
[Photo Courtesy Krampuslauf Philadelphia: Parade of Spirits 2006]
In recent years Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) and Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) celebrations and events have enjoyed a resurgence in many parts of Europe, the UK, and have become increasingly popular in North America. Krampusnacht occurs on the night of December 5, heralding The Feast St. Nicholas on December 6. The most common visual representation of the Krampus is an anthropomorphic goat, reminiscent of a satyr who has turned to the dark side.
In myth and lore alike, those who have been good can expect St Nicholas to visit and leave them a gift of some sort, but those who have been naughty hope Krampus loses their address. Folk stories tell us that Krampus brandishes a bundle switches, sometimes a large stick, or even a bag of ashes, with which to flog those who have misbehaved the previous year. Krampus, perhaps, may smear their faces with ash or cart them off to some dark place for a year or possibly forever. In all accounts the Krampus is a fearsome figure.
The specific origins of Krampus aren’t clear. In some accounts the Krampus is depicted as pre-dating Christianity and being a part of pre-Germanic Paganism, going so far as to claim the Krampus grew out of Norse mythology as the son of the Goddess Hel. There is no source material to confirm any connection to Norse mythology at all. The folklore on the Krampus varies widely depending on which country, what time period, and which author is sourced—many depictions have St Nicholas and Krampus working together as a team.

[source: Wiki Commons, public domain]
There are quite a few misconceptions when it comes to the Krampus, even beyond its origin. Modern depictions of the Krampus in stories, cinema, and even television help to proliferate these questionable and likely incorrect ideas to the point that even the magazine National Geographic got much of it wrong in a 2013 article, which is widely quoted and linked in other articles. Smithsonian Magazine also gets some of the lore wrong and links to the National Geographic article. Add to the mix the confusion of St. Nicholas (Catholic) and Santa Claus (Protestant) being the same and it is no wonder that the Krampus has become the Christmas Devil.

[source: Wiki Commons, public domain]

[source: Wiki Commons, public domain]
Whatever the origin of the Krampus, he seems to be quite literally the devil to get rid of. There are unconfirmed stories that the Catholic Church attempted to banish the tradition around the 12th century, if it even existed as such at that time. If it did exist, and the Church tried to discourage it, they were clearly not effective since the Krampus has endured. One factual account of the Krampus tradition actually being prohibited occurred in the mid-1930s in Austria under the Nazi Party. In the 1950s the Austrian government probably fueled by a religious faction, issued pamphlets proclaiming “Krampus Is an Evil Man.” That effort was short-lived since towards the end of the 20th century, the Krampus was back again and has been gaining popularity.