Jesus Was NOT Born in December
- (click-here)

Breaking The Very First
of The Ten Commandments
with The Many gods of Christmas 
(click-here)

Who Are You Really Honoring
on December 25th ?
Nimrod and Babylon    (click-here)

A Christmas Comparison -
A Parable to Consider
(click-here)

How Did The Early Christians
View December 25th ? 
(click-here)

"Santa" is Like "a god" -
(click-here)

Who is Krampus ?
- Santa's Evil Helper
(click-here)

Christmas "EXCUSES"-
Save Them For Christ
(click-here)

Santa Claus
and sun-god Worship
(click-here)

Christmas - XMAS -
What Would Christ Say ?
What Would Christ Do ? 
   (click-here)

Does Christmas Have
God's Approval ?
(click-here)

CHRISTMAS - 
How "Un-Like" Christ
(click-here)

The "Holly god"
of Christmas   (click-here)

"Christmas" is a "Mockery"
of Christ -
Why ?  (click-here)

"SATAN" is the "Invisible" god
of Christmas -  How ? 
(click-here)

The Snake - The Tree -
and Christmas
It All Began with a Tree
(click-here)