Discover Top Posts Tagged with #wilder man

WEE BIT EARLY, BUT...

“ So, what is the role of Krampus in German Folklore? Historians believe that the Krampus myth comes from German Paganism, back in the time before the Middle Ages when the country converted to Christianity. Until then, Germans were Poly-theistic… meaning they worshiped many gods… including many of the Norse Gods like Woden (Odin in Norway) and Krampus, thought to be the son of the Norse god, Hel. “

ARTICLE SOURCE: https://germangirlinamerica.com/krampus-in-german-folklore/

MY HUSBAND’S FLEMISH SO WHEN IN BELGIUM I BECAME FAMILIAR WITH KRAMPUS. HE REMINDED ME IMMEDIATELY OF THIS, WHICH I’D ALREADY SEEN.. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/photographer-captures-still-practiced-pagan-rituals-of-europe

NOTE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ALL THE FIGURES AND THE LONGEVITY OF THE HISTORY OF MANY OF THEM.

IN SCOTLAND, OF COURSE, WE DIDN’T HAVE KRAMPUS. BUT WE HAVE THE CAILLEACH, THE OLD WOMAN. SHE’S A GODDESS THAT TRAVELS IN THE GUISE OF AN OLD (ORDINARY) WOMAN BUT WHO CAN GROW IN SIZE SO THAT SHE CAN STRIDE MOUNTAINS IN A SINGLE STEP. IN THIS WAY, SHE BRINGS THE BLANKETS OF SNOW TRAILING FROM HER SKIRTS TO COVER THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS.

SHE ALSO HAS A HABIT OF VISITING HOMES ON SOLSTICE EVE. SHE HAS MANY GUISES..SHE CAN LOOK LIKE A KINDLY OLD WIFIE, OR CAN LOOK LIKE AN ANCIENT, WITHERED, BOIL COVERED CRONE. SHE ASKS FOR HOSPITALITY FOR THE NIGHT.

OFFER IT TO HER, AND IN THE MORNING YOU’LL GET UP AND SHE’LL BE GONE, HAVING JUST ASKED FOR A “SEAT BY THE FIRESIDE AND A BOWL OF PORRIDGE” AND IN HER PLACE WILL BE A LITTLE BAG OF COINS AS THANKS, AND YOU’LL HAVE GOOD LUCK ALL THE NEXT YEAR.

REFUSE, AND YOUR LIVESTOCK AND CROPS WILL BE BLIGHTED AND DIE, YOUR FAMILY WILL SUFFER GREAT AND PLENTIFUL SICKNESSES AND IF THERE’S A BAIRN, THERE’S A CHANCE THAT BAIRN WILL BE STOLEN AND REPLACED BY A CHANGELING THAT’LL BRING TROUBLE THE REST OF IT’S LIFE (THAT EXPLAINS TEENAGERS THEN...:P )

THE COMMON THEME? THE WANDERER, WHETHER IT’S ODIN, THE CAILLEACH, ONE OF THE FEY FOLK, OR ONE OF THESE PAGAN KRAMPUS TYPES. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE GREAT LUCK AND HAPPINESS AND BENEFITS THEIR VISITS CAN BRING. AND YOUR OWN PART IN IT, BECAUSE THE POTENTIAL ALSO EXISTS FOR YOUR OWN BLIGHTING DEPENDING ON YOUR BEHAVIOUR.

IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND IN MY OWN MEMORY (NOT SO MUCH NOWADAYS, SADLY, AS COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY DEPOPULATION AND LOSS OF AMENITIES AND ABSENTEE LANDLORDS NOT ALLOWING THE BUILDING OF HOMES FOR LOCALS AND THEIR CHILDREN) HOSPITALITY WAS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY AND I SUSPECT THIS DATES BACK TO PAGAN TIMES WHEN YOU SIMPLY NEVER KNEW IF THE WANDERER KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR WAS A GOD IN DISGUISE.

OF COURSE, THERE WERE TIMES THE “LAW OF HOSPITALITY” BACKFIRED...THINKING PARTICULARLY OF THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE, IN WHICH SOME OF MY OWN ANCESTORS PERISHED. BUT TREACHERY IS A WHOLE OTHER THING.

BUT MY GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS WOULD NO MORE HAVE THOUGHT OF TURNING SOMEONE AWAY FROM THE DOOR WITHOUT OFFERING A BED FOR THE NIGHT, OR AT THE LEAST, A HOT MEAL AND A DRAM, THAN OF TURNING AWAY THEIR OWN RELATIVES. IT WAS AN INGRAINED “LAW”, THAT OF HOSPITALITY. HOW MANY OF US ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER OUR PARENTS, ON ANSWERING THE DOOR TO NO MATTER WHOM, OPEN IT WIDE WITH A SMILE AND A “COME AWAY IN..I’LL PUT THE KETTLE ON!”?

SADLY, TIMES CHANGE.

AS FOR KRAMPUS, HE IS TOO CHRISTIANISED TO APPEAL TO ME, BUT I’D LOVE TO HAVE TRAVELLED WITH CHARLES FREGER AND SEE WHAT HE SAW. :)