3 UNCONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS MYTHS
These mythical yuletide creatures recognised in other pa s of the world may not make Christmas as merry and bright as we have come to know
KRAMPUS
Central Europe
This “half-goat, half-demon” creature is the total summation of “the nightmare before Christmas”; while St Nick rewards those in the nice list, Krampus instead captures the naughty ones and whisks them away in his sack. Believed to be one of Saint Nicholas’ mythical posse, the Krampus tradition was banned under the Dollfuss regime in 1923 Austria, but the horned anthropomorphic figure made a comeback towards the end of the century. In Bavaria, Krampus’ demonic features are hand-carved onto wooden masks, whereas in Austria, especially on Christmas Eve, young men would dress up as Krampus and scare the li le ones with the cla ering of chains and bells.
THE YULE LADS
Iceland
The Yuletide-lads, or Jólasveinarnir in Icelandic, are the 13 sons of the mountain trolls Grýla and Leppalúði, who both have a mythical reputation of scaring misbehaving children before Christmas, and sometimes, making them into stew in a large pot. Mellowed down from their parents’ monstrosities, the 13 pranksters visit the children in Iceland, each on every night leading up to Christmas Day. Children would place their best shoes by the window, and the Yule Lads would leave gi s for the nice ones, and ro ing potatoes for the naughty ones.
KALLIKANTZAROS
Southeastern Europe/Anatolia
There are no lavish gi s sent from a true love for those who believe in the malevolent goblins, for during the 12 days of Christmas, they would emerge from their underground dwellings to terrorise the humans for days on end. The creatures can be warded off by simply burning logs and old shoes, or hanging sausages or sweetmeats in the chimney. The Kallikantzaros are said to be working hard all year long sawing the world tree (a colossal tree that suppo s the heavens, and through its roots, the underworld), so that it would collapse, and the terrestrial world with it. When Christmas dawns, its beauty lures the creatures out of its hiding. When they return underground 12 days later on Epiphany, the world tree has healed itself, and the Kallikantzaros has to sta sawing all over again.