Please meet Krampus, Santa Claus’ shadow. Krampus is a horrific beast that is half-demon and half-goat who literally beats children up from naughty to nice. Krampus isn’t exactly what you expect for Christmas, I assure you.
Dark long fur, horns and fangs, this creature is St. Nicholas’ shadow, and it comes with a chain and cowbells that he whips about, along with a bunch of birch sticks meant to hit naughty children. It then kidnaps the bad kids and takes them down to the underworld.
During the days we explored Hall in Tirol, we had the fantastic opportunity to watch Krampus doing its thing in a village in the mountains of Austria. And, as you can see in the video below, it was amazing!
There were so many people dressed up around us, and they were not as friendly as we had expected them to be. They whipped the ground and stole gloves and hats from people, and we loved every second of it!
We can only ask ourselves: What are the origins of this “Christmas beast”?
Krampus, whose name comes from the German word Kampen (claw), is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology. This mythical creature also shares characteristics with other creepy, frightening, demonic beings in Greek mythology, including fauns and satyrs.
The legend is part of an ancient Christmas tradition in Germanic countries, where Christmas is celebrated at the beginning of December.
Krampus was created as a counterpart to the kindly St. Nicholas, or, as some call him, Santa Claus. St. Nicholas rewarded children with sweets, while Krampus would hit wicked and naughty children, give them coal and take them away to his lair.
According to folklore, Krampus appears in towns and villages the night before the 6th of December, known as Krampusnacht (Krampus Night). However, this is not the case everywhere. We enjoyed seeing it happen in a small village next to Hall in Tirol, Austria, on the night of November 28th. Since Krampus is very popular in the Alpine region of Tirol, it requires more than one night.
A more modern view of this beautiful tradition in Austria, Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic involves drunken young men dressed as Krampus.
They take over the streets for a Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) when the beasts chase people through the streets. Another version that happened – and the one we’ve experienced – was some sort of competition between all the Krampus from all the villages. Everybody gets together to watch the show, and each town has its team to represent them.
If you’re into obscure and curious traditions from all over the world, Tirol is the place to be on your next Krampus Nacht. But “Why scare the kids with an evil, demonic, pagan monster?” you ask me.
Maybe it’s a way for humans to reconnect with their animalistic side, or perhaps it’s just a way to respect pre-Christian tradition. Honestly, I don’t know. And I don’t care because it was the best night of my life.
A bit more about the modern history of Krampus
Krampus’ daunting presence was censored for years and years. The Catholic Church banned the rough celebrations, and the fascists in WWII thought that the poor beast was despicable. The fascists also shunned the beast away because it was considered a creation of the Social Democrats.
But he is back, stronger than ever. There was even a Hollywood movie about Krampus, but I have never seen it. Even in the United States, people get into the Krampus party trend. It is here to stay.
In Austria, u can find chocolates, postcards, figurines, and collectible horns. Krampus was everywhere in the Hall in Tirol, and I bought everything! It looks like Santa might have some competition.
Meet Krampus, the Horrific Christmas Beast
We were in the Hall in Tirol, enjoying everything about Krampuslauf, by invitation from the Hall-Wattens Tourism Board. Our trip was sponsored by OBB, and you should travel through Austria by train.
