Tuesday the 6th December is the Feast of
Saint Nicholas. He was a Christian Saint and a Greek Bishop of Myra. He was
known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, and has since been used as the model for
our modern-day Father Christmas, Old St Nick, Santa Clause. He has many names,
he is also known as the Holly King, the Green Man, The Shaman, and even Odin. He rewards the good and well-behaved children of Christendom
with gifts and trinkets and sweet delights on Christ’s Mass Eve.
But did you know, like all of us, he has a shadow? He, like
me and thee, has a shadow self too. What would Jolly Ole Father Christmas’s
shadow look like? What could possibly be a contrasting image of Santa?
Are you sitting comfortably? Are the lights on nice and
bright? Are your loved ones near? Then I shall tell you.
He has no shiny, buckled, black boots that tread through the
snow, but cloven hooves that clip and clop. No red coat dons this man, but a
tangled mass of dark fur. He does not wear a red hat, (and if he did, it would
probably be the foulest blood red) instead, two great goat horns curl and
twist. Does he say “Ho, Ho, Ho?” Oh no, no, no, he couldn’t possibly, not with
those fangs and that long, long red tongue. What about a sack full of toys? I
hear you ask, he carries a sack, or sometimes a basket, over his shoulder, but
it doesn’t contain toys, only children. He holds, not the reigns of a beautiful
sleigh, but chains that attach him to the devil.
On the 5th December, the part goat, part demon
Krampus punishes the naughty children, whipping them with his ruten branches. Or gifting coal instead of toys, ruten bundles instead of sweet nectarines.
On the eve of The Feast of Saint Nicholas he gifts an early Christmas present to
those who have been exceptionally good. But, God help ye merry children if you
have been very, very bad. If you have been wicked, then he will take you away leaving a log of wood in your image behind while you are taken to his lair. Maybe
he will make you work for him or maybe he will devour you. Or maybe he
will drown you the fiery pits of hell.
For me, the Krampus represents the naughty side of this season,
Christmas in all it's gory glory. It is the time that the birth of the Holy Sun
of God is born, in many ancient paths, not just Christian. And as wholesome and
holy as this season is, there is a sombre side to this season too. There is
loneliness and bitter sweet memories, there is greed and over indulgence. There
is consumerism and debt, there is chocolate, alcohol and burning loins.
Families argue and fight, office parties end in shame and guilt, and the
streets are littered with drunks wearing sexy Santa outfits.
As advent begins, Saint Nick sits on one shoulder, and
Krampus sits on the other, whispering sweet nothings in our ears. I have a soft spot for the Krampus, he has been
commercialised into a jolly and slightly satanic Christmas figure, and there is
a growing number within the anti-Christmas community, who use the 'bar
humbugginess' of Krampusnacht to celebrate something less-than-Holy.
Last year I accidentally celebrated Krampusnacht with my son.
He was ill during the last week of November and as he was feeling better and as
he had been exceptionally good all week, we decided to gift him an early
Christmas present on the night of the 5th December. Later that night I found out it was Krampusnacht.
So, to all my kith and kin, have a cheeky chocolate, or a
snifter of rum, watch an X-rated movie or simply snuggle up with your Shnookums
or your Snugglybum.
Like everything in life, it’s about balance and moderation,
holding the two polarities of life in balance in each hand, so you can be the
stillness in the centre.
Be both the bright and the dark, the light and the shadow,
the oak and the holly, Santa and Krampus.
Merry Krampusnacht
The Bearded Shaman
No comments:
Post a Comment