Did you know that a Dutch donut might spare your guts from a vengeful goddess? Check out these Christmas curiosities, such as...
- Lussi Langnatt - Celebrating a Demonic Witch & a Candle-Wearing Saint
- The Krampus - Santa's Bad Cop Buddy
- The Kallikantzaroi - Greek Goblins
- The Yule Log - Sacrifice Turned Dessert
- The Belly-Slitting Frau Perchta
- The Defecating Log of Catalonia
- The Mischievous (Previously Monstrous) Yule Lads
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| Krampus doesn't exactly scream "good cheer" does he? (mherfurt) |
Lussi Langnatt - Celebrating a Demonic Witch & a Candle-Wearing Saint
Did you know that Scandinavia used to have a Christmas witch?
Lussi's "long night" used to happen on the 13th of December in Norway. The story goes that Lussi would stalk through each village and check that the preparations each house had made for Christmas were sufficient - and meeting out punishment (often by forcing her way in down the chimney and vandalizing the house) to those who hadn't made much effort.
Lussi herself was portrayed as a demonic witch, complete with a retinue of undead malefactors to do her bidding. She would blight crops, cause mischief and kidnap anyone foolish enough to wander outside. The only way to be safe was to stay indoors, behave well and display the cross. Even animals were affected, gaining the power of speech for the night!
In modern times Lussi has been supplanted by the St. Lucia, a Christian saint that seems to have been imported from Sicily and established a foothold around Lake Vanern in Sweden. St. Lucia was renowned for charity and was said to wear candles on her head so she could have both hands free to carry food - so those playing the part of the saint in parades wear a headdress of candles!
The Krampus - Santa's Bad Cop Buddy
Hailing from the Germanic parts of Europe, the Krampus acts as the stick to Saint Nick's carrot.
His counterpart may be merry (and often somewhat full-figured) but the Krampus is all about causing fear. With a hairy satyr-like body, horned head and a protruding red tongue, this Christmas figure is anything but jolly.
As for what he does... well, Santa has the rewards for good kids covered - Krampus hands out punishments ranging from tearing out hair, beating with branches or (for the worst offenders) being stuffed into a basket and later devoured in place of a Christmas turkey.
Krampusnacht can be celebrated on the 5th of December with a "Krampus run" - where people dress up as the character to menace their fellows, cause a ruckus and maybe cadge a a glass or two of schnapps!
The Kallikantzaroi - Greek Goblins
Funnily enough, Krampus isn't the only Christmas devil.
In addition to causing chaos, an unprotected newborn could transformed into a Kallikantzaroi. This could be prevented by binding the baby in straw and garlic.. or singeing their toenails!
Another defense against the Kallikantzaroi was to leave a colander outside the house. The little demons would pause to count the holes, but had trouble with the number "three" - since it was a holy number, pronouncing it would kill the Kallikantzaroi.
Legends of similar creatures can be found in the folklore of adjacent regions - possibly having been spread by Greek sailors!
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| A pagan idol? (LAWJR) |
The Yule Log - Sacrifice Turned Dessert
Did you know that the original "Yule log" was a full-blown tree-trunk, dragged in and burned to lure back the Sun?
This log would be selected and dragged in from the forest, fed into the fire over the course of several days around the winter solstice. Not only did this serve to entice the return of the sun, the ashes of the sacrificial log were said to have magical properties!
These days the Yule log is usually just a roulade-style cake made to look like a section of wood, complete with decorations resembling moss, leaves and berries. It's hopefully a bit more nourishing than a log plucked from the leaf-litter!
The Belly-Slitting Frau Perchta
Did you know that eating fried dough might save your guts from being dragged out by a vengeful goddess?
She expected people to observe a few simple rituals (such as consuming a traditional meal on Perchta's night) and behave well. If you did that, you would be left unharmed and possibly protected against other evil spirits... but if you dared flout her rules she would find your sleeping body and disembowel you, stuffing your corpse with pebbles and straw.
A Dutch Christmas treat called oliebollen may have ties to Perchta. The ancient Germanic tribesfolk supposedly ate this greasy snack so that the oil would stop her disemboweling blade from finding purchase on their stomachs. It's thought that oliebollen may have been the inspiration for donuts!
The Defecating Log of Catalonia
We've already talked about the Yule log - but Catalonia's Tió de Nadal is something quite different.
Each year Catalan families begin "feeding" a hollowed out bit of log (often with a face and legs added for decoration) dried fruit and nuts a few weeks before the big day. The story goes that the log will grow if fed well - a process helped along by long-suffering parents secretly buying or finding a new log.
When Christmas comes, the children of the family beat Tió de Nadal with a stick, singing as they do. The traditional song sung to the log is called "Caga Tió" and calls for the log to defecate well. Small presents are traditionally hidden around the log under a blanket, to be retrieved after the ceremony!
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| Bleak surroundings lend themselves to a bleak mythology... (Herm) |
The Mischievous (Previously Monstrous) Yule Lads
Have you heard of the Yule Lads? This thirteen-strong group of Icelandic pranksters are said to make mischief in houses from the 12th to the 24th of December.
Each lad had a signature trick that they would play on a household, licking spoons, slamming doors, stealing food and so on. In times past they were ascribed much nastier pranks, so much so that in 1746 the Icelandic government actually stepped in to ban the more bloodthirsty retellings.
The Yule Lads were accompanied by their pet Jólakötturinn, the Christmas Cat. This creature was not cute and cuddly, instead resembling a panther that would eat anyone that didn't receive new clothing as part of their Christmas gifts. I suppose that's one way to make someone grateful for a new set of socks!
The Yule Lads were accompanied by their pet Jólakötturinn, the Christmas Cat. This creature was not cute and cuddly, instead resembling a panther that would eat anyone that didn't receive new clothing as part of their Christmas gifts. I suppose that's one way to make someone grateful for a new set of socks!