Everything about The Companions Of Saint Nicholas totally explained
The
Companions of Saint Nicholas (or
Father Christmas) are a group of closely related figures who accompany
St. Nicholas in many
European traditions. The tradition is particularly strong amongst the
Germanic peoples, with some regional expression in the U.S. (largely from European ethnic groups).
The most recognized companion, especially outside of Europe, is
Knecht Ruprecht, which translates as
Farmhand Ruprecht or
Servant Ruprecht. Other companions include
Krampus (
Austria,
Bavaria,
Croatia,
Slovenia,
Friul,
Hungary [spelled
Krampusz]),
Klaubauf (
Bavaria),
Bartel (
Styria),
Pelzebock,
Pelznickel,
Belzeniggl,
Belsnickel (
Pennsylvania),
Schmutzli (
Switzerland),
Rumpelklas,
Bellzebub,
Hans Muff,
Drapp or
Buzebergt (
Augsburg),
Hanstrapp (
Alsace, East of France) and
Le Père Fouettard (Northern
France). In the
Czech Republic, St. Nicholas or
Svatý Mikuláš is accompanied by the
Čert (Devil) and
Anděl (Angel). These servants are often associated with, but are distinct from Saint Nicholas' helpers in the Netherlands and Flanders (called
Zwarte Piet, meaning
Black Pete(r) in English).
Appearance
Often the subject of winter poems and tales, the Companions travel with
St. Nicholas (Also called
Father Christmas,
Santa Claus), carrying with them a rod (sometimes a stick and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. They are sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a black face and unruly black hair. In many contemporary portrayals the companions look like dark, sinister, or rustic versions of Nicholas himself, with a similar costume but with a darker color scheme.
In Hungary, the Krampusz is often portrayed as mischievous rather than evil, wearing a black suit, with a tail and little red horns that are rather funny than frightening. The Krampusz wields a Virgács, which is a bunch of twigs bound together. Parents often frighten children with getting a Virgács instead of presents, because if they don't behave, Mikulás lets the Krampusz give them his present. By the end of November, you can buy all kinds of Virgács on the streets, usually painted gold, bound by a red ribbon. Getting a Virgács is rather more fun than frightening, and is usually given along with presents to make children behave.
It is unclear whether the various companions of St. Nicholas are all expressions of a single tradition (likely Knecht Ruprecht), or a conflation of multiple traditions. Various texts, especially those outside the tradition, often treat the companions as variations on a single Knecht Ruprecht tradition.
Traditionally, Knecht Ruprecht would sometimes be portrayed as being
Black African, like
Zwarte Piet in the
Benelux. However, over recent decades this became regarded as offensive by some, as Zwarte Piet is considered a silly helper of
Sinterklaas. So, the black on his face is sometimes explained as soot collected as he descends into chimneys.
Tales
Knecht Ruprecht is commonly cited as a servant and helper, and is sometimes associated with
Saint Rupert. According to some stories, Ruprecht began as a farmhand; in others, he's a wild foundling whom St. Nicholas raises from childhood. Ruprecht sometimes walks with a limp, because of a childhood injury. Often, his black clothes and dirty face are attributed to the soot he collects as he goes down chimneys.
The companion of the French St. Nicholas, Père Fouettard (the whipfather), is said to be the butcher of three children. St. Nicholas discovered the murder and resurrected the three children. He also shamed Père Fouettard, who, in repentance, became a servant of St. Nicholas. Fouettard travels with the saint and punishes naughty children by
whipping them. In modern times he distributes small whips, instead of thrashings, or gifts.
Traditions
In some of the Ruprecht traditions, the children would be summoned to the door to perform tricks, such as a dance or singing a song to impress upon Santa and Ruprecht that they were indeed good children. Those who performed badly would be beaten soundly by Servant Ruprecht, and those who performed well were given a gift or some treats. Those who performed badly enough or had committed other misdeeds throughout the year were put into Ruprecht's sack and taken away, variously to Ruprecht’s home in the
Black Forest, or to be tossed into a river. In other versions the children must be asleep, and would awake to find their shoes filled with either sweets, coal, or in some cases a stick. Over time, other customs developed: parents giving kids who misbehaved a stick instead of treats and saying that it was a warning from Nikolaus that "unless you improve by
Christmas day, Nikolaus' black servant Ruprecht will come and beat you with the stick and you won't get any Christmas gifts." Often there would be variations idiosyncratic to individual families.
In parts of Austria,
Krampusse, who by local tradition were typically children of poor families, roamed the streets and
sledding hills during the
festival. They wore black rags and masks, dragging chains behind them, and occasionally hurling them towards children in their way. These
Krampusumzüge (Krampus runs) still exist, although perhaps less violent than in the past.
Today, Schladming, a town in Styria, over 1200 "Krampus" gather from all over Austria wearing goat-hair costumes and carved masks, carrying bundles of sticks used as switches, and swinging cowbells to warn of their approach. They are typically young men in their teens and early twenties and are generally intoxicated. They roam the streets of this typically quiet town and hit people with their switches. It isn't considered wise for young women to go out on this night, as they're popular targets.
In parts of the
United States in the
19th century, "Pelznickel" traditions were maintained for a time among immigrants at least as far west as the US state of
Indiana. In this branch of the tradition, the father or other older male relative was often "busy working outside" or had to see to some matter elsewhere in the house when Pelznickel arrived. Today, remnants of this tradition remain, known as the
Belsnickel, especially in
Pennsylvania.
A first-hand
19th century account of the "Beltznickle" tradition in
Allegany County, Maryland, can be found in
Brown's Miscellaneous Writings, a collection of essays by Jacob Brown (born 1824). Writing of a period around 1830, Brown says, "we didn't hear of" Santa Claus. Instead, the tradition called for a visit by a different character altogether:
He was known as Kriskinkle, Beltznickle and sometimes as the Xmas woman. Children then not only saw the mysterious person, but felt him or rather his stripes upon their backs with his switch. The annual visitor would make his appearance some hours after dark, thoroughly disguised, especially the face, which would sometimes be covered with a hideously ugly phiz - generally wore a female garb - hence the name Christmas woman - sometimes it would be a veritable woman but with masculine force and action. He or she'd be equipped with an ample sack about the shoulders filled with cakes, nuts, and fruits, and a long hazel switch which was supposed to have some kind of a charm in it as well as a sting. One would scatter the goodies upon the floor, and then the scramble would begin by the delighted children, and the other hand would ply the switch upon the backs of the excited youngsters - who wouldn't show a wince, but had it been parental discipline there would have been screams to reach a long distance. |
In many parts of Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil, wearing chains around his neck, ankles and wrists, and wearing a cloth sack around his waist. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicolas he's given a golden branch to represent his/hers good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child's bad acts. Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they're awake, Krampus will think they've been bad, and will take them away in his sack.
Popular culture
The Krampus was also featured on the television cartoon series
The Venture Bros. In
a short Christmas episode, the Krampus is accidentally released from a book of ancient occult magic and wreaks havoc on
Dr. Venture's Christmas party, attempting to sodomize the Doctor before getting into a rather violent brawl with
Brock Samson. The demon is soothed by the coming of Christmas at the stroke of midnight, but unwittingly detonates a bomb hidden under a small nativity scene set while exiting. At the end of the episode this is all revealed to have been a hallucination by Dr. Venture, brought on by a head injury incurred when the Venture jet crashed - in Bethlehem.
In the arcade game
CarnEvil, the boss for the "Rickety Town" level is named Krampus. He resembles a large, horned, clawed, demonic
Santa Claus clad in green, and attacks by hurling flaming coals and swinging his bag at the player.
G4 (TV channel) created a
Christmas commercial featuring Krampus
. In it some carolers sing about Krampus while he enters a house putting the bad children in his sack.
A Character named Banjo in the graphic novel
Chickenhare is a Krampus.
In the 2007 Christmas episode of the TV series,
Supernatural, the main characters hunt the Krampus, a demonic 'anti-Santa' who comes at night and kills fathers. An older hunter tells the characters that neither Santa Claus nor Krampus exists, and that they're "morons" for even considering the possibility. (The villains are revealed to be surviving pagan gods who disguise themselves as Santa to capture victims for their ancient Yuletide sacrifices.)
On the
2007 album by indie band
Sunset Rubdown titled
Random Spirit Lover, a picture of the Krampus is featured on the back of the cover.
Further Information
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