Emporiblog - Krampus

-
Hello everyone!! Today's post is about the legend of the German Christmas Devil: Krampus!



Who is Krampus?

Krampus is a half goat, half demon monster creature that is said to either be the companion of or the evil twin of Santa Claus/St Nickolas, who punishes children at Christmas time if they have misbehaved.




Where did Krampus come from?

Krampus is said to have originated from Germany, around the 12th century AD. His name actually comes from the word Krampen, which is the German word for claw. Krampus has been part of Pagan rituals for the winter solstice for many years and even has a place in Norse mythology as the son of the underworld Goddess Hel. He wasn't always associated with Christmas, that came about with the spread of Christianity, despite the best efforts of the church to erase him completely. 

On December the 5th, also known as Krampusnacht or Krampus Night, Krampus and St Nick would pay a visit to children. St Nick would reward those who had behaved well and Krampus would punish those who had misbehaved. Stories vary on his punishment methods with references to the following:

- Beating the offending children with birch sticks
- Stuffing the children into a sack
- Eating them
- Taking them to Hell
- Leaving a lump of coal behind (sound familiar?)

The following day, St Nickolas' Day was when children would find out if they had presents or for those who had been deemed unworthy to tend to their wounds, depending on the punishment method.

Both St Nick and Krampus are said to announce their arrivals with bells. St Nick's would be jolly and friendly whereas Krampus' would be eerie and foreboding.




Does Krampus still have a place in modern times?

Yes he does. He has been popular in parts of Germany and Austria since his inception and the tradition of the Krampuslauf or Krampus Run has continued to this day, along with Krampusnacht. 

Krampuslauf used to involve drunken men running about the town, dressed as Krampus, scaring children along the way. In modern Krampuslauf, there is still drinking involved but there is slightly more decorum and more organisation.

Krampus got a popularity boost in 1890s with the help of Krampuskarten which roughly translates to Krampus Card which came from the German/Austrian postcard boom.

There is also a film from 2015 entitled Krampus, which turns a families Christmas upside down and will make you constantly watch the Gingerbread men! Krampus was also referenced in the American TV show Grimm, which I highly recommend! 



Krampus might not be as internationally known as Santa but he has his place in folklore and in modern times. 





I hope you've enjoyed this post! If you hear some eerie bells on Christmas Eve, you better watch out....


Blessings,

C )0(

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Emporiblog - Which Witch Closed Edition - Draconic

-
Image
Hello all!! Today we're returning to our Which Witch Closed Edition series and kicking off our Dragon series!! DISCLAIMER: This is a closed practices and cannot be practiced by everyone, including myself! I have done my best to research as much as possible but since I cannot practice this, resources are limited. Draconic Witchcraft centers around Dragons and not necessarily the ones you've seen on TV and in books. Dragons are completely separate entities and working with them isn't for the faint of heart or something that just anyone can do as Dragons are very picky and secretive when it comes to working with people. Draconic Witchcraft is a closed practice but not for the same reasons as our previous practices, it's not tied to a specific ethnicity, place of origin or bloodline; it is closed because you can only become a Draconic Witch with the following 2 requirements: - The Dragons choose you - You must be able to read energy As I stated before, Dragons ...
Read more

Earthing

-
Image
(Photo Credit: Kerenza Jinks) Earthing Although many people see grounding and earthing as the same thing, I do not.  Allow me to elaborate. To me, grounding is a spiritual thing, whereas earthing is a physical one. Although, both can be practiced together. Yes, I'm confused too. I have confused myself!! So, I will try and explain what I see as the difference. Our post on grounding is here . To me, grounding is a practice of getting rid of unwanted energy, it helps me when I feel anxious, overwhelmed or am overthinking. Yes, I go outside to do this quite often, but that is not a necessary practice. I can also meditate to achieve this   Grounding meditation on YouTube . Essentially, grounding helps calm me down, whereas Earthing gives me energy. In walking barefoot on the ground, I feel that I can draw up energy from the Earth herself, and this can be enough to allow me to face a busy day with positivity. Basically, I Earth to feel more energetic, and ground to rid myself of unw...
Read more

Emporiblog - Snow Magick

-
Image
Hello all! We're kicking off the festive season with a post on Snow Magick! We will also cover ice as well since the two go hand in hand! So, the easiest point to cover is that both snow and ice are different forms of water and can be used in water rituals and magick as a whole as well as for their own individual uses. We have several posts on the uses of water for those who want some extra reading! Snow/Ice is also associated with the following: - Winter - Death - Preservation  - Transformation As well as many deities and beings ( Krampus comes to mind) But, let us look at the uses of snow within the craft... 1 : You can use snow to make a poppet! That's right, you can make a temporary poppet in your own garden by building a snowman or several and enchanting them to protect your property. You can also make regular sized poppets, enchant them and melt them 2 : Get rid of unwanted behaviours by enchanting a snowball or placing a piece of paper into a snowball and t...
Read more