-Krampus is the dark companion of St. Nicholas, the traditional European winter gift-bringer. The kindly old Saint leaves the task of punishing bad children to a hell-bound counterpart, a horned devil known by many names across the continent — Knecht Ruprecht, Certa, Perchten, Black Peter, Schmutzli, Pelznickel, Klaubauf, and Krampus.
-Usually seen as a classic devil with horns, cloven hooves and monstrous tongue, but can also be spotted as a sinister gentleman dressed in black or a hairy man-beast.
-Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes. Of more pagan origins are the ruten, bundles of birch branches that Krampus carries and occasionally swats children with.
- In smaller, more isolated villages, Krampus has other beastly companions, such as the antlered "wild man" figures, and St Nicholas is nowhere to be seen.
-Το όνομα του Krampus προέρχεται από τη γερμανική λέξη krampen, που θα πει "δαγκάνα" και είναι γιος της Χελ (Hel), χαρακτήρα της σκανδιναβικής μυθολογίας. Σύμφωνα με ανθρωπολογικές ερμηνείες, το παγανιστικό αυτό τέρας υποδηλώνει την ανάγκη των ανθρώπων να μην αποκοπούν τελείως από τη ζωώδη πλευρά τους.
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-Krampus is the dark companion of St. Nicholas, the traditional European winter gift-bringer. The kindly old Saint leaves the task of punishing bad children to a hell-bound counterpart, a horned devil known by many names across the continent — Knecht Ruprecht, Certa, Perchten, Black Peter, Schmutzli, Pelznickel, Klaubauf, and Krampus.
-Usually seen as a classic devil with horns, cloven hooves and monstrous tongue, but can also be spotted as a sinister gentleman dressed in black or a hairy man-beast.
-Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes. Of more pagan origins are the ruten, bundles of birch branches that Krampus carries and occasionally swats children with.
- In smaller, more isolated villages, Krampus has other beastly companions, such as the antlered "wild man" figures, and St Nicholas is nowhere to be seen.
-Το όνομα του Krampus προέρχεται από τη γερμανική λέξη krampen, που θα πει "δαγκάνα" και είναι γιος της Χελ (Hel), χαρακτήρα της σκανδιναβικής μυθολογίας. Σύμφωνα με ανθρωπολογικές ερμηνείες, το παγανιστικό αυτό τέρας υποδηλώνει την ανάγκη των ανθρώπων να μην αποκοπούν τελείως από τη ζωώδη πλευρά τους.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDuuxRqNLSg&feature=youtu.be