The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas by Ridenour, Al -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Copyright Title Page Map of Significant Towns & Landmarks Table of Contents Introduction: The Dead of Winter Chapter One: Gruß vom Krampus, the Dark Companion

From Alps to Internet The Krampus Arrives in America American Misconceptions Krampuskarten The Krampus By Any Other Name Knecht Ruprecht The Christkind and the Weihnachtsmann Père Fouettard, Hans Trapp, and Schmutzli Zwarte Piet Frightful Stories for Better Children Roots of the Kinderschreckfigur

Chapter Two: The Devil at the Door

Meeting the Krampus The Rempler Gastein and the Krampus Where the Krampus Runs The Run Versus the House Visit Traditional Figures of the Krampus Troupe The House Visit Troupe Life Suiting Up Masks That Furry Suit Switches, Bells, Basket, and Chain Modern Trends in Mask and Costume

Chapter Three: The Beast Pursues His Game

A Cruel Sport The Prey Injuries and Aggression Under the Influence Show and Spectacle “True to the Good Old Ways” Women and the Tradition Krampus Unchained Rite of Passage Regional Variations

Chapter Four: The Church Breeds a Monster

A Not-So-Jolly St. Nicholas Unseemly Holy Legends The Devil in Medieval Christmas Plays King Herod, Earthly Devil The Devil’s Stagecraft Nicholas in Paradise Plays Jesuit Pedagogy and Nicholas Nicholas Meets the Perchten Nicholas Play or Nicholas Parade? St. Nicholas Gets Rowdy Strange Company for a Saint Carnival Influences Early Tyrolean Diffusion Scenes from a Nicholas Play Existing Nicholas Plays and Parades The Boy Bishops The Feast of Fools The Old Ways: Kalends and Saturnalia

Chapter Five: Frau Perchta, Witches, and Ghosts

Witch and Goddess, Benevolent Monster Who Are the Perchten? Perchta and Epiphany Celtic or Germanic Goddesses? From Perchta to Perchten Domestic Oversight and Female Perchten The Belly Slitter and Her Dreadful Way A Mother Goose Tale Foods for Perchta Perchta and the Heimchen Holda-Holle Frau Holle Tales Frau Holle Country Enchantress in the Mountain Holda Becomes a Witch Herodias, Perchta, and a Hissing Head Loyal Eckhart, Ghosts, a Jug of Beer The Inexhaustible Sacrifice Magic in the Venusberg Witchcraft Born in the Alps Witch Hunting and Hauntings in Tyrol Witch Fires La Befana Perchta by Any Other Name Ghostly Company

Chapter Six: The Haunted Season

Unholy Nights Companies of Ghosts Wuotan and the Wild Hunt The Night Folk Wild Hunters The Wild Hunter Türst The Twelve Nights, the Rauhnächte Rauhnacht Superstitions Ausräuchern (Censing) Knocking Nights The Glöcklern Pelzmärtel, the St. Martin Monster Release the Wolves! Winter Comes Early Halloween Leans Toward Christmas A Dark St. Lucy Bloody Thomas Bavarian Forest Rauhnacht Celebrations The World of the Krampus

Chapter Seven: The Perchten

A Parade in Gastein Finding a Pagan Percht The Habergeiß A Spirit of the Fields Cave of the Habergeiß Goats Everywhere A Scandinavian Connection Origins of the Habergeiß Disciplined by a Goat Magic Rite or Playful Celebration? The Wild Hunt of Untersberg The Kirchseeon Perchtenlauf The Pinzgau Tresterer Perchten in the Tyrolean Unterland The Gastein Perchtenlauf Schiachperchten, Witches, and Perchta

Chapter Eight: Pagan Roots and Final Questions

Too Bright to See A Devil’s Cross The Beautiful Ones Arrive The Swiss Version How Perchta Grew a Second Face Influences from Venice Between Carnival Amusements and Folk Ritual Where Perchta Lived On Healthy Skepticism Lucky Strikes “Life Switches” and “Smacking Easter” Battles in the Clouds A Swiss Connection? Flying Leaps The Monsters Between the Years

Conclusion: Why the Krampus Must Come Index Acknowledgments