Krampus

Title: Krampus

General Information about Item:

Informant Data:

Alex is a Dartmouth 20 who grew up in the United States, however both of his parents lived most of their lives in Germany.

Contextual Data:

Social Context: Almost everyone who celebrates Christmas has a Christmas story that they believe in. These are typically told to children around the holiday times in order to create a festive mood and make everyone excited for Christmas. As the kids grow up, they begin to lose their belief in these legends because they start to realize that there parents were the source of the gifts. However these legends remain a large source of the classic Christmas symbols and festive decorations for all ages even though the legends are no longer believed to be true.

Cultural Context: The “Father Christmas” figure varies greatly between different cultures – changing primarily due to religious and geographical differences. In the United States it is typically Santa, though people from other cultures who have parents from other cultures may also believe in a different legend.

Item:

Alex has multiple Christmas figures that appear as separate entries. Krampus is a half goat half demon that punishes children for being mean. When he was younger his parents would threaten to let Krampus come and punish him if he didn’t behave around the holidays. Krampus takes little children and stuffs them in sacks.

Collector’s Comments:

This is very different from the classic Santa Claus. Krampus is akin to the putting coal in the stocking superstition that exists in the United States. He punishes the children and is a device that parents can use around the holidays to make sure that kids stay well behaved.

Collector’s Name: Alec Vaules

Tags/Keywords:

Dartmouth Folklore Archive