Krampus-be good kids

Furryanimal

Furryanimal

Y gath o Gymru
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Wales
Answer: Krampus is a nightmarish, demonic goat-monster that is used in some cultures to scare children into good behavior in the days leading up to Christmas. Krampus is like an anti-Santa Claus. The Bible says nothing about Krampus. The legend comes from pagan mythology and European folklore.

Krampus is depicted as having long, curved horns, fangs, a long tongue, and dark hair all over, making it look devilish. (The German word krampen means “claw.”) The legend of Krampus may have ties to Nordic paganism, but the common story originated in Austrian folklore, probably as a way for parents to try to make their children mind—misbehaving children are threatened with a visit from Krampus, who will scare them, beat them with a bundle of birch switches, and possibly even take them away to his lair. Krampus, then, is rather like Santa’s evil counterpart. Santa’s main threat is to put mischief-makers on his “naughty list” or leave them a lump of coal, but Krampus will terrorize them.

In Austria and regions of Germany, residents look for Krampus on Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) on the night of December 5—which happens to be the eve of St. Nicolas Day. In Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, adults get involved in a chaotic Krampus tribute involving public drunkenness and men running through the streets dressed as devils. In recent years, some people in the U.S. have begun throwing Krampus parties as a sort of twisted, anti-Christmas celebration.

www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/krampus-co...ay-season-180957438/
 

The old Krampus postcards are kind of creepy.
krampus-Thumb.jpg

It's interesting how many of the old stories for children have such severe storylines. I doubt that Hansel & Gretal, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, etc... would be accepted if they were introduced in this day and age.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
The old Krampus postcards are kind of creepy.
krampus-Thumb.jpg

It's interesting how many of the old stories for children have such severe storylines. I doubt that Hansel & Gretal, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, etc... would be accepted if they were introduced in this day and age.
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The old fairy tales weren't for "entertainment"; they were "morality tales" to scare the children into good behavior. I used to have a book that had the tales as they were written: shudder....

In their original versions, Grimm's Fairy Tales were "grim" for sure and Hans Christian Anderson's tales weren't very …..uh....Christian.

In the original "Cinderella", the evil step-mother carved her real daughters' feet down in an attempt to get them to fit into the glass slipper, chopping off their toes and heels.

In The Red Shoes, a little girl was so vain about her new red shoes that she cast the loaf of bread that would have kept her parents from starving into a mud puddle so she wouldn't get mud on her shoes. Because of that, she was cursed to dance continuously. She had almost danced herself to death but came upon a woodsman and begged him to cut off her feet. He did and then whittled her a pair of wooden feet. She spent the rest of her life hobbling around in pain.

There are tales of evil stepmothers putting their stepchildren in barrels full of nails and rolling them down a hill and smothering them in trunks.

Just the thing to read to kids at bedtime. "Here, sweetie, mommy will read you a nice story to make you sleep better! Pleasant dreams!" Yeah.
 
jujube said:
The old fairy tales weren't for "entertainment"; they were "morality tales" to scare the children into good behavior. I used to have a book that had the tales as they were written: shudder....

In their original versions, Grimm's Fairy Tales were "grim" for sure and Hans Christian Anderson's tales weren't very …..uh....Christian.

In the original "Cinderella", the evil step-mother carved her real daughters' feet down in an attempt to get them to fit into the glass slipper, chopping off their toes and heels.

In The Red Shoes, a little girl was so vain about her new red shoes that she cast the loaf of bread that would have kept her parents from starving into a mud puddle so she wouldn't get mud on her shoes. Because of that, she was cursed to dance continuously. She had almost danced herself to death but came upon a woodsman and begged him to cut off her feet. He did and then whittled her a pair of wooden feet. She spent the rest of her life hobbling around in pain.

There are tales of evil stepmothers putting their stepchildren in barrels full of nails and rolling them down a hill and smothering them in trunks.

Just the thing to read to kids at bedtime. "Here, sweetie, mommy will read you a nice story to make you sleep better! Pleasant dreams!" Yeah.
Click to expand...
What kind of mind thinks up things like that? Fiends!
 
I'm reminded of Bedtime Stories for Children You Hate, which is a real book by Antoinette Bergin, a former nanny who probably didn't like her job very much. It's a great addition to your collection of weird and twisted books, although for adults rather than actual children. The 2011 book now has a more recent Part II, which I'll have to pick up some time...

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