It seems that Halloween isn't the only spooky time of year. The season of Yule is upon us and always considered a merry time to spread love and happiness, joy and exchange gifts. There is an abundance of scary creatures associated with Christmas time. Here are three of the most awful Yule characters that have frightened children for generations because they accompany Santa Claus.
1. Belsnickel is a fearsome figure from Palatine folklore, also understood in Pennsylvania because of German immigrants. Believed to be a grudging servant of Santa Claus, he appears as scruffy, dressed in thick furs, and wears a hat with deer antlers. Sometimes the entity has been cross dressing and given other names like "Christmas woman", and Pelsnichol, Kriskinkle, Beltznickel. His name references the "bells" he wears and accompanies Saint Nicholas. This creature travels alone two weeks before Christmas, visiting houses and carrying a bundle of gifts for good children and a slap from a switch for the naughty kids. He would tell kids to sing for him, and if he liked it, he would throw nuts, cakes and sweets to the floor. If he thinks the kids are being greedy, he whacks them on the back of the hand.
2. Krampus is a horned monster of Alpine folklore. He's a Christmas devil, with sharp teeth, a long tongue, horns and legs like an animal with cloven hooves. He frightens children and punishes naughty ones. When Santa visits children bringing gifts to children who've been well behaved, he's with Krampus who's there to punish naughty children. He beats kids with sticks and branches. Some horrific tales have him eating them and putting them in a sack to take them down to Hell. It's believed Krampus originates from early pre-Christian beliefs linked to the Winter solstice. Some believe that he's the son of Hel, the goddess of the Underworld.
3. Hans Trapp is a Christmas Scarecrow is another companion to Santa Claus. While Santa delivers presents to children who've been good, Hans Trapp will punish the badly behaved kids. Some say that he's worse than Krampus. From French folklore, the scarecrow had once been human! He was a man in the Medieval period, who was wealthy and evil, and lived in Alsace. People heard that he dabbled in the occult and made pacts with the Devil, resulting in him being exiled from his home. He escaped to Germany and made a hovel in the hills of Bavaria. On the verge of starvation, he was dressed in straw, disguised as a scarecrow and hunted people for food. Then a lightning bolt struck the cannibal down dead. Afterwards, his scary looking ghost is believed to go after naughty children, as this is what parents say.
More on Yuletide monsters coming soon...
She Wolf Night
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