Who exactly is Krampus? Or to put it another way: what is Krampus? The frightful Christmas figure is becoming more and more well known, thanks in part to his appearances in film and television. But on Christmas markets, too, the horned figure increasingly roams about causing mischief. And where St. Nicholas is, Krampus isn't far - so the legend goes.
Who is Krampus and where does he come from?
Everyone knows St. Nicholas and his helper Knecht Ruprecht. While the holy and merciful St. Nicholas hands out gifts, it's his companion's job to punish the naughty children. That's also Krampus's job, though unlike Knecht Ruprecht he appears far more malicious: as the devilish counterpart to holy St. Nicholas, he punishes the children who misbehave. If they were especially bad, he stuffs them into a container, a so-called Butte. Where does he come from? He's known above all in the Eastern Alpine region. His figure, often also called Kramper or Bartl, comes from pre-Christian times somewhere in the Alpine region. Krampus is known in Southern Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, as well as in Austria, Liechtenstein, and also in Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and even Northern Italy and a few other regions.
Krampus: the horned terror of Christmas
Krampus's appearance is undoubtedly terrifying: pointed, curved horns, a long and equally pointed tongue, a nastily glowering grimace, and shaggy, matted fur characterize the demonic figure. As if that weren't enough, heavy iron chains are his accessories, while he announces his presence by ringing bells and casts warning looks at children with a switch in tow.
Usually he isn't out and about alone but gathers a whole host of sinister figures around him who are in no way inferior to him. His day is December 5, the day before St. Nicholas Day. Not infrequently, though, both figures appear together - as good and evil. By the way, Krampus is not to be confused with a Percht. The two look confusingly alike and also come from the Bavarian-Austrian Alpine folk tradition, but the Perchten don't cause their mischief solely in early December - depending on the region, they do so throughout the entire Christmas season. Perchten also aren't necessarily evil; instead, they drive away evil spirits with their bells.
Fear and terror at the Krampus run
Anyone who visits a Christmas market in Southern Germany and neighboring regions where Krampus causes his mischief might just see him. For example at the Christkindlmarkt in Munich or Salzburg for the famous and traditional Krampus run. There it's customary to let a host of around 300 Krampuses from Bavaria, Austria, and South Tyrol move through the streets to spread fear and terror. Not really, but it can at least be scary for the little ones when so many eerily dressed Krampuses march up in elaborate and correspondingly frightening costumes.
The Krampus run goes back to a tradition from the Alpine region roughly 500 years old: the so-called 'Klabaufs' first moved through the streets in the 16th century. Behind them were cantors, students, and schoolmasters of the Frauenkirche and St. Peter's. They dressed up as bishops and caused, so the story goes, at times great unrest to the dismay of the authorities. Today things are of course a bit more orderly. At the same time, the old custom is gaining more and more popularity. Perhaps thanks in part to modern fantasy-horror film adaptations of the Krampus figure.
