No. 146Folk & Fairy

Krampus

Krampus

Shaggy, horned Advent companion of St Nicholas in Alpine folk custom

Krampus, also called Kramperl or Tuifl ("devil" in South Tyrol), is the shaggy, horned companion who walks beside St Nicholas on the night of 5 December, Krampusnacht. This is folklore and custom, not worship. In the stories, the saint rewards good children while Krampus scolds the badly behaved with birch switches. Parents once used him to coax good behaviour.

Today he is a theatrical part of Advent in Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol. Masked young men in sheepskins and carved wooden masks run through the villages with cowbells and chains, and the noise is said to scare away winter's dark spirits. Many groups are village associations that spend weeks carving their masks. His origins are uncertain, and he is first attested in the 16th century.

Shop KrampusSee the gallery
Krampus

How to recognise Krampus

  1. Carved maskA grotesque, devil-like face, in village custom a hand-carved wooden Larve, with fangs and a long, pointed tongue lolling out.
  2. HornsCurving, goat-like horns are among the most conspicuous parts of the costume.
  3. Shaggy furA hairy body, usually brown or black, made in village costumes from goat or sheep skins.
  4. Cloven hoovesGoat hooves mark him as part-beast, though many folk images and postcards show one human foot and one hoof.
  5. RuteA bundle of birch twigs, used to swat bystanders, stands for the scolding that befalls naughty children.
  6. Chains and cowbellsClanking chains, often read as the Church's binding of the Devil, and cowbells announce his approach.
  7. BasketA basket or sack on his back is said to carry off the worst-behaved children, though older Austrian accounts also mention one holding nuts, apples and gingerbread.
  8. St NicholasA bishop in mitre and cope often walks with him, rewarding the good while Krampus plays the scolding foil.

Names and titles

  • Companion of St NicholasIn Alpine custom he walks with the saint on 5 December
  • Greetings from KrampusThe classic greeting on Krampuskarten, the postcards exchanged since the 1800s
  • KramperlA Tyrolean and Bavarian name for Krampus, a diminutive of the name
  • Bringer of the Birch RodHe carries the Rute, a bundle of birch switches
  • Driver of Winter SpiritsThe noise of bells and chains is said to scare away winter's dark spirits

Feast days

  • Krampusnacht5 December, every year
  • St Nicholas Day6 December, every year

Krampus in the shop

See all 9 Krampus designs

Sources

  1. Britannica: Krampus
  2. Wikipedia: Krampus
  3. Salzburg.info: Krampus and Perchten
  4. UNESCO Austria: Perchten in Gastein
  5. UNESCO Austria: The Öblarner Krampusspiel (Krampus Play in Öblarn)
  6. Tyrol.com: Krampus Processions
  7. Berchtesgaden.de: Buttnmandl and Krampus
  8. The Public Domain Review: Greetings from Krampus
  9. Library of Congress Folklife blog: Krampus, Origins and Development of a Winter Devil
  10. Wikipedia: Companions of Saint Nicholas
  11. Wild Hunt: Christian Leaders Object to Krampus
  12. Throne and Vine: Krampus in South Tyrol
  13. Krampus Map: What Is Krampus
  14. Rove.me: Krampus collection
  15. Wikipedia: Perchtenlaufen
  16. Oberbayern.de: Perchten in Oberbayern
  17. Al Ridenour, The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil (Feral House, 2016)
  18. Wikipedia: Pre-Christian Alpine traditions
  19. Alps Resorts: Advent Traditions, Perchten and Krampusses
  20. Der Ski Guide: Gastein Adventszauber, Wild Masks and Perchten

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