In Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon" who, on the evening of December 5, punishes children who have misbehaved, and who will not visited by Saint Nicholas.
Krampus is one of a number of Companions of Saint Nicholas. (more to come)
Krampus goes back to Pre-Christian traditions and is seen by some scholars to be the horned god and the male part of the female triple Goddess (more to come)
Krampus is hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue lolls out and he has fangs.
Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church or to reference initiation practices of witches.
Sometimes Krampus appears with a sack or a baskets to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell. Some of the older versions make mention of naughty children being put in the bag and being taken into slavery.
After
1934 Krampus was prohibited and in the 1950s, the government distributed
pamphlets titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man".
Towards
the end of the century, there was a popular resurgence of Krampus celebrations. However, there has also been public debate in
Austria about whether Krampus is appropriate for children.
It is
customary to offer a Krampus schnapps, a strong distilled fruit brandy.
Krampus
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