The Stories of Santa's Scary Companions

Santa's worldwide image is of a jolly, round man with a white beard who happily travels during Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to children, stopping to enjoy milk and cookies when he can. What's not so well known about the legend of Saint Nicholas is the story of his travelling companions, which according to legend, include a devilish creature and a child kidnapper and murderer. The legends include Krumpus, a frightening, demonlike creature who travels with St. Nick to punish misbehaved children by beating them with a whip, and Père Fouettard, a butcher who kidnapped and killed three children.

Krumpus is a character established in eastern Europe, where it is believed that the creature, who has cloven hoofs and horns (giving him a Devil-like appearance) rides in Santa's sleigh and carries a whip to use on children who were too bad to get on Santa's "good" list. In Austria, Germany, and Hungary, Krumpus or Klaubauf is covered in red fur or skin, described in a Wikipedia article devoted to St. Nicholas's companions. (1) According to Saint Nicholas Center Krumpus is covered in chains "to show he is under the saint's control and would not be able to harm people". (2)

On her website titled "Christmas in Hungary" Linda Sarkadi describes Hungarian tradition having the Christmas celebration twice in December, with December 6th devoted to St. Nicholas, or Mikolás. (3) Polished boots or shoes are set outside or on a windowsill, and Mikolás puts candy and small gifts in the boots of the children who have been good. (4) In an About.com article titled "Holiday Traditions: Arizona Residents Maintain Holiday Traditions from Other Lands", contributer M. Elias reported that in Hungary, bad children received coal and potatoes in their boots instead of sweets and presents. (5)

As frightening as Krumpus is, a decidedly more sinister character is that of Père Fouettard, or "the whipping Father", the evil French counterpoint to Pere Noel, or Father Christmas. In a Kaboose.com article Anise Hollingshead describes Père Fouettard as a character that accompanies Father Christmas and spanks bad children. (6) The Saint Nicholas Center website describes Père Fouettard's origins as a disturbing one; legend tells that three children got lost and were abducted by a butcher, who kidnapped and killed them. When Father Christmas learned of the crime, he resurrected the children and returned them to their families. As punishment Père Fouettard travels with Father Christmas, covered in chains as Krumpus is, and punishes bad children who were too naughty to receive candy and gifts on Christmas. (7)

These scary characters have not been incorporated into American traditions of Christmas, but in Europe, they are commonly seen around Christmas time, with people dressing up as the unsavory Krumpus and Père Fouettard, serving as reminders to naughty children of the consequences of misbehaving around the holiday season.

1 - "Companions of Saint Nicholas" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus)

2 - Saint Nicholas Center, "Who Travels With St. Nicholas?" (http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=100)

3 - "Christmas in Hungary" Linda Sarkadi (http://www.zuzu.org/hung.html)

4 - "Christmas Traditions in Hungary" Suite101.com, Kerry Kubilius, December 5, 2006 (http://eeuropeanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/christmas_traditions_in_hungary)

5 - "Holiday Traditions: Arizona Residents Maintain Holiday Traditions from Other Lands", About.com, M. Elias (http://phoenix.about.com/od/holidayevents/a/traditions_2.htm)

6 - "The Legend of St. Nicholas" Anise Hollingshead (http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/traditions/st-nicholas/xmas-around-stnicholas.html)

7 - Saint Nicholas Center, "France" (http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=86)