Krampus

 Krampus: The Christmas Devil Who Never Quite Converted

Every 5 December, while the rest of the Christian world is lighting the first Advent candle and singing about silent nights, the Alpine regions of Austria, Bavaria, southern Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, and northern Italy erupt into controlled chaos. Thousands of young men dressed as horned, shaggy, chain-rattling demons storm through villages, chasing screaming teenagers, swatting adults with birch rods, and stuffing the especially naughty into sacks. This is Krampusnacht – the Night of Krampus – and it is one of the last great public survivals of the pre-Christian Wild Hunt.

Who (or What) Is Krampus?

•  Name: From Old High German krampen = “claw” or Bavarian krampn = “something withered, dead.”

•  Appearance: Black or brown fur (usually goat or bear), enormous curved ibex or goat horns, glowing red eyes, a long pointed tongue, cloven hooves, rattling iron chains, and a rute (bundle of birch switches). He carries a wooden tub or sack on his back for kidnapping wicked children.

•  Role: Companion and dark counterpart to St Nicholas. While the saint rewards good children with nuts, apples, and small gifts on 6 December, Krampus punishes the bad ones – sometimes with symbolic swats, sometimes (in legend) by dragging them to hell.

Historical Origins

Krampus is far older than Christianity in the Alps:

•  Pre-Christian roots (5th–8th centuries): A bound, horned figure chained and led by a bishop-like figure appears in early medieval Alpine art – almost certainly a tamed version of the local mountain demon or Wild Hunt rider.

•  Son of Hel: In the 17th century, Protestant pamphlets called him “the son of Hel in Norse heathenism,” showing that educated people still recognised his pagan ancestry.

•  Perchten connection: In Salzburg and Tyrol, Krampus is indistinguishable from the Schiachperchten (“ugly Perchts”) – the terrifying entourage of the winter goddess Perchta/Holda, who ripped open the bellies of lazy girls to stuff them with straw.

The Modern Krampuslauf (“Krampus Run”)

What began as small village processions is now a major cultural event, with tens of thousands of spectators.

Key dates

•  5 December: Krampusnacht – the main night of terror.

•  6 December: Nikola