If you've been reading my blog for any length of time it'll probably come as no surprise when I tell you that I've always had a bit of a thing for the idea and image of Krampus.
I've always been into folklore and mythology, not only from the British Isles, but Nordic, Scandinavian, Germanic, Greek, Egyptian, Roman and American amongst others.
I love reading about old beliefs, old Gods, Goddesses and customs from around the world, there is something so rich and appealing about these old traditions and even more so when they are still practised to some extent today.
Grüße von Krampus
So when I discovered Krampus, I was fascinated by the idea of him, the customs that surround him and the fact that he is still part of Christmas traditions in Central Europe and that every year he puts in an appearance as part of the Christmas celebrations and processions or runs across these regions.
He even has his own night known as Krampusnacht which takes place on 5th December.
I recently watched a documentary on these "runs" called Greetings from Krampus on Amazon Prime, it was made in conjunction with The Austrian Film Commission and explains the origins and traditions of The Christmas Devil much better than I can here, so is well worth the watch for that reason alone.
Here's the trailer so you can get the feel of it... It's in German, and the subtitles don't work in an other language, but if you watch it on Amazon you'll have no problem with watching it with subtitles in other languages...
Due to weird changes in Blogger, I haven't been able to upload the video direct from youtube but if you'd like to watch it there and give the uploader (Thimfilm Filmverleih) their dues, here's the link:
I loved this documentary, I found it quite inspiring and now have plans to make a Krampus style doll, as well as more experiments with painting and sketching variations of him.
It has also inspired me to make a point of one day take a Christmas holiday and attend one of these parades, hopefully I'll have a mug of cocoa and a ginger biscuit in my hands as I do!
Anyhoo, time to show off my adorable little man...
As you can see he really is a handsome little devil, and as per tradition he is wearing chains. There isn't that much of interest to the design of the box, unless you are curious to know what the pattern in the red areas is.
When you turn the box around and look at the back of it, you can see what the pattern is... It's taken from a vintage Greetings Card which looks, judging from the art style, to be from the 1800's.
Here's a copy of the original, which being colour shows the details in the image a lot better than the black lines against the grungy red colour shown on his box...
He's just so cute, I love his little curly horns, his swooshy tongue and his little cloven hooves, in fact everything about him is adorable.
He is holding a switch of birch branches that he uses to hit naughty boys with.
When I turned him around I discovered his "secret" ... He's found a very naughty boy to cart off to gawd knows where and be punished for not listening to his parents throughout the year.
Just look at this naughty little person trying desperately to escape from Krampus' basket - he's got no chance! 😂
Since getting my hands on this little guy a year or so ago, I've noticed there are a few more variants Funko released... This one is my favourite though so I'm more than happy with him.
If you chose to get one for yourself, I'm sure you'll feel the same way too!
Well, that's it for now - check out that documentary if you get the chance, I cannot recommend it enough.
Stay safe, keep those hands washed, wear a mask and keep away from stupid people!
Hugs
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